We added special effects in the title sequence as it was an effective way of making the title appear in a creative way. We used this to make a name appear on the number plate. The number plate transitions to a we number plate created (on Photoshop). This has a name on in the style of a number plate font, therefore it is a creative and engaging way of presenting a title.
This shot is a high angle, this shows the back wheel of the car and shows it pull away. As the car wheel pulls away, I edited the title to roll with the car wheel. This is satisfying to watch and the timing is right. Also, having the title appears in different and creative ways engages the audience. The titles that appear in the title sequence are colourful, this connotes young people and portrays the idea that the film will be light hearted. This because from research other teen angst films such as 'Easy A' and '10 Things I Hate About You', the titles that appear are colourful. This is because colourful titles are stereotypical in teen angst films, as the bright colours connotes happiness and fun, which represents the life of a teenager.
Story and how the opening sets it up - Car
The opening sequence starts with the boy getting into his car and driving off. This shows that the character is old enough to drive. Additionally, being able to drive as a teenage connotes a cool personality. This foreshadows Aiden's personality. From research, in the teen angst film '10 Things I Hate About You', the main character 'Kat's' first appearance in the opening sequence is in a car, this gives her an edgy/cool personality and we wanted to use this idea for our protagonist.
Main title and font - Opposites.
The name of our film is 'Opposites'. This gives the audience an insight into the film, they can infer that the film will be about two very different people/ personalities. The audience might also know the saying 'Opposites attract', and infer that Aiden and Kate will be together by the end of the film. Our main title appears in the colours red and blue, this is to symbolise a magnet. The magnet emphasises the name 'Opposites' by the saying 'Opposites attract' therefore the audience can foreshadow that the opposite people (Kate and Aiden) will be together. The font of the title is biro, this is informal and messy and connote a teenager.
Clothing - Aiden and Kate passing in corridor.
The clothing the characters wear in our film are very stereotypical. The clothing is casual, modern and everyday basic clothing. This is stereotypical of teenagers as they are portrayed in other teen angst films as caring about their appearance for example 'Mean Girls'.
Introduction of Characters - Freeze frame Aiden 'The popular one'.
The characters are introduced with their name and their tag line in a freeze frame, hence 'the popular one', the colour of the writing is the same as the actors allocated colour in the title sequence. The unique selling point of our film is that we have a male protagonist. This is a countertype for teen angst films. Through research the only other teen angst films with a male protagonist is '17 Again' and 'The Inbetweeners'. This countertype is emphasised as 'Aiden' is the first character introduced.
Genre and how the opening suggest it - Relationships
The opening sequence makes the genre of the film clear. This is because in the opening sequence there are 2 character, the male main character and a girl that have a voiceover, this tells the audience that the film will be about the 2 of them and how their relationship develops. The voiceover tells the audience how they are different, this will intrigue the audience as they foreshadow from the title that they will be together. It is very stereotypical that in teen angst films that a male and female with different personalities will fall in love. If we was to re-film the opening sequence then we would make the cross-connection between the two characters clearer.
Setting/Location - School (Lockers).
A school is a very stereotypical location for a teen angst film. Having the school featured in the opening sequence engages the audience, as they know that the film will be based in a school and this will be relatable for our target audience, as they will be at a similar stage in their life and education. It is very apparent that the setting is a school from the stereotypical school lockers. We chose to include the boys playing football, being a parted of a sports team in a teen angst film for a male is very stereotypical. This gives the boys the 'jock' stereotype. From research the 'jock' in teen angst films are also the most popular and emphasises their popularity status, this was shown in the film 'The DUFF'.
Content- Football scene
We want to included the football scene for many reason. We wanted in mainly in the opening sequence for comedic effect as Aiden kicks the ball and it hits Kate on the head. The gives the audience an insight that the film will be light-hearted and funny. Additionally, it starts the narrative as the two main character will meet through this interaction. We also included this scene as the boys playing football is a stereotypical activity for teenager boys to be doing. It also gives Aiden and Tom, the 'jock' stereotype that appears in many teen angst films.
A very good discussion here of how your own opening conforms to stereotypical conventions of the teen angst genre.
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