Narrative

Narrative structure in a film that tells a fictional or fictionalised story. The use of believable characters and narratives help to convince the audience that the story is real. Narratives unfold in an ordered series of events connected by the logic of cause and effect which then ties together character traits, goals and obstacles.

Comedy- In a comedy film the narrative structure tends to go;

-Introduction of main characters

-disruption of normal setting (often through a villain that has something the protagonists wants) 

-characters try and resolve this disruption

-this disruption gets worse due to the characters action in trying to fix it 

-the disruption get resolved (protagonist gets what they want

-often there is a happy ending where everything is fixed   

Horror- In a horror film the narrative structure tends to go;

-Introduction of main characters

-characters venture towards a dangerous setting

-something bad occurs, often causing death or injuries 

-the remaining characters continue on, fighting the supernatural force 

-a showdown occurs between the supernatural force and the main protagonist of the film

-order is either restored or the supernatural force is still there leaving the audience with many questions

Action- In action films the narrative structure tends to go;

-introduction of the main character (often a hero/heroine)

-something occurs which the main character has to resolve 

-introduction of villain

-antagonist attempts to resolve the situation

-the situation doesn't get resolved and the hero/heroine loses hope

-hero/heroine regains hope and fights against the villain

-The main character resolves the issues, though often you see at the end of the film something that suggests that the conflict isn't entirely resolved 

Drama- In a drama film the narrative structure tends to go;

-Introduction of the main character 

-we discover their dilemma/what they desire 

-they attempt to resolve this issue/obtain what they want 

-there comes a climax where in most cases the issue is either resolved but there is a twist or the main character hits a road block 

- Everything is restored and the main character sometimes gets their happy ending  

Romance- In a romance film the narrative structure tends to go;

-introduction of main character 

-introduction of potential love interest

-events occur where the character realise they would be a perfect match 

-circumstance occur which keep them apart 

-the problem is overcome and they are either able/not able to be together

Vladimir Propp's narrative theory

 

Vladimir Propp analyses Russian folk tales in the 1920's and discovered a constant framework among them. He defined the characters into eight main categories:

-The villain - struggles with the hero 

-The donor - prepares the hero for their quest 

-The helper - helps the hero through their quest 

-The princess - they often exist as the goal and end up marrying the hero at the end of the film

-The dispatcher - the one who sends the hero on the quest  

-The hero - the one who departs on the quest for the princess 

-The false hero - a character who often acts like a hero but actually isn't.

Todorov's narrative theory

Todorov's theory suggested that every film followed the same narrative pattern. They were all believed to follow the same five stages which consisted of;

-Equilibrium

-A Disruption

-Realisation 

-Restored Order 

-Equilibrium again

The first stage of film, (equilibrium) will often display a happy start where most of the characters are content and there is order about. The second stage, (a disruption) will show a problem or disruption of happiness towards the main character. The third stage, (realisation) is when all the characters discover the problem and chaos breaks out. The next stage, (restored order) is when the characters try to fix the problem and restore the order. The final stage, (equilibrium again) is when the problem is resolved and normality is restored. 

Roland Barthes narrative theory

 

He was a French literary theorist, philosopher, critic and semioticaion. He believed that there were five codes that were incorporated into any narrative;

-The Hemeneitic Code-The way the story avoids telling the truth or the facts to create mystery  

-The Proaietic Code-The way tension is built up  

-The semantic Code-Elements of a text which suggest a particular, often additional meaning  

-The Symbolic Code-Organising semantic meanings into broader and deeper sets of meanings 

-The Culture Code-Looks at the audience’s wider cultural knowledge, morality and ideology

Claude Levi-Stefrauss

 

He was a social anthropologist who studied myths of tribal cultures. He explored how stories unconsciously reflect the values beliefs and myths of a culture. These were usually expressed in 'binary oppositions' which is when words reflect a symbol for society's ideas, and to understand the meaning you just need to understand the opposite of the word.

