Scott Pilgrim Analysis

Scott Pilgrim

Opening Scene

Scott Pilgrim begins with an establishing panning shot of a house, during this shot there is comedic narration which parodies fairytale openings, this immediately sets the parodic and adolescent tone of the film. The shot of the house is accompanied by a sample from the SNES game The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past's opening, this is meant for the target audience who would have nostalgic feelings for these old games, "90's kids".

After the shot of the house, the audience is introduced to almost all of the characters. They are talking about Scott's new high school girlfriend, who is 5 years younger than him. This scene of all the characters having breakfast together is really well done because characters can deliver exposition without it feeling forced and the audience can get a sense of what the characters are like. Dialogue is fast and comedic which mimics the comic book that this film is based on. This adaptation also stays true to the comic by showing visual onomatopoeia e.g. ding dong. This gives off a very cartoon-like feel and this feel is also given off by the characters as they are very colourful in what they wear.

Once Scott's girlfriend is invited in to the house, Scott introduces her to everyone, this is a great way to give the audience information as they can project themselves onto Scott's girlfriend as this is all new to them. We also get to see the character traits of Scott's band just by how they act when beginning to start playing a song. Kim is very impatient and wants to play immediately, Scott doesn't really care as he doesn't know what the song is called and Stephen is meticulous as he tries to correct​ Scott.

The band start playing​ high energy punk rock which stays in line with the tone and the comic graphics emphasise this. There is a zoom out shot of the room and it seems that the room is longer, if we are looking through Scott's girlfriend's eyes this could mean that she is literally blown away by the music or it could reference how loud the music is. As the music gets more intense the title is shown over the main characters and this shows how grand this film will be.

Overall this opening is fast paced, it builds excitement by playing intense music and shows how the main characters interact with each other. The shots are also fast paced and are always moving which keeps the film flowing.

Stand by Me Analysis

Stand by Me

First Treehouse Scene

At the beginning of the 1986 movie Stand by Me, we see a man reminiscing about his childhood. He tells the audience when the movie takes place and what age he was, this allows the movie to have two different target audiences, adults (nostalgic of the 50's) and children (can relate to the characters). Narration in this film is done well as it makes sense because the man is telling a story and this immerses the audience because they can relate to telling a story.

After the boy walks through the town, he then goes into his treehouse. At this point, the audience is introduced to all of the main characters and the audience can gather that they are all friends because of this treehouse. The treehouse could represent their friendship and depending on what state their friendship is the treehouse would show it subtly. Right now the treehouse is well kept and tidy. This could show that their friendship is fine right now.

In the treehouse the audience see that the three boys are playing cards and two of them are smoking, this is a very adult thing to do, which could show their maturity or their desire to be men. This could represent the time they live in where they don't really have a childhood and all they do is mimic their fathers. The boys also swear casually which could also show that their parents weren't strict. This swearing immediately alienates younger audiences therefore attracting teenagers because of its more edgy and somewhat more "grown up".

The boys names are introduced during natural conversation and their characters are introduced during narration. Teddy is called 'crazy', Chris has had a bad childhood and Gordi seems to be the all round, normal kid in which the audience can project themselves and relate to him. The lighting in the treehouse is bright which reflects the tone of the movie. A lot of simple shot reverse shot is used as the film is focusing on developing the characters and giving a well paced introduction.

A new character, Vern, is introduced. Vern is presented as slow but kind, he doesn't know the secret knock. Vern is a great character for the audience as like him, the audience don't know a lot so his stupidity comes off as charming and relatable. Vern has something to tell the rest of the boys but they constantly and purposefully ignore him. This reinforces their child-like attitude showing that they aren't fully grown-up yet and also keeps the comedic and light hearted tone going at a steady. The audience sympathises with Vern as they want to know the information more than the kids. This also establishes the hierarchy in this friend group as we can see that whatever Chris does others follow.

The boys finally let Vern talk but the card game interrupts him which creates an unknown tension that leads into the climax that Vern can show the boys a dead body. Once this is brought up, the tone shifts dramatically and the once bright and lively treehouse falls silent. We are given close up shots of the boy's reactions, this helps the audience relate to what they are feeling. At this point the audience are given the main plot of this story and a reason to why the man is retelling it.

This opening sets up the story perfectly, it sets the target audience using dialogue and visual clues such as swearing and smoking. The audience are introduced to all of the characters and the audience are shown that the setting is also a character. This intro is very simplistic and minimalistic to give more time to the characters.

