Mad Max: Fury Road - Opening scene (analysis)

The scene begins with a black screen along with the non-diegetic voice in the background of who we can assume is Max. He says "My world is fire and blood" which gives us the assumption that the film is possibly action and/or thriller. Following on from this we here the non-diegetic sounds of gun shots and people shouting, this could possibly suggest a war setting. Soon after an establishing(long) shot is used showing the setting and who is most likely the main character, Max. The setting is isolated and silent, also it is a large landscape denoting that all of the action is going to be taking place here as it looks as if there is no alternative. As the camera pans downwards, we can here a quite, non-diegetic voice of what sounds like a young girl saying "where are you". This gives us the idea that this could be his daughter who has maybe died or alternatively it could suggest that he is away on some kind of mission and the young girl is unaware of this. Following on there are whispers of different voices saying that Max 'promised to help them'. This gives us the sense of escapism and how Max left them to save himself  or possibly denoting how they got caught up in his mistakes. The camera pans inwards using an over the shoulder shot whilst Max slowly turns his head facing the camera forming a close up shot of him eating the lizard. Along with this we are able to here the sickening, diegetic sound of him chewing on it.

Immediately, the sound builds up as he gets into his car and drives away, this makes the audience fear of what is going to happen next. We are able to here the diegetic sound of the car engine making it seem more realistic and thrilling for the audience. For a short time, a low angle shot is used, just below the rocks, showing the car as it is gradually driving off. This shot could be used to possibly denote that someone is there looking up on him, waiting to make a move. Yet again this makes it more gripping for the audience as they would want to watch on and find out what happens next. For a second it goes silent and we are just able to see the setting through the long shot, until we re-establish the diegetic sound of the engine as a car overrides the camera at a fast pace along with other cars and motorbikes. This is a clear convention of an action film as we are able to assume that this is a car chase which is a typical thing for an action film to involve. We are partially able to see that the men in the cars are holding some sort of weapons which denotes how a fight could be about to occur. The weapons they are holding are props which are significant as they are part of mis-en-scene. Mis-en-scene involves, props, setting, clothing and sound. All in which give a clear image of the characters representation in the film as they all seem quite violent.

Continuing, the car chase is shown in the distance through a long shot and we are partially able to hear the diegetic sound of the engines and shouting. The sound gradually gets louder making the audience fear that something big is going to happen.Which we immediately find out, when the villains throw some sort of weapon at the car causing it to explode. Yet again, this is another clear convention of an action film as you would typically expect to see some sort of explosion. Once this explosion happened, as the audience, we wouldn't expect Max to be seen again however the camera pans inwards to underneath the car where we can see Max's hands and we are partially able to here the diegetic sound of him deeply breathing. Reoccurring, the non-diegetic voice of who we assume is Max continues whilst he makes his way out from under the car. From hearing this non-diegetic voice of Max, we could possibly assume that he is having a flashback of all that has happened as he is moderately guiding us through these major experiences.

Throughout him trying to escape, he has flashbacks of people dying or being hurt. This could denote how these are relatives who he 'couldn't protect', as he said. By seeing this, as the audience, we feel sympathetic towards him as he is being hurt whilst reliving the past and seeing what he couldn't do to help. One of the men step on Max's back as he tries to get away and we are able to here the trigger of the gun making us fear that he is going to be shot. Immediately after a long shot is used, yet again showing the setting as the cars drive away into the distance. The screen goes black and we are shown a new setting. We are shown a close up of hair being cut of, who yet again we can easily assume that it is Max. We can hear the synchronous sound of the scissors cutting the hair along with the shaking of the chains which are tying Max down. A low angle shot is used showing the positioning of Max as he is facing the ground, being held up by chains. We can see that he is in pain and we can see the blood around his face, this yet again makes the audience fear as well as fearing sympathetic towards him. A high angle shot is then used showing Max having a tattoo forced on him along with the diegetic sound of the machine being used to do it.

