We chose to analyse this opening as it had a similar style to our film opening, and inspired us with its sunrise shots, introduction of protagonist and props. It is also a British independent film, and we looked at its titles in order to emmulate them.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6AMRZxDKJvE
Opening Technical Codes:
Sound
-Begins with bird song against a black background, introducing the beauty of the setting, and building interest.
-Gentle piano music begins during the first shot as soon as the sun has risen above the trees.
-Bird sounds grow in intensity, signalling the arrival of the dawn.
-Geese and other farm animal sounds showcase the farm setting, along with water splashing which connotes the naturalness and peace of the setting.
-The piano music is quite cheerful and playful, and as Lizzie passes the door we discover it is being played by Mary, but as the camera advances towards her we hear her playing a less sophisticated tune
-As Lydia and Kitty come down the stairs and into shot they girlishly giggle.
-Jane chastises/calls them saying ‘Lydia/Kitty’, representing her as more responsible
-A dog runs past barking, indicating the chaos of the Bennet house.
-Mrs Bennet exclaims ‘My dear have you not heard? Netherfield Park is let at last!’
-Mr Bennet dryly replies that ‘As (you) wish to tell me my dear, I doubt I have any choice in the matter.’ As well as adding humour, this reveals Lizzie’s parents as two very different people, and his slight mocking reveals his superior intellect.
-Lydia’s giggle is heard off screen
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Editing
-As the sequence continues the sun rises
-The title fades in with the lens flare, and matches the sun ray’s golden colour
-Cuts from LS of field to CU of Lizzie and the audience immediately recognize her as the protagonist and are interested in her.
-Cuts from her reading and walking to a CU of book as she closes it – We immediately see her love of reading, and that she is clever. She becomes even more interesting as we realize she is not a typical rich Georgian woman
-The editing is driven by her journey as she walks across the countryside to her house, which not only connotes her as a unstereotypical woman who is not confined to a domestic setting, but also indicates that her decisions will drive the narrative forward.
-There is a shot that lasts over 1 and a half minutes, connoting the family’s unity, and showing all the inside working of the family within 1 shot. We meet all the main characters, and already learn the basics about all of their characters.
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Mise En Scene
-Starts in the early morning, making use of the natural light
-First shot is of a pale, misty and dew covered field with the sun rising behind a hedgerow full of trees, and the blue colour scheme grows brighter as the suns bright yellowy orange light floods the shot
-First shot of Lizzie is not obvious that it’s a period drama – she’s reading an old fashioned bound book and has her hair in a bun, with her brown dress fitting in with the bright green landscape around her
-Domestic and idllyic countryside scene, with farm animals, ivy covered cottages and white clothes and sheets flapping in a gentle breeze – beautiful and picturesque, but not particularly exciting.
-Her brown dress is practical and quite plain, but the material and cut show that she is not a servant, and is not dowdy. Rather, it is a rich and warm brown everyday dress that matches her hair, eyes and surroundings, showing her at home where she is, and representing her as unmaterialistic.
-Mary is dressed in dark clothes and seated at the piano, connoting her studiousness and seriousness.
-Jane is dressed in pastel pink and blues, with blonde hair and blue eyes, and is holding some scraps of fabric, representing her as the ideal woman, and perhaps more of a stereotypical domesticated woman than Lizzie
-The table is covered in discarded pastel coloured clothes and hats, further indicating the presence of lots of girls
-Everything is naturally lit by light streaming in through bay windows
-A stone porch indicates that her house is from an older time, and is well made, showing that she comes from an upper class family
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Camera
-Starts with a LS of a field as the dawn breaks, lasting for slightly less than 50 seconds. This reflects the relatively slow pace of the film, and the quiet countryside setting.
-As the sun rises there is lens flare.
-CU of Lizzie reading with lens flare, showcasing her little smile as she reads, and we see her intelligence and beauty.
-OTS CU of the book as Lizzie lovingly shuts it.
-ELS with a frame provided by the wide river, and though it could be the modern day countryside the framing emphasizes her long brown dress, and her walking across the bridge is the focus on the shot, indicating that the film will follow her journey.
-The camera follows her around, presenting her as interesting, and setting the audience up to follow her for the rest of the film
-There is a MCU tracking as she walks through the washing, connoting her class, as she does not have to do any actual work
-This shot continues even when Lizzie continues walking, tracking through a (servants) doorway in an ELS of Mary until Jane steps into frame
-The way the family flow into and out of frame represents their domestic bliss, as they all share the framing, and it also shows all the little dramas going on between different members of the family
-Lydia and Kitty burst into shot, running and giggling through the shot, representing them as young, excitable and frivolous.
-The camera pauses on Mary for a moment, but she doesn’t stop playing the piano
-The camera pans on the dining room table to the porch, and outside we see Lizzie walking again, as she is not involved in all the stereotypically womanly things happening inside the home
-The shot tracks her as her walks up the stone steps, and it pauses as we see along with her an OTS of her parents talking through the window, and they are kept inside the domestic setting by the window frame
-Lizzie’s smile as she turns from the window reflects the love she has for her family, and the friendship she shares with her father.
-The camera zooms out and passes through a one door as Lizzie passes through another, connoting the fact that we are following her again, and it is her POV we will see
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Title Information:
· Starts with Universal Ident for 20 secs
· Working Title ident 13 secs
· Titles fade in and out over the shots of countryside in a pale typing font
· ‘Universal Pictures presents’
· ‘In association with Studiocanal’
· ‘A working title production’
By Anna Rawe
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