G321 Creating Our Selected Film Openings: Juno, The Strangers and Vertigo

In order to practice creating openings and to help us decide on the genre we would like to produce, we recreated the openigns for three films. As a group, we had 2 hours to film all three film openings and so there needed to be a lot of preparation to ensure we met the deadline. Before we began to produce our openings, for each film a storyboard and shot list was created so we could manage our time effectively and replicate each opening accurately. My task was to collect a few props, such as a doll for Juno, as well as create the storyboard for Vertgio.

This is the storyboard I created:

1 - Fade in, Institution Name (2 seconds)

2 - Fade to black (2 seconds)

3 - Fade in, extreme close up of the left of
woman's face

4 - Pan across face to lips

5 - Slight zoom to lips,
Fly in credits of actor's name (3 seconds)

6 - Pan up to girl's eyes

7 - Credits fly in and fade (3 seconds) as
girl's eyes shift

8 - Zoom to extreme close up of left
eye, red tint and 'Vertigo' fly in
and fly off (6 seconds)

9 - Zoom in spiral (7 seconds) and
background fade to black while spiral continues

10 - Credits appear (10 seconds) as spiral grows

11 - New spiral zoom, colour change to purple,
more credits appear (10 seconds)

As the shot list would include the shot type, duration and description, I only needed to draw what was shown and state the transitions between each shot and their duration and did not include all the details. This was not completed properly but was sufficient enough that as a group, we could work out the correct timings with the shot list. I have learned that when we create our opening that we need to be as detailed as possible in the shot list and storyboard in order for us to create it quickly and efficiently.

In the first hour, we managed to create the opening of Juno and Strangers and Vertigo in the second leaving time for us to begin editing early. After 5 hours, including several editing sessions in our own time, here is the record of how filming and production went with an evaluation of my performance.


25/01/2011 - Filming Juno and The Strangers


During our media lesson (10-11am), we filmed the footage for Juno using our own sketches of the cartoon backgrounds drawn onto A3 paper. We then stuck the the backgrounds onto a wall and filmed a doll moving in the way she does in the real opening using the correct camera angles and movements where possible. At the beginning of the opening, there is also a short shot of the real world when Juno walks past some joggers and into the cartoon world and so we filmed Emily Wallace (a group member) to walk past with myself and another media student as a jogger. In editing, we used transitions to link the shot together and merge the two as seen in Juno. 


During the next free lesson between 11.30 and 12.30, the footage for The Strangers in which several shots of houses around the neighbourhood were used. This gave us a selection to choose from and find the best shots resembling The Strangers opening the most. 


27/01/2011 - Filming Vertigo
In half of our second media lesson of the week (10-10.30am), we managed to film Vertigo and upload all of our footage onto the Mac in preparation for editing. As the shot for Vertigo is one continuous one, it took several attempts to break giggling fits before the final footage was recorded. 


Editing Sessions 
Luckily, my timetable allowed me to be involved in nearly all the editing sessions and so I could help by using my skills on the Mac and showing my group techniques on iMovie. In the first hour session, we managed to put the raw material of Juno together with some transitions and the correct timings. Later that day in the second session, we made the timing of Juno accurate and put The Strangers together (including titles, transitions and text) with only the non-diegetic narration left. In the final session, we added the transitions, titles and sound to all of the openings and completed on 7/02/2011 to be uploaded within the next few days.


Evaluation of My Performance
All the tasks of filming and editing were either completed on time or with time left to spare allowing us to edit extra and perfect our openings. Our time management was excellent and if we perform the same in the future, we will be able to complete our final piece quickly with time to improve and perfect our opening. I stayed on task during filming and editing helping us to finish quickly and helped others in my group so that they could complete the work quicker. 

G321 Research of Student Film

To help me gain a better understanding of what the exam board requires and what an effective opening is, I watched three openings from the previous year and evaluated their strengths and weaknesses. By identifying these elements, I hope to use and learn from them in order to create the best opening possible.

Film 1




The use of non-diegetic sound in this opening is effective and atmospheric to match the genre. A wide variety of camera angles has been used to keep the opening interesting and the transitions and font is appropriate for the genre. However, this opening gives away a lot of the plot details and creates a closed narrative when it should be open. The fade to blacks also make the opening a more trailer style. In order to improve, details should be removed in the plot in order to make the audience ask questions and to ensure that it's of an open narrative.