The sound gets more intense and builds up as the camera pans inwards showing the fearsom look on Max's face. As the non-diegetic sound builds up, Max escapes through hitting the other men and breaking the chain. The sound is fast paced making the audience feel tense and scared of what is going to happen. This also keeps the audience on the edge of their seats as well as engaging them. The non-diegetic sound continues along with the shouting of the men chasing after him. The setting of this action is unknown however we could possibly assume that it is underground through all the maze-like alleys and the rocks. The dark lighting also makes it more thrilling for the audience as we are mainly able to hear what's happening without visually seeing it. Soon after Max climes up a chain to look up and see a young girl. A point of view shot is used showing both the young girl and Max's view, also we could see this as a close up of Max's face showing the fear and emotion as if he has seen a ghost. He then falls into the water, as we can hear the diegetic sound of the water splashing followed by the low angle, under water, shot of Max trying to stay alive. Yet again he sees the girl, saying 'where were you' repetitively. Through the close up we are able to again see the fear in Max's facial expression As he is running, he is having continuous flashbacks of people that, we could assume, he has lost. He then reaches a door which he opens to find out he is on the edge of  a cliff. The daylight is significant as most of the scene was set in darkness making it more thrilling for the audience. However the lighting allows us to clearly see the characters as well as the setting alone.

Shot types

 An establishing shot is a shot which establishes a scenes setting and/or characters. They are typically used at the start of a film or scene. An establishing shot can either be in the distance or alternatively close up (showing a character). They are significant as they allow us to see the area of action and/or the characters who are going to be key throughout.


A close up shot is a close up of a person or object which show detail and emotion. It is rare that it happens with an object as they are usually of characters faces as they tightly frame the person allowing us to see there facial expression. These shots are significant as they give us a clear image of the character as well as showing the emotion throughout.

A medium(mid) shot is a camera shot from a medium distance. Medium shots are often very poor at showing a characters facial expression however the main focus is to establish the body language. These shots are significant as they allow the audience to establish the positioning of the character and how they feel in a current situation from the way they could be standing.



A long shot is a shot showing a character in the distance and/or its surroundings. We would often see this used throughout a scene showing the setting alone or the character in the distance. These shots are significant as they allow the audience to establish the setting/location as well as the positioning of a character and its surroundings.



A two shot is a shot that tightly frames a view of two characters, The shot is used  to show emotional reactions between the two people. It is often used during a conversation. This shot is significant as it allow us to view both characters at once as well as there expressions and reactions towards one another.




An aerial shot is a view of a large landscape. These kind of shots can often be used to establish a setting or a location of a character from a higher angle. They would usually be filmed in a helicopter. They are significant as they allow us to see the view from a high angle which establishes the whole setting rather than just parts of it.This is otherwise know as a birds eye view.


A point of view (POV) shot is a shot used to show what a character is looking at. By using this shot we are able to see the character or alternatively the setting from their perspective. This is commonly used during a conversation. These kind of shots are significant as they make it seem more realistic for the audience and partially make the audience feel more engaged, as if it is actually their point of view.


An over the shoulder shot is a shot which is obviously looking at something over the characters shoulder. It is partially the same as a POV shot however just from over the shoulder. Yet again it is commonly used when two people are talking. It is significant again because it allows the audience to see the view from the characters perspective.

Dear John - Opening scene (analysis)

Dear John is a romance film along with other parts of war and action. The opening begins showing Channing Tatum, who plays John, in war after he had been shot. We are able to partially here the diegetic sound of gun shots and non long after the non-diegetic voice of John himself which then allows us to understand that he must be having a flashback of when this event happened. The diegetic sound of guns shots are significant as they make it seem more realistic and make the audience get a real feel of what it would be like to be there. The clothing of them shows there status and how they are fighting in there uniform, which is covered in dirt and camouflaged. The dull colours and lighting show how there is no happiness in the war and there is no light or brightness throughout. The dark lighting connotes pain and despair which is symbolic as we are able to see the pain on Johns face through the over the shoulder shot of the man helping him. The setting is also important as it follows the story of him in the war, showing muddy ground, no shelters and no help.

