Cambridge Portfolio Week 3 2/24, Research and Plans

Research

As I am nearing the beginning of production, I have done more necessary research on how to create a good film opening. Although we looked at samples in our classroom, I neglected to do my own research into other film openings. Although I may be getting off track of my planning process, I feel that this research was necessary and it will not be messing with my week schedule.

Pulp Fiction

 

 The film opens in a diner with a couple talking. Right off the bat, the setting is established. When they finish, they pull out handguns and threaten the customers. This introduces the tone of the movie and what kind of movie, a vulgar, violent black comedy. It also introduces the strange, disjointed aspect of the film, with the scene going to the conversation of two completely different characters. This is what I would like my opening to do, to establish the setting, and show what the movie is about.

Cube

I had previously discussed Cube (1997), but I had never gotten into it enough. Cube starts off with a character who wakes up in a strange room. He opens different hatches, each of which lead into a similar, albeit differently colored room. He choses one to go into, but after taking a few steps, he is hit by a mysterious trap, and is split into multiple pieces. Like Pulp fiction, it tells the audience what they're in for, a disturbing movie that takes place in a giant death trap. One thing that inspired me in this opening is that not a single word is uttered, establishing almost everything that needs to be known about the film without any dialogue. Some movies simply start off with opening text or dialogue, but it's just lazy and does immerse the audience into the movie.

 

A Thriller

The reason I researched these two openings in particular is because they are part of the Thriller drama, and I would like for my opening to be a Thriller. Throughout the opening the tension rises as the character finds clue after clue, leading the audience to make their own assumptions about what is happening, and at its climax, eliminating the character that they've been viewing. The character is not shown explicitly dying, however, because I would like for it to be up in the air what exactly is this unseen entity, and what is does to its "victims." One more thing is that my movie, like these two films, would be rated R, or at the very least PG-13. It would be aimed at adults, or teenagers 16+. The opening does not contain anything very explicit or inappropriate, however. I want the audience's head to be racing with thoughts, for them to be engaged in this film. In my next blog, I will discuss the scene itself, discussing the specific shots and composition so I can begin my storyboard.