Super 8 Analysis

Super 8

Train crash scene

In this scene we are shown many details about the characters and what their motivations are. The characters are making a film in the 1980s on a low budget for a contest. They are all friends and they are all dramatically different from one another. They go out to a train stop in order to get a specific shot. The setting is in the night but the characters are lit in a way that they are visible in the dark night. This gives off a light hearted tone for the film as it doesn't accentuate darkness for atmospheric purposes although, the darkness constantly being in the background could suggest that there is something ominous or evil in the distant background. Characters are dressed in colourful 80s clothing which reflects their colourful and diverse personalities.

The director of the low budget film, Charles, is setting up the scene and it is at this point when the audience find out what type of characters they are just by what they are doing in the production of the film. Charles has a short temper and rushes things, he is demanding and this could be because he had a hard time being bullied in school, this is where he can let out his rage on others. This anger also helps him in his directing as he is focused and can order others. 

The director makes great use of the small space the characters occupy by showing the vast darkness in the background and making the characters seem really small, this gives the audience a sense of scale and shows how small these kids are in this ominous world. The film shows the next character, Cary, who is a pyromaniac. Cary is comic relief for the audience as he breaks tension and uses his love for fireworks for comedic purposes. The fireworks could be a front for his shy personality that he doesn't really show. The audience know that these kids are the outcasts in school.

The scene transitions to a two shot of Alice and Joe. This shot of the two lasts longer than other character shots, this could imply that these characters are more important than the others as they are given more screen time. This moment is very intimate as there is very little sound and the audience can witness the bond that Alice and Joe are creating. This allows the target audience (teenagers) to connect with the characters as this is a very relatable situation. We can see that both Alice and Joe are very awkward when it comes to talking to each other, this tells the audience that the two are into each other. 

We can see that the lighting rig for the scene has been created using random household items, this shows how low budget the production is. This DIY filmmaking shows how determined they are to accomplish their goals, this could be foreshadowing for later scenes in the movie in which the children are in danger. Charles uses his leader-like anger to stop Cary from ruining the scene with the fireworks, Charles obviously doesn't mean what he is saying but the audience is shown his determination for the project. Cary knows Charles doesn't mean these statements so he relieves Charles and the audience with a joke. The writer chose to allow Cary to make jokes at this point because stakes aren't at an all time high, the kids are just making a small independant film so jokes can be appropriate, later on in the film jokes fail to break tension due to the higher stakes thus they become inappropriate and childish.

Charles lets the actors do a practice take and in this scene we are shown that Alice is a very good actor for being so young, she shows a lot of emotion in this scene which the audience and characters don't expect. Alice's shy attitude completely disappears and acting allows her to show her full capabilities. This is accentuated by the zoom in close up on most of the characters. After this heartfelt moment the scene's pacing increases dramatically as the action begins which is a stark contrast

The Goonies Analysis

The Goonies

The Opening

The opening of the 1985 movie The Goonies takes place in a jail. The colour scheme of the jail is very heavy on yellows, this contrasts greatly with the jail guard's blue uniform, blue being a symbol of sadness or opression. The prisoners are all wearing grey which shows that they are lifeless and uninteresting. The prison guard then enters a cell in which a prisoner has hanged himself, at first this reveal is quite shocking and sets a dark tone especially because there is no music. The "dead" prisoner is different from the other prisoners as he is wearing different clothes which seem to evoke a wider range of colours and shades. The guard then reads the note that the prisoner left, this is shot as if it was a conversation with shot reverse shot which implies that maybe the prisoner isn't dead. Once it is revealed that the prisoner isn't dead via dialogue the tone shifts drastically as the camera pans quickly to show the prisoner's comedic smirk. Once the prisoner kicks the guard the film score is enacted thus setting the tone of a dark comedy action film.

The pace of the film and the music quickens as the prisoner is about to escape. In this scene the audience are introduced to the prisoner's collaborators, the man who is pouring fuel on the ground outside of the jail and the woman who is sitting in the car keeping a lookout. We see that these characters have reversed gender roles as the woman is very demanding and dominant and the man is more frantic and frail. We see the escaping prisoner leave the building in a very casual and calm way, this shows how his character deals with tough situations. The prisoner is wearing more layers of clothing which could show his layered character traits and personality.

Once the prisoner gets in the car, the man shoots the fuel stream to set it ablaze to prevent the police from following. The fire represents their antagonistic ways and the close up shot of the man laughing with the reflection of the fire on the window could reflect his mental instability or his hellish way of living. They get away car leaves quickly and the movie's score seems to glorify this illegal activity, giving it a sense of victory and triumph. This chase scene doesn't seem to annoy the getaway drivers as this could be the norm for them.

