Movie Openings

[awaddell]

1. Name as many film genres as you can.
2. Choose one and make a list of the things you would expect to see in this genre of film.
3. Name three movies of this genre.
4. What techniques and features do you think the director would have had to think about? Make a list.
5. Can you remember the opening to a film of this genre? If so, what one and what happened?
6. What is the function of a movie opening?

Filmic Techniques

Camera Shots
Distance
Long
Medium
Close Up

Camera Movement
Panning
Tracking
Zoom in/out
Tilting

Camera Angles



1. The Bird's-Eye view
Directly overhead, a very unnatural and strange angle.
Familiar objects viewed from this angle might seem totally
unrecognisable.
Audience in a godlike position, looking down on the action.
People can be made to look insignificant, ant-like.

2. High Angle
Not as extreme as a bird's eye view.
The camera is elevated above the action using a crane to give a general overview or look down on something in slightly more detail.

3. Eye-level (Sometimes POV - Point of View too)
The camera is positioned as though it is a human actually observing a scene, e.g. actors' heads are on a level with the focus.

4. Low Angle
These increase height (useful for short actors like Tom Cruise or James McAvoy) and give a sense of speeded motion.
You normally see the whole body



Mise en Scene
Appearance
Props
Setting


Sound
Diegetic: Speech
Non-Diegetic: Music and Effects

[Calum brown]

TITLE (2014) MOVIE SCRIPT
CALUM BROWN
FADE IN
GOING THROUGH CROPS AND UP TO THE BARN, THEN FLICKS TO GUN SHOOTING CANS. (MAN SHOOTS ALL CANS WITH THREE BULLETS). RUSTLING IN THE CROPS BEHIND HIM.
STEVE
They are here. (Said in a quiet fierce voice, while running to car, he reaches car and enters.)
GANG
Get him we can’t let him escape. (they begin to shoot at him, they smash the back window)
STEVE
Sh*t (he shouts and pulls off, he drives a few hundred metres and gets his phone out and dials a number, It rings...) PAUL! I have a slight problem! I am getting chased by those corrupted soldiers!
PAUL
Okay come to my lockup I am already there, I am packing up my things. See you there!
STEVE
(hears gunshots through the phone) HELLO? HELLO? ANYONE THERE? (phone hangs up) SH*T! (puts foot down and races along straight road, Finally to come to lockup.) There it is. (he gets out and sprints up the stairs to find covered door) Oh no. (sprints in to find a cold gun on back of his head, and his friend lying dead before him.) Who are you and what do you want?
MYSTERIOUS MAN
That has nothing to do with you. I have phoned the police and the GUARDIAN gang.
STEVE
You what? Please tell me you are joking!
MYSTERIOUS MAN
Yes he said it is true. They will both get here and not suspect a thing. Then POW POW POW (he quickly taps his two pointing fingers together) Then we will just slip away undetected. This is for your own good trust me!
STEVE
Trust you? How am I meant to trust you? I have just walked in (turns to see man with gun and a mask on) and all I see so far is you pointing a gun at me and my friend lying dead! (man aims gun at floor, and walks out, slamming door shut behind him). (other man walks to window and watches the man get in the car and fly off).
CAMERA SWITCHES TO SKY TRACKING VIEW TILL MAN WITH GUN REACHES A BUILDING AND GOES INTO IT.

[Jack Duffus]

Title Movie Script
By Jack Duffus

FADE IN
The flag of Sierra Leone with the sun behind it
Looks down to a man on a motorbike
Camera tracks him

Stuart:(motorbike rumbling) “It’s time”
(the motorbike leaves an quickly arrives at the bottom of the hill where the base is)
(he arrives at the top of the hill)
Guard 1: “stop”
(the motorbike stops but is still running)
Guard 2: “ why are you here?”
Stuart: “ a surprise”
Guard 1: “ show us your badge”
Stuart: “ F*ck off”
Guard 2: “ come here”
(Stuart pulls out a gun and shoos the guards)
(he opens the gate and walks through)
Stuart: (a plane lands and the general gets off) “There’s the F*cker”
(camera switched to a POV shot of the general)
General: “ is everything ready”
Soldier: “yes”
General: ”good”
(they walk towards a building)
Guard 1: “what was that”
Guard 2: “ignore it”
(suddenly Guard 2 collapses)
Guard 1: “what the f*ck was that”
(Guard 2 collapses)
(Stuart then walks towards the building the general is in and goes in)
General: (voice in the distance echoing towards the door) “FIRE!”
(there is a loud, deep rumble)

