Textual analysis

1)Conventions

The warriors is a film from the 1970's which follows a lot of the conventions that are in film openings today. It does this 

very effectively as it manages to set the film up and the problems that the main cast will come across along the way. The 

film opening is 6:43 minutes long which goes over the 5 minute convention for a film opening but this is necessary in order 

to get as much information into the opening for the audience to understand what is happening later on in the film. The 

main characters are talking to each other a lot about where they are going in the opening which allows the audience 

to understand the scene they are going to and also why they are going, this is one of the conventions of film openings and 

in my opinion the warriors uses this very effectively. The characters are shown to the audience in the way that they stand 

in the 'gang', this is due to one of the characters always being questioned and knowing the answers also this same 

character proving dominance as the others look up to him and do not want to displease him. The opening credit titles are 

shown in a graffiti form of style this suits the era and style the film is set in. This is due to the film being about gangs and 

therefore them being associated with graffiti. 

2)How is tone/genre established?

The genres that The Warriors fits into would be action, adventure, drama, crime and 

thriller. These genres are portrayed through the opening sequence in many different ways. 

The action part of the film is shown through the quick transitions between clips which 

shows fast paced action and therefore making the audience feel like the film is very fast

paced and action packed. Adventure is shown through the main cast asking so many 

questions about where they are going and what they are doing there, this shows lack of

understanding about what they are doing therefore implying that the cast are going on an 

'adventure'. The drama part of the film is shown through the characters asking so many 

questions about the man they are going to see and also where they are going to meet this 

man, some of these questions are left unanswered or answered vaguely to maintain a 

sense of mystery and drama among the audience. Crime is shown due to the characters 

discussing the act that the place they are going to is filled with gangs and that they are 

going in 'like everyone else, nine guys and no weapons'. However one of the characters 

insists on fighting other gangs which is obviously a crime. this is also backed up by the 

titles being in graffiti which is a crime in itself. The thriller aspect in the film is not really 

played on in the opening as all that can be commented on in the opening regarding 

thriller is the characters building suspense through their dialogue by leaving a lot of 

questions unanswered.

3)Music

The music at the start of the opening is high pitched but with long tones, 

this is to build a sense of mystery among the audience as they are 

watching the train enter the platform. This makes the audience question 

what the significance of this train is and why it is relevant. The music when 

the 'the warriors' title appears goes into a sound sting, this is to get the 

audiences attention in order for them to read the title. When one of the 

cast members is telling the rest of the cast where they are going the music 

stops so that the audience can listen to what he is saying, the music is 

replaced with soundscape of the carnival they are at, this is mechanics and 

trains. When the cast enters the train the music picks up again but with a 

faster pace to build tension among the audience as they are now watching 

their journey to the location which the opening is focused on. whilst the 

journey is happening the camera cuts to a lot of different groups that are 

implied to be attending the same place as the cast, the music is played at a 

constant rate but however starts to pick up the pace whilst the cast are 

getting closer to their location. Once they reach their destination the music 

stops for an ambient silence, this is used so that the audience can pay more 

attention on taking as much information about the scene as possible.

4)Text/font

The text is in the font of graffiti, this fits the cast of the film and the setting of the film very well as the film is mainly about 

gangs -which are associated with vandalism and graffiti. The text also helps set the scene as in the area that the film is set 

there is a lot of graffiti and vandalism.  The red font could signify blood or danger among the cast which portrays the casts 

future in the film among the audience. The title of 'The Warriors' is the only text that is large among the title sequence, this 

is due to the fact that the director does not want this t go unnoticed, the members of the cast who helped produce the film 

are in a smaller font as the director does not want to cover any of the mise-en-scene with text that is not as important as 

the title. The negative space that has been used to contain the text is effective as when it is covered up by the words it 

does not cover any of the information that could be taken in by the audience on screen. 