Film 2




The montage in this opening is effective and, along with the appropriate use of diegetic and non-diegetic sound, an eerie and suspensive atmosphere is created. The titles are also suitable for this genre though they are long when showing the photographs of the people. The montage and editing style also reflects of that of a trailer, leaving it with a closed narrative when is should be open. To improve this opening, the opening credits before the title of the film could be shorter to engage the audience more and the editing style and details revealed should be changed in order to create a closed narrative.


Film 3




This opening, unlike the previous two, has an open narrative and so it's clearly an opening to a film though the genre is not clear which keeps the audience asking questions. Assuming that it's a horror or thriller, the diegetic and non-diegetic sound used is appropriate and creates the appropriate atmosphere for the genre. However, the institution logo image, colours and font of 'One Bad Apple Productions' does not suit the genre and the titles of the cast and crew are quick and do not match the pace of the opening. There are also continuity errors with the windscreen wipers of the car and the actress is smiling in the car when she shouldn't be. In order to improve this opening, the font colours and the speed of the titles and logo should be changed to match the genre and there should be more attention to continuity during editing and filming. More direction from the film producers may also have prevented the girl from smiling in the car.


From watching previous openings and evaluating them, I have learned that when it comes to producing my own opening with my group that we need to ensure that we do not give away too many details in order to keep the narrative open and not in a trailer style. This would also ensure the audience are engaged without revealing much about the plot. We also need to make sure that our font and colours used for the titles are suitable and that they're in time with the pace of the non-diegetic music but not too fast/slow a tempo for our chosen genre. Continuity must also be correct in order for the opening to look professional and we need to be able to direct our actors in order to create the most professional opening.

G321 Research into the Comedy Genre

As a group, we decided on the major genre of comedy to create the opening of our film. To gain a better understanding of the genre and think of unique ways to create this genre, I researched into the different types and sub-genres of comedy film. 


There are two main types of comedy; films that are comedian-led with well-timed jokes or gags and situation-comedies which create humour through the narrative and order in which events occur. These often overlap.


Slapstick Comedy: This is the oldest type of comedy which came about during silent film though it is also demonstrated in The Mask (1994). Slapstick was often enjoyed most by audiences who could not speak English as the timing and exaggerated violence and actions were used to create the humour instead of dialogue. 


Black/Dark Comedy: A film of dark comedy will use serious topics such as war, death or illness to create humour where negative emotions are usually aroused. Black humour may use irony to make the audience experience both laughter and uneasiness. Films of the black comedy genre include Juno (2007) and Big Nothing (2006).


Parody/Spoof Comedy: These films are humourous impersonations or spin-offs of other films. They borrow from the text and implement humour to make fun of the text that has been borrowed from. Examples of this include Scary Movie (2000) and Epic Movie (2007).


Satire Comedy: Irony is used in topics, particularly political, to present people or social institutions as corrupt or ridiculous in order to create comedy. It is designed to "first make people laugh, and then make them think" and is there to educate the audience. A modern example is Hot Fuzz (2007) in which the focus is on police and law enforcement in society.

Comedy film can also be separated into other groups further:

Teen comedy: Aimed at teens or young adults, this is often set in high schools with adoloescents in conflict for authority and sexual adventures (Easy A, 2010)

Romantic comedy: Aimed at women or couples aged specifically up to 35 year olds, this is a popular hybrid genre incorporating the main genre of romance to create humour about relationshiops and love (He's Just Not That Into You, 2009)

Social comedy: Comedies using social realism and social class conflict, common amongst British comedy, aimed at a varied audience (Anuvahood, 2011)

Gross-out comedy: A cycle or collection of the above comedies but to more outrageous exteremes


In order for me to help create a range of ideas for our opening, I have chosen a few openings and stated which type of comedy they are and why. By doing this I hope to gain a better understanding of the comedy genre and will know which will be the most appropriate comedy for us to create.


Juno (2007)


This teen comedy takes the theme of pregnancy and adoption which are not normally sensitive and serious topics to add a funny twist; therefore, this is a black/dark comedy. It dares to add humour where it is not typically seen. However, when a black comedy would normally be aimed at a niche audience, this film was still released mainstream producing a gross revenue of $231,411,584. This may be difficult to produce when creating our own comedies as we would have to choose a subject which some group members may be sensitive to or not comfortable with.