Narration

Narration is when someone is used to convey a story to the audience, this can be done either by an off screen character or by a visible character expressing their unspoken thoughts and feelings.

Comedy- The film Just Go With It is an example of a comedy film that uses narration. In the opening scene to help the audience establish what is going on and to help them connect with the first character which they are shown narration is used. You understand from this scene that the guy is trying to drink his problems away when something happened. After he starts talking to the girl who just entered the bar there comes a point where she asks him about his personal life, which is where we see him and we hear the narration over the top which tells us what he is thinking. Then at the end of the scene you hear the narration one last time telling us as the audience that the wedding ring which causes him such humiliation managed to get him a date. The narration acts as his thought process to the audience and helps us to understand how this character is feeling and helps us to connect with him and feel like he is engaging with us.


Horror- The film American Psycho is an example of a horror film which uses narration. The use of narration in this film helps the audience learn more about the character on screen and creates a connection with him. At first you start to learn about his normal routine to get ready in the morning, which shows him to be very obsessive of his image but also shows how self-conscious he really is. Then towards the end of the scene you start to see him become deeper and he starts to talk about how he is not there, even though people can see him. This shows how this characters obviously has some issues and possible experienced a traumatic past and it sets in questions with the audience which grips them to keep watching the film.
    

Action- The film V for Vendetta is an example of an action film which uses narration. You can hear from this opening that there is a woman talking about the legend of Guy Fawkes which foreshadows to the audience the possible events that might occur in the film that links with Guy Fawkes. The use of only hearing the narration and seeing the setting of when Guy Fawkes was alive helps to show the importance in mentioning this name to the audience. You also hear her talking of a man who reminded her of Guy Fawkes which helps to explain why she is talking about him and also creates a sense to the audience of what is to come in this film.

Drama- The film The DUFF is an example of a drama film opening which uses narration. At the beginning you can see that there is textual narration which is there to show the audience what type of personality each of the main characters have, for example Jess is an aspiring fashion designer. The use of this form of narration helps the audience understand more about each of the characters and feel more connected to them like they understand each of them better. There is also voice narration which is when the main character, Bianca Piper is talking about how one by one each of the characters shown on screen isn't her until it gets to her and you realise that out of each of her friends she is the least attractive and glamorous, according to most of the characters at school.

Romance- The film If I Stay is an example of a romance film which uses narration. The use of narration here helps to explain to the audience what this young girl is thinking about. You can see that she is very conflicted by a lot of issues which is illustrated by the increase in tempo of the music that is playing in the background which also helps to suggest that something is about to happen. You then see hear her pause before saying "and just like that..." which foreshadows something is about to happen as she doesn't finish her sentence. This is a very good example of narration as it helps the audience connect with the main character through showing her thoughts and it also builds suspense for something bad to happen through the effect of her not finishing her sentence and the increase in tempo of the music.

I think the requirements for good film narration is a clear, powerful voice. This makes it easier for the audience understand what the character is saying and also engage and connect with them better. Narration should also use language which fits with the genre of the film, for example the narration used in a drama film needs to be engaging and funny but also put across the drama that will unfold in the film.

I think narration is definitely something I would consider using in my film opening. It helps to portray aspects from a film with would otherwise be hard to demonstrate. It would be a good way to show the thoughts and feelings of my characters without them having to break the fourth wall or by using dialogue.

Breaking the fourth wall

Breaking the fourth wall is when a character looks directly at the camera as if they were looking at the audience or acknowledges that audience by directly talking to them. This diagram demonstrates the fourth wall, as you can see the actors are surround by three visible was which they establish and by breaking the fourth wall they are actually acknowledging the line where a fourth wall would be and interacting with the audience.


An example of a film which breaks the fourth wall is The DUFF. In this film you see one of the characters break the fourth wall when talking about the main villain in the film. He is talking about how pretty this character is by saying "I would totally bang the shit out of her, but I wouldn't like it" The use of breaking the fourth wall hear helps to demonstrate to the audience how popular this character is and how everyone either wants to be her, or date her.   