The non-diegetic voice of John continues as he carries on talking about his experience, soon after with reference to him as a young boy. He was stating how he remembered a trip that he went on to find out about coins. A close up is used showing the coins drop along with the diegetic sound of the tingling noise as they fell. He continued describing how coins were made and what happens to them. He soon after said 'I am a coin in the United-States army', which makes us feel sympathetic as he feels as if he is worth nothing and was made and broken. We are then shown back to the war scene and a close up of the man helping John was used showing his fear and panic as he was speaking to keep him awake. They then used a close up of John showing the struggle of staying up. Soon after they pan inwards first using a medium shot showing his body language and position then following was a close up showing the emotion and also how he was physically unable to move or do anything to help himself.

The reason behind all of this is unknown and as the audience we are unsure of who he is talking to because at the end he says that the last thing that came into his mind was 'you'. This clearly means that he is talking to someone and from not knowing, it makes the audience want to watch on and find out who the person is. The age rating for this is 12A and would mainly appeal to the female audience as it is a romance and is focusing on some kind of love story.

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone - Opening scene (analysis)

We know this is a fictional film with action. The film begins showing a street sight at night with the non diegetic sound in the background of some sort of haunting tune. From this we could believe that the film could possibly be a horror. We are then shown the first character who is Professor Dumbledore. He is shown through a low angle shot which could possibly show someone looking up to him denoting how he is powerful. He then walks on and pulls out this prop which has some kind of power as he begins to take all the lighting out of the street. Props are a part of mis-en-scene which is significant throughout a film as it often symbolises the characters authority. A fictional film is something that isn't true but is made for us to believe it. We know from the start that it is a fiction as Dumbledore pulls out some sort of handset which has the power to remove all the bulbs from the street lights. We know this isn't really possible which gives it the fictional image. The non-diegetic sound continues in the background showing how it is quite suspicious and seems as if something big may happen.

We then here the diegetic sound of the cat meowing. The fact that something is looking up to him yet again shows his power and authority. When he says 'I should of known you would've been her Professor Mcgonagall', we  immediately believe that something unusual is going to happen as he knows who the cat is. The non-diegetic sound gradually builds up as we are shown the cat in the shadow as it grows in size and eventually becomes human. This yet again denotes the fictional theme as this isn't a typical thing you would see in real life. The two shot of them both speaking is significant as it shows their look as well as the setting behind them. The setting and the characters don't really link as they are two professors in an ordinary street. By knowing this it makes it a bit more suspicious as there must be a reason for them being there. We soon find out that there is a 'boy' involved and that someone else is bringing him.

They then use an over the shoulder shot which is showing there point of view of what is approaching, at a low angle. There is a bright light in the sky getting closer which, yet again, is unusual because when it gets closer we are able to see that it is a motor bike which was able to fly. This also shows how the character seem to have some kind of magical power. Hagrid arrives with a baby, which we eventually find out they are leaving him on someone's door step. As they place him down, they use a panning movement which is zooming in to there face and eventually we get a close up of a scar on there forehead. This is significant as it makes the audience think of what has happened to him and why they are abandoning him. Professor Dumbledore then says 'Good luck Harry Potter' as the camera pans in towards the scar showing its significance and possible denoting the meaning behind it. When he says 'Harry Potter', we begin to understand what's going on as he is the main character. The scar on his head then glows and the title appears. The non-diegetic sound is continuous in the background making it seem more suspicious and thrilling. After the title drops, we are shown Harry Potter through a close up of him sleeping but as a young boy. From this we could assume that all along it was just a flashback of everything he had been through or alternatively just the fast build up of how he grew as a character.

First attempt of filming "What are you doing here?"

