Genres and generic conventions

Genre is a French word that means type or kind. In media studies, genre is a way of putting media texts into categories which share similar characteristics.

Genre helps to sell a film to an audience. Audiences like to have a general idea of what type of film they are going to see. They need to know what genre so they know if they would enjoy it. E.g. you would not choose a horror film if you do not like to be scared.

Genre can change and evolve as society changes. They need to take into account current tastes and fashion.

Film producers like to use generic formulas that have proved successful in the past. If they use a similar genre to a popular film, then hopefully it will be a good box office success.

Many film producers work on the same genre of film. For instance Martin Scorsese works with gangster genre. Many actors work in a particular genre and often combine with a writer to produce a number of successful productions of a similar genre. For example Hugh Grant and Richard Curtis have worked successfully on RomComs which have similar lines in their plots. To be successful, the writer must take the core aspects of the genre but adapt it slightly to keep the audience interested.

Often producers mix genres; for example action / thriller combines these two genres and so the producer believes he will appeal to audiences who enjoy both types. Ugly Betty was called a dramerdy, a combination of comedy and drama.

Major Genres

Science Fiction …… Men in Black

Musicals ….. Moulin Rouge

Gangster ….. Goodfellas

Western ….. Unforgiven

Romantic Comedy ….. Notting Hill

Thriller ….. Se7en

Horror ….. Dracula

Situation Comedy ……The Vicar of Dibley

Animation …… Ratatouille

 

Each genre is easily recognisable by its own components such as story and plot, locations, themes and characters. These are called generic signifiers because they point to a particular genre. For instance a Stetson hat would be associated with a Western. Producers use iconography to identify a particular genre.

Codes and conventions are customs that are accepted by both producers and audiences as acceptable in certain genre. E.g. A convention of a musical is that people just break out into song.

Particular storylines are associated with particular genre. E.g. in Romcoms, a boy meets a girl, but strange situations constantly get in their way. However they usually end up together. Horror plots often involve vampires, zombies or monsters.

Genres tend to have the same themes or values running through them. In gangster films the gangster tends to be greedy for power which flaws his character. In fantasy / action genre, there is a superhero who can save the world. All audiences like good to conquer evil.

Locations also tend to be reused in genres of a particular type. For instance Sci Fi has endless blue skies and galaxies.

A parody film mocks films of a particular genre. E.g. Hot Fuzz makes fun of the cop action films.
 
Generic conventions in film openings

Films of all genres tend to start in a similar way, regardless of their genre. The majority of films open with a shot of their logo of the company that has been responsible for funding and distributing the film e.g. 20^th century fox. Some film openings begin with an establishing shot to set the scene. If there is no establishing shot this gives the audience a sense of mystery.

The opening credits give the most important members of the actors, the directors and producers. It also gives the name of the film. These are usually given in order of importance.

The theme of the opening credits will contain conventions found in the genre of the film itself. E.g. in Love Actually a lot of love is shown in the opening scene. The main characters are often introduced in the opening sequence. This helps the audience to be aware of who is important in the film and to get a first impression of their characters.

Narration or text is often included in the opening sequence. This gives the audience important information and can take the form of a non-diegetic voice or written text.

The opening scene often contains its own story which leads in to the main film. This action will correlate with the genre of the film. Music is often used to create atmosphere which is in keeping with the genre of the film. The music may be diegetic or non-diegetic. Certain genres may have particular sound effects associated with them eg a war film might contain gunfire.

Conventions associated with horror films

Sudden sound effects- used to scare, make people jump

Sound track-sets a scary mood

Titles /credits- often in red to signify blood

Death- presented in a gory way

Lighting- dark

Setting- isolated/ dark/ use of night

Insidious is an example of a horror film using these conventions in the opening sequence. Scary unnerving music is played to set the mood. Titles and credits are in red and drawn to show effects of blood. The lighting is dark and insidious.  

Independent research on film openings

Opening credit sequences are a very important part of a film. The first impression of a film prepares the viewer for what is to come. They outline the intentions of the filmmaker and set up the expectations of the audience.

The title sequences are complete narratives that stand in their own right. They set the tone and foreshadow the action.

There are many different approaches, techniques and styles used in opening credits. As technology has improved digitalization and special effects are used extensively.

