Paranormal activity 2 - Opening Analysis

Institutional Information 
Paranormal Activity 2 is a 15 rated supernatural horror film. It is a found footage film following the CCTV and handheld camera footage from a family who believe that they have a supernatural presence in their household. The film was released in October 2010, directed by Tod Williams and distributed by Paramount pictures. The film was made on a very small budget of $3 million and made $177 million at the box office. The film was a not a very successful follow up on the first instalment of paranormal activity; achieving a mediocre critical reception with an average score of 6 out of 10. However with the lower budget it did manage to make a larger profit. 

Genre and Target Audience 
This film supposedly panders to a very wide demographic. It is targeted at an audience of anyone above 15 years old, however I believe that it appeals most to an audience of 15-25 year olds. My reasoning behind this being that I think the supernatural sub-genre of horror is less appealing to older audiences as it tends to concentrate less on the psychological frightening of the audience and more on fun jump scares, which could be considered to be a slightly more immature version of horror. 

Opening credits
The first thing that the audience is introduced to in the film is a piece of text on a white background, stating that the production company is thanking 'the families of the deceased and the Carlsbad police department'. The use of these opening credits portrays to the audience the idea of this film being a documentary, therefore creating a sense of realism; which in turn makes the film scarier to the viewer because it appears factual. It also creates an enticing atmosphere for the viewer as we are curious to find out what strange paranormal events (as the title suggests), occurred to these 'real life' people. 

The next image that we are presented with is an establishing shot of a car pulling up outside of an ordinary neighbourhood house. This shot therefore provides information as to where the film is set. The text ‘Carlsbad, CA’ is displayed over the top of this image which also sets the scene for the viewer as it provides us with a more specific location.
The title of the film is also never displayed as this is supposed to be a 'documented' series of events, and by excluding the title from the opening sequence is makes the story appear to be more realistic.

Location and Atmosphere representation

The opening scenes are shot with a hand held camera, giving the point of view of the characters. This is very successful for the purpose of the movie, which is to present a ‘documented’ horror story to the audience; therefore creating more fear as the events appear to be real. Nothing but diegetic sound is used in this film opening, again, in order to create a more realistic effect to add to the idea of this being a 'documented' film. 
However the mis en scene of the film opening opposes the horror genre of the film as it is set in what appears to be a friendly and ordinary neighbourhood. The sunny setting and light hearted voices of the characters all imply a happy atmosphere; one of joy and excitement as they bring a new baby home for the first time. However the audience are most likely to be aware of the genre of this film, so this dextrously creates an unsettling environment as the audience know that this scene of a happy family will not last. 
The setting of the house is presented when the father tours the building, whilst describing the rooms to his son in the future. A jump cut editing technique is used to combine the shots together in order to provide a detailed description of where the story takes place. 

Narrative
The tone of the beginning of the film is actually quite pleasant. It is an exciting and hopeful scene that we are introduced to as the characters talk about and bring their new born son home for the first time. The mis en scene of the opening scenes is cheerful as the setting is brightly lit with natural sunlight, reflecting a bright and enjoyable day. This juxtaposes the genre of the film as horror distinctively has dark and dreary connotations. Therefore, in the opening scenes, the tone of the film is unclear. As the audience most likely know that this is a horror film, this happy opening sets the film off to a confusing start. However it does set up a sense of interconnection between the characters and the audience as we have an insight into their normal, mundane life, before any of these paranormal events begin.
It is clear that this story will be told through the eyes of the characters that have just been introduced through the use of handheld cameras. Also there is running commentary provided by the character as they talk to the camera in order to provide a documented series of events for their son and them to watch when they get older. 

