LF: Film openings - research

License To Kill (John Glen, 1989)

Techniques:
Camera Techniques:

• there is a close up of a woman holding a camera which represents the genre of detective/mystery which immediately tells the audience what the film is about.
• long shots are used when the characters are in action for example holding and pointing a gun, so the long shot allows the audience to see the gestures and NVC the chararcter is doing and see that the genre of the film they are about to watch is an action film.
• there is an establishing shot to set the scene and atmosphere, thats it is a public place, and anything could happen.

Mise En Scene:

• there is a character who has a parachute attacthed to his back which straight away represents action. the use of props therefore can be used as a way to provide infomation as well as dialogue.
• the camera lense shows the genre like i previously mentioned, another props to develop the understading to the audience.
• silhouettes are used when in the opening sequence to further enhance the fact it is a mystery and the fact that they are naked represents braveness which supports the genre.
• the silhouettes are predominantly naked females which shows how women are sterotyplically a form of power and materialism if characters like james bond are with them.

Editing:

• the transitions between cuts show good continuity and it doesnt affect the flow of the sequence.
• the superimpostion at the start of the woman and the camera with the setting in the lense creates a visual metaphor which would be good to use in my own development of a film. it increaes depth into the scene and gives the audience a chance to enhance knowledge of the film.
• there is a foreground and background created by a dissovle, so this shows the scene at the back then the chance for the producer to show cast members and actors in the foreground.

Sound:

• there is studio sound throughout the whole opening which makes the sound more quality and it eliminates unwanted background noise. this is important as you want the audience to think it is good and worth their time to watch.
• the non-diegetic sound includes dialogue of someone singing slowly and low tempo, juxtaposing with the fact it is an action movie expecting a fast tempo and up beat backing track.