Thank You For Smoking (2005)

This film uses themes of smoking, role models and speeches whilst tackling the politically controversial issues of smoking, obesity and guns by bringing them to a comic light. The political aspects of this film make it a satire comedy. Though educational and effective if done correctly, a satire comedy make be difficult to create as it tackles controversial subjects difficult to show in the opening of a film.

G321 Thriller Openings Analysis

Finally, the last genre to recreate the opening of films was thriller. We were given a choice of:
      - Vertigo
      - Memento
      - The Shining

Our group chose Vertigo. Here is the analysis of these openings (using narrative, characters, themes, atmosphere, setting, sound and titles) and the reasons of our selection, including why we did not choose the other films.

Vertigo (1958)



The narrative for this opening is linear, open and reveals little about the plot through the enigma code. There are extreme close ups of the character's facial features though she is not fully revealed to add mystery and make the audience ask questions about them and the part they play in the film. Themes connoted through the colour red include danger and death whilst the eye may denote the actual vertigo illness. The non-diegetic music is a mixture of low and high key with slow tempo, causing suspense to be built which is commonly created in thrillers. Along with the themes, shots and editing styles, the atmosphere generated is tense still leaving the audience with lots of questions about the plot of the film. The setting is not revealed in the clip causing the audience to fixate onto the character and make them ask questions as to the location of the film. The titles appear with the spirograph in a formal style to continue the mysterious opening. The spirograph images may also reflect the title of the film vertigo as the illness included symptoms of dizziness and blurred vision, suggesting potential themes to the film.

Vertigo is not the most complicated opening in terms of camera angles and transitions and it's iconic through the use of the spirograph. It's different to the rest of the thrillers and we felt the shortest in production so it would allow us to fit all the filming of the openings into 2 hours.

Memento (2000)



The open narrative of this film is not linear as it may appear at first. The film is in fact filmed backwards and so makes it a fragmented narrative when it jumps back to present time at the start of the opening. The main character is revealed after taking a picture and shooting someone which creates questions in the audience and a mysterious, suspensive atmosphere. Themes of murder and crime are connoted through the props of guns and blood which also connote danger. The setting is unclear adding mystery to the events and the non-diegetic music creates a solemn tone prior to the shooting. This contiguous effect creates shock in the audience and emphasis on the shooting of the gun. The titles are written in reverse order to the traditional one to match the editing style and blue connotes sadness like the non-diegetic music.


Even though this is the most different opening due to the fragmented/reversed narrative, our group felt there was little to be imaginative with. We also felt that the opening credits are not unusual like Vertigo not as challenging to recreate.

The Shining (1980)




The linear, open narrative of this opening creates suspense and encourages the audience to ask questions about the setting and where the car is going. The characters aren't shown in the opening to create suspense and make the audience wonder who is in the car. Themes are hard to find in this opening in order to hide the plot from the audience and create suspense. The non-diegetic music is low and slow to emphasise this suspense and creates further tension, producing a mysterious and apprehensive atmosphere. The setting is of a rural area in the mountains though it is not known where and the titles in a formal, blue font reveal little about the plot or themes creating suspense and a curious atmosphere.


Though this would have challenged our group creatively, we felt it would be time consuming and difficult to produce the first minute in the way that we desired with the limited time we had left over from creating the other 2 openings. It is also similar to Juno in the way that it tracks a character/object, showing the setting and we wished to created a variety of openings to broaden our ideas.

G321 Horror Openings Analysis

The next genre we could choose from to recreate the film openings was horror. We were given the following choices: 

      - Halloween
      - The Strangers
      - Se7en

Our final decision was The Strangers. Here is my evaluation of each opening and the reasons why we chose this opening and not the others (using narrative, characters, themes, atmosphere, setting, sound and titles). 

Halloween (1978)




The open narrative is linear though there is nearly no movement to the opening except for a slow zoom towards the lit pumpkin. Unlike most openings, there are no characters to build suspense and encourage the audience to ask questions about the rest of the film. Only the prop of a pumpkin is used denoting halloween and connoting horror or death associated with halloween stories. This simplistic approach along with the non-diegetic, high pitched soundtrack in the background creates suspense, fear and an eery atmosphere. The theme of halloween is assumed through the signifier of the pumpkin and the title itself, as well as 'trick-or-treating' - or from a horror perspective - 'trick-or-treating' gone wrong. The credits are in the colour orange fading to red, matching the pumpkin and connoting danger, death and blood. The font is juxtaposing of the horror music in order to create uncertainty in the audience and suspense.


