Bridget Jones Diary - opening credits, analysis of the films key contributors

 
Bridget Jones Diary opening credits

*Actors :

Renée Zellweger

Colin Firth

Hugh Grant

Jim Boradbent

Gemma Jones 

  

*Casting by: Michelle Cuish

*Lise Producer: Peter McAleese

*Music superviser: Nick Angel

*Co-Prodcuers: 

Debra Hayward 

Liza Chasin

*Original score by: patrick Doyle

*Costume Designer: Gemma Jackson

*Editor: Martin Wals

*Director of photography: Stuart Dryburgh

*Executive producer: Helen Fielding

*Based on the novel by: Helen Fielding

*Screenplay by: 

Helen Fielding

Andrew Daves

Richard Curtis

*Produced by: 

Tim Bevan

Eric Fellner

Jonathan Cavendish

*Directed by: Sharon Maguire 

*These opening credits display the typical conventions of an opening -
showing who is involved in the making, producing, and editing of the film, and 
the key actors/actress's involved, and those with the most well known status in the
film industry. By analysing and studying this sequence, it means we know exactly what
we need to include in our credit seqeunce, and the relevent names that should appear
at the start of a film. However we additionally intend to display the production companies,
( in the case of Bridget Jones Diary Miramax Films,Universal Pictures, Studio Canal, 
Working Title Films, and Little Bird) and have considered the idea of putting a twist on the well known
company 'DREAM WORKS' and making ours called 'REEM WORKS'. 

*The credits here are displayed like she's writting her diary, (incorportating a key theme of the film) and we 
intent to use scrabble peices and stop motion to dsiplay our credits, to make it more intereting and creative and 
highlight some of our key themes.  

Inception opening sequence analysis

The opening sequence begins with a quite, beach setting. Children are playing happily in the background of a shot capturing a man lying face down in the waves. The sad non diegetic music that runs parallel, suggests something unnatural or bad may occur. This track juxtaposes the appealingly bright and uplifting colours and highlights the significance on the character lying among the waves, introducing a sense of enigma, why is he there? fully clothed and evidently distressed. A low angle shot is then used to answer this question, stressing the status of a new character, who is holding a gun to the mans back. An establishing, extreme long shot is then used to further set up the scene and location and make this new man, wearing dark, green military attire, connoting assertion and power, seem out of place, mysterious and ominous. This shot then cuts seamlessly to a new location which is previously established from the outside. The lighting is now low key and creates an eerie feel, aided by the shot that leaves a new character unidentified from behind, cast in shadow. This helps to create a tense and suspenseful atmosphere, and further enhances the previous enigma. The camera then focus's on a man at the head of the table who's playing with a thumb tack , an extreme close up shot, further indicates that this object is extremely relevant and important within the sequence. The food and wine in background also develop the personality of this  unidentified character, sat in a dark, ominous environment and yet seemingly feeling right at home and comfortable. Another man is then dragged into the shot, lit by deep, blood red flood lights, that connote danger, hell and horrific circumstances.