Character representation 
The first character that is spoken about is Hunter, and he is also the first person to be present on camera. This highlights his significance in the story as the plot revolves around this little boy. The baby is presented through a high angle shot which shows venerability as a newborn baby and suggests that he will later become exposed to these 'paranormal' events as he is also an important character. He is also dressed in white which connotes purity and innocence which juxtaposes this genre of film. Other characters are introduced into the film whilst the camera tours the house. They all are presented in a joyous and happy manner due to the new arrival of a baby boy. This again highlights Hunter's importance to the story and also sets an apprehensive tone to the beginning of the film as the audience are waiting for the typical conventions of horror to come through and spoil this idea of a lovely, happy family scene. 

Conclusion   
I think that this is an effective opening to a horror film, however it defies most of the typical conventions of a horror movie. The opening is happy and pleasant instead of tense and scary. This is effective as it confuses the audience and sets an unsure tone to the beginning of the film therefore creating tension as the viewers are waiting for this happy scene to turn into a less pleasant one. It also allows the audience to relate to the characters on a personal level as we are shown their ordinary lives and can relate to that.  

The Lion King - Opening Analysis

Institutional information 
The lion king is a children's animated, musical film about a young lion cub who has to succeed his father as king of the pride, and deals with the traumatic event of his father's death. The movie was directed by Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff, produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and was released by Walt Disney Pictures. It is an American production and was released in June 1994. It was created on a budget of $45 million and produced $987 million at the box office worldwide. The film was a massive success, it received good critical response and two academy awards for its achievements in music along with a golden globe for best motion picture. It is currently the second highest grossing animated film of all time. 

Genre and Target Audience
The lion king is a G rated family and kids animated film. It is targeted at a young audience and does well to appeal to them through it's attractive animation, lovable, funny characters and catchy songs. However the film has also successfully branched out to older audiences through its emotional pungent storyline and beautiful animation. 
The lion king is an animated musical drama, as it combines the story of the hardships of this young king with a combination of musical numbers. 

Opening Credits
There are no opening credits used in the beginning of this film. The first scenes that are played are that of the iconic 'circle of life' sequence. The title of the film does not appear until 3.45 into the movie. 'The Lion King' is presented in a formal font, with red text on top of a black background. The use of red in the title connotes royalty, blood, love and death; all of which are important aspects of the overall story. It also links to the red dye applied to Simba's head as he is presented to both the characters and the audience as the successor to the throne

Location and Atmosphere Representation
We are first introduced to the film with an extreme long shot of an African plane at sun rise. This clearly sets the scene for the film as a rural land, uninhabited by humans. A cross-cutting editing technique is then used to combine a series of shots introducing the different wildlife and showing their shared goal of reaching pride rock in order to see the presentation of the new heir. The first sequence of shots have an orange and red tone to them signifying that it is dawn but also connoting change as the animals bask in the glow of the red light; a colour that coincides with their new king as it implies the idea of birth and royalty. The colour red is present in almost every opening scene in some way and is the colour of the text in the title, therefore highlighting its importance as it connotes danger, power, love and death. 
The camera tracks a bird in deep focus as it flies over the landscape and we see that all of the differing types of animals are being brought together beneath a tall podium made of stone, above which stands a male lion. This highlights both the significance of the lion and of the stone structure of which he stands upon, and shows to the audience that this is an important location in the story. 

Narrative
It becomes clear in the opening sequence that the story will be told through the animals and it will not be a human account of events as no humans are present in the planes of Africa. This provides an interesting narrative for the story as it is told through an animal point of view, a voice that, to us, is never heard.
The opening of the film presents the idea of hope and new beginnings. We are brought into the story at a significant event as all he animals of Africa unite in order to welcome their new king into the world. This sets a pleasant tone to the beginning of the film as the story appears optimistic and bright. Once again, this tone is presented through the emotions of the characters; for example when we see a close up shot of the king and queen smiling over their new born son and of the animals bowing to the new heir.
With the orange and red tones that are displayed over almost every scene in the opening, the tone of the film appears to be warm and comforting. This sets a pleasant nature to the film that will appeal to it family and child audience.
Also the non-diegetic music that is added over the top of the opening scenes has a calming effect. It works well with the opening images as the beginning of the song is slow and tranquil; coinciding with the start of the new day for the animals as they slowly wake and make there way to pride rock. The music then builds up to a climaxing point, which is when Simba is held above the animals, which helps to translate this as a very important moment. 