Halloween has very simplistic opening credits and there is only one camera shot with several titles. As a group we thought of many creative ideas but in the end decided that it was not challenging enough to test our ability to produce film.

The Strangers (2008)


In this opening, the open narrative begins linear before turning fragmented, shifting through time in order for the audience to piece together what is happening in the opening and what the film is about. The audience is not directly introduced to any main characters but a narrator is heard through non-diegetic dialogue to set the scene. A young boy is also heard on the phone introducing the main characters of the 'strangers' but the audience does not hear or see them. This creates suspense amongst the audience making them ask questions about who or what they are. The themes of death, blood and pain are connoted through the signifiers of a car with a smashed window, a knife covered in blood and a gun which are common in the horror genre. The non-deigetic narration at the start of the opening is low and serious, creating tension and suspense. Also, the non-degetic conversation between the boy and the police officer builds fear in the audience through social realism and the non-diegetic soundtrack is low and slow, generating tension. Along with the mysterious characters and themes, the atmosphere is eerie and tense. The setting of America is shown through the opening titles and the 'violent events' appear to take place in an abandoned house of a rural location, a stereotypical horror setting. The film title is not shown until the end of the opening, approximate 2 to 3 minutes in and it appears in orange capital letters making it stand out against the black background. Apart from this, there are only credits at the start of the opening to state the institution's name and narration being spoken. This minimalistic approach adds emphasis on what happens on the screen and the importance of this opening, as well as making the audience ask questions about the film.


As a group, we decided on Strangers because of the mixture of camera angles and titles. It will enable to create the desired effect and keep the suspensive atmosphere. It also contrasts Juno which is animated based and visually busy.  

Se7en (1995)




The open narrative of this opening uses the enigma code to drip feed bits of information to the audience about the characters and clues to what the film may be about, without revealing the story. The short cuts and close ups also does not reveal much about the plot and displayed the editing style that will be used. Though the main character is not seen, we get an insight into their personality and nature through the actions of the opening, such as the peeling of the skin and writing. This encourages the audience feel suspense, to ask questions and wonder what the relevance of their actions are to the rest of the film. Murder is a theme suggested from the opening, signified by the pictures of dead people though it is not obvious, building suspense. There is no iconography and no signifiers to establish where the film is set to make the audience ask questions about the film and interest them more. The non-diegetic, techno soundtrack also causes the audience to question the opening, possibly connoting similarities between a mindless robot and the main character considering the genre of thriller. The font of the titles is in the style of scruffy, handwriting reflecting the character, genre and eerie atmosphere created. As with most openings, the title is seen at the beginning after the institution and names of the main actors in the film.


Though, in my opinion, this was the most interesting opening to remake due to the titles and editing style, it would have been the most time consuming to create along with the other two openings. In order to keep organised and stick to our deadline we needed a variety of lengths and difficulties to ensure we tested our skills and organisation.

G321 Comedy Openings Analysis

For our final piece, we have a choice of which genre to use for our film opening. In order to help decide which one we shall choose, we have been set the task of remaking the opening first minute of films from the comedy, horror and thriller genres.


The options for comedy included:


      - Juno
      - 50 First Dates
      - Superbad


In my group, we decided to remake Juno and I have evaluated each opening and stated the reasons why we did/did not choose that film. Since I already know the genre of these films, i will evaluate them in terms of narartive, characters, themes, atmosphere, sound, setting and titles.


Juno (2007)


The open, linear narrative of this opening introduces the audience to the main character without giving away the plot and potential themes. This makes the audience ask questions about the film and story. The main character of Juno is identified straight away as the opening follows her around an urban area and the title of the film (or the character's name) appears beside her. The themes are not clear but the childish font of the titles and sound suggests relationships and maternity. The country style, non-diegetic soundtrack is light generating a happy and relaxed atmosphere whilst the lyrics speak about relationships and love, themes in the film, intriguing the audience. The style of the titles are childish, suggesting themes of youth and the colours suggest an entertaining, happy story. The film title is shown towards the beginning along with the institution first followed by the actors, etc. The font is bold to grab the audience's attention and to make the opening more interesting.


