General codes and conventions of Movie openings 5 Different Genres

The cabin in the woods (Horror)

What the movie is about

The cabin in the woods is a horror film about a group of friends that go away for a weekend and stay in an abandoned cabin in the woods. They realise when they are staying there that they are not the only ones living in the woods. There is a company that deals with the mythical dark creatures that live below and it wasn't till these friends showed up that problems started to occur.

 

Conventions of Credits

In the opening credits of the film we see the company logo of Lionsgate the film production company behind the making of the film. The trailer follows the usual credits of a film. It starts off with the company logos that made the film, then there is the list of the director, the producer and other important people behind the filming of the movie, next there is the names of the main characters in the film and then finally the names of other actors in the film that are not so important or well-known.

Narratives

As the trailer starts there is the logo of the production company and the film title, then we are introduced to two of the characters in the film having a conversation. There is no immediate that this film is a normal horror film. It does start with the dark backgrounds and red colours and fonts to hint at blood however apart from that the opening of the film is just conversations between the characters in the film and what they are planning to do later on in the movie. Which makes the audience enticed into watching the rest of the film to see what happens.









Fonts and Styles
The fonts used in the opening scene to The cabin in the woods consists of big, blocky, capital lettered text that is in red, which you would assume is to based on blood and this is a colour used in many horror movies as it hints at the blood, gore and horror that is going to occur in the film. Furthermore the style of the text is used to indicate the importance of the people behind the film  as the writing itself is smaller than the names of the actors, directors and producers. This is done in such a way that people are not paying attention to what the other text says but they are focused on who is behind the making of the movie and the actors that are starring in it.
 

 

Sounds/Music
The sounds that are used in the films opening are music at the beginning when the title sequence is taking place. It is an eary soundtrack that is common of horror films. It makes the audience feel scared but also anxious for the gory action that is going to be taking place. These sounds are used to create a scary and dark gothic mood that gets the audience ready for the film and the gore that comes with it.

 

Kung Fu Panda (Animated)

What the movie is about
The movie follows the main protagonist Po as he embarks on a journey to becoming the greatest kung Fu panda in the world. Po ever since he was a young boy dreamed of being a member of the famous 5, who are later introduced and forced to work with Po to help take down the feared leopard Tai Lung. The movie is great fun for all the family and is a classic animated comedy.



Conventions of Credits
In the opening credits of the film we are emerged to the logo of the production company behind the making of the film Kung Fu Panda, also then the films title appears for a moment to allow the audience to see the films title and gather thoughts on what they think the film is about. Apart from the logo of DreamWorks there is no other indication of actors or the producers of the film in the opening scene of the film. Instead we are given a brief action scene inside the mind of the main protagonist Po.

Narratives
We are given a scene of  the films title that is shown across the screen for a brief moment,  then the effects used in the action scene that occurs in the mind of the films main character Po shows the audience that this film is visually stunning and the action is both funny but yet skilfully crafted just like a real ninja. Although the opening scene does not establish the main setting for the film it does allow us to see what the main character Po has wanted to be his whole life a ninja warrior. This gives the audience a hint at what the film is about and the theme in which it surrounds.

Fonts and Styles
The fonts used in the title for the film Kung Fu Panda is such that is related to Japanese Kung Fu, it is really blocky yet elegant and stylish. It almost shows what a ninja is about they have a great authority of power like the size of the films title however they are also precise and elegant like the style of the font itself. Also the fonts used in the DreamWorks logo is very similar to the title of the film, the DreamWorks logo is present before the films title so it allows the audience to make assumptions of what they think the film is about before it has started. There is no other fonts to comment on as the rest of the opening of the film consists of a battle scene that occurs in the mind of the films main protagonist Po.

















Sounds/Music
The music in the opening scenes od Kung Fu Panda are used to explain to the audience the genre of the film and the themes that are involved in the film. The music used is a typical Japanese soundtrack that displays to the audience that the film is a ninja animated film with the characters being animals that are inspired by typical Japanese animals such as Pandas and Monkeys. There is also a voice over of the main character Po portrayed by Jack Black as he described the scene and what is going to happen next.

 

Hulk (Superhero/Action)

 

What the movie is about

Hulk is a film about a man who adapts to a mutation that when he gets angry turns him into an indestructible green monster that destroys everything in his way. When the government find out about what Bruce Banner has done to himself they immediately track him down and wage a war against him because of his mutant power. The film is full of action, anticipation and romance that will leave you on the edge of your seat.

Conventions of Credits
In the opening scenes of the film we are introduced to the work that is conducted by Bruce Banner the mad scientist who transforms into the menacing Hulk. The scenes consist of Bruce injecting many poisons into different animals in order to gain some sort of results. This shows that they film has some science based themes that would explain how Bruce Banner transformed into the Hulk. We are also introduced to scenes of human cells becoming mutated. This also relates to the science theme and could explain in more detail the effects of the mutation and how they cause Bruce to transform into the Hulk. All of the scenes in the opening credits relate to the theme of  the film and allow the audience to gather their own opinion of what they think the film is about and how exactly Bruce gets himself into the predicament  that he is faced with.