Character Representation 
The first significant character that we are introduced to is Mufasa, Simba's father. He is first presented through a long tracking shot as the camera follows a bird over the landscape. The deep focus on the bird is then transferred onto the lion and from the low angle of the shot and his height over the other characters, his dominance in the story is established. 
Simba is later introduced and his significance to the story becomes clear through a long shot of him being held up and presented to the kingdom. The low angle of this shot from the other animal's perspective, shows Simba's extreme dominance over the other characters in the story. Also, a ray on sunlight on a cloudy day, falls directing upon Simba, reflecting his Godly presence and obvious importance to the story. This use of light suggests a natural hierarchy; as if the new king has been chosen and accepted by nature itself. 
An eye line match editing technique is also used to refer back and forth between the animal's excitement and respect for what they are seeing and then back to Simba to show that he is the reasoning for this behaviour, again showing this significance in his character. 

Conclusion 
I believe that this is a highly effective opening to an animated film. The shots and music used are effective in enticing the films targeted audience as the images that are displayed are both beautifully animated and conform to the typical conventions of a children's animated film. This abides by the typical conventions of this genre, as it provides an interesting narrative and a light hearted story that would not occur in real life; the fantasy of this story being that the animals of Africa would all unite under one lion king and would all live harmoniously together.  

Forrest Gump - Opening Analysis

Institutional Information
Forrest Gump is a 12 rated, American romance drama film directed by Robert Zemeckis. It was released in June 1994 and distributed by paramount pictures. The film stars Tom Hanks as Forrest Gump, a simple and naive man, who, thanks to the supportive words of his much loved mother, has never thought of himself as disadvantaged. We follow Forrest through his eventful life and many tribulations as he fights in the vietnam war, becomes a world class ping pong champion, leads a running cult and makes his millions. Yet Forrest's most reoccurring feeling is his love for Jenny, a childhood friend who Forrest has always held dear to his heart. 
The film was a big success, it was made on $55 million budget yet made $677 million at the box office worldwide. The film received good reviews and won academy awards for best picture, best actor in a leading role, best director, best adapted screenplay and best visual effects. 

Genre and Target Audience 
Forrest Gump is a romantic drama.It is targeted towards both genders (even though females are stereotypically more attracted to this type of film genre) and at any age group above 12 years old. I believe that this film would appeal most to slightly older age groups, mid 20s perhaps, as they would most likely relate to this character more than a teenage audience would. Also I think that this appeals to the older generation as Forrest faces both complex issues of his own and those that have been experienced by others in their lifetime (e.g the vietnam war). 

Opening Credits 
We are initially greeted with the Paramount Pictures ident which silently fades into a black screen. We then see a single feather floating through a blue and cloudy sky. We follow the journey of this feather as the most important people in the production process are listed off, such as the director and the lead actor. Then in a simple white font the name of the film is presented. The title is very understated and does not deter from the importance of the feather in the background as this holds significance in the story. 

Location and Atmosphere representation
A long tracking shot continuously follows the movement of a feather for two and a half minutes, as it floats down from a cloudy sky and over a town park, to eventually land at our main character's feet. This is our establishing shot and sets the scene for the film. As the shot pans round to show more of the buildings in the background it becomes clear that our film is located in a typical city setting. The mis en scene of the scene depicts an ordinary day; the weather is cloudy, yet there are rays of sun around our protagonist as he sits on the park bench. Nothing about the setting is out of the ordinary which nicely coincides with the character of our protagonist as he is no more than your average American; holding no significantly superior traits over any other characters that are introduced throughout the film. 