Another example of a film which breaks the fourth wall is mean girls. The use of breaking the fourth wall here is to help the audience understand more about the character Regina. You can see various different characters in the film talking about her and sharing information to the audience about what she is like. This helps us to feel more connected to the film and also helps us to get a better understanding about what this character is like.

One final example of a film which breaks the fourth wall is The Woman in Black. Here it is used to help evoke fear in the audience by the way the three little girls look directly at the camera. This creates as sense of panic in the audience by making them unnerved that there is something behind them which is what the girls are looking at.

I think that breaking the fourth wall is definitely something I may contemplate using in my film opening. It is good to use to help explain what is going on to the audience and also helps to make them feel more connected to the action which is taking place.

Dialogue continued

What are the positive effects of dialogue in the examples you have used? 

The positive effects of having dialogue in the opening of a film include helping to portray emotions of characters, creating a certain atmosphere, helping to portray the emotions of characters and also creating a connection with the audience. Dialogue can show the audience what a characters personality is like, giving us a greater connection with them as we feel we understand them more. The use of showing emotions in a film opening helps the audience immediately connect with a character through a deep and meaningful connection, making them feel like they understand them. Dialogue can also help to create the right atmosphere and explain to the audience what is going on. For example one of the films I chose was The Dark Knight, and without the use of dialogue in this film I think it would've been quite hard for the audience to follow what was going on. The use of dialogue in this film also helped to create the right atmosphere for the character the 'Joker' as you could tell none of the robber knew exactly who they were working for and as the scene went on you could see that he had manipulated each one to kill one another. This built up the right kind of suspense and hype for the audience about this mysterious character which you wouldn't have been able to do without dialogue.

What are the negative effects of dialogue in the examples you have used?

The negative effect of having dialogue in the opening scene of a film includes confusing the audience about where the plot is going. Having a conversation which is irrelevant to the plot will only confuse the audience at the beginning and put them off watching the film. Overly complicated dialogue as well also causes the opening scene to not be effective in showing the audience what the film is about. In the opening of a film you'd expect to see various shots to establish the setting of the film to the audience and possibly the characters, dialogue isn't essential in the first two minutes as it in most cases ruins the atmosphere for the film. An example of this would be in The Ring, as in a horror film you want to create a tense feeling in the audience to evoke their fears, but this is harder to create when dialogue is involved as it breaks apart that tense atmosphere that can be created by instrumental sounds instead. The ring isn't a bad opening for a horror film as it does reveal elements that are harder to create without dialogue but personally I think using no dialogue for a horror film, like in the Woman in Black creates a better and more sinister atmosphere to the audience. 

What are the positive effects of no-dialogue in the examples you have used?

Having no dialogue in a film opening means that the audience tend to focus on the actions, expressions, props and other aspects of mise-en-scene instead. This helps them to get acquainted with the different aspects of the film and start to think about the features that might be essential later on in the film. Having no dialogue also means they have a chance to connect with the characters and understand what they are like by their actions or narration rather than have to understand from a conversation they have with another character. A good example of a film that uses no dialogue in the opening is The Woman in Black, the use of no dialogue here helps to keep the suspense up. You can clearly understand that the three girls are playing happily in the attic when they see something in the corner which makes them voluntarily jump out of the window. The use of no dialogue shows how strong the force was from the woman in the corner to make the three girls simultaneously jump out of the window without a word from here and without any resisting from them. This creates a powerful message to the audience that the Woman in Black is ruthless and a powerful force that needs only look at a child to get them under her control. If dialogue had been used instead here the scene would have been less emotional and powerful to the audience and would have broken down the tense and sinister atmosphere that had been so carefully created.

What are the negative effects of no-dialogue in the examples you have used?