Narratives
The first few moments we are introduced to who only can be described as the man who becomes the Hulk, Bruce Banner. There is no action in the opening of the film it is all an in depth look at the knowledge of science and how Bruce engineered the mutation to grow in such a way that he would turn into a huge, green, angry monster. These scenes are useful to the audience as they can see the reasons for the defect that caused Bruce to transform into the Hulk and also gives them some knowledge of how Bruce Banner became the Hulk and the science behind it.









Fonts and Styles
The fonts that are used throughout the opening scenes of the film Hulk are big, bulky rounded fonts that are in the colour black surrounded by an outline of bright aluminous green. These fonts are in reference to the Hulk himself as the fonts are big and bulky just like the Hulk. Also the green outline suggests a slime that resembles nuclear waste. Nuclear waste is used in sciences and this is the main cause for the mutation that turns Bruce Banner into the Hulk, science. The green colour font used to show the actors names and the names of the directors etc. is used to show the resemblance to the Hulk as the Hulk is green.

 

Sounds/Music
The music used in the opening scenes of the film is typical of a superhero action film as it expresses the emotions of anticipation and puzzlement rolled together as the audience of a superhero movie and ecstatic for the films action but are also puzzled by the superheroes powers and are intrigued to find out how they got them.

Pride and Prejudice (Drama)

 

 

What the movie is about

Pride and Prejudice is a drama about a women who falls in love with a man and the film explores the struggles that the couple face in order to become happy. There is drama, heartache and laughter it is a true love story about how two different classes can come together through their love for one another.


Conventions of Credits
Pride and Prejudice follows the basic conventions of credits in that in the opening scene we are introduced to the production companies behind the making of the movie. Then the films title will appear after this. However it also does not follow the basic codes and conventions as there are no use of text to display the names of the actors and directors in the film. It just displays to the audience the production companies behind the making of the film, but not who stars in it. This would leave the audience confused about who the actors are in the film and which character they play, they would have to wait until the end of the movie to find this out.

Narratives
In the first few moments after the title sequence we are introduced to the main female character portrayed by Keira Knightly walking through a field reading a book. They it follows her back to her home where herself, her mother and her sisters ease dropping over a conisation about a man, which in these days is what a women wanted, a man. This was common in the times of where the film was set for women to fantasise over the perfect man and the love they would share. The audience can gather from these opening scenes what the characters are like and the class they are in. As we follow Keira Knightly through her house we can see that they are a large family that struggle through life with not a lot of money but they are hold each other together. This gives the audience an idea of the class that they are in as well as a rough estimate of what century they film was set in.



Fonts and Styles
The fonts used in the opening scenes for Pride and Prejudice are big, blocky, yet free flowing. This gives an impression of 18th century writing which is the century in where the film was set. This allows the audience to get an idea of the century in where the film was set. Also the text gives a free flowing vibe which could explain to the audience the mood of the film and the events that may occur all through the use of the fonts.

Sounds/Music
The opening scene consists of birds singing in the background and then piano music begins to play over the singing birds. This implies the tranquillity of the film and the free flowing emotion that occurs over the course of the movie. It also allows the audience to gather their own opinions and emotions about the film within the first opening scenes. This is used to express to the audience the mood of the movie and the events that take place are similar of the music used in the opening scene.

Legally Blonde (Romantic Comedy)



What the movie is about
The film legally blonde is a comedic look at the life of a teenage girl who has it all, the makeup, the friends and the popularity. The one thing she desires the most is the love and affection of one boy. The film consists of many comedic scenes and romantic scenes which expresses the reasons why this film is a romantic comedy.


Conventions of Credits
In the opening scene of Legally Blonde we are introduced to the Production company behind the making of the movie, the director and the actors that star in the movie. This movie follows the usual pattern of the codes and conventions in a films opening. This is used to show the audience who is behind the making of the movie and who is starring in it. The opening scene for this film is a long list of names of people who are in the movie or have made a contribution in the making of the movie, this is used to give credit to those people and allow the audience to appreciate their work before the actual movie has begun. The scenes we see behind the text is used to build up the scene until the credits disappear and the film itself begins.

Narratives
We are introduced to the main character portrayed by Reese Witherspoon as she gets ready for school, also as she goes around the school to hand out party invites. This gives the audience an idea of what the main character is about. She is a popular girl who likes to have the best clothes and shoes and everybody looks up to her. We can gather this from the opening scene as we see her getting ready and using expensive looking makeup and perfume as well as biking around handing out party invited on a pretty looking bike and dressed in pink and baby blue, that also suggesting that she is a girly girl.

Fonts and Styles
The fonts used in the opening scenes for Legally Blonde are squiggly and loopy as well as neat. This commonly resembles a females hand writing. Also the pink outline furthermore suggests that the film is girly as pink is a colour that people associate with females. The way the font appears on the screen also suggests the girly theme as it appears in such a way that it looks like it has been written on the screen and because the font resembles a style of hand writing of a female it gives the audience more ideas about what the film is about and what events will occur through out the rest of the film, just through the use of the fonts and colours.

Sounds/Music
The music that plays in the opening scene of the film Legally Blonde is a female pop singer singing one of her songs. This commonly resembles a female as the music is a catchy, slow paced song that you can sing along to and could quickly become your favourite song. It is used to give the audience an idea of what sex they think the character is. Also because of the pink swirly fonts the audience would be able to develop a more in depth idea of what they think the main character is about.