http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YO2tG4OYueg
Spider-man opening sequence analysis.
The opening sequence starts with the writers of the film ‘marvel’ being brought onto the screen through very quick jump cuts of different images of their comic books, when the text marvel is shown the camera zooms out on it, this connotes its importance.
This is followed by a fade-in shot of a thread of web then the image is faded out, followed by the main shot faded in with the first piece of text telling the audience the production company.
The titles and text are all done in post production editing. The soundtrack is only used for spider-man, the upbeat soundtrack is appropriate for the target audience. The cinematography used connotes that the film is scientific and maybe futuristic. The next shot used it a zoom out shot where the camera zooms out on the cobwebs and different text fades in.
The mise en scene in this clip includes the production design, this determines the overall look, including the cobwebs and the dark colour scheme, this connotes that the ‘spider-man’ is spider related. The costume for the two characters shown are there main ‘outfits’.
The camera then zooms out onto the title and it lights up, a sound bridge is then used to take the camera to another scene, all the sounds in this opening sequence are non-diegetic and added in the editing suite. Tilts, zooms, pans and cuts are used to show the next pieces of text, the colour red had been brought in showing it is of significance. An image of spider-mans arm followed by other parts are then shown giving the audience a small glimpse of his image but keeping some from them.
When the music is changing an image of the villain in the film is shown, this connotes to the audience that he is also of significance and the music makes him appear to be a villain. When a new piece of text is show the camera hovers moving slightly around the text giving the audience time to read it and then it will move on to the next. This is all continuity editing and not many cuts are used as its one big shot bringing different images in and out of the picture.
The music is then changed to a slower paced and softer tone followed by the iconic spider-man tune, this is the sound motif for the main character, with the scenery changing from the cobwebs to the buildings, again pans and tilts are used with zoom in and zoom out shots. The location of the opening sequence is in New York where the whole film is set. The camera moves as if it was in the eyes of the spider-man when he is swinging from the buildings, this is a first person approach that gives a more intense feel for the audience and makes your feel more involved.
When the pieces of text are shown they use the rule of thirds to show the importance and make it pleasing to the eye, a larger gap is then used before they show the name of the director, this is because he takes a more important role for the film and it ends on his behalf.
http://www.artofthetitle.com/2009/05/11/hulk/
Analysing the hulk
The opening sequence starts with showing different pages of the comic book the film is based on, this is shown using a green colour filter in the film representing the colour of the main character. The writers of the story ‘marvel’ then is cut in and slowly zooms out. This is promptly followed by a pitch black screen where a water droplet is cut in with the camera zooming out on the droplet until the droplet cannot be seen. The sound in the background of the first section is non-diegetic sound that is put there for a background and it creates suspense ready for the film to begin.
The droplet then re-appears and expands into an explosion type graphic, this is a graphic match. The camera then tilts down and zooms into the explosion and then shows detail of inside. While vibrant colours are in the background, big green writing shows the important roles, the green again is associated with the film.
This opening sequence is mainly graphic; following is a split screen graphic match where a picture of half a sphere represents a star and half a sphere representing a green cell of some sort. The star half of the screen is then cut out so a whole sphere representing a green cell is shown; the cell is then split into two, the camera then quickly moves around until it gets to some green fluid where it’s then changed into the word HULK.
The camera then zooms out to another time of cell with a different colour scheme; the difference connotes that something has changed.
The mise en sen in this includes the images of everything they used, the cells, green and planets represent something that will later occur in the film. The viewers know the green is of importance when its shown throughout the opening sequence and injecting out of the cells, then to prove it the word green is written on the paper. The camera swiftly cuts when the scientist tries to get the syringe into get into the cell showing that it’s hard to get it in. A focus pull is used to show the syringe then the liquid being squirted out. The liquid then is graphically matched to a zoomed in picture of the gene molecules. The camera then goes from a high angle to a low angle using a tilt, another focus pull is used where the words on the paper came into focus, this connotes they have significance, a pan is then used to read what was written on the paper.
The camera is then cut to a view of a man from under the water; non diegetic music is used to frighten the audience when the hand grabs the starfish. Jumpcuts are used to show the man dissecting the starfish, when the samle is put in the test tubes zooming out jump cuts make the event more important, a pan is used to look at the man using a telescope, a focus pull is then used to connote the importance of the test tubes. All the objects in this clip are strongly representing the film.
Speedy jump cuts and quick tilts make the next part very tense, with the lighting flashing dim and brightly. When the flashing stops and the non diegetic music changes to a slower softer tone we know that something different is happening, pans are used and there are reflections of the writing, two jump cuts are used on the writing then a jump back to a previous object showing they are linked, flashing lighting and faster music are used again with this object, cuts are the same shot but adding pieces bit by bit.
A zoom in is used on certain words and pans are used to read a sentence, jump cuts are them used followed by another focus pull, an extreme close up and flashing lighting connoted the concentration in the man’s eyes, a fade cut is used when the man is writing, this is an enigma. The location of the set is a science lad which is appropriate, the costume is linked as he is dressed in a shirt.
Towards the end of the clip alot of jump cuts are used followed by extreme close ups and quick pans, this creates tension and gets you ready for the film.