Having no dialogue in a film opening means you run the risk of the audience not understanding what is going on in a film or not understanding where the film is going. Having to rely on facial features and other aspects of mise-en-scene could mean that the audience don't know what you are trying to put across to them in the first two minutes causing them to lose interest in the film. An example of where this happens is The Notebook, as here you are only introduced to one character right at the end of the scene which doesn't help to explain to the audience what might happen in this film or let them properly connect with the only character we get a glimpse of at the end.

What issues do you think you would face in your own coursework by using dialogue?

I think using dialogue could be an issue in my film opening due to the fact I have never written a script before for any of the projects and I am working alone which means I would have to come up with all the dialogue needed. The fact I am working alone means I would need to come up with a concept that involves two characters speaking and then I would need to figure out a script for them. I would also need to fit it to my genre, for example if I were to do a comedy film opening I would need to included witty humour and other element in the dialogue to make sure the audience knew that this was a comedy. I would also need to find actors who would pull off the right tone for the characters which suited the genre which could be hard for me.

What issues do you think you would face in your own course work by not using dialogue?

I think one main issue I could face is that people don't understand what my film opening is about due to the fact I opted to use no dialogue. People may find my opening confusing and have no idea where it is heading due to there being no clarification of aspects through dialogue. Dialogue can help explain a lot to the audience which may be a good reason to use it in my film opening as the mark scheme highlights the importance of the audience understanding the film opening as quite important.

Dialogue

Dialogue is a conversation between two or more people. In the opening two minutes of a film I don't think that dialogue is important. The first two minutes of a film is meant to establish the audience with the setting, main character and in some cases the genre. Dialogue is not essential here as it is not needed to help the audience understand any of these things. There are other ways of showing what is going on to the audience without characters having to speak, for example narration which can explain to the audience what is going on with out the any characters actually talking.

Comedy- An example of a comedy film which uses dialogue in the opening is The Hangover. At the beginning of this film you see a young girl getting ready for her wedding when she gets a call from someone. You then see her and a guy talking over the phone before you realises that the man is stranded and that they have lost the guy who she is meant to be getting married to that day. The use of setting also helps the audience establish what is going on in this scene. You can see that the bride is at home getting ready when she gets the call and that they guy is stranded in an isolated area with three other guys. All this helps to emphasis to the audience that this is a comedy film and the use of dialogue helps you to understand what is going on in this film opening. Without the dialogue you wouldn't understand that it was this woman's wedding day or that the group of guys had managed to lose the groom, making dialogue a key aspect for this film opening.

An example of a comedy film which doesn't use dialogue in the opening is Mrs. Doubtfire. In this film you see the main character and you get to understand that they are a voice actor and do voices for cartoons. Although there is no dialogue in this opening you do experience him doing the voice overs for two cartoon characters who are having a conversation of their own. I think the use of not have dialogue is very important in the opening to this scene as you find out later on that the guys ability's to put on different voices is a key aspect to the film. Having a demonstration of that at the beginning of the film helps to portray what is to come later on and shows the audience that his voice and his ability to create different voices will be used in the film later on.

Horror- An example of a horror film which does contain dialogue in the opening is The Ring. You can see in this opening that the two girls are talking about a video tape that is meant to kill you once you have watched it. One of them describes the tape to the other and tells them how once you've watched it, you get a phone call that tells you that you'll die in seven days. You then see the other girls get very distressed after hearing the story and starts demanding that the over girl tell her who told her about it. You then find out that she has supposedly watched the tape and you can see from the expression on her face that she is really scared about what is going to happen. She then starts to go into great detail about the film and how she watched it in a cabin with her boyfriend and a few mates. She then starts to act as if she can't breathe before revealing it was all a joke to her friend. The use of having dialogue in this opening means it’s easier to bring in this mysterious tape which is obviously the key event around this whole film. It gets the audience aware of the supernatural element to the film and also prepares them for what is to come. The audience can easily predict that one of the girls will die as they have in fact watched the tape. The use of dialogue also makes it easy for the audience to follow what is going on. They understand that these are two young girls and they both know about a tape which can kill you if it is watched. You can also see that one of them have watched the film even though she pretends to joke around about it, you know she has watched it by the emotion in her face when telling her friend about it.    