The shot of bullets being shot by a policeman directly and sharply cuts to a shot of an american football being thrown at high speed which is a contrast of harmful and harmless projectiles, this could be to appeal to two types of audiences, children (sports) and adults (guns). At this point we are introduced to a cheerleader practicing with her peers. This cuts sharply back to the car chase which keeps up the pace of the film.

The car chase then cuts to a black and white film car chase being projected on another character's television. Once the two characters are shown, a boy and his father, we can see what types of characters they are. The boy loves being loud and is fascinated by T.V. and action (just like the target audience) and his father is a hard worker who is focused unlike his son. once the boy turns off the T.V. the sound of police cars is still playing creating a humorous moment but it also connects the chase scene to this scene as now the audience knows that the two scenes take place simultaneously in the same town. This could connote a connection between the prisoner and the boy, maybe they will meet later on.

We see the chase continue in the town and as this goes on more characters are introduced, the chase scene is a bridge that connects all of the characters together as the car appears in each scene that the characters are in, from the cheerleader to the boy with the milkshake at the end. This could signify that these characters know each other or that they are destined to meet. The chase ultimately concludes when the prisoner's car enters a beach race with a lot of other similar vehicles.

This opening scene is very good as it shows every main character, antagonists and the pace and tone of the film. The score complements the frantic opening perfectly.

Stranger Things Analysis

Stranger Things Episode 1

The Opening Scene

In the opening of the first episode the audience are given the date that the episode takes place in and a location. The location is a laboratory, laboratories are usually associated with researching things kept from the public and experiments. The first shot is an establishing shot of the stars which gives the audience a sense of the unknown as space is vast and somewhat unnerving. The camera pans down to a wide shot of the laboratory, this could connote that space and the lab have something to do with each other, it could also mean that the lab is also unnerving and could be hiding something, just like the vastness of space. The shot of the building is in darkness, small lights dimly illuminate and trees surround the it and this shows that the building is hidden and secretive. At this point, the only sounds that the audience hears are the sounds of nocturnal wildlife, this also adds to the disguised nature of the building as it is surrounded by wildlife. The building gives off a ominous vibe as it is grey with high tech satellites attached and the large cube shape of the building creates a prison like feeling.

The next shot is of the camera moving through a hallway, presumably in the laboratory. We see florescent lights flicker on and off, this is the first time the audience sees what becomes a main staple in the series. Light is very important later on so it was important that the director establish this early on in the episode. The two doors shown in this scene are heavy, secure and water tight doors that are usually seen in ships and bunkers, this contrasts with the lab’s more tame outside appearance. The dull grey aesthetic from the previous set carries over to this scene which tells the audience that this shot takes place in the lab. The camera movement is slow and moves towards a door, this immerses the audience as it makes them feel as if they are walking through the hallway. The camera has a slow pace which helps build tension and anticipation. The position of the camera is very low and by doing this, the audience feel small and it makes the door more imposing because of its scale.

As the camera gets closer, the light starts to flicker violently building tension. The camera stops and this is immediately followed by the loud  sound of the door opening, this is meant to break the tension and shock the audience. The door opens and a unnamed scientist bolts through the hallway, the audience can see that the scientist is afraid and is running away from something. The thing that he is running away from isn’t shown which keeps the suspense high for the audience. This sets the tone for the target audience which would be late teens to adults, younger children would be afraid of this unseen monster premise. The scientist finally reaches the elevator, he is petrified. The thing he is running from still hasn't been shown and the action has grinded to a halt. All the audience can hear is the alarm noise and the scientist frantically pressing the elevator button. The lights start to flicker faster and faster drawing the audience in and the long perspective POV shot of the corridor creates an illusion of the viewer being immersed in the world. The scene concludes with the scientist getting into the elevator. There is a close up shot of the scientist as he looks up to the ceiling of the elevator. The audience can hear a deep animalistic noise. The scene evokes fear for the audience, they should be afraid of what they can't see. The scientist gets lifted by this monster in the elevator and because this scientist has no name or real character, the audience can project themselves onto him in order to be more immersed in this scene. The monster is never shown which allows the audience to use their imaginations to create their own monsters.

This opening scene sets the overall tone of the show by scaring off younger audiences and allowing older audiences to tap into their child-like imagination because of this minimalistic opening scene. A lot of tension is built in this scene which excites the audience and makes them want to keep watching.