Film Openings - Student Films

After looking at film openings, the narratives, sound and genres I'm looking at student films so see the strengths and weaknesses of them, what improvements I would have made to the final version of the opening and finally how watching those films will benefit me for when I'm making my film.

Solitude


Strengths
- You can tell that the film is an opening and not trailer.
- Its doesn't give too much away so the audience still wants to find out what happens but still watching.
- The film has a great use of an open narrative as it tell you the storyboard but not the ending.

Weaknesses.
- The production name (one bad apple production) isn't really appropriate for the genre as they are trying to have a horror and that adds comedy to the film.
- The acting has to be more stricter as one of the characters is smiling whilst she is meant to be dead.
- There is one section where the windscreen wipers are up and then after they are down.

Benefits for my film.
- From watching this film I've found that a lot of research needs to be done on the genre to make sure that we can come up with the best name for the film to go with what the audience is seeing.
- Its shown me that even though its not all about the acting we will need to make sure we pick the best people for the film and to be strict on them so that we come out with the best results.
- We will need to make sure that if we need to re-film things that we try to make everything the same otherwise the audience can tell that it has been filmed at different times, which could confuse them as well as making it look less professional.

Peephole


Strengths
- The genre is shown clearly through the use of blood and the colours red and black.

Weaknesses
- The opening gives to much away to the audience.
- The opening has a closed narrative so the film can't carry on after the opening.

Benefits for my film.
- Thanks to this film I know that a lot of planning has to go into the narrative of the film, we need to make sure that after what the audience see in the opening we could go onto the rest of a film as well as making sure we don't give to much away in just a few minutes.

Fugitive


Strengths.
- The setting that was good for the opening was really good and well thought about.

Weaknesses.
- The opening went too quickly so the audience isn't able to keep up.
- Its more like a trailer rather than an opening.
- The opening has a closed narrative so the film has no where to go.

Benefits for my film.
- For my film I not going to have as many characters or things going on as I think it gives to much away and becomes a bit confusing at times. As there is so much going on at once the audience has to keep up and even though having this really helps towards the genre of the film it makes it harder on the audience.
- Again this film shows that a lot of planning needs to go into the narrative to make sure that we keep it as an open narrative.