An example of a horror film which doesn't include dialogue in the opening is, The woman in black. In this opening you see the three little girls playing happily before they look toward something in the corner and suddenly stop what they are doing and go and jump out of the window. The use of having no dialogue in this film opening helps to create the right atmosphere and makes the scene seem even more sinister. Having dialogue at the beginning would ruin that and make the film seem less scary to the audience. The creepy music that is played in the background and the scream of a woman is all the sound that is really required in this film opening to set the scene for the audience.

Action- An example of an action film which uses dialogue in the opening is The Dark Knight. The use of dialogue in this scene helps to explain the robbery to the audience and how although it seems at the beginning these guys are all working together for a guy called the joker, they have actually been given individual jobs which you see by the way they start to kill each other off. Without the use of dialogue you wouldn't understand that these guys are working for someone else who is actually controlling them. You also understand that none of them know who this mysterious joker is. You see them all talking about him and discussing why he is called the joker, which makes the audience intrigued to find out who this mysterious character. Dialogue really helps the audience to understand what is going on in this opening and without it I think that the scene might be too confusing to follow and understand.

An example which doesn't use dialogue in the opening is Spectre. In this opening you can see that the action is happening in Spain and that it is the day of the dead. You then see the camera close up on two people who are heading to a hotel. Although once in there they exchange one line of dialogue the first two minutes doesn't contain any which is effective in making the audience see the mystery in this scene and engages them into wanting to watch more.

Drama- An example of a drama film which uses dialogue in the opening is Boyhood. Here you see a mother and son having a conversation about school and how the young boy isn't handing his homework in and is staring out the window during class. The boy tries to defend himself by saying he doesn't always look out the window but you can tell by the mother’s expression that she doesn't believe him. The use of dialogue in this film opening helps the audience understand that this is an ordinary family and it starts to tell you a little about the boy who is obviously the main characters. You see at the beginning of the film the young boy is staring up at the sky and you learn from the mother that he gets distracted very easily at school.

An example of a drama film which doesn't use dialogue in the opening is Titanic. Here in the opening scene you have the iconic Titanic theme playing while you see pictures of the Titanic before you see the sea and what appears to be a submarine searching in the water. There is obviously no dialogue because you are not introduced to any of the main characters at the beginning of the film. The use of having no dialogue at the beginning of the film helps to set the mood for the audience as many people know the tragic story of the Titanic. Showing the pictures of the original Titanic and having the slow sad theme playing over the top helps to create a sense of hope to the audience but also shows them the devastating reality of what is to come by showing the sea after the photos.  

Romance- An example of a romance film which contains dialogue is The Theory of Everything. In this film opening you see two different groups of people talking. You see two man and two woman talking separately about university life and other things. You then see one of the girls make eye contact with one of the boys and their friends immediately start gossiping about them. The guy then approaches one of the girls and they start to converse in conversation with one another. They talk about what they are studying at university and even start to talk about their interests. The use of dialogue here helps to set the atmosphere that this is a romance film and that these characters are at a party. You can hear the music playing in the background and you can see that this fills the conventions of a romance film as the characters are in an open place where the chance encounter can happen. The dialogue that occurs between the two groups helps to show the audience that the girl likes the guy a vice versa. The use of having dialogue between them means we get to understand the main love interest a little more. We get to know what each of them are studying and a little about their interests which helps us as the audience connect with them more.     

An example of a romance film which doesn't use dialogue in the opening is The Notebook. Here we get established with the setting rather than the characters and we only see one main character in the whole opening who we see right at the end. The use of having no dialogue in the opening means it gives the audience more time to establish where the film is taking place and also understand that it is a romance film. Having most of the opening scene illuminated by the deep red colour highlights to the audience immediately that this is a romance film and that its going to be all about love and affection. Having just these slow scenes with slow romantic music help to set the right atmosphere to the audience that would otherwise be ruined by dialogue.