The titles written on the screen play an important part of the opening sequence. The chosen font is extremely important. Many titles are simply white on a black background. This can give a classic refined look. The high contrast between the background and the foreground makes the text easily legible. In the era of silent films, fonts were tremendously important. The text provided the narrative continuity so that the audience could follow the story. A mixture of font was often used. The title of the film was often in a totally different font to make it stand out. The text can be intertwined with the action as in Catch Me If You Can, where the up strokes and down strokes of the letters become doorways and parts of the scene.

The music score chosen has a lot to add to the title sequence as it is able to set the tone of the film.

In action movies many of the images of the opening sequence directly relate to the movie. This again set the tone and creates the themes around the film.

The opening sequences can take many forms and indeed stand as a creative project of their own, sometimes commanding a substantial budget. They can be realistic, animated or stylised. They can sometimes give the opening of the film or tell the whole story in précis. The opening title sequence is often what sticks in the mind of the audience of a film. For instance, the opening credit of Goldfinger is very memorable. 

There is only a short space of time between the lights going down and the film starting, and this time sets the audience’s expectations.

In some cases, the title sequence is almost as anticipated as the film itself, for instance in the Bond films where the openings have become truly iconic. The opening sequence combines film making and graphic design. Sam Bass has created some wonderful title sequences, some of his most memorable being in conjunction with Alfred Hitchcock, for example North By North West and Vertigo.

He used so many different techniques in his title sequences such as montage, live action, cut out paper animation (as in ,Catch Me If You Can), animation and typography in motion. He used really innovative graphic style titles. Maurice Buder created the famous gun barrel sequence for Dr No which became a signature theme of the Bond movies.  #

Some films have only a very limited budget for the opening credits. This limits them to simple fonts, for instance the opening credits used by Woody Allen in many of his films.

It is important to consider the genre of the film when creating the opening credits. For example the film Se7en has a wonderful creepy title sequence that perfectly sets the scene for the rest of the film.

The major actors and crew are often identified on the opening credits, but an extensive list of cast and production crew are not included till the closing credits. This would be far too long to include at the beginning and the audience’s attention would be lost.

Se7en film opening analysis

Genre

Se7en is a detective psychological thriller. The thriller aspect is created by the dark backgrounds and the eerie music playing in the background. This connotes a sense of fear and darkness in the world.

 

Narrative

The opening shows a villain assembling a gruesome document of horrors. This serves to introduce us to the villain who is not seen again till well on into the movie. This opening sequence therefore bridges the gap of meeting the killer for the audience. Immediately they can see what the killer thinks and feels which makes for an intense sensation. They begin to get inside the killer’s head.

The sense that he plans meticulously is reinforced by the use of the blade to cut off his fingertips to eliminate the leaving of fingerprints. We realise he is obviously hiding his identity which creates an uneasy atmosphere. The use of a blade is a common generic convention in thriller films. We realise violence will be a major theme in the movie. His hands are rough suggesting violence. 

Setting

The opening suggests that its set during the modern day with some of the up to date items yet there are some old-fashioned items such as the camera film.

Themes

Horror, death, violence are continuously portrayed throughout the film opening sequence.

Character

The format of the opening sequence is a montage of lots of clips put together. It lacks order and connotes a sense of chaos. The props used include books, photos, files, pens, paper, all equipment we might find in an office. The objects are shot in close up. We have no idea of the location of the scene as only close ups are used. We also have no idea about the
character. This all adds to the suspense and makes us uneasy. There is no security here. This sense of unease is in keeping with the genre. The immense amount of stationery shows a character who is a meticulous planner. He is precise and sadistic in his planning. We learn a lot about the character here. He shows us he is calm and methodical and pays attention to detail. There is cutting, piecing, crossing out – all these are destructive activities.

 

Atmosphere

The title sequence for Se7en is a wonderfully creepy opening that perfectly sets the mood for the film. It was created by designer Kyle Cooper.

The intense focus on the photos in the scene makes us question whether these people are the victims. We feel empathy with them.

The lighting is dark connoting danger. The shots are taken indoors using low key lighting. This gives a sinister air of mystery. The colours are predominantly black and white with shades of grey. There is a lot of use of dark and shadows suggesting evil. There is a red light used to develop the photos connoting danger and the audience realises that there is imminent danger for the character in the photo. This creates an air of foreboding. A small drop of red blood falls connoting danger. This fits in with the genre of the movie.

The use of the black highlighter also connotes death and danger.

Sound

The non-diegetic music is a remix of “Closer” by Nine Inch Nails. The sound track is screechy and raucous and puts the audience on edge. This creates a very dark and creepy atmosphere, which will keep the audience entranced and on edge as they will wonder what's going to happen.

