The opening title sequence to Scott Pilgrim Vs. the world

The opening title sequence on a timeline

Scott Pilgrim Vs the world, 9 frames

Research into the right audience for our film opening

Through choosing the right audience for a film opening, we did some research into what the age ratings of films, to help choose the right audience for a film.
We looked into the website, BBFC (British Board of Film Classification)

It explains how the choose the ratings for films and what films have recently been rated.





We looked into the ratings of films:

It is impossible to predict what might upset any particular child. But a ‘U’ film should be suitable for audiences aged four years and over. ‘U’ films should be set within a positive moral framework and should offer reassuring counterbalances to any violence, threat or horror. If a work is particularly suitable for a pre-school child to view alone, this will be indicated in the Consumer Advice.



General viewing, but some scenes may be unsuitable for young children.
Unaccompanied children of any age may watch. A ‘PG’ film should not disturb a child aged around eight or older. However, parents are advised to consider whether the content may upset younger or more sensitive children.



Exactly the same criteria are used to classify works at ‘12A’ and ‘12’. These categories are awarded where the material is suitable, in general, only for those aged 12 and over. Works classified at these categories may upset children under 12 or contain material which many parents will find unsuitable for them.
The ‘12A’ category exists only for cinema films. No one younger than 12 may see a ‘12A’ film in a cinema unless accompanied by an adult, and films classified ‘12A’ are not recommended for a child below 12. An adult may take a younger child if, in their judgement, the film is suitable for that particular child. In such circumstances, responsibility for allowing a child under 12 to view lies with the accompanying adult.
The ‘12’ category exists only for video works. No one younger than 12 may rent or buy a ‘12’ rated video work.

No-one younger than 15 may see a ‘15’ film in a cinema. No-one younger than 15 may rent or buy a ‘15’ rated video work.

No-one younger than 18 may see an ‘18’ film in a cinema. No-one younger than 18 may rent or buy an ‘18’ rated video work.





We also, personally asked people what their favorite film genres were. Majority of people said Action(Mainly boys). There are many different genres in which we need to consider for our main film opening:

Action films usually include high energy, big-budget physical stunts and chases, possibly with rescues, battles, fights, escapes, destructive crises (floods, explosions, natural disasters, fires, etc.), non-stop motion, spectacular rhythm and pacing, and adventurous, often two-dimensional 'good-guy' heroes battling 'bad guys' - all designed for pure audience escapism.               

Adventure films are usually exciting stories, with new experiences or exotic locales, very similar to or often paired with the action film genre. They can include historical spectacles, searches or expeditions for lost continents, "jungle" and "desert" epics, treasure hunts, disaster films, or searches for the unknown.

Comedies are light-hearted plots consistently and deliberately designed to amuse and provoke laughter with  jokes, etc, by exaggerating the situation, the language, action, relationships and characters.

Crime (gangster) films are developed around the sinister actions of criminals, particularly bankrobbers, underworld figures, or people               who operate outside the law, stealing and murdering their way through life. Criminal and gangster films are often categorized as film noir or detective mystery films.

Dramas are serious, plot-driven presentations, portraying realistic characters, settings, life situations, and stories involving intense character development and interaction. Usually, they are not focused on special-effects, comedy, or action, Dramatic films are probably the largest film genre, with many subsets.

Horror films are designed to frighten and to invoke our hidden worst fears, often in a terrifying, shocking finale, while captivating and entertaining us at the same time in a cathartic experience. They are often combined with science fiction when the menace or monster is related to a corruption of technology, or when Earth is threatened by aliens. The fantasy and supernatural film genres are not usually synonymous with the horror genre. There are many sub-genres of horror: slasher, teen terror and/or serial killers.

Musical/dance films are cinematic forms that emphasize full-scale scores or song and dance routines in a significant way (usually with a musical or dance performance integrated as part of the film narrative), or they are films that are centered on combinations of music, dance, song or choreography.              

Sci-fi films are often quasi-scientific, visionary and imaginative  complete with heroes, aliens, distant planets, impossible quests, improbable settings, fantastic places, great dark and shadowy villains, futuristic technology, unknown and unknowable forces, and extraordinary monsters either created by mad scientists or by nuclear havoc. They are sometimes an offshoot of fantasy films. Science fiction often expresses the potential of technology to destroy humankind and easily overlaps with horror films, particularly when technology or alien life forms become malevolent.

War (and anti-war) films acknowledge the horror and heartbreak of war, letting the actual combat fighting (against nations or humankind) on land, sea, or in the air provide the primary plot or background for the action of the film. They may include stories of military operations, and training.

Analysing film openings and their genres

We are looking into different film genres and the openings the their films.

Dirty Dancing(1987)
http://youtube/8Lwl0LO2VkU (embedding disabled)
Opening scene
Genre: Romance
This is a romantic opening of a film, quite an old film but shows the calmness and peace of the between the main characters, Baby and her father. Also baby mentions that she 'never thought she would find a guy as great as her dad' which could forshadow she will find love during the film.


The hangover(2009)
http://youtube/BAc_Z442voA (EMBEDDING DISABLED)
Opening scene
Genre: Comedy
This film starts with a disaster, due to a couple getting married that day, but the man is with his friends in a different city, so we can see from the begginning that the film is going to be funny and things are going to wrong for the characters.


The Quantim of Solice(2008)
Opening scene
Genre: Action



This film starts with an adventurous car chase, which gets the viewers engaged, because if the film starts with this exiting chaos, then it must be like this most of the way through which shall be very entertaining for its audience.


The Grudge(2004)
The opening
Genre: Horror



The opening to this film comes across as being scary as at the start, a couple are having a general happy conversation in their apartment, the man decides then to push him self over the balcony, killing himself, which then leaves the audience in confusion to why he did this, and they will want to find out more to this out of the blue suicide. Also the use of the font stlye in the opening credits is in red, showing signs of blood, death, most deffinatly accuring in the film.

Preliminary exercise

This is the in the final preliminary, each member of our group attempted to make a video and this was the final one because it was simply the best one. We also added some music to it which fades as the conversation is taking place. Although this is not marked, we did try making it quite good but as we are not used  to the software in which we created the video on, it was not all that good however it will be used to help us improve for ourt final production.

Coming up with a Production name

We are trying to come up with a name, which we are finding to be quite difficult. So far we have come up with the idea of using all of our anitials and thinking of a word each to go with that, but we found it may not sound media related. We shall now move on to annalying different film openings with the genres and come back to a production name later.

Opening to a film, showing the genre

The opening to this film shows the troubles of a tennager showing the right audience for this film would be teenage girls, maybe not boys. The opening scene also shows the funny side of this film which makes the audience want to watch more.

The purpose of a film opening

The purpose of a film opening is to show the genre of the film to its audience. Its also to get the audience to want to keep watching as it will leave us hanging with something that we will later find out about in the film, so its purpose is to keep people watching.

Codes and Conventions used in film openings

Codes and conventions used in film opening are for the audience to get a clear idea of what the film is going to be based on or to give us a head start on what the film is going to be like for example a film with the genre of romance may start with a couple together talking about love. This basically just opens the film with an imput of what its all about.

Codes and Conventions

Codes & Conventions are when a genre has several different ways of interpreting their features which is how we classify different media genres into groups.
Code is a rule that is very strict and can very rarely be broken, for example; character codes, plot codes, structural codes, cultural codes and production codes.
Conventions are habits or ways of doing things, this can change as a genre develops but if changes are made too quickly then the audience may not understand what is going on.