Sound

Music in films serves a major purpose in showing either important emotional part of the film or by enhancing the story telling aspect. A scene including a character pulling a natural face can be pushed into feeling different emotions by the use of different kinds of music which enhances the characters feelings. One of the strongest functions of music though is creating atmosphere. This helps to set the tone for the movie and makes it possible to tell what genre the film is. An example of this is tense and slow paced music which would indicate to the audience that the film they were about to watch was a horror.

Comedy- In a comedy film opening you would expect the music to be upbeat and very cheerful. An example of a comedy film opening is Run FatBoy Run, in this film opening you can hear that the music is very upbeat and happy which contradicts the scenario which is going on at that minute. This opening highlights to the audience immediacy that this is a comedy due to the happy, upbeat music which portrays how the main character is a bit all over the place and is going to be the humorous character of the film. The music is also quite fast which fits well with the scene of the main character running away from his problem and then also when you see him running after the lady. It makes the scene of him running away and chasing after the lady more comical to the audience than if there had been no music in the background. The use of this music emphasises the comical atmosphere for this scene to the audience. The use of the hysterical laughter coming from the lady running away from the security guard also shows how this is a comedy film and demonstrates to the audience that this is a funny scene. 

Horror- In a horror opening you would expect the music to be quite sinister, the use of isolated instruments help to demonstrate vulnerability to the audience. Long suspenseful notes and short sharp ones are also used to shock and frighten the audience to make them fell fearful. Extreme changes in pitch also help to make the audience feel immediately tense and show to them that this is definitely a horror film. An example of a horror film opening is The Woman in Black; in this opening you can hear that there is some sinister music playing in the background which is used to make the audience feel unnerved. The high notes used in the music makes the audience feel tense and on edge that something bad is going to happen. The music is quite light at first as the girls are just playing with their dolls oblivious to the danger in the room. The music then pauses for a second before it suddenly goes down an octave and you can sense that something bad is about to happen. As the girls look towards the window the music gets louder which builds up anticipation as you can sense that they are going to jump. The music gets louder as the girls stand up and walk towards the window and you can hear the boom of a base drum each time they take a step. This makes the audience feel increasingly paranoid as they can tell that there is no stopping what is about to happen to these three little girls. The music the picks up when they get to the window and you know that it’s here where their fate is sealed, the music then pauses for a second once the window is opened before a long loud suspenseful sound emerges has they jump out to make the audience realise they are dead. This music helps the audience know that this is a horror film as it fills them with suspense and dread. The use of other sound effects too like the dolls crunching under the girls feet and the blood curdling scream which is heard after the girls have jumped also help to create the right atmosphere for a horror film. 

Action- In an action film opening you would expect the music to be loud and exciting to help portray how the film is also thrilling and contains a lot of action. An example of an action film is James Bond - Quantum of solace, in this film opening the music is very tense to show the audience how this scene is a matter of life or death and that one wrong move and someone in the car chase will die. After seeing the car chase for a little the music then returns with sharp notes to make the audience on edge and feel nervous for the characters involved in the chase. The music is also quite fast to highlight how the action is moving increasingly quickly and changing every few seconds, becoming increasingly tenser as it goes along too. The music then picks up speed again and includes more high notes when it looks like James Bond is about to be defeated to show the audience how dramatic and exciting this scene is. The music then cuts off as soon as the threat gets destroyed by falling off the side of a cliff and calmer music is played instead. The use of sound effects like the revving of engines, gun fire and the honking of car horns also helps to portray the fact that this is an action film as these things are very chaotic and help to represent this film to the audience as fast paced and chaotic.  