Titles

The lettering is very important in the credits. Each letter was designed individually and these were used in the opening. The words and letters become actors in their own right and have a part of their own. They jump and lurch to the music and do far more to create the sinister scene than merely impart information.

Some of the transitions from one scene to the next have a fading effect which gives an eerie feel, and connotes a sense of tension and drama.

Anchorman film title sequence

Genre

Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy is a 2004 comedy directed by Adam McKay, produced by Judd Apatow and starring Will Ferrell. The film is a comedy take on the 1970s, particularly the new format of news programmes. It shows a TV station where Ferrell's character does not get on with his new female newsreader.

 
Narrative
Ron Burgundy has been extremely successful in his job as a journalist, but now his company have hired a new and beautiful female for the news team. Ron is driven mad by her success, and eventually loses his job. He has to find a way to get back to the top of his profession, and his rise back involves a story about a giant panda.

Setting
The film is set in San Diego in the 1970s.

Themes
The film explores the themes of women in the workplace, particularly in roles that have traditionally been for males. It explores how men react to those threats.

Character
Will Ferrel, who plays Ron Burgundy, is an award winning journalist for the Channel 4 News Team. He is confident, extremely well dressed, and very egotistical. He loves a good glass of Scotch and he loves his dog. A lot is made of his clothes and accessories. There are close up shots of his white shoes and his rings. He is shown having his suit brushed down. this all connotes power. he is a character who commands respect. He spends a lot of time looking in a mirror showing his vanity and self importance.

Atmosphere
The opening to the film Anchorman The Legend of Ron Burgundy begins with an establishing shot of the city of San Diego. It is a longshot which gives an impressive view of the city and connotes glamour and power. Throughout the scenes the character of Ron Burgundy spends time preening himself which draws us in to the comedy of the piece.

Sound
The non-diegetic music playing at the opening of the scene creates a majestic feel to the city. The music then quickly picks up pace and becomes an upbeat rock and roll track. This helps to identify the character of Ron Burgundy who is a 'god walking amongst mere mortals'. When he is shown on the television screen, Ron creates a series of confusing and muddled diegetic sounds which allows the audience to identify the film genre: comedy.

Titles
As the character Ron Burgundy is introduced, the actor Will Ferrell is written next to the character in large bold letters. The letters are solid and white connoting power. This identifies that he is the main character in this film. This title is on screen for the longest time and connotes that he is above the other characters, connoting his power and authority.
As the title of the film is shown, it is placed in the centre of the screen amidst several screens of Ron preparing to present the news. We are the audience looking in on the television presenter.  The background to his television set has the writing Channel 4 all over it. He is sitting in the middle of the screen. This connotes that he IS Channel 4 - it is a showcase for his talents.
The rest of the titles are integrated into the opening sequence however they are not on screen for that long and are not shown with their characters. This connotes that they are not as important to the story.

Goldeneye title sequence

 

 

Genre

It is an action thriller film full of mystery, suspense, action, adventure and romance.

Narrative

Goldeneye is the 17^th in the film series of James Bond. Bond and his partner had performed a daring raid on a chemical weapons plant in the Soviet Union. Bond had managed to escape but his partner had not. Several years later, Bond had been tracking down and trying to destroy a criminal mastermind, only to discover it was his former partner 006.

Setting

The setting for the film changes from country to country as Bond chases the evil mastermind. It extends from the Soviet Union to London.

Themes

Themes include espionage, the triumph of good over evil

Character

Pierce Brosnan plays James Bond (007) and Sean Bean plays 006

Atmosphere

The opening sequence of Goldeneye begins with an image of a gun barrel. The audience feels that they have just been shot out of a gun barrel in a blazing ball of fire. The colours are dark apart from the bright orange centre which is the bullet being fired out of the gun. This connotes the importance of guns in the movie.

Throughout the sequence the soviet hammer and sickle is displayed with several statues of Stalin. This gives an indication to the time period the film is set in (the cold war era). This also helps to outline the type of action in the film.

The bullet is shot from the gun and travels on. The explosion which follows is bright red and yellow colours. This connotes a high action film and hints of guns.

Animated silhouettes of women dance provocatively. They are stereotypically attractive, aiming at a male audience. A silhouette of a man appears walking across the screen shooting a gun towards the woman’s face. Her face is lit by a fire and there are sound effects of a gun firing. The shot of the woman is a close up shot and she is blowing smoke through her mouth.

