Generic Conventions in Film Openings

Comedy

• Occurs in bright places
• Camera work is naturalistic and characters are filmed in a way that shows that no one is better
• Non-Diegetic sound can be used to place emphasis on certain scenes
• Lighting creates a realistic environment
• Bright and happy colours are used to show that the scene is happy and usually shot in daylight
• Objects/props that may hurt a character is commonly used
• Different character types are usually used in contrast with a group of normal people (usually idiotic over dramatic characters)

3 types of comedy:

Slapstick

Dark Humour

Wiz/Wordplay

Here is a video of Charlie Chaplin, the non-diegetic sound emphasises a theme of cheekiness in order to make the audience laugh.

He is the only character acting over dramatically and emphasising his actions over the rest of the people shown in the scene.

Action

• Fights
• Weapons - Knives and guns
• Futuristic cars, motorbikes
• Explosions and crashes
• Cat and mouse chase
• Killings: death of loved ones
• Outbreaks in windows, doors, houses
• Sinister up beat music
• Hi Tech/big machinery
• Always a motive
• Outbursts in settings

Here is a video of Red 2, this involves a car chasing scene trying to capture something. This reinforces the fact that there is always a motive and a reason behind what is going on in the scene. The car used is quite modern and very expensive, this scene ends up in a fight which is the typical view of an action movie.

Horror

• Usually set in isolated areas
• Use of props include weapons/antiques/bibles/crucifix
• Big painting
• Limited amount of colours
• Dark Lighting
• Bad weather
• Stereotypical costumes
• Exaggerated diegetic sound
• Fast and Loud non diegetic sound

Here is a trailer of the film Annabelle. In this film a lot of exaggerated sound is used to deliver that creepy effect towards the audience, it also includes a lot of props including the doll named Annabelle. This is to give meaning to objects that they have some sort of background information to them making it seem everything is not what it seems. Throughout the trailer, the scenes are very dark and spooky through the use of lighting. This is key in a horror movie to put across the scariness that the film has to deliver.

Thriller

• Lowkey Lighting
• Quick Cuts
• Shadows
• Black and white shots
• Angle changes
• Protagonist and Antagonist
• Darkness/Shadows
• Storyline designed so the audience can feel like it will happen to them.

An example for a Thriller movie, would be 'Taken'. This film is an excellent example for a thriller film as the film isn't so different to real life. The events that take place in the film have also happened in real life, and the audience can relate to it and possibly think that it could happen to them. (Depending on the structure of the film). Darkness is included in this to emphasise the sinister events that have taken place. Fast paced editing is used to build up the tension and reach a climax, for example in taken when the girl is about to be stolen by the antagonist, a switch of scenes between the Dad, girl and bad guys is frequently used to emphasise the fast pace of editing.

Romance

• 'Boy meets girl scenario'
• Traditional happily ever after
• Storyline gets linked to audiences emotions
• Lots of props including flowers, chocolates, beds etc.
• Hero and Villain
• Involving emotions like love, pain, failure, excitement

An example for a Romantic movie, could be Bridget Jones's Baby. This film includes two guys and a girl, both fighting to be the love of her life as well hoping to be the father of her child but don't know which person it is. At the start of the film, the main character typically meets a guy and makes love to him, she then comes across an ex boyfriend and makes love to him too. Once they all find out the truth they all fall out and towards the end it's a happily ever after where one of the guys gets married to her including the props of flowers, wedding bells, love and includes a past story of how they got to this event. This backs up the bullet points showing that romantic films all have very similar structures to them.

Drama

• Intense social interaction
• Conflicts
• Realistic struggles
• Can include a romance
• Form of happy ending 
• Audience can relate to the characters

An example for a dramatic film, would be 'A Serious Man'. This broke the convention of a typical ending where the audience knew what was going to happen to Larry. The audience could not predict that the end would have that typical happy ending or net. There was indeed a small romance between 2 characters and also included a lot of conflict.

Adventure

• Time periods in the past 
• The hero and villain
• Exotic locations
• Humorous dialogue
• The donor
• The helper
• The dispatcher

An example of adventure, would be the 'Matrix'. This is because it follows the 7 types of characters created by Vladimir Propp, for example, Neo would be seen as the hero because he kills the villains (the agents) and saves trinity from her death in the virtual world who would be seen as the princess. The location of the Matrix is set in the virtual world which is very different to any other film and be portrayed as exotic. 

This will help us when creating our film opening because we can get an overview of the different genres in films and implement them into our film. From this we can create similar generic conventions into our film. For example we have chosen our main genre to be action, therefore we need to include cool gadgets, cars, maybe some fight scenes. This is so we don't go on a tangent when creating our genre and actually create something completely different to what it should be.