Film Openings - Genre Specific Analysis

For this part of our research, we had to take on the responsibility of choosing two film openings that are relevant to our chosen genre to analyse, so that we can identify the key elements that made the introduction effective. 

 I chose to look at two films that had strong links to the first ideas that our group had, because we are basing our film around a High School rom-com, the first film I chose to analyse was the teen movie, 'Mean Girls'. 

Mean Girls is a stereotypical 'High School' rom-com that came to our screens in 2007. This is established by many key elements that make a film and genre work. It is easy to decipher that the film is aimed at teenagers because the setting is at a High School. Also, the introductory seconds into the sequence, the parents of Cady hold the most screen time, making Cady seem like a child. The elements that create a comedy are the references Cady makes to people who have been home schooled by showing two polar opposites that she labelled 'freaks' that she included herself in.

A most important element that I analysed was the title of 'Mean Girls' itself. It obviously reveals a lot about what the film is going to be like and what it is going to be about. Also, it reveals who the main target audience could be. Because of the first word being 'mean', reveals that possibly the film will be about girls who are not very nice, or because Cady is the main character maybe you will see her change from an innocent new girl into a meaner and more sinister character.

The art of the title also unveils much about the film itself. The boldness of the word 'Mean' draws our eyes immediately to it, making it stand out and appear bigger. The world 'girls' appears to be quite feminine and also a considerably amount smaller than the word 'Mean'. This connotes that being 'Mean' makes you stand out, tougher and a lot bigger than just 'girls', creating a binary opposition between 'mean' and 'girls'. 


Like all teenage rom-com's the main character is usually someone who is average looking, quite unpopular and a bit of an outcast from the rest of their school. In this film, the main character Cady is outcasted as she is from Africa and also had been home schooled up until that point, her costume which is a bland shirt which is baggy and unflattering also makes her stand out from the vain and beautiful people at the High School. This seems a familiar theme amongst teenage rom-com's. Also, within every teenage rom-com there are the dominant characters who are introduced to remind the main characters that they are lonely and don't fit in. However, in contrast the main character always ends up befriending similar people also seen as 'freaks' or 'outcasts'. Cady strikes up a brief conversation with two people in the opening sequence, and as they are introduced together and after the main character, it could be that they are going to be positioned to become close with her.

I identified brief relevance for the narrative theory of 'Levi Strauss' theory of Binary Opposition' during the opening sequence to Mean Girls, Cady is saying goodbye to her parents before entering the High School, at this point the three characters (including Cady) that we are introduced to are in a positive mood and feeling excited. However, when Cady enters the school and begins her first day pushes her into a small crisis where she realises that High School isn't how she expected it to be, as she feels shut out and alone this gives the binary opposition between the typical High School teenagers and people who aren't used to the culture. This is shown by the high angle over the shoulder shot to Cady after being shooed by the girl - this shows she is feeling belittled by the situation and also how she sits in the toilet cubicle to eat lunch, and although without connotation it is easy to see that she is isolated, because she is in a small space it seems as if that is how small she feels in comparison to the rest of the school. 

The cinematography that is used in the opening sequence creates a humorous atmosphere. A low angle, medium close up shot of the two parents makes it seem as if they are talking to a young child. Also because we are the ones looking up at the parents whilst they are 'instructing' us makes the audience feel childish and patronized. This is also enforced by the use of the brown 'lunch' bag that the male 'father' figure is holding, which is most likely something a parent would give to a younger child on their first day of primary school instead of a 16 year old. This makes the introduction quite comical because it is ironic that the parents are patronizing their 16 year old daughter for her first day of High School, but still acting as if she is going to a first school. This also sets up the scene that it is a teen movie, further more encourages the comedy side to the genre of the film as the humour used is sophisticated yet all of the audience can relate it back to their first day of High School.

In this teenage rom-com, there is a voice over from the main character. Perhaps this is because, as someone who has always been typecast as a loner, she feels the need to introduce herself as she is a 'nobody' compared to 'the popular people' who have someone else introduce them to the film. Cady's voice over gives exposition to where we are in place and time, and also gives background to the past as well. This tells the audience what they need to know, in this case to make relevance to the genre, it is vital that we know Cady has just moved to a completely new country and hasn't lived a typical teen life up until now, and because of the tone she uses in her voice and also by the quote "I had a great life, but then my Mom got offered a 10 year at North Western University. So it was Goodbye Africa and Hello High School" shows how she has negative feelings towards going to a High School, like the majority of leading characters in teenage rom-coms. The non-diegetic music used in the opening scene also plays a key part to making the genre work. The song that plays in the introductory seconds is a song that sounds like it is from an African culture as there is the use of more natural sounds, this song is played up until Cady crosses the road to get to the High School, where it abruptly stops. This connotes that High School is nothing like she is used to and indicates where the drama is about to begin in the film.