An eye appears in the background. This reminds the audience of the title of the film. It is orange which gives it a supernatural appearance. The eye blinks and connects with the audience, drawing them in. It also has the effect that its starring directly at the audience which causes the audience to feel more a part of the film.

The colour of the background changes to red denoting danger. Hooks appear and the silhouettes walk over them. The fact that they are silhouettes connotes that the characters have no identity and are not intrinsically important in the film.

There is a close up shot of a blonde woman’s face and in a shock action a gun comes from her mouth. This shows the importance of guns in the film.  The close up shot of a stiletto heel is stereotypical of female gender. The purple background denotes mystery.

The golden eye appears but fades away into the barrel of the gun which was seen at the beginning, creating a looping effect.

Sound

The theme song for Goldeneye is sung by Tina Turner

Titles

The text is in gold. This links into the title of the film and connotes wealth and status. The music is initially slow and dramatic to draw the audience in.

Pierce Brosnan’s name comes on the screen in gold which connotes his importance. The background is still dark. The name Goldeneye comes up again in gold capitals– this is a continuing theme.

 

Analysis of Lord Of War

Analysis of opening scene from Lord of War

The opening scene from Lord of War tells of a bullet’s journey from a factory to an African war zone and to the forehead of a child soldier. It shows with real intensity the message of the whole film.

It takes the form of a first person narrative where the I is a bullet. It takes us through his life and death from his viewpoint.

Genre

The genre of this film is a crime war film.

Narrative

The opening scenes take us through the life of a 7.62 x 39mm bullet from construction in a Soviet Union weapons factory , to being shipped across the world to an African warzone, loaded into the magazine of an AK-47 and fired into the head of a child soldier.

Setting

The initial establishing shot shows a sea of bullets in the bullet factory. It shows us straight away that the bullet is the important object in the film. Immediately there are connotations of death, emphasised by the smoke in the background, which suggests a war torn country. There is a close up shot of a man, Nicholas Cage, who talks directly to the audience. He is casually smoking, talking in a casual way connoting he cares nothing for war or death but only cares about the profit he can make. The shot raises up to face level, the music stops and straight away the whole tone of the setting is lighter. We can see a blue sky and we can hear chirping birds. Nicholas Cage smiles.

The setting moves into the ammunitions factory, and then follows the bullet on his journey in a crate to Africa.

Themes

The theme of the film is to give us an insight into the dark world of arms trading and the illegal export of small weapons to the African continent. It looks at the gun violence in Africa.

Character

When we first meet the main actor he appears with the background of the bullets. He is dressed in black giving connotations of death again, carrying a briefcase to show he is a businessman, and he has a red tie giving connotations of blood. He is a cold, hard businessman showing no emotion.

Atmosphere

The scene turns to the ammunitions factory. Here the colours are cold, stark, just a sea of monochrome, and the lighting is dim showing it is business. The low lighting also connotes misery. There is a wide shot as the bullet is looking down a conveyor belt at the workers. This connotes a long journey ahead for the bullet. The people inspecting the bullets have a calm uninterested attitude towards the bullets.

The bullet is transported in crates. There are a vast number of crates connoting the scale of the arms business. The bullet is transported by lorry and boat. At one stage the bullet is picked up by a finger and thumb and inspected.

There is a real change in colour and ambience as the bullet arrives in Africa. There is a lot of colour – bright tropical sunshine and clear blue seas. The bullet is gold – flashing in the sunshine. There are sound effects of gunfire in the background connoting war and danger. This shows us the bullet has arrived in the war zone.

There is a shot taken as a view down the barrel of the gun. This clearly enables the audience to imagine they are the bullet shooting through the barrel. There is a close up shot of the child, his eyes wide connoting youth and innocence. Behind him is a building riddled with bullet holes connoting an area torn apart by war.  As the bullet hits the child’s forehead , there is a burst of blood amidst the silence which is powerful and effective. It connotes the quick end of the bullet.

Sound

The opening begins with a strange eerie sound which becomes louder as the opening extends.

When Nicholas Cage first appears amidst the bullets, he turns to face the audience and says :

“There are over 550million firearms in world-wide circulation. That’s one firearm for every 12 people on the planet. The only question is.…how do we arm the other 11?”

This immediately sets the scene for the questions that will be asked in the film.

The non-diegetic music is Stop Children, What’s That Sound? From Buffalo Springfield, and this starts to play as we enter the ammunitions factory. It is a calm, relaxed song and the pace of the song matches the course of the bullet.