This was our first attempt of filming using a tripod. We went to different areas around the school, and by using different shots and angles, we filmed a few 5-10 second clips of us saying "what are you doing here", which was the subject we had been set. We edited and put together the short clips using the Adobe Premiere Elements software which allowed us to add animations and different sound effects.
Throughout the shot clip, we tried to use different shots such as a low angle shot panning upwards and also a medium shot and tracking the movement. Lastly, we tried to do something different by filming in a mirror so that we are not getting the direct view of the person however we are seeing there reflection which also showed facial expressions.

Titanic - Opening scene (analysis)

Write from the start of these opening two minutes we can see that the film is going to be sad because of the non-diegetic music in the background which is of a women humming. The sound is quite calm and peaceful. Also the long/establishing shot shows a large ship which also shows how something big is happening as, what looks like, thousands of people are waving it of. This could suggest the idea of separation which yet again denotes the idea of emotion and sadness. The sepia affect is quite significant as it shows that it is possibly quite old and how colour wasn't even potential to use during the time this was set. We know it was filmed in 1997, which yet again is evident through the camera quality and the colour them which obviously denotes how it was filmed in the past.

Following on from this is, as shot is used showing the sea and the waves which show calmness and peace. We are able to here non diegetic sound of the humming continue whilst also hearing the diegetic sound of the wave which are important as it gives the audience a real feel of the setting and makes it feel more realistic. As well as this being realistic, there is an introduced, diegetic sound of the engine of the ship under water or alternatively movement under the sea. This sound gradually builds up until the point where the bright lights appear which is an aerial shot of the ship lights. This continues with a panning movement downwards until the point where they reach the sea top and the sound gradually gets louder as they then rotate to being under water, using a reverse aerial shot.

Although its not shown in these opening two minutes, we know that there are two well known actors in the film named Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet who are star-crossed lovers. These two characters are the romance in the film. Star-crossed lovers are those who are together yet are destined to fail at the relationship further down the line. This is significant as it is a typical convention of a romance film, both being the well known actors and the failing relationship. None of the characters are really shown in the opening two minutes which is partially good as it allows the audience to focus on the setting of the film. By showing only the setting, it makes the audience more intrigued as they would want to find out more and actually be introduced to the characters as well as making sense of the film as a whole.

The Notebook - Opening scene (analysis)

The opening two minutes to this film immediately conform the conventions of romantic films with the non-diegetic sound of a slow song. This flaunts the genre as it is calm and peaceful. We are thrown into the opening scene with a bright red sky with the sun arising across a large lake along a dark countryside. At this point a long/establishing shot is used to firstly set the scene and establish where the action will be taking place. The setting is established for long period of time to allow us to tranquil setting along with the synchronous sound of music which denotes the idea of peace and romance. Although the opening scene is very vague we are able to identify the setting and perhaps the main character, yet we are unsure of this meaning the audience could be intrigued to find out what is going to happen next. We are shown a boat sailing across the lake which creates romance as it is yet again calm and peaceful and it partially gives the imagery of beauty and happiness which could relate to the plot of the film. We know that Ryan Gosling is in the film who is a well known male actor and is seen to be quite attractive to the female audience. This is a convention of romance films as you would typically expect a famous, well known male or female character.

Once the scene had been said, we see some birds flying in a crowd towards some large white mansion, the camera follows them by using a tracking movement as they approach the house. They then use an over the shoulder shot of a women looking out her window into the distance as if shes in a world of her own. At this point we are unsure of who this women is and whether or not she is the main character, we are yet to find out. In reverse, we are then shown her from the other side of the window looking out. The birds continue to fly past her, possibly symbolizing freedom which could be something she doesn't have or alternatively it could denote her hopes for the future or even memories of what she has lost. As the audience are unable to identify or see the character rowing in the lake, there is a sense of mystery as we are clearly unsure if he is a main character and are intrigued to find out when he is revealed. The fact that the old woman was looking out across the lake suggests that the two characters could be linked or we could later on find out that they have had something in the past.

The target audience for this film would possibly be for women aged 16 to 20-30 for the reason that they would be more likely to relate to the situation. There is also a well known, attractive actor which would engage the audience even more.