Stuart: “The f*ck was that”
(he runs down the corridor towards the generals voice)
(Stuart enters the room the general is sitting in)
Stuart: (shouting) “SURPRISE MOTHERF*UCKER”
(he shoots everyone except the general)
General: “well done, you found me but now you will die!”
Stuart: “never”
(he shoots the general in the stomach and the general falls to the ground)
General: “unlucky”
(there is a loud explosion and Stuart is thrown backwards)
(a white screen is shown then the image of a burning building starts to fade in with the Sierra Leone flag fluttering in the wind)
Stuart: “sh*t, what happened”
(he tries to stand but he collapses to the ground again)
Stuart: “aaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhh!”
(he looks down to see his leg twisted round and broken)
(Stuart crawls out the burning remnants of a building)
Stuart: “I don’t recognise this place”
(he crawls back to his motorbike and starts to drive)
Stuart: “I must get help!”
(he drives back to the town he left from where he is getting weird looks from the locals)
Stuart: “what are you all staring at”

[Greig Dighton]

Title (2014) movie script

By Greig Dighton

FADE IN

Spaceship flying towards the dome on the surface of the moon with the sun and earth in the background

Inside spaceship a short young man with blonde hair called Peter is chatting to his friend Carl, they are both on the spaceship taking them to their new home that they purchased on the moon

PETER

Are you excited to see your new home?

CARL

Yeah I can’t wait until we land and I can get to my new home, unpack my stuff and just simply relax

At that moment the pilot announces that they will be landing in 5 minutes (tannoy)

Camera switches to a distance shot from behind the space ship showing the huge dome on the surface of the moon. The camera then pans the spaceship going into the airlock and landing, the airlock then shuts behind them.

PETER

(Shouting his wife’s name to find her) Pam!

PAM

There you are peter I thought I had lost you, there are so many people on this spaceship just wanting to get off.

PETER

You ready for to move in to our new home?

PAM

What side of the town is it?

At that moment Peter was interrupted as the pilot asked everyone to disembark the spaceship and wait for the grand opening of the city

The scene switches to the outside of the spaceship everyone is ready for the opening.

The doors slide open everyone rushes inside!

Everyone is given their own car Peter and Pam go to pick theirs up.

Scene swaps to Peter and pam moving into their house



PETER

(Talking to Pam) Do you want to do the honours of opening the door?



PAM

Sure!

Pam opens the door and they both walk in

PETER

Do you know who is going to be living next door to us?

PAM

No who?

PETER

My friend Carl and his wife Angela

PAM

Is that who you were talking to on the flight?

PETER

Yeah it was, I was thinking if we could invite him and his wife round for tea tonight if that is ok with you?

PAM

Sure why not it would be great, I could ask my friends Dwight and Laura around as well



Peter walks round to Carl’s house and rings the doorbell

Carl opens the door



PETER

Hi Carl me and Pam were wondering if you and Angela would like to come round to ours for a meal tonight

CARL

Ok, I’m sure Angela will enjoy it as well, what time?

PETER

Just come round at 7, Pam’s friends Dwight and Laura should be coming as well

CARL

Ok see you at 7

PETER

Ok see you then



Peter walks back round to his house



PETER

I better unpack my stuff then go and find a shop is there anything specific that you would like me to get while I am there?

PAM

Not really just get a something nice, could you help me unpack?

PETER

Ok sure thing then ill head of to find somewhere where I can get food here.

7 o’clock Carl and Amanda arrive, Dwight and Laura had come earlier they sit round a table to a meal of lamb and potatoes.

PETER

I was not expecting to find such good food here on the first day. I thought I would just be driving around expecting to find something and not find anything.

CARL

Well the food that you did get is delicious, it’s better than anything I had on earth

LAURA

Did you cook this Pam?

PAM

I sure did, I used my pot that I took from earth to cook the potatoes in