Film Openings

Film Openings:


Spiderman into the Spider verse- (2018)


The first few minutes of this film does a good job of summarizing one of the protagonist, original spiderman. We get to see his costume, lifestyle, and personality so were able to easily recognize this character throughout the film. An imediate cut after explaining the characters story, we are introduced to our main character. We see the music he listens to, what his room looks like, and what he likes to do for fun (drawing). We can assume he is a teenager in high school since he is shown getting ready for school. We also find out he's partly Hispanic, as his mom speaks Spanish to him before he leaves. On his walk to school, we see how likeable his character is as he says hi to everyone on the block. Overall, we learn a lot about the character in this film sequence, but it doesn't reveal much about what conflict the character will face later in the film.





A silent voice- (2016)


The film opens with a montage of the main character marking down dates and withdrawing money from the bank. We then see him put an envelope of cash next to a women's pillow. The audience might start to wonder what he's doing and why he's doing it. Immediately after we learn our conflict, character vs. Self. He is about to jump off a bridge to end his life until it cuts to a memory. In this memory we see his life in elementary school. There, a new girl was introduced. She is deaf, and we see his disapproval towards her. The audience can assume that this girl might be the reason he hesitated, but why if he didn't like her? I really love how they cut to a new scene before showing whether he killed himself or not. It keeps the audience engaged and curious to what will happen next.





How to train your dragon- (2010)


Our film starts by explaining where they are and how life is on their island. Suddenly, were introduced to the whole dilemma of the movie, dragons. This is an example of character vs. Nature, where the “Vikings” fight the dragons in order to remain stable in their society. Our main character, hiccup, seems to attempt to fit in. Still, he is overlooked by his peers. Though not revealed, character vs. Nature turns into character vs. Society which is something i feel very inspired by. Even so, implanting such an approach wouldn't work since I'm only covering the first two minutes of the film. We learn a little about hiccups character; He is an awkward teenager who feels like no matter what he does he wont be accepted by his village.

Credit sequence

 Credit sequence:  

The perks of being a wallflower- (2012)


In the first two minutes of the film, were in the inside of a car. Its moving which alludes to the idea that they are moving somewhere. It builds a little bit of suspense since the viewer may be wondering where the car is going. I do like the idea of opening the film with no context and then slowly building up the plot similar to this film. Then there is a smooth transition from the sky to the reflection of the boys bedroom window. We then are introduced to our main character. His voiceover is of the notes he's writer which also describes his current problem. Its known as, character vs. Character. Also, the song used in relation to the character describes a little about him. He likes older music, so its not crazy to assume he doesn't fit in with his age group and the music they listen to.





Waves- (2019)


Waves opens with one of my favorite clip of cinematic history. Its simply a 360 rotation of a car but its the energy the clip emits that has such an effect on me. I personally drive with the windows down listening to music on the same bridge they filmed it on. I think using this same filming technique is perfect for the emotions I'm trying to bring to my film opening. The next sequence is the main character boxing which reveals more about his life. SO now we now he has a girlfriend and is passionate about sports. Then it cuts to a clip of him and all of his friends at school laughing. We really are getting to know the characters personality and lifestyle. We know he's a student at school, and he has dyed hair typical of a teenager. He’s hard working and overall admirable. So far, we don't know what kind of conflict he's going to have which really draws your focus to who he is as a person and how he lives his life.





Superbad- (2007)


The beginning credits of this film is soley an animation of the character dancing. Even though this film is also a coming of age, the dancing appeals on more of the comedy side. It shows a little bit of the nature of the character, silly and charismatic. Also some of the interactions the characters have with each other reveal the dynamic between characters. For instance, one of them is not dancing while the other dancing on him. But, we don't have anything to reveal conflict that might happen in the film. Overall, the use of animation was very unique to the film but I probably wont be using anything of that sort.

Timeline & break down


Week 1 (1/26-2/1)


-Researching the coming-of-age genre


-Developing plot


-Finalizing approach


-scheduling


Week 2 (2/2-2/8)


-Storyboard


-Begin script


-Find props


-find actors


-get permission for song, if not, research uncopyrighted song


Week 3 (2/9-2/15)


-research things that would correlate for mise-en-scene


-find ways to record a 360


-get a camera


-finalize song


-start filming


Week 4 (2/16-2/22)


-continue filming


-record foley sounds


-develop production company


Week 5 (2/23-3/1)


- Put clips together


- make production company logo/animation


- Add transitions and editing


-sync audio


Week 6 (3/2-3/8)


-Develop CCR


-Finalize CCR


Week 7 (3/9-3/17)


-Week in case of any new ideas or issues





I'm hoping I'm able to follow this schedule, filming might be an issue since the location is a detour from my house. Still, it is doable and the schedule breaks down the process of production in a way that is not overwhelming.

