Ryan Wilkinson

Media Film Analysis – Opening Scenes

This is an opening scene from the series prison break. The offender (in orange) has just been informed that she has been found guilty and will be sentenced to 30 years in prison. The camera has focused on her face to show the audience her expression on the news but also allows us to see people behind her and what their expressions are like. Here she looks shocked and maybe therefore implying that she is innocent or doesn't deserve the sentence given. Furthermore there is a woman behind her and you can clearly see that she is in shock which further implies her innocence. By placing the woman in orange at the front, this focuses our attention on her and shows the audience that this scene is solely about her and what has just happened to her. In my film, the opening scene is also in a court where the offender is found guilty for a crime which he did not commit. Therefore the expressions are going to be similar. However in my film the offender is released from prison after only 3 years when the police find out that he did not commit the offence. Furthermore in my film the audience only briefly gets to see the offender in court as this is during a flashback which the man is having. Therefore the man in my film will not be dressed in the typical orange clothing which are usually associated with criminals instead he will be dressed in a suit for the flashback of him in the court and then dull, dark clothes when we see him lying asleep in his cell. He will look up at the table where the judge is sat behind and the camera will pan upwards as if we the audience are his eyes. The character in my opening scene who is laying on his prison cell bed having a flashback will be dressed in dark clothes, this is because the dark resembles the negative mood which he will have whilst in prison and also connotes that he has been ‘mentally drained’ through the use of black. The lighting is relatively dark in this scene which is also the same in my opening scene. The darkness resembles the mood of the people within that room and like this scene; the mood will be negative in my opening scene as the main character is in prison for something he didn't do. This element of darkness could also resemble the fact that there is ‘no light at the end of the tunnel’ and maybe implies that his freedom is gone. In this scene and in my opening film scene the offender will be seen looking up to the judge, this implies that he is powerless against the judge and therefore the reinforcement on being small implies that he has little he can do about the decision. The cuts will be slow paced to enforce what is being said and the extent of the crime.

Ryan Wilkinson

This is an opening scene from the series Hawaii Five-0. In this picture you can clearly see 2 men getting out of a car strapped up with armour and armed with guns (McGarrett and Danno). This scene is set in a forest which is evident with the greenery behind them. This will also be like the opening scene to my film when one of the male characters gets his sentence cut when the police discover that he did not commit the offence. They pull up to a forest where they get out and arm up with guns. They will plan what they are going to do which in my film's case, find the guy that set them up and is the real criminal. They get out of the car slow motion and the scene ends when you can see that they are ready to find the person. This is a wide/establishing shot which will also be the same in my film. This is because you will be able to see characters, where they have come from (e.g. the car) and where they are (the forest). This informs the viewers of this information so they do not get lost and can 'keep up' with the film. The 2 men will also be strapped up with armour of sorts and with also be equipped with various guns. The editing will be slow motion to emphasise that they mean business and this will set up the rest of the film. The lighting will be brighter than what it previously was in the cell which implies that the mood has lifted but also reinforces the 'light at the end of the tunnel' in this case being let out of prison. Here the characters are already strapped up with armour and guns but in my film, they will first put a map on the bonnet of the car before strapping up with guns and armour. This is because I feel it will set up the film better and the opening scene will end with them loading their guns.

Ryan Wilkinson

This is a scene taken from the film The Godfather II where the man has a flashback of what happened in the past. This will be similar to my film as the main character that will be lying on his prison bed staring up at the ceiling will be having a brief flashback of the day where the judge declared him guilty of the crime which he didn’t commit and being sent down. In his flashback he will see the judge sat up on the high table and banging the table with his gavel as he is sent down. The man lying on his bed then repeatedly hears his surname being said ‘McQuade’ and suddenly wakes up to find the guard knocking on his prison cell saying his surname. The man then gets off his bed and walks over to the judge who informs him that he is being released after they found out that the crime was not committed by him. This scene is however slightly different to the one which will be used in my scene as this man is sitting in a chair whereas the man having the flashback in my film will be asleep on his prison bed. By including the flashback in my film opening it will inform the audience that the man is innocent and has been sent down for something he didn’t do but also sets up the rest of the film as he will be having further flashbacks throughout the film whilst trying to track down the person who set him up. In this scene the lighting is very dark and dull which will be very similar to that of my film. The dark lighting resembling the mood and events which have occurred and could also be used to connote that the character doesn't 'foresee any light at the end of the tunnel'. The editing of the flashback in this scene is relatively fast paced to show that his life is flashing past and that he cannot stop what has already happened. This man is also dressed in dark clothes like the male character in my opening scene. This element of darkness will be highlighted throughout the opening scene as the colour is generally associated with action films and therefore will be key for my film.

Ryan Wilkinson

This is the opening scene to the film back to the future. The opening scene is set in a small house with a lot of gadgets and clocks. This could imply that the owner of the house is a scientist and has a lot of knowledge on technology. Furthermore I noticed that the house was in a poor state. There was a lot of mess over the floor which could mean that the owner hasn’t been here for a while or is just not very house proud. This is further shown when we see that there is a dog bowl on the floor with dog food in and around it which could mean that he hasn't been here for a while. There were other elements of mise-en-scene in this scene such as lighting. The lighting was generally dark and dull which could connote that the home owner is shy and doesn't like to show off his house. It could also imply that the home-owner is lazy due to the fact that he hasn't got efficient light bulbs. The boy is shown to be a little ignorant in this scene. This is shown when he plugs in his guitar to the amplifier and turns it up to the highest volume. This implies that he is unaware of the risks of turning it up to the highest volume and this sets up his character for the rest of this film that he is a stereotypical ignorant teenager who does what they want to do. In this opening scene there is a wide shot of the boy when he is in the house. This allows the audience to see where the boy is and where it is situated. Furthermore you are able to see what else is in the house and starts to make the audience think of what the home-owner may be like.

Ryan Wilkinson

Back to the Future Film opening analysis

1. Mise-en-scene: Set/Location

1. Mise-en-scene: Costumes 1. Mise-en-scene: Colour

1. Mise-en-scene:Props

1.Mise-en-scene: Lighting

1.Mise-en-scene:Stars/Performance

A small room with lots of clocks. The house is in a car park. The untidy location could imply that the person either hasn’t lived here for a while which is backed up by the dog food that was on the floor and also that the person who lives here doesn’t look after himself or his belongings well.

Jeans, skate shoes, wearing sunglasses. These are used to identify to the audience clearly that the character is young/teenager and how he dresses differently to the older people in the scene

Dull, dark colours could imply that something bad is going to happen. Could also be used to imply the mood in which the character is in at this time and as the film opening goes on the light gets brighter to imply that he is happier.

Clocks which reference to time which could imply that he is going to be late.Small TVSkateboardGuitarAlarmsHeadphonesCarsRadio tells us that we are in Philadelphia and that its 1985.Crazy gadgets imply that the person who lives here is crazy and a scientist.

Dark lighting, lighter when he goes outside. This could imply that the situation of the house is in a dark place and when he gets outside its lighter.

Ignorant boy. Turns the amplifier up to the maximum and isn’t aware of the risk. Could imply that he is going to be like this throughout the film.

2.Cinematography 3.Sound 4.EditingWide shots to show the audience where the boy is and what is situated around him. This sets up the film as the audience are able to distinguish where we are and where he may be going.

Over exaggerated noises for the clocks and the buzz when he turns the amp up.

A slow cut, slow paced cuts imply that the person here is ‘slow’ at thinking.

Ryan Wilkinson

Happy 80’s music when he is on his way to school