As our final choice, we decided as a group that the opening would be challenging and would enable us to produce an individual and creative interpretation of it whilst using all the same camera angles and transitions where possible. There are many transitions available to experiment with and we liked the overall look of the opening, allowing us to gain experience and potential ideas for our final piece.


50 First Dates (2004)


The open narrative for this opening introduces the audience to several characters creating an episodic narrative which allows interest to be built amongst the audience as to how they are all linked together. Several characters are shown and in a typical opening, these would be the main characters but as an episodic narrative, it's the story of them that shows the audience the main character. As the characters are female from various backgrounds shown through their costume, the audience (which would be dominantly female) can relate to them and this hooks them into the film further. The non-diegetic music of Hawaiian style music is iconic connoting holidays whilst second non-diegetic music is upbeat reflecting the happy atmosphere. Also, the diegetic dialogue is about dating and romance suggests the themes of dating and relationships whilst the title also suggests love. The atmosphere created is light and happy, reflecting the themes and sound. The establishing shot of an island sets the scene for the story the characters are about to describe and the various locations the female characters are in allows the audience to relate to them and ask questions about how they all link together. Finally, the titles are in a wavy style beginning with the institution and blue to resemble the ocean connoting peacefulness and calm associated with holidays. However, the final title of the opening, '50 First Dates', is revealed in various colours to make it stand out to the audience.


There are many characters in this opening and as a group, we decided that if we were only to use members of our class that it would be time consuming and  thatwe would have to rely on them without knowing if they would be available for filming when we needed them. It was felt that in comparison to Juno that we would not get to be so creative. 


Superbad (2007) 



The narrative for this opening is open and linear and it does not reveal much about the film except for the cool style and comic tone that will appear throughout the rest of the film. The characters' faces are not revealed and the bodies of the main characters are silhouettes, creating suspense and making the audience ask questions about them. However, the actors playing each character are identified through the title appearing beside them as they begin dancing. Themes in the opening are not clear but the humourous, 'old-skool' dancing reinstates the genre whilst suggesting youth and creates a cool, relaxed atmosphere. The non-diegetic soundtrack with a 70s vibe creates a fun atmosphere and makes the audience anticipate what will happen next. The setting is most likely a studio, used so the special effetcs could be created easily. It emphasises the comedy of the opening and genre without giving much away about the plot. Finally, the titles are appear in the traditional order of actors first before the producers and director at the end in a formal font which does not reveal much about the film to keep the audience guessing.


Superbad is a simplistic opening with few camera angles though there are many special effects and transitions. Unfortunately, we are unable to use Final Cut Express as we don't have the time to learn to use it and shall be sticking with iMovie. This does not have the functions we need in order to recreate the opening effectively and in the way we visualise it and decided to stick with Juno.

G321 Analysing Genre

Each major, hybrid and sub genre has distinctive elements which defines them. It is important when creating a film that the right editing techniques and effects are used to produce the desired effect and atmosphere for the plot and themes of the film. For example, it isn't likely that a comedy will use a halloween inspired soundtrack when setting the tone of the film unless it's being used for obvious juxtaposition, especially in Spoofs.
Following my analysis about the narrative, characters, atmosphere, setting, sound and titles of the previous comedies, horrors and thrillers when making our film openings, I will describe how the genre can be recognised in the following openings:


Action: Spiderman 2 (2004)





The opening credits to this film instantly show the genre through the speed of the clip. The editing is fast with quick transitions and cuts to create a tense and exciting atmosphere whilst the fast paced, repetitive string instruments in the non-diegetic soundtrack emphasises this suspense and creates a menacing tone. The animation and images used also connote excitement and action as well fantasy and crime themes.


Comedy: Pineapple Express (2008)





This opening scene, unlike Spiderman 2, includes slower paced editing to create a relaxed atmosphere. There is no non-diegetic music throughout the scene to add emphasis to the diegetic conversation between the characters and the hilarity of it and their actions. Furthermore, the characters comic dialogue and actions further state the comedy genre. It's clear within the first 30 seconds the genre of this film and the theme of drugs which is often associated with comedies or action films.