Conventions Of A Title Sequence

Conventions of an Opening Sequence

Analysis of Spiderwick Chronicles

Music

At the beginning of the clip the music slowly builds in volume, the score consists of high pitched noises and upbeat tempo that is slow this compliments the cinematography at this time as the audience are slowly introduced to the insects through the use of extreme close ups. Making the audience feel intrigued to see the insects are in this location. Moreover when the man enters the room and starts shuffling around a soprano sound overlaps the score, this adds tension and suspense as the audience await to see the identity of the man.

Sound:
I have used this wordle tool to illustrate the use of sound in the clip.  The use of a hyperbollic sound of the pen writing on the paper adds significance to the action made. This makes the audience feel drawn to paper and prompts the audience to question what is he writing, why is he writing? In addition to this the use of the diegetic sound of the insects creates a magical atmosphere which is effective as its a film aimed at young children. This adds a sense of excitement to the scene and compliments the imagery the audience witness of the insects and the location the film is set in.




Editing:
Quick cuts are used in the clip when there are a series of close ups of a variety insects. This has been used to convey a lot of information quickly and imply the atmosphere is energetic and chaos. This is reinforced when the character runs into the room and starts to rush. In addition to this towards the end of the clip some shots are of a long duration. This is used to draw an emotional response from the reader as we witness the man looking terrified as he looks out the window. Moreover it draws the audience to whats on the screen.

When the titles begin they fade in and fade out slowly, this creates a creepy atmosphere, the music compliments this. Again it also creates a magical feeling, which enhances the fantasy aspect of the film.


Cinematography and Mise En Scene 

Bridget Jones Analysis

Bridget Jones Diary ( 2001, UK, Sharon Maguire)

Mise En Scene
In the opening sequence we are introduced to the character Bridget, when looking at the characters costume we can see she is wearing red patterned clothes this choice of clothing is quite festive and indicates to the audience what time the film is set in which is just after Christmas. Bridget  is dressed very old fashioned for her age this allows the audience to make a connection between her personality and dress sense which reflects her as the typical thirty - something single woman in London.

Also when looking at Bridget's facial expressions it reflects her quirky and awkward personality which is also heightened in the previous scene when she talks out loud about her favorite dish being curry

In the next shot we can see a crumbled Christmas hat, as the opening credits start to begin, the prop indicates to the audience the time of year it is, interestingly the hat is deflated and crumpled and has been thrown on a pillar. This reflects how the festivity has started to diffuse in society just like the hat.  The audience are also shown Bridget's home, her house is typical British architecture this indicates she lives in a suburban area - this echoes the typical romantic comedy story line set in London. The fact that it is also snowing reinforces the classic British Christmas which is what the audience expect at that Christmas period.

When Bridget's home is introduced to the audience instantly it is revealed Bridget is alone this has been used through the use of space, as she is in the right hand corner when using rule of thirds and on the left side there is nothing present but furniture this amplifies she is by herself. The use of props such as a wine glass and cigarette buts signal to the audience she has had nothing to do over the holidays - so her time was used smoking and drinking.  In addition to this her costume in this scene is pajamas this expresses to the audience she is not going anywhere and her plans is to stay at home alone.This makes the audience evoke pathos for Bridget as we can sympathies no-one wants to be alone; especially at festive times of the year. When the music begins to start   Bridget begins to weep as she sings along - this shows to the audience her unstable emotional state as she faces the realization that she is lonely. Again this makes the audience feel sorry for Bridget as she drowns her sorrows in alcohol and sings the signature song '' All By Myself''

Music and Sound
At the beginning of the clip a voice over is used. This is when Bridget starts to talk about her life and what needs to change. A voice over is a non diegetic technique. The use of a voice over allows the audience to gain a better understanding of what Bridge'ts life is like and what she intends to do to change it.

The use of non diegetic sound is very effective in the opening sequence - interestingly the score starts off being presented as non diegetic then slowly begins to become diegetic, this is noticeable when Bridget starts singing along to the song. The use of this specific score  allows the character Bridget to interact with the music, and add a sense of humor to the credits, contrastingly the audience begins to laugh at Bridget's actions. when in fact Bridget is feeling upset. The use of humor allows the audience to connect with whats happening on screen.

Another use of sound is the diegetic sound of the answering phone saying : no new messages. This is used to enhanced the fact Bridget is alone and no-one has tried to contact her in the festive time when everyone is together. This makes the audience yet again feel empathy for Bridget, in turn allowing the audience to become deeply invested in Bridget's life/story.

EditingCross dissolve is used as a transition between shots. This is when two shots overlap each other, this is a use of continuity editing. This has the effect of making Bridget's life seem tedious and unexciting  Moreover it shows how she has nothing but time on her hands.  The font used for the titles looks hand written again this 

The audience are instantly moved to a different place but in Bridget's case she is in the same place, doing the same thing! This reflects in the pace of the editing as its very slow, this allows the director to draw an emotional response from the audience.

When the titles begin fade in and out, the text used is san serif this text reflects a happy, upbeat atmosphere. In addition to this the text is the color yellow/orange this reflects a lightheartedness to the movie. Interestingly the subject Bridget sings almost to credits as they appear on the left side of the shot. When the main title appears Bridget almost 'kicks the credits'' emphases its HER diary.

Audience response:

Connections Made:

• Its after Christmas - the festivity is starting to diffuse.
• The main character lives in London.
• She is lonely - the song and the fact she has no messages left for her reflects this.
• She feels sorry for herself she begins to cry.
• She could be an alcoholic due to the fact she downs her wine.
• She is a chain smoker this is shown by the cigarette buts left near her sofa.

Questions:

• How old is she?
• When was her last relationship?
• Is she in a depressed state?
• Will she find someone?

Cinematography:

Wallander Analysis

Brick Analysis

The Sixth Sense Analysis (Shyamalan, 1999, US)

Memento (2000, US, Nolan) Opening Sequence Analysis