Drama- In a drama film openings you would expect the music to be quite neutral and upbeat to represent the characters in which the drama will occur with. The music also tends to be quite intense to help create more suspense for the audience. An example of a drama film opening is The DUFF; this film includes upbeat music which fits the mood of this genre of film and also the feelings of the characters. At the beginning of the film the music is simple and cheerful and fits the personality of the first character shown on screen, who is gorgeous and kind. The music then changes to something slightly harder than what was played before and shows the confidence this next character has and also shows to the audience how tough she is. Finally the music changes again to some very bubbly song which shows the last character to be quite clumsy and not quite as sophisticated as the last characters. After some dialogue you are introduce to one more character who you know strait away from the music and her actions that she is the villain of the film. The music played illustrates how two faced this character is and how she only cares about herself, you can even hear this from the lyrics of the song where is goes 'I don't care if you don't like my hair' which shows to the audience how she is full of herself and thinks everyone is below her. The use of different music to portray different characters makes it obvious to the audience which characters the drama will occur with and makes it easy to distinguish that this is a drama film. Music isn't the only thing shown in this opening though; you use of sound effects also helps to show that this is a drama film and not one of any other genre. You hear the cheering of the crowed when the second character scores a goal, the screams from the movie which the third character is watching and the comical ding when she answers a question right. These all help to create a sense of what these characters are like whilst adding a few comical effects, like the ding sound when she answers a question right to make the audience laugh while also connecting to the characters more.   

 

Romance- In the opening to a romance film you would expect the music to be quite slow with lyrics that give off the sense of romance to the audience. This helps to portray to the audience that this is a romance film and also helps to show them which direction this film is going. An example of a romance film opening is The Notebook; in this opening you can hear the slow music which immediately gives the audience an understanding that this is a love film. The use of slow piano music helps to set the right atmosphere for the audience and begins to tell the tale of this film with the use of the right setting as well. The use of having a sunset (which is considered to be very romantic) and having most of the shots illuminated by the deep reds along with the music helps to show this is a romance film, as the colour red symbolises love and passion.

Setting

Setting is the place or surrounding where events take place, for example on the beach or in a house. Setting is used to give the audience a sense of where the film is occurring and even what time period it is happening in. The setting is the backdrop for the action in a film and without it the audience has no sense of what and where certain events are taking place. Setting also gives the audience a sense of what the film could be about just by the location in which the opening is happening in.

Comedy film opening- In the opening scenes you would expect the location to be in a public place which would be brightly lit, but the location could be anywhere which has possibility. Public locations are often used to show how ordinary and down to earth the characters are, places like schools or cities are often used in comedies due to them being open and places which the audience would relate to and are best for showing drama and comical events. An example of a comedy film includes Shaun of the dead, which shows the village which the film is set in with people subconsciously acting like zombies with slow simultaneous movements. You then jump to a shot of what looks to be a zombie walking towards the camera but as the camera moves up you realise it is a person who has just gotten out of bed. This opening shows how even though no one has been affected by the virus yet they still act subconsciously like zombies which are seen as amusing to the audience. It also helps to demonstrate to the audience what could happen in this film, the use of showing most of the village acting like zombies in the opening foreshadows the outbreak which will occur in the film taking over a vast majority of the village. Showing the main protagonist also helps to show the audience what kind of person he is by showing his establishment, telling us he is quiet a laid back person who doesn't really do too much.

Horror film opening- In the openings you would expect the setting to be in isolated, abandoned or locations with hidden pasts, although they can take place anywhere as the setting isn't always what creates the spooky atmosphere. The setting creates a build-up of tension to the audience due to the creepy and mysterious background creating the eerie feeling to the audience.  An example of a horror film opening is The Ring, in it you see a young girl in a house on her own. The use of her seeming alone in the house makes it seem even eerier and the use of dark lighting and shadows also creates the feeling of being trapped and watched by something in the shadows. Having the television turn on seemingly by itself and other various cabinets opening by themselves gives the illusion that she is not alone and that there is someone is in the house with her. This helps create the dramatic sense of fear wanting to be created in the opening. 

