Today in AS Media we looked at several film openings of different genres to see their codes and conventions. These included the likes of 'The Matrix', 'Love Actually', 'Goodfellas' and 'Once Upon a Time in the West'. We tried to watch the opening to 'Jaws', as it is apparently considered by many as the 'greatest of all time', but the video didn't work. But it's not like nobody's seen the opening yet, is it?
The varying codes and conventions used in each of the films are interesting. For example, 'Once Upon a Time in the West' relied on long and establishing shots of the isolated desert, as most westerns do, whereas 'The Matrix' relied on action and mysterious dialogue, due to it being a science fiction film. The different openings establish what the film is and what genre it is within the first few minutes, and is necessary for most, if not all good films. An opening shouldn't be resolved, as it's supposed to draw the attention of the audience and make them want to watch more.
This is preparing us for our own film opening. I'm unsure on who I am working with in the group for this. I sort of hope the group will be split in half for the project. I don't have any plans for an opening yet; just mere ideas that I'm chucking around in my head. I plan to watch many film openings soon, hopefully this weekend, so I can see how many films open for a better understanding on the different genres and filming as a whole.
I was very interested by 'The Matrix''s opening, as it isn't merely science fiction. It's a film that opposes the norm, tackling science fiction, horror, martial arts, and other genres in one. Not only that, but it does it successfully; even in the opening, managing to intrigue many different audiences. So, from the ones we viewed earlier today, 'The Matrix' is an easy favourite for me.
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