Inspirational/Creative Opening Sequence Analysis

Watchmen Opening Scene

Watchmen begins with one of the most important characters, comedian, watching television. It uses the television to show the current events at the time and hint to what the film will be based around; he then switches to a music channel to begin the music as if the audience is really there. The next shot is from the villain’s perspective moving towards the door to show someone else is going to enter- to keep the idea of the audience being there it muffles the music to show what the character hears.

The room also sets the scene for most of the movie by using a large window for the wall, allowing the audience to view the city that the film I set in.

Once the villain breaks the door, it begins using the effects slow motion; this is the beginning of the fight scene. Through the fight it shows things round the room like pictures, this is to sow the characters past giving a slight insight on him and to make references to the story and comics. It also continues to use slow motion to add detail and focus the audience on things such as the bullet and the characters getting hit.

The fight comes to an end and this gives the characters a chance to speak, this is important as it creates one of the more known quotes, “it’s a joke, it’s all a joke, mother forgive me”. It then shows a drop of his blood fall on his badge- this is one of the most famous scenes and some of the covers for the film.

The scene ends with him getting thrown out the window to his death and as the characters life ends the music finishes.

Overall this beginning shows us that the film is going to be violent by the use of guns and fighting, it begins fairly dark showing that the majority of the film is going to be dark.

Iron Man Opening Scene

The film begins with an establishing shot of the desert that Tony Stark and some troops are driving down. It begins in silence with just the airy background sound but once the vehicles are viewed in the next shot, which seems to be a wide shot from in front, the music begins. This music is used throughout the trilogy of iron man film as a sort of theme tune/track making it a great time to use it.

The music continues normally while different shots are used of the vehicles, these shots mainly consist of low angles and tracking shots. The camera then shoots inside of the vehicle, staring by showing that the music is coming from a stereo showing we can hear what the characters can hear. Stark is first to speak, he begins by trying to make jokes to the soldiers showing the nature of the character- he is meant to be a type of person that makes a lot of jokes and cheesy catch phrases to make him seem clever. Now that the analog as started the music lowers in volume so that the audience can hear what they are saying. They talk for a bit and the camera switches between close ups of the characters to show they’re speaking and their expressions and reactions to the jokes.

At the end of the analog they’re about to take a photo when another vehicle explodes in front of them (they use this time for the explosion so that the viewer does not expect it).

Overall this opening shows that this film will contain action and be slightly humorous, it shows what the main character (tony stark) will be like through the film and shows the type of music through the film will be fast and loud ACDC tracks.

Shaun of the Dead

The opening to this film uses the song Ghost Town by The Specials, which is ironic and well suited to the zombie based comedy. It begins with people doing normal things that people would do on a daily basis except they’re tired and almost zombie like in movement- as to show what is coming up. This background cast of characters is used well as later on you actually see the same people as zombies, for example the cashier that you see (Mary), is later the zombie in Shaun and Ed’s back garden. Towards the end of the sequence Shaun is first introduced, he too is zombie like because he has just awoken and is yawning.

The opening is good as it uses multiple wide shots to show that the film is set in an average British town, also showing the type of people there. The music used in this opening is also put to good use to show the film will be comical- setting the feel for it.