Narrative
During the opening credits we follow the journey of a single feather which holds strong significance to the overall story and sets up the tone of the film from the beginning. Feathers typically connote wisdom and freedom, which juxtapose the character of Forrest when he is  presented to us as a young boy as, in his younger years, he is very much restricted in his life due to his naivety and low IQ. However, the more nondescript significance of a white feather is its use in the USA as a symbol of courage, persistence and superior combat marksmanship. This is a very noteworthy implication of the presence of the white feather in the opening title sequence, as Forrest later describes his experiences of war and receives the meal of honour for his bravery in combat. Also the specific white colouring of the feather implies innocence, which is a key aspect of Forrest's character. 
The slow movement of this first portion of the film and the calm instrumental that follows the camera movement conforms to the typical convention of a drama film. This movie entices it's audience through the strange significance of a feather in the story and the small bread crumbs that it leaves as to what the story is about and who the character of Forrest Gump truly is. 

Character Representation 
The first thing that we see of Forrest are his muddy trainers, pressed up against the pure white feather. The white innocence of the feather against his childish choice of shoe and their muddy appearance depicts his childlike and immature personality. Also the choice of sports shoes gives an insight into his passion for running and shows the significance that this hold in his story and also the promise from his mother that his shoes would 'take him anywhere'. As the camera pans up we then see that Forrest is wearing a smart linen suit. This, when paired with his muddy shoes and military haircut, all add up to make a strange combination. However, although it may not be clear yet to the audience, these features all are relevent to his character, for example the suit signifies his success in business and his hair style reflects his time in the army. 

He then places the feather in a book in his suitcase and again we see a strange miss match of items; there are socks, a baseball hat, a toothbrush and a toothpaste, a newspaper, some clothes and an illustrative book on which it is portrayed a blue sky with white clouds. Again all of these items hold significance to the character of Forrest, and as he add the feather to this collection, we come to understand that this also is an important factor in the story. 

Conclusion
Overall I think that this is a very well thought out and effective opening to a drama film. The use of the feather and other props provide subtle hints for the viewer which all link into the storyline. This film conforms to most of the typical conventions of a drama film, with the ordinary setting and mis en scene, calming instrumental music and slow paced camera work, consisting mostly of beautiful imagery and establishing shots. At this point Forrest is still an ambiguous character as we have not had any basic insight into his story also it is interesting that no other characters have been introduced at this point which infers that this story revolves around this one protagonist and that he is the major character in this story. 

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire opening analysis

Institutional information

Catching Fire is a 12 rated science fiction action film. It is the second instalment in the Hunger Games trilogy and continues to follow Katniss Everdeen through her travels in the dystopian future of Panem. Released on the 21^st of November 2013 in the UK, the film grossed $864 million worldwide. This was a big budget film of $130 million. Personal appeals for the rights to Suzanne Collins hit novel started in 2009, which was when Lionsgate won the production rights. The film was directed by Francis Lawrence who took over the role from Gary Ross; the director of the first instalment of the franchise. Catching fire was a great success winning 14 awards and receiving masses of praise regarding its ‘step up’ in quality from the first film.

Genre and Target audience

The target audience of the original Hunger Games film was primarily teenage girls, however by the second movie the franchise had expanded to a wider audience. With the change in tone and focus being shifted from the love triangle complications to revolution the film appeared to be reaching out to a wider range of potential viewers. However the movie still reaches to teenage girls as the protagonist of the story is a relatable young woman, fighting against an unjust system. This film puts forward the inspiring idea the voices and actions of one young girl could change the world, which effectively appeals to the younger audience as it makes them feel empowered. 

This is a science fiction action movie as it combines a futuristic dystopian world with the fast paced action sequences that take place in the games.

Opening credits

Opening credits have not been used in this film. We are introduced to the film with the iconic Lionsgate indent and then are transferred straight into the movie itself. In fact there are no opening credits used at all in the first few minutes of the movie which allows the audience to jump straight into the action of the film and acts as if this is direct continuation of the last Hunger Games movie. It is not until the 2:40 marker that we are actually met with the opening title. 'The Hunger Games: Catching Fire' is written in block capitals in a bold white font against a blank black background. The font appears documented and factual, giving no direct clues as to the story or tone of the movie. No other credits are used as are typical in ordinary film production. Anything that could take away from the illusion of this 'true story' has not been included such as the names of actors, creators etc.. 