Desperate housewives opening credits anaylisis

The animated sequence begins with an image of the biblical figures, 'adam' and 'eve', the tree bearing the 'forbidden fruit', is the tree of temptation, representative of the,lust in the 'desperate' lives of these women. The sly persuaisive snake in the background is the symbol of this constant tempt to give in to the enticement. The deep red background connotes love,passion and danger, which are all revolving themes explored within the series. The italic graphology looks as if it is elaborate handwritting rather than a typical computerised font. This creates the effect that it's the women confessing the story of their lives, almost like a diary entry, which is paralell with the concept of the narrator being a past character. The non-diegetic music, creates an upbeat,happy,magestic rythem, which adds a light, humerous feel to the credit sequence. The catenation of famous images that appear with the credits, are all extreemly illustrative, it starts with the 'pop up' image of The great royal wife of the Egyptian pharaoh Ramses the Great. Her name means 'beautiful companion' and is known for her lavesh toomb and lifestyle shows her as acquisitive lifestyle. This leads on to a famous painting of a man throwing a banana and at pregnent women who has to clean it up  with a broom (Material wealth by jan van eyck), which uses bright powerfull colours to present opulence and self glorification. The next image is of a couple stood outside a typical suburban Amercican home 'American gothic' and is a satire of the narrow mindedness of small town life, mocking the idea that nothing would happen do these average women living 'dull lives'. An American 'pun-up' pops up inront of the couple, and attempts to claw at the man, suggestive of the auldery, lies and allurement, and the way the women is then locked away in the sardiene tin shows the dull domestisity of dated life, this is shown through the dull, grey colours that are apparent in most of the starting images which are then replaced by blinding, harsh, exuberant colours that appear in the 'Am I proud' propaganda poster, and the "romantic couple" representing the balance and struggles of the modern day women, and the pop art arguing couple, where the women punches the man, shows the power of this liberated women. The four key characters appear at the end, with high key lighting showing them in a postive and happy depicition, the apples they hold in their hands are represetning the seduction that they have clearly given in to, which is in line with their sly, lusterious expressions and provcative attire.

Legally Blonde - opening sequence

The story line is introduced by a montage, this is used to compress time, as it shows a journey in about three minutes, that would take a great deal longer in real life. It is also used to build up an idea of the key themes that will run fluently throughout the rest of the film, and help us Gage a clear idea of the main character. Different signifiers give away hints at this key characters personality, for example the sign saying homecoming queen, or the bright pink hairbrush, which both help to develop this feminine, girlie character. The title's and font used for them are written in a style representative of handwriting, the swirly, pink graphology is complemented by the parallel sound track, playing a song called 'perfect day' enabling the audience to establish the hook in the sequence, supported by a phone conversation where the key characters says "love you warner", both of these indicate that later on something will most probably come along to ruin this 'perfect' atmosphere, and it will most likely be in relation to "warner" and a love type storyline expected as a convention of this genre.The non-diegetic upbeat music, along with the high key, bright, warm, hopeful lighting develops the typical feel of the chick flick genre. The key characters introduced (explored through the invisible montage and the use of tracking and cross cutting to show that 'Elle' is the protagonist) help to establish a modern American university setting, with the key character being your typical, pretty, blond, 'perfect' queen b. The focal colour of pink, is presented through the mis en scene, in her costume, makeup, and surroundings :the pink nail vanish, outfit, bedroom, everything is fluffy and overly sickly 'pink', exaggerating this ditzy blond persona, and attitudes dependent on looks and material happiness.

'The Promise' - Episode 1 - Opening sequence

http://www.channel4.com/programmes/the-promise/4od#3174560

The credits appear on a black screen before we actually view any

of the action itself. However we can hear the background noise of 

whatever is happening within the clip, a merge of footsteps, cluttering people,

trollies being pushed, general chatter, and bustle. 'Channel four' 'Canal and Arte France' and 'Daybreak pictures' are given before any introduction to cast names, these titles appear one after another, with representative graphological features, the white, then change to blue and fading effect, presenting innocence and vulnerability, and the other masculinity or alternatively sadness, fear and pain.  The dark screen flips to show two women, (who appear moody and upset) walking down a hospital corridor, towards the camera as it reverses back and then flips onto the credit sequence once more. (credits convention one applies here) This creates an increased sense of enigma throughout, only viewing small snips of the action we automatically want to know more, see the whole picture, and 

 the withheld information. we're left asking, who are these women? where are these women? and what are they doing here? When the action is playing once again the camera jumps to a reverse angle shot and we see them walking from behind, only at this point do we here somebody speak for the first time. A question is posed, again creating even more suspense and enigma, but also establishing

