Film openings and conventions

Film openings and conventions

As previously stated, I will be creating a Noir themed movie opening. The sequence will be primarily black and white but will have reds left in, in order to emphasise certain aspects of the sequence.


Three example film openings:

1. In a lonely place (1950)



2. Criss Cross (1949)


3. Sunset Boulevard (1950)



Conventions:

1. Opening Titles: The opening text for all three posts is nearly identical in that it is simply white, bold text over the background shots, all three also seem to have similar durations.

2. Sets: The sets all appear fairly similar, as two are tracking shots over a landscape (Criss Cross' being a cityscape while Sunset Boulevard is showing an asphalt road.) While the camera style is different in 'In a Lonely Place's' opening, it is set in the same sort of environment as 'Criss Cross', as both are in a city.

3. Characters: Once the credits finish in Sunset Boulevard we are greeted by a voice, establishing the time and setting of the movie. Criss Cross doesn't feature any characters in it's opening sequence, except a man in a car and a couple walking through a car park, though they are not established and introduced in any way before the footage ends. In a Lonely Place features the back of a man's head, and ends on him just beginning to turn to a lady in the car to his left.

4. Music: Again all three openings are very similar, though this time it is because of their music choices. All three feature incredibly similar orchestral tracks, usually with an emphasis on the brass section. This reflects the time in which the movies were filmed.

5. Camera: Two of my three use wide angled tracking shots in their opening, while 'In a Lonely Place' features a stationary camera in the back of a car, giving us a medium shot from behind what is presumably the main character. I will be attempting different techniques in my opening, as I do not have the resources to do a large panning shot of a cityscape etc.

My Coursework Choice

For the coursework I've chosen to create the introductory sequence of a new fiction movie. I am thinking of continuing the noir detective theme presented in my preliminary coursework task, and even considering continuing the same story. Here are 3 images I found that I am taking inspiration from: