Genre: Thriller 
Rear window opening analysis

General information 
Rear Window is a 1954 Alfred Hitchcock movie. The film was very highly received by critics and was nominated for four academy award nominations. It is considered one of Alfred Hitchcock's greatest movies, and some even consider it one of the best movies ever made. It is ranked 37th on IMDb's highest rated movies, one place below Psycho, another well known Alfred Hitchcock movie. The film had a budget of 2 million dollars, and earned $5.3 million at the North American box office.  

Target audience 
The film is a thriller, more specifically a mystery thriller, so the typical audience of the film is likely to be young adults and teenagers, ranging from approximately 14-30. People below 14 may find the film boring as there is not much "action" in the film, and people above 30 may find the film a little tedious and immature, but this isn't to say older adults wouldn't enjoy the film. The movie is rated PG, meaning it is suitable for pretty much everyone.

Characters, mis en scene and camera angles
Rear window is set in one location. This is the room of the main character L.B. Jefferies, and the view from his bedroom. The opening to the film ,as seen in the clip, depicts all of his surroundings, perhaps to make the environment in which the film is set clear to the audience. The weather in the opening scene is very sunny and bright ( the film is said to have taken place in the midst of a heatwave), which contrasts uneasily with the tension of the film later on. When the dramatic scenes take place towards the end of the film, it is night. This is to help distinguish the lighter, innocent scenes and the darker scenes. The scene makes great use of the panning shot (which is an ideal shot to use when showing people watching their neighbors and environments), and of course long shots to show a large amount of space within a cut. 

Music 
The music in the background to the scene is very upbeat. Like with the weather and the brightness of the scene, this contrasts effectively with scenes later on, which use little music and is instead very eerie. The opening scene to this film is supposed to show what people get up to behind their windows, and what they do in the morning. The life they live is supposed to be boring and routine, and I think the music helps convey this. There is supposed to not be anything out of the ordinary, which is contradictory as this is a thriller film. This in itself creates tension, and makes the rest of the film more dramatic. 

Analyzing film openings 

Film: Reservoir Dogs

Setting: Cafe 

This film's genre is neo noir crime thriller. The film opening features eight men sitting in a cafe having just eaten breakfast, just before executing (or at least trying to execute) a diamond heist. 

What conventions are used?

Shot's and editing 
If you watch the whole opening scene of them in the cafe (more than is shown in the youtube clip) you can see that there is no real establishing shot. The first shot of the movie depicts two of the eight men, listening to the ongoing conversation. The dialogue also starts before the opening shot is displayed. This conveys the rather irregular, out of order narrative to the film, and again is a sign of things to come. As opening scenes are made to give an audience a taste of what the film is going to be about, this scene is successful in doing this. The editing, like the dialogue, is quite rapid and the camera will have a tendency within the scene to jerk between the various characters. 

The effect of this, again, is to create a rather irregular, disorganized feel to the scene. 

  

Mis en scene and genre

The genre of the film is somewhat a mystery at the start. Having eight men, all dressed in black, sit around a table could suggest crime, but there is no clear link to the actual genre of the film. In fact the characters do not even mention the heist within the scene, meaning that this scene is effectively futile compared to the overall story arc. In this respect, the opening scene does not comply by normal opening scene rules. The setting (the cafe) is a very basic environment, and is not at all eye-catching. This helps the audience focus on the dialogue without being distracted by other things, while at the same time simply doing the job of being a cafe in which the eight man can have a conversation. The simplicity of the environment and the scene make the action/torture scene later on the film even more striking. 

Sound

Within the scene the dialogue between the characters is rapid, signifying the fast pace of the film and giving the audience a sign of things to come. There is no background sound in the opening clip. This can be quite common in film openings, as having little to no sound can create tension and allows people watching the film to really focus on what is happening on screen and what the characters are talking about.

I think the opening to Reservoir Dogs is a very good film opening. It is interesting, it immediately hooks the audience with it's gripping dialogue, and it encourages the audience to focus on the little details of what is being said (much like Quentin Tarantino's other films), without distracting the audience with an unnecessarily high budget background or over the top music (it saves this for the opening credits!) 

Film: Black Swan

Setting: Stage 
The film's genre is psychological thriller/drama. The film opening features a ballet dancer on a stage, in the spotlight. About halfway through the clip another person comes onto the stage, dancing as the "black swan." The scene goes from a light, happy mood to a dark mood.

What conventions are used?

Shot's and editing 
This opening clip is very fast paced, which adds to the urgency of the scene and establishes to the audience the kind of film that this is going to be. There are a lot of jump cuts in the scene which serve to show the weirdness of the film and the disorientating nature of it. 
The establishing shot of the clip is that of the dancer in the center of the shot, right in the spotlight on the stage. This makes it clear to the audience what the environment is in which the scene is set. 

Mis en scene and genre 
The blackness that engulfs the characters tells the audience what little there is to see in the environment and to fear the unknown, as the whole surrounding is black. This also creates a sinister effect. The scene is shot in great detail so you can see everything that is within the dark space (for example you can see with detail the clothes that the characters are wearing.) The reason for this is to better distinguish the characters in the center of the space from the darkness that surrounds them. This also makes the characters on screen seem more important and striking, perhaps even "dominant," (a word which fits with the stories narrative.) 

Sound
When the black swan emerges onto the stage, the music suddenly changes to a faster, much more unpleasant rhythm. This is an example of how sound is important within the scene, as it tells the audience the mood of what is happening on screen. Even if the mood is obvious, the music serves to enforce the emotions on screen to the audience.


Overall I think this clip is quite successful in conveying the classic opening film conventions. In other words it makes use of an establishing shot, has great attention to detail and gives a sense of what the rest of the film is like. The exception in this clip might be the attention to the music, as opening scenes often do not use music to create more suspense/mystery. However, in this clip the music compliments the action perfectly, and as there is no dialogue it does not distract the audience from anything.  



Film:Zombieland

Setting: Lot's of different places
The film's genre is comedy. The opening scene features the main character (Columbus) talking directly to the audience about what to do in a zombie apocalypse in order to survive. The scene is obviously humorous. 

What conventions are used? 

Shot's and editing 
The opening scene to Zombieland has an establishing shot of the American flag, before the camera slowly pans backwards to reveal the United States capitol building. This immediately tells the audience where the story is set, as well as giving the audience a grasp of what extent the zombie apocalypse has reached and how everything has turned "bad." The fact one shot can establish so much within a few seconds makes it successful. 
The camera slowly zooms out, dramatically, to reveal the entire planet, covered in fires and cracks. This is an example of how much technology has developed in order for filmmakers to be able to pull off scenes like this within the first few seconds of the film starting.
After this introduction, the scene rapidly picks up pace. The camera uses a lot of medium shot's/ two shot's to depict exactly what is happening on screen without overdoing things. Once Columbus has finished talking, there are numerous shots of zombies attacking people and people being chased by zombies. All these shot's are done in slow motion. All though this does not necessarily help the core genre shine through within the opening (comedy) it does make the scene somewhat more dramatic, which in turn makes it seem more cheesy (as exaggerated dramatic scenes tend to be.) Also, a few POV shots are used to further add to the dramatic cheesiness of the scene. 

Mis en scene 
It is quite hard to establish the set in this clip as the opening scene features so many different environments. There are similarities between the various clips that are shown, for example in all of them the weather is quite grey and dark, the action on screen is fast paced, and each clip features zombies. This makes clips from the scene somewhat more easy to recognize, and makes the fast paced scene slightly more tolerable instead of bombarding the audience with lot's of fast paced random clips.  

Sound
Columbus tells the watcher what the rules for a zombie apocalypse are within the scene. This is to keep the audience focused on specific people/objects(which is important to the dialogue) without being distracted by other things that are happening. The music in the background of the opening clip is very up-beat and full on. This makes the scene more dramatic, however some viewers may find the music distracting with the conflicting dialogue from the narrator, as the music is not quiet at all, and is quite dominating.  


To conclude this clip is quite successful in conveying the key conventions of opening scenes. However it is quite fast paced compared to a lot of film openings, and as such almost throws the audience straight into the action, a technique which may be a bit too overwhelming for some. 

Film: The Dark Knight 

Setting:Bank
This film's genre is action. The opening sequence features the Joker, with the help of some other thugs, robbing a bank. At the end, the Joker kills all his helpers and leaves with all the money. 


What conventions are used? 

Shot's and editing 
The opening sequence starts right away with the action of the bank robbery. Immediately we are shown two members of the gang preparing a zip wire to allow them to access the roof of another building. We see a tracking shot of the Joker's back, but don't see his face until the end of the scene, and even this is only for a few seconds. This adds an air of mystery to the Joker's persona, and has a hooking effect which will make the audience want to carry on watching the film. The reason the scene starts straight away with this action is because, as this is an action film, the filmmakers want the audience to almost immediately be satisfied. Also, as opening scenes are meant to give a taste of what is to come, films like this should start with action based scenes (which obviously are relevant to the plot.) This makes this film's opening a success. The scene also makes use of one POV shot when the Joker's face is revealed. Not only does this allow us to see his face in full detail for the first time (which makes it all the more shocking), but it also creates a sense of realism, as if we as the audience are for ourselves meeting the joker for the first time, just like the back manager in the scene. 

Mis en scene and genre
The director makes a lot of use of the panning shot within the scene as well. This is because the scenery/environment is very important within the scene, to add dramatic effect. This helps the core genre (action.) In this way the scene is effective because it clearly gives away the genre and gives the audience a taste of what is to come within the film, and the kind of action scenes that they should expect. The environment within this scene is very important as well because the landscape of Gotham City is dramatic and breath-taking. 

Sound
The music in the scene does not dominate, and is more of a quiet beating in the background, which only serves to make the scene more tense. This is good as if the music was too dominating it would distract the audience from what is going on on screen, and might mean them missing out on important dialogue. In this way it follows the path of a lot of other opening films in the sense that the background music is not dominant and is instead quiet and effective. However the music does get louder and faster as the scene and the action progress. 



To conclude this scene does incorporate a lot of the classic opening scene conventions. The music does not dominate and the scene serves to wet the audience's appetite for the rest of the film. I think it is a very successful opening scene which uses a good variety of shots and camera angles to further add effect. 



Film: Halloween 

Setting: Michael Myers house
During this unsettling opening scene, Michael Myers (the villain in the Halloween franchise), is seen, as a boy, walking through his house on Halloween night and brutally killing his sister with a knife.

Shot's and editing 
What makes this scene so interesting is the fact that most of the scene uses one kind of shot, which is the POV (point of view shot.) The camera acts as the point of view of Michael Myers, as he walks into the house, up the stairs and into his sister's bedroom, before killing her. The reason this shot is used is because we as the audience get to witness what the villain is doing. This makes the scene intense as we desperately want to warn the characters about the lurking danger, but can do nothing and simply have to watch as the "danger" murders his victims on screen. The take is shot in one take as well. This keeps the audience from being distracted and makes the scene feel more smooth and realistic, as if we are the eyes of Michael Myers and are witnessing the scene as it happens. 


Mis en scene and genre
The environment in which the scene is shot is exactly the kind of environment you would expect a horror movie to be shot in. It is the night, and the house where the murder takes place looks old and eerie. The interior of the house has no light's on, and the hallways/ stairs are eerily dark. This environment both establishes genre and adds dramatic tension to the scene.  

Sound
This scene's sound is very subtle, which makes the scene all the more unsettling. The scene starts off with next to no sound, and then the music in the background gradually gets louder as the tension increases. This is very effective in building tension and atmosphere. It goes without saying that the music that is used is very eerie and fit's perfectly to what is happening on screen. There is diegetic dialogue within the scene as well, which serves to tell the audience what is going on. There is little background noise (for example cars or other people) which creates uneasy feelings of loneliness and despair. 



Overall I think this is a very successful opening scene. It shows all the typical conventions of an opening scene (little sound in the background, environments which make the genre obvious, foreshadowing about what will happen next in the film etc) while at the same time being relevant to the plot as a whole. This is important as a few movies can have opening scenes which bare no real resemblance to the rest of the film and it's plot. 

What is meant by a movie opening and how are movie openings defined?

A movie opening is the introduction to a film, typically lasting a few minutes. After a film introduction, there will be often be opening credits, signifying that the main story is about to begin.

The purpose of a movie opening is to immediately interest the audience that are watching the film. Movie openings also serve to give the audience a taste of what is to come within the film, and what they can expect to see. 

However, they are very different to theatrical/teaser trailers. Trailers like this are designed to show people interesting/informative moments from the movie, to get people to go and watch it. A film opening's sole purpose is to grab the attention of people watching, whilst also being relevant to the overall plot. Film openings will typically establish characters and plot within it's sequence. 

What conventions do movie openings share? 

Movie openings will usually share similar conventions. Often, a movie opening will feature a flashback to show a certain characters situation before the events of the film. A film opening will often start with an establishing shot to show the audience the environment in which the film is set, and also to clarify mood/genre of the film. For example the establishing shot of a horror movie may be that of a huge mansion, surrounded by tree's and seemingly in the middle of nowhere, while rain pours outside and thunder can be heard in the distance. An establishing shot of a romance film may be that of a couple holding hands, walking slowly away from the camera with the Eiffel Tower in the background. These are examples that can show what importance an establishing shot has over perceived genre of the film. These examples also show that genres can each have their own specific conventions for their film openings, for example spooky sound effects for a horror movie and stunning visual scenery for a romance. 

There are also a lot of films that will start with a chase scene or a some sort of scene with a dramatic nature. This serves to immediately interest the audience.

Finally, technology has had a big impact on film openings in recent years. For example if you look back at a classic Alfred Hitchcock movie, the movie will probably have a gentle opening with not much going on. Films these days (for example Quantum of Solace) will often begin with huge set pieces as technology has advanced a lot. 

Action and Adventure film genre research

Action and Adventure research

The action and adventure genre within film is one of the biggest genres there is. Some of the best known films within the genre include Indiana Jones, The Dark Night, Mad Max: Fury Road and The Bourne Ultimatum.

According to www.filmsite.org, action films usually will include “high energy, big budget physical stunts.” Films like this will usually involve two dimensional “good” characters, fighting against evil characters.

Films within the genre can include James Bond type spy movies, super hero movies and martial arts movies. Films within the genre tend to cross over with those of science fiction, fantasy and thriller.

Another major sub-genre is disaster films.

Adventure films are said as usually being exciting stories. Films like this are often set in an exotic landscape, like that of a desert or a tropical jungle. The genre is said as being very similar to the action genre, with the various different conventions it uses.

Usually in an adventure film there will be a stereotypical “good guy” (like in action films) that will go on an adventure (hence the genres title) to save something or someone. Adventure films often include swashbucklers and historical spectacles.

Music used in the combined genre of action and adventure will often be dramatic, to make the films more exciting for the audience. The music may speed up as the story progresses, signifying closer danger to the characters in the film.

Often at the end of films like this, the good guy will win and the danger or enemy will be defeated. This is not always the case though; however a lot of films in the genre will follow the same rough story arc, in other words having similar beginnings, middles and ends.