Film opening codes and conventions

Bobby Lee

Conventions

• Company logo• Titles• Genre• Themes and topics• Introduction of characters• Sound • Narrations and text • Enigma

Conventions are what the target audience would expect to see within the opening of a film

Company logo

The company logo is something featured in every opening to a film, it begins by showing on screen the logo of the production/distribution company that has contributed to helping produce and distribute the film. This is a form of advertisement. An example of one of these companies would be either DreamWorks or 20th Century Fox.

Titles and opening credits

The titles are the opening credits and these include some of the most important members in production, the directors and featured actors. Sometimes the names are displayed in a certain order in order to signify the importance of the people, the film title also appears on screen and this can be done using computer graphics.

Genre

The genre of the film can be connoted to the target audience through using the four conventional micro elements (Mis-en-scene, Lighting, Sound & Camera shots and angles). For example in a thriller opening the target audience might expect to see a lot of jump cuts and de-saturated lighting.

Themes and topics

• The theme of a film is the story of the genre, it can be established in the opening, often just after the equilibrium stage of a narrative, in order to build an enigma. The theme also helps to signify to the target audience what type of genre the film is and if done effectively it introduces the narrative without giving to much away.

Introduction of characters

• Introducing the characters to the target audience can be done through either showing them in a shot or using a POV shot. POV shots can help signify to the target audience the characters interests and the fact they are featured early on within the film connotes their importance to the narrative. Not showing the character in the opening scene conflicts against the conventions and could evoke confusion from the target audience. Introducing the characters early on in a film can also help the audience to establish the genre.

Sound • Both non-diegetic and diegetic sound can be used within the opening

scene to a film, despite this non-diegetic is more commonly used. For example in thriller films non-diegetic soundtracks can be played in the background to build suspense. Not only does it help to set the scene but it also signifies to the target audience what genre the film conforms to. Diegetic sound can be used to deepen the audiences understanding on a character through conversation. But it is something more commonly used within comedy films to emphasize humor, like in the film Cheaper by the dozen, where the characters can be seen laughing at a table along to the diegetic music.

Narrations and text

• Narration and text is a convention that can be used to give the target audience an insight into what is happening within the scene. An example of this would be a voice over, which can be used to set the scene or introduce a character. For example in the opening scene of American Phsycho the first person voice over gives the audience a deeper understanding on the character and his OCD. Sometimes this convention is not used and this could help create mystery.

Enigma

Enigma is a feature commonly used in thriller openings as it helps to build tension but at the same time it intrigues the target audience as it should evoke a sense of confusion. It is a key factor in hooking the audience as if used effectively and correctly it can make the audience want to watch the rest of the film.