Location and Atmosphere representation

The first shot that we are met with is a long establishing shot of a desolate forest. This sets an eerie tone and gives an idea of the character’s isolated lifestyle. Also the change in the forest from the first film due to the seasons mirrors the change in the storyline; it represents the change in our protagonist's life from one of hope and fruitfulness to a dreary, bare scene. The slow instrumental that goes along side this generally suggests an idea of stillness and calm; however the underlying low notes give off a dreary and dangerous connotation. The music rises in pitch as we are introduced to our protagonist in the next shot. A long shot shows Katniss looking out into a vast expanse of wilderness. The setting sun in the background and her very still position suggests that she has remained in this state for a long time.
More long shots track the character's movement through the forest environment. The preferred reading of these shots would be that it is an empty and bleak scene as the cold icy sheen on the rocks and greyish camera filter connote a hostile and fatal environment for our woodland hunters. 

Narrative.
In the opening scenes the protagonist is presented to us in a woodland environment through a long establishing shot. She is wearing un-typical attire for what we would consider to be the norm in our society. She wears fur clothes and holds a bow and arrow prop. This links with her dependence on the woodland and her connection with nature as a hunter. It also presents the idea of fantasy as her cloths are unusual when compared to what we see in our society, yet conform to that of what we have seen in the previous film through the 'Capital' fashion.  Her watchful stance and cold, empty surroundings add to the idea of this being a harsh and unforgiving environment. The bitter atmosphere is also reinforced through the eery instrumental played throughout the beginning. Also the absence of vocals in the song mirrors the pureness and lack of humanity in the forest.

Character representation.
A quick series of cuts are used to show Katniss's fast and territorial response to the next character's introduction into the scene. The rapid speed in which this small sequence takes place signifies how weary she is of her environment and that her first instinct is to attack; suggesting that she is in a traumatised state.

The camera tracks the two character through the woods; the slow movement of the camera reflects their careful progression through the woods as they attempt to hunt the animals. In a later scene the protagonist prepares to shoot at a flock of birds. During this scene a deep focus is used on Katniss and her bow whilst the rest of the scene remains as a blurred image. This is also done when the shot transitions to show the birds as a deep focus is put on them whilst the rest of the scene remains blurred. This signifies the pinpointed focus that Katniss has on the animals as she attempts to make a kill. A slow pace continues up until 2:00; when the momentum of the film increases rapidly and abruptly. A series of quick cuts allow the shots to jump between Katniss, the boy she think that she has just killed, Gale and then eventually, in sudden realisation, back to the original birds of the first scene. An eye line match editing technique has been used to intensify the impact of the scene at is it first used to show the audience Katniss's horrific viewpoint of what she has just done; then is used to create more impact on her realisation of the boy being a figment of her imagination. This scene shows Katniss as an unstable person who may have experienced significant trauma in her past. The fast pace of this particular sequence highlights her sensitivity and her fragile mental state. In this scene the depth and development of her character from the last film is displayed to the audience.

Conclusion
The beginning of this film defies most of the usual conventions of an action film with its slow momentum building up to very short and abrupt burst of action. However I believe that this is effective for the storyline of the overall movie as it sets up the new characteristics of the movie's protagonist. It also appeals to the new demographic of the film as it shows a much darker side to this character and to the story with the gloomy mood and cold toned filter on the shots. It sets up the story well as it leaves a sense of intriguement for the audience with questions unanswered such as: what is the tour gale speaks of at the beginning and why is Katniss no longer the same brave protagonist as we remember from the first movie? We are still left unknowing of what will happen later in the film yet fascinates us as we naturally want to know what has cause these significant changes since the first film.