Key Conventions

To find out what the key conventions of films were, I undertook some research into what over films used. The following films are the ones I looked at:
*Shifty
*Kick-Ass
*London To Brighton
*Brick
*In Search Of A Midnight Kiss
*Trainspotting


Below is a spider diagram to show my findings:

While doing my research, I found that there were many points to an opening sequence. One feature that appeared in all the films I watched was an introduction to who the production company was. By showing this in the opening sequence, the audience know from the beginning who produced this film and perhaps know what to expect if they are familiar with the producers. Below is an example of this feature from the film 'Kick-Ass'.

Another feature that was used in an opening sequence was an introduction to the characters in the film. By doing this, the audience have a better understanding of who is who and develop a connection between them and the character. Below is an example of this feature from the film 'Trainspotting'.

For many films, the opening sequence can contain an atmosphere that sets the mood of the opening part of the film and by doing this, the audience get a feeling of what the beginning of the film is about. This is visible in the opening sequence of 'London To Brighton' shown below. It connotes this message across that the mood of this person is somewhat scared and terrified.

Another feature found in some opening sequences of films is this idea of curiosity. Many films will have sequences that show action shots or silent shots and by doing this, it makes the audience asks questions about the film such as 'Why is that happening?', 'Who is that character?' This is shown in the film 'Brick' where there is a shot of a woman lying dead and a man starring at her dead body. It sets the audience's mind racing as to why and how this shot is how it is. Below is an image from this film of this feature.

A feature that can be found in a lot of opening sequences is where the film states what the time and place is of the opening shot. This is done to help the audience stay on track of where the storyline is and make them have a better understanding of the film and its characters. Below is an example of this from the film 'Kick-Ass'.