 that the building they are in is intact a hospital, which is then supported by some hospital staff walking past, and features of this location become more easily connectable. The costume here, and the interior help to suggest that it is set in a   modern day, 21st century context. The action is all seamless, and the continuity editing creates a smooth effect, and naturalistic feel. Relationships are additionally established during the opening, we find out, (through dialogue, proximity, and interaction) that the two women are mother and daughter and they are visiting the mothers, father who is ill in hospital. We also find out they are not very close with one another, which is also reflected in the grey, dull lighting which creates a cold and uncomfortable environment. The camerawork reveals a lot as well, the extreme close ups of the old mans face, the establishing shots of certain objects, and the reaction shots, which all help to build up an indication at possible themes that could be explored, in the rest of the footage. The continuous bridging of sound throughout gives it a realistic feel, however this is broken by diegetic orchestral music, which runs parallel to the content of the action. When the action fades at the end of the sequence, this effect creates a sense that he has either passed or alternatively that we will be transported elsewhere, shifted in time, or that we are entering his mind or memories. 

Skins series 1 - opening

http://www.channel4.com/programmes/skins/4od#2921869

Opening sequences

Skins series 1 – episode 1

The programme begins with a montage of different clips and images, used to build up an idea for the audiance of what kind of content the episode /series is going to include. It also gives the audience an idea or ‘sneak preview’ at the kind of characters who make up the show.

The rough guideline of the storyline is aided by a happy, upbeat, repetetive peice of music, which is non diegetic. The music is partly parallel – when the montage displays the characters enjoying their youth, partying,having fun and taking part in social events; but ,on the other hand is contrapuntal when the images depict the underlining sadness of the series and gives a hint towards the major issue’s these adolesence have to deal with in their lives.

The montage is not seemless at all and is very obviously edited together. The Fade effect is frequently used to overlap the different images, perhaps to show how continuously busy their lives are, filled with constant changes and a mass of ‘overlaping’ issues, one on top of another.  Cartoon like effects are also added over the clips, for example : cartoon smoke from a cigerette, or a bird flying away out of the shot, both of these could be a clear representation of rebelion, freedom, and the  seeking of independence. Some of the clips in the montage are not of the characters at all, but additionally help to tie together a feel for the show, and the ‘teen drama’ genre. The photo’s display objects such as, cans of alcahol or road signs, once more creating the feel that these teenages have a lack of boundries and dicaplin, and are lost or searching for themseleves and their identities. More images are used to establish and help set the location; with, flats, houses, rivers, bridges, parks etc, showing the audience that ‘Skins’ is set in and around a city.

The title of the show doesn’t appear untill after the montage has ended. It flows in and the text jumps between  being large and small, untill it settles on a black screen, where through the word skins, an image of a river can be seen. It then starts with an extreem close up shot of ‘Tony’ – a key character, the camera then moves away from his face, accumponied by the sound of church bells. Moving into a long shot, we can see his whole room, helping to show the context (that it’s 21^st century) and also helping to build up Tony’s character. The dovet cover for a start is an anicial indicator of the types of topics explored within ‘Skins’ (teen sex and relationships), it has a naked man and women on the front of it, and gives of the idea that Tony is maybe quite  a bold, overly confident, flirtaious,shameless boy, this image is in complete contrast to the sound being played, feasibly hinting at the idea that he may have different sides to his character, or may put up certain personas to others. Paralell music then cut’s in, and a rap song takes over from the placid music, a seemless string of clips of him in his room – doing press ups, weights and looking in the mirror approvingly all idicate that he is quite a vain and self absorbed character. Once more looking at the mis en scene, the fact he spends the entire scene in boxers is another sign of body confidence and arragance.

The lighting used is quite dull and naturalistic, reflecting the realism of suburban life. Enigma is created when the shot flips  to the street outside – establishing the area, a scruffy looking character, in punk type attire  (holey skirt, fish nets, revealing top) is linked to ‘Tony’ by a sound bridge where a phone can be heard ringing from outside and then when it reverses back to Tony’s room, can still be heard, allowing the audience  to know that the two characters are somewhat connected but leaving them to guess why.