When the bullet is being transported there is a lot of diegetic sound coming from the crowds and the cars and trucks. There are the sound effects of jostling sounds of transport and people’s voices. There is a sense of great action and movement.

As the bullet fires out of the gun, we hear the sound of the bullet whizzing through the air. This gives a real sense of realism to the shot and the audience can feel the speed of the bullet.  As the bullet hits the child’s forehead,  the music cuts for effect.  The silence makes us feel shock and horror at the sight.

Titles

The names of the actors come up in stark white letters at different stages of the bullet’s creation throughout the opening scene as the screen goes black each time. The title – Lord of War – is shown in capitals showing its importance.

Oceans 11 (1960)

Genre

Oceans  11 is a crime drama.  I am making a crime drama and so I am looking at this opening sequence for ideas for my film. This film was later remade using a real life opening sequence showing the characters of the story and the setting in Las Vegas, but I am looking at the animated version as I very much enjoy this style of work.

Narrative

The sequence is full of bright lights put together to form numbers and patterns. Although in themselves they do not tell a story, they give many clues and hints as to the content of the film. They tell of the bright lights of Las Vegas, gambling both with cards and fruit machines, and there is the suggestion of a love interest. We get the feeling there will be intrigue throughout the film.

Sound

The soundtrack is a big band score, very lively and jazzy, building in momentum throughout the opening. It is loud and fun and very much characterises the lifestyle in Vegas.

Setting

The opening sequence is not set directly in any location, but it has many connotations of casinos and life in Las Vegas.

The sequence opens with a series of numbers up to 11 for the title number. They are made of small square dots which fit together to form shapes. They  represent flashing lights and take us to the bright lights of Las Vegas. The names of the actors are set inside the numbers to show their importance in the film. The numbers are almost like a scoreboard, with one being the most important.

After the numbers comes a freestyle section of a series of intricate pictures also framed with the colourful dots. There is a queen and king of playing cards, showing that there might be a love interest in the film. This is further emphasised with the picture in the moving fruit machine of a couple cuddling, and the drawing down of a blind to hide them. This maybe suggests forbidden romance.

There are dice rolling across the scene which takes us directly into the casinos, and we realise this is where the action will take place.

The opening is very high tech and elaborate and we feel the plot is going to be equally elaborate and complicated.

Titles

The titles are white which stand out against the brightly coloured numbers. They are in a clear bold font.

Atmosphere

The atmosphere is of bright lights and it is full of life. It takes us directly to the bright lights and casinos of Las Vegas. We feel the film is going to be action packed and fun to watch.

Character

Although none of the characters of the film are introduced as real people, we are shown a man and a woman cuddling and we realise they will feature in the film.  
 

Children Of Men

The opening scene is in a London Café in 2027. There is a group of all middle aged, dazed viewers looking up at a television monitor which is breaking the news of the death of the world’s youngest person, Baby Diego, who is 18 years old. The lighting is dim and low key which establishes the mood of the film. It is unsettling and melancholic, full of dark clothing. It is full of mourning and depression. The opening shot is a medium close up shot which shows the crowd from the shoulders up. We can clearly see the reactions of the people. It is a low angle shot so we are looking up at the screen like the characters so we can relate to them. The opening represents life throughout the world. Immediately we are introduced to the idea that the world is collapsing through infertility, and aggressive actions. There is a totally negative feel- there is no hope. The silence of the crowd throughout shows the importance of the report.

The weather is overcast which foreshadowed events.

The use of long takes allows the audience to see how events closely follow each other.

We are introduced to the main character and the camera follows him. Theo goes through the crowd, gets a coffee and then walks outside. He has no interest to the news in contrast to all the rest of the characters. This connotes his strength – possibly a hero.  He walks down the street fiddling with the lid of a coffee. Then a bomb blows up the café he has just left. Someone stumbles out of the café, screaming, badly injured.

There is a very detailed mise -en -scene. The scene is a ruin, full of bleak scenes and urban chaos.

There is a wide range of camera shots which keeps the audience’s interest.

Text is edited over the action. This gives us the date so we know the film is set in the future, and other necessary information.

Throughout the editing is smooth and continuous – there are no cuts or pauses.

Throughout the opening scene there is ambient sound – there is traffic noise, people crying, which gives atmosphere and realism.

There are many stereotypical shots of London – red London buses and skyscrapers. These are interspersed with non- stereotypical shots of a Tuk Tuk. This suggests a change in the future. There is a great deal of sophisticated technology which also suggest the future.