Analyzing Two Forms Of Media - 1034 Words

Analysing Two Forms of Media First impressions are extremely vital. We form an opinion within the first 30 seconds of meeting someone and that plays a vital role in the relationships formed. Similarly with films, the audiences usually identifies with the genre within a few minutes of the screening. With that in mind, this analysis will focus upon decoding the opening sequence of two contrasting films in order to understand its tone and genre. In this case, the opening sequence is defined as the point until which the title is established, this is usually within the first 120 to 180 seconds of the film. I have chosen to compare the mise-en-scà ¨ne of a modern day romantic comedy, ‘What If’ (Michael Dowse, 2014) versus the classic horror film,†¦show more content†¦This establishes the tone of the film as energetic and gives the audience the impression that the narrative and characters are light-hearted. Furthermore, the movie begins at night which suggests a sense of romance, which is a centr al theme of the film. However, in ‘The Shining’, the camera follows a single yellow car through a changing scenery of mountains and landscapes. From the wideness of the shots, we see the environment as desolated and lonely. The audience is aware that there is no sign of life apart from the driver of the car. This hints that isolation will be an important theme of the film. It also establishes the driver as the central character of the film. Thomas Caldwell describes framing as â€Å"a way of withholding information from the audience† (Caldwell, 2005). Although conversely, it is also a way of including an image or object within a frame to convey a specific meaning. In ‘What If’ shots of the Toronto skyline are frequently shown throughout the film, usually in the background or out of focus, to reinforce the idea established in the beginning that the city is another character in the film. Similarly, In ‘The Shining’ the hotel is where the e ntire narrative unfolds. Hence, it is imperative to focus on the location at the beginning of the film itself. The opening scene of ‘What If’ is set at night but this is not to imply that the lighting is or dark but that it is sultry, playful and romantic. The accompanying music which