LOVE ACTUALLY OPENING SEQUENCE ANALYSIS By Charlotte Dyer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cUoxXpqof8A

At the opening of the film ‘Love Actually’ the audience is introduced to people who seem to be at Heathrow Airport greeting their family members who have returned from wherever they have been to. Over the top of the footage there is a voice over from Hugh Grant commenting on how, whenever he feels gloomy with how the world is he always thinks about the people arriving at the terminal at Heathrow Airport and the pure love felt as friends and families welcome their arriving loved ones. This helps the audience to easily determine the romance genre of the film due to the use of the key conventions of a romance film where people are being loving towards one another and showing affection to the others by hugging and kissing the people who they love. However throughout the opening there is no clear demonstration of comedy side of this romantic comedy.

NARRATION The romance genre in this hybrid genre is presented by the narrator (Hugh Grant) who is one of the main characters in the film. All of his narrative revolved around the topic of love and an explanation of how love is everywhere around us as well as mentioning about the 9/11 and how people didn’t show hatred or revenge but instead love from those who were phone calls from the people on board . Also, all of the shots presented in this opening sequence signifies love, as these shots are of people from different walks of life showing love to each other at Heathrow airport. The footage helps to back up what he is also saying.

CREDITS The only three factors of the creation team that are presented in this opening sequence are:• The distribution company • The production company• The association company The reason that only these three credits of the creation team were presented and for as to why no actors/actresses were introduced was so that the audience aren’t distracted from the main message of the opening sequence. Also, these are the most vital components of the creation team, meaning these must be presented to the audience.

SHOTSThe main shot used throughout this opening sequence is the medium shot. The medium shot is used frequently throughout to show the people at Heathrow airport hugging each other and also the emotions on how the people are feeling. This is significant because it shows people from many different walks of life showing love and affection towards each other all in the same place with no signs of any negative emotions or hatred towards one another. Showing again the idea that this film is a romance film.

TYPOGRAPHYThe typography used within the opening sequence is a sans font which is a soft font and enables to complement the genre of the film. The colour of the font is white which has connotations of peace, innocence as well as new beginnings and wiping the slate clean signifying that it opens the way for the creation of anything the mind can conceive. The use of white blends it into the bright background at Heathrow Airport suggesting that the audience should focus more on what the narrator is saying but still being able to see the companies involved.

• Near the end of the opening the words ‘love actually is all around’ is shown with the word is in the bold and outstanding red helping to emphasise the importance of what the narrator is saying to the audience.

• This then fades away the words except from ‘Love Actually’ and the ‘Love’ turns to red which is the title of the film allowing the audience to understand that the opening has finished.