Analysing and Comparing 3 Opening Sequences.

Saving Private Ryan.                                                                      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0HUf68gFGEE

In the mise en scene of this mid long shot we see a group of people of different ages which we assume is the family, because they are all together we assume it is a special day/event. 

We then see this low angle shot of an American flag, the flag conotates the genre of the film, which is  war. Low angle shots are known to show power therefore this tells us that America has power, However, we also see a low angled shot of a French flag suggesting they also have power. But we are still not sure who is fighting in the war.

We then see a tracking tilt showing an old character in a war cemetery. This tilt goes down to up, making the actor look small and venerable. The shot is also a wide shot, this puts into perspective how many people have died in the war and also establishes where we are. 

Next, we see an extreme close up of the mans eyes, this is to show emotion, but can also indicate a flashback.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82RTzi5Vt7w

 The scene has changed, showing the audience, it was a flashback and then we see a hand held shot, it is very shaky and makes the audience feel as if they were there, in the middle of the sea, about to fight in battle.

We then see an extreme close up shot of a mans shaking hands, it then zooms out and we see his  face, it carries on zooming out to a mid shot and we see a lot of other men standing around him,   this  puts into perspective what is about to happen. 

Next we see an over the shoulder, high angle shot. The soldiers venerable and small, which subverts the stereotype as soldiers are usually portrayed as big and strong. Once again, this shows the audience how big the war is and how dangerous it actually is.

Finally, we see a POV shot, this puts the audience in the characters position and makes them feel like they are there and part of the battle.

The genre of this film is War. The use of POV shots, high angled shots and mid shots are used to put this into perspective for us and to make us feel like we are really there.

Pretty Woman.                                                                                 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EClS57_GlkQ                                 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljeIQwZZi9E 

The film starts off with a mid shot of a man talking on the phone. From his dress code, we can tell that he is quite wealthy and possibly as business man as he is on the phone. 

Next we see another mid shot of the same man, but he is looking over Los Angeles out of the window and we also see people below him outside. This tells the audience that the man is powerful. 

Next, we see a close up of a lotus car(which was a really nice car in the time that this film was set) this also establishes wealth. 

 We then see a high angled pan of a street and some sky scrapers, we see a close of Carole Lombard's star on Hollywood walk of fame and we also see a Pan of the Hollywood sign. These three frames are all establishing shots and tell us that the film is set in Los Angeles. 

Finally, we see a close up of a hand giving drugs to another pair of hands and we also see two prostitutes by the side of a car. This is an example of junta position, as the drugs and prostitutes have been placed next to a wealthy business man.

There are many different angles used in this opening sequence. The genre of the film is Romantic Comedy so the use of all different angles indicate everything going on within the film and helps us establish a little bit about the characters.

The Last Song.

First we see a close up of an orange colour, but we are not sure what it is. 

Next we see another close up of something dripping down onto the floor, but the audience suspect that is what has caused the fire. 

We then see the church on fire from a birds eye view. This puts it into perspective for the audience to see how big the fire is. 

We see a mid shot of 3 figures, but we aren't sure who they are as they are silhouettes. This is an enigma, as we assume the two people on either side are firemen, but we are unsure who the person is it the middle. Who are they? Why are they there? and did They start the fire?

We then see a high angles shot of a road and a wide shot of a landscape. Both of these are establishing shots, although we only know we are in America, we are not exactly sure where abouts. 

 Finally we see two tracking close ups of Miley Cyrus, this tells the audience she is a main character and because she is very well known, it could possibly widen the audience for this film. For example: If they have seen Miley Cyrus in something else and liked it, they might want to watch this to see if they like this too. 

The genre of this film is also Romantic Comedy, so there are many different angles used. The high angled shot established where this film is set, the midshots make it clear to the audience what has happened in the past and the close ups give us extra information about what has happened and who the main characters in the film are.

COMPARING. 

All though each film has a very different opening sequence, they all use very similar camera angles and movements. I think Pretty Woman used very good establishing shots to make it clear that the film is set in Beverly Hills. I think the camera angles in the last song are quite enigmatic as they don't give a lot away and leave us to try and work things out. However, I think Saving Private Ryan have used the best camera angles and movement because it really makes the audience feel involved and feel as if they are there, this keeps the audience watching, whereas Pretty Woman and The Last Song don't have any POV shots or hand held camera shots which doesn't make the audience feel as involved.