Action film opening- In the openings of action films you don't tend to have a specific setting as they are often chaotic and included quick paced scenes from car chases, battles, fights, escapes etc. Action films generally take place in locations where a lot of movement and fighting can take place and often an audience is present. An example of an action film opening is James Bond; in this you are first introduced to the setting which appears to be an island with many mountains. You then see cars racing down the road with a lot of gun fire going off and you immediately know it’s a car chase. The use of thin roads makes the audience feel nervous as they can see how easy it is for the cars to go off the road or get hit by an incoming vehicle. The setting used makes you realise first that the action is happening in a different country, as you know from the first establishing shot used at the beginning, and also that it is happening in a normally quiet area. You can see that all the other cars are peacefully minding their own business and not much action is happening, but the car chase is causing chaos and disruption to the place. The use of a car chase at the beginning of the film helps to establish where the film is taking place (for example in another country) and also helps to give the audience a good sense of what the action in the film will be.

 
Drama film opening- In the openings of drama films again you don't tend to have a

Specific setting but instead you are shown "normal" locations that you would expect the drama to take place in, like schools or towns. An example of a drama film opening is Stand by me, in the opening you see first the location of what appears to be some fields a car parked along the road. This shot helps us to understand where that drama will take place which is obviously in some remote area like shown on screen. You then see a close up of the car which is when you realise that there is a man sitting at the driver’s seat just looking at nothing in particular. You then see him look down to the passenger seat which is where you see a newspaper article which tells the audience that a man was stabbed in a restaurant. This foreshadows the death of another character in the film and also gives an insight to the audience as to what the drama will be, in this case a dead boy. You then see two young boys cycling past the car on the road which again foreshadows to the audience the journey the guy in the car will have taken when he was a young boy which you know from when he narrates about how he was twelve when he first saw a dead body. You then cut to him as a young boy buying a comic book from his local store while you have him narrating about his life over the top. Showing him as a young boy helps that audience understand that this is the time period which the drama is going to occur in. The use of showing his little town also helps to illustrate to the audience how it is just an ordinary setting where you wouldn't expect drama to occur in and also to help establish that this is where the chaos is going to break loose.

Romance film opening- In the opening of a romance film typically you would expect the setting to be in an urban scene like a school or at a beach. This is where you would expect the chance encounter to occur where the guy meets the girl and the feelings they have for each other start to develop. An example of a romance film opening is Dear John, in the opening you first see a soldier laying on the floor with blood all around him and another soldier desperately trying to save him. The setting here is very grim with lots a debris all around as well as some blood which indicates to the audience that this is a war zone and not the initial setting for a romance film. You see the wounded soldier falling out of consciousness which is when you see him as a little boy looking at coins and seeing how they are made. The scene constantly changes from him in the war zone to him in the coin factory showing to the audience how he is dipping in and out of consciousness. The screen the fades black showing him completely falling unconscious before you are shown a new setting of the beach. This is one of the most typical settings for a romance film and its here that you are introduced to the second main character which is the girl. You first see the guy surfing when he notices the girl who will later become his love interest. He fetches her purse after it falls off the pier into the see and then that is when he first goes up and approaches her. The use of this setting helps to show to the audience that this is a romance film by the romantic setting of the beach and helps to illustrate that this guy and girl will eventually get together.              

 

I think that setting is very important in the construction of mise-en-scene and helping to create an understanding to the audience. Setting helps the audience establish where the film is taking place and also what genre the film will be. The use of having the setting in an abandoned house shows the audience that this is a horror film by the creepy scenery and the use of props which indicate this is a horror and another genre. Setting creates the background to a film and helps the construction of mise-en-scene. Many genres of film don't need a specific setting to show what it is so without the use of props and other elements it is quiet hard to tell what the genre is from the setting. An example of this is romance films, most are set in schools but other genres like drama and comedy also can occur in schools, which makes the use of props and other aspects essential in helping the audience understand what genre the film is. Though without a setting films are seen as quiet boring as the audience don't have any background to look at and also find it harder to work out what might happen and what the film genre is.