Transitioning into the Cambridge Portfolio Project

Approach?

     Hello Cambridge; thanks to the practice i've already had in this class, I have a few ideas for my approach. We've done previous blogs along with assembling our own music video. We've also learned through presentations and note taking so with that information, ive been able to develop some themes. Seeing example help me vividly picture exactly what I want for my film opening. 

     Out of all the approaches so far, developing the character appealed to me. Since the film is potentially about an uprising music career, mise-en-scene is key. Props are very important in showing the relationship between main character and instrument. This also gives me freedom to show interaction with environment, how he lives and who he hangs out with. In this case, being young is a major conflict when working in a business predominantly with adults. This could be an example of Character vs. Self, him being ahead of his game and his age stopping him from pursuing what he loves. 

Also, establishing setting can work for this film opening. His age is a big factor for this film and being able to see the characters room is a great way to provide context. Posters alluding to his generation and intruments showing what hes into before the character is introduced can be effective. Then, we later learn his probleming, his age. Im wondering if Character vs. Society would fit better since he might be underage but how come you cant DJ when ur below the age of 18? 

Portfolio Project Genre #2

 Another one of my favorite film genres is mystery. The mystery genre is typically targeted for individuals ages 15 and up. People who enjoy suspense and probleming solving typically go for this genre. These films often have twists which keeps audiences engaged throughout the movie. 

The plot for these movies build up as the story continues, slowly developing the overall point of the movie. Some characters you might see are detectives or police man who aim to uncover the mystery, though this may not always be the case. You can expect betrayal or even justice when watching a mystery film. Any suspenseful scene is backed up by lighting, camera angles, and editing. Ambius lighting usually starts the serious tone of the scene followed by slow movements of the camera. To tie it all together, eerie high pitched or even faint sounds might play in the background to make you eager to find our what happens next. Mise en scene plays a huge role for clues such as "hidden objects" or "important letters". 

Narratives vary but marketing remains consistent. They are advertised as thrilling and suspenseful, which we can see in trailers or other forms of marketing. Posters can have taglines that hint to secretes which leaves viewers wanting more. Its distributed through streaming services and cinemas.

Some example of films under the mystery genre are parasite, a film that touches on class disparity and social inequality but theres one thing that keep everyone humble. Scream is another good one where most of the sequels have a common theme of figuring out who the murderer is. 

Mandy.com. (2025, September 23). Understanding the mystery genre in film and TV. Mandy Magazine.https://www.mandy.com/magazine/article/mystery-genre-in-film-and-tv-79307/

Portfolio Project Genre #1

Immediately I thought of one of my favorite films "waves". The movie had such a beautiful message that really stuck with me. I also was able to appreciate the overall aesthetic of the movie. So, I began my research and discovered it fell under the "drama" category. Specifically a psychological drama meant for a teenage audience which also falls under "coming of age. We see this through common themes and scenarios of young adult experiences.

For this blog, I decided to research the coming of age genre. The typical audience is teenagers to young adults ages 12-25. These kinds of films aim to create relatability between character and viewer. This genre is notorious for having themes of self-discovery, independence, family conflict, friendship, and first love. Specifically a transition between childhood and adulthood. The article mentions camera techniques such as close-ups to show emotion and handheld shots for realism. They also typically take place at school and i some cases at their house. Music is another way they target teen audiences by using new popular artists from current generation. 

Marketing consists of trailers that capture the emotional and relatable aspects of the film. It also includes film festivals and social media exposure. Narratives are usually from a first person standpoint, specifically the main character. 

Again, waves is a film that fall under this category with its romance, drama, and internal conflict. Euphoria is another example that follows the pattern of teenger induced drama. It touches on the realities of being in high school. They were effective with costume design and even settings of the film. 

 (2018, November 14). Coming of age: Genre research activity. Kinga Ice Media. https://kingaicemedia.blogspot.com/2018/11/genre-coming-of-age-genre-conventions.html

Butt, K. (n.d.). What makes a coming-of-age film? Raindance Film. https://raindance.org/coming-of-age-genre/