Another opening to a film that I choose to analyse is '10 Things I Hate About You'.

10 Things I Hate About You is a classical teenager High School romantic comedy. I chose to analyse this film as the opening scene jumps straight into the action and uncovers many stereotypes even within the first few seconds. An Establishing shot of the City reveals to the audience the season of the film as the weather is hot so it tells the audience that it is around spring - summer time. The romantic side to the genre is half way through the opening sequence where a poster advertising 'Prom' is seen, which is a huge convention in every country. The Prom poster is used as exposition in this film as it connotes that they are all coming to the end of the school year. However, a girl who was earlier introduced driving a car rips down the poster - connoting that she doesn't believe in dancing or fairytale romances for whatever reason, perhaps something to do with her earlier in the year antics. Because prom is a tradition which most girls want, says a lot about the character of Kat because she is refusing to conform to tradition, because Kat rips down the poster, it might suggest that Kat is likely to have a transformation within herself and therefore find love when she's not interested in it, rather than standing against convention because of the ironic sense that prom is supposed to be a teenagers girls favourite part of high school, compared with Kat who seems to despise it. Although, through further analysis, the disruption could be questioned, because of it's big studio and big stars cast, the audience may already suspect how the narrative of the film will resolve itself in many ways.

One of the main characters is introduced quickly in the credit sequence, and although not shown first  it is clear to see that she is a key character. 'Kat' breaks into the scene in her 'out of fashion' car and playing her loud and indie/rock music, creating 'Levi Strauss' theory of Binary Opposition' between the girls in the clean and new convertible made up with make up and expensive clothes compared to Kat listening to her diegetic loud music with her run down car, tomboyish clothing and fresh face. Because all of the other girls are staring at Kat also shows the audience that Kat doesn't fit in because she is too different to them.
Similar to the main character in Mean Girls, who also didn't wear figure flattering clothing makes Kat the 'out cast' character in the film. Which enforces the theme that the main character in teenage rom-coms are always scene as being out of place, but the audience are in the position to favour the out cast people. Following on from themes that are used within rom-coms, in the opening sequence as well as being introduced to the main characters, the credit sequence also allows the audience to see other stereotypes that are common in teenage films - such as the 'pretty' and 'popular' people.

The way lighting and sound represents Kat shows her to be a character who doesn't care about the world or about fitting in, and likes to think of herself as a 'individualist' who doesn't need to conform. The lighting that is used within the beginning enforces this, the lighting seems to create a shadow and darker sense around Kat, like the scene where she's driving the car. The girls in the other car appear to be bright and colourful as the light is shining upon them compared to Kat whom is sat in the shadows, which creates a binary opposition between both of the groups.

 The way sounds is used in the opening minute tells us a lot about Kat as a character. The girls in the convertible are listening to a diegetic upbeat and mainstream song playing on their radio, the same song that is played whilst the studios and directors are being introduced. When Kat comes into the scene, her diegetic and loud individualist music overpowers the group of girls. The song choice itself also reveals a lot about Kat and the person she is, the first lyrics "I don't give a damn 'bout my bad reputation" connote that this is how Kat is, revealing that she has a rebellish side to her.

Unlike Mean Girls, the art of the titles in this opening sequence also reveals a lot about the genre of the film. The titles are much like a teenage scribble used in a note pad or a doodle book. This says alot about the genre because it is connoting that it is a teen movie aimed at teenagers. It is clear that key elements in the opening sequence establishes 10 Things I Hate About You to be a typical High School rom-com. A final point that joins in the comedy part to the film, is the 'Teacher' Ms. Perky who hates her job and is far more interested in writing. This brings the ironic factor to the film as she is the teacher who hates the children.


From the analysis of the two teenage High School rom-coms, there are obvious themes amongst both than will be vital to making our genre effective when we are planning and filming the opening sequence. A lot of links to make the introduction work became clear and has influenced many ideas that our group is starting to have.