5)Main characters

The main characters of the film are shown in the opening, the audience 

can identify that they are the main characters as they appear the most and 

also have dialogue among the opening sequence. One of the main 

characters appears to be the 'leader' of the cast, this is due to the other 

members asking him lots of questions during the clip and him having the 

knowledge to answer back. As well as, this character is the one telling the 

rest of the cast where they are going to which also proves leadership 

among them. Some of the casts characters are shown in the opening and 

their characteristics are shown in a short clip. This helps the audience 

understand what each character is like and therefore gain a further 

understanding of the story and characters. 

6)Technical codes

The opening starts with an establishing shot of the train coming into the station, this is effective as it sets the 

scene for the audience by showing them where the film is starting and it also allows them to be able to get a 

picture in their head about the economy of this certain area. the next shot is a close up of the main 

characters of the opening with a fair ground ride behind him, the depth of field is shown to have him in the 

foreground and the focus on him therefore the ride being very blurry behind him so the audience can only 

see the colours of the ride. The ride is shown to be very symbolic as it is already shown twice in the opening 

scene in a short period of time. It is also shown along with the title of the film at the start of the opening. An 

over the shoulder shot is used several times in order to show conversation between two characters, the 180 

degree rule is used several times in order to show the audience they are talking and to also stop confusion 

among the audience. 

7)Mise en scene

The main characters in the opening are all dressed in similar attire, this is due to the 

film reflecting that this group are a 'gang' in the city that the film is set. The gang lifestyle is 

reflected through the number of crimes and harassment that is present throughout the film. 

An example of crimes in the opening would be the amount of graffiti on the train and around 

the surrounding areas. Lots of the clips in the opening involve other gangs around the city, 

this is shown through the way that they act and also that they are all also in similar attire to 

one another. The whole opening is set during the night, this gives it a dull tone and therefore 

gives it a more impacting start due to the audience not focusing on the background as they 

cannot see it but rather on the characters and surrounding

8)Impact on audience

The overall impact on the audience changes throughout the audience, this is due to the tense music at the start further 

developing into a fast paced and action based piece. The characters actions also change the way the audience feels as 

when they are seriously talking about their journey the audience would be feeling tense but however once they get onto 

the train and start messing around the audience would feel more at ease with the situation. This opening is effective at 

setting up the story for the audience overall due to the minimal dialogue which doesn't make the audience stop listening 

and also does not include any unneeded dialogue to set the story.

Mood Boards

MOOD BOARD


This image was taken from the thriller se7en. this image is showing a pair of hands on a book, the lighting is focusing on the drawing so therefore the audience are drawn towards the image. The green tone makes the audience associate the scenes with toxic and ill thoughts therefore this can lead to the audience having the theme of death in mind throughout the opening scene. The dark tones are also conventions of horror and thriller films as this enables people to distinctively identify a film from
this genre.





This was taken from the psycho opening sequence, the director has chosen this style of sequence as the simplistic design enables the audience to concentrate less on understanding the pictures or detail of the sequence. but instead the audience are listening the music and getting into the films genre due to the music. The simplistic design creates a sense of mystery among the audience as it has a sense of the fact that something is wrong and that it is too normal to be a horror film. The black and white colours that are used for the titles are effective as this enables the audience to signify that this film has a very dull start so therefore makes the audience feel that the film is very depressing and scary.

This image was taken form the film 'Insidious'. The image is very dull so therefore any splash of colour that is on the screen draws the audiences attention therefore the director has chosen to show the main spirit as a vibrant red colour as this draws the audiences eye towards it. The character in the image clearly is not aware of the man behind him so therefore the audience are putting themselves into the characters shoes. the close up is very effective as you can clearly see the facial expressions of the characters so therefore you can understand what they are feeling or thinking. The blank background allows the audience to pay more attention onto the characters on screen as they are not being distracted by any images or colour in the background.

This image was taken from the film 'Woman In Black'. This image is effective as it shows the trees in the foreground but however the depth of field is focused on the character in the background of the image. This character is not in the middle of the image as the director has used the rule of thirds and put the character in the right hand side of the shot. The character is dressed in black attire, the colour black signifies death and also this character fits the titles of 'Woman In Black'. Therefore this character answers the audiences question of who ius the woman in black. The woods setting is very stereotypical for a horror film also the religious props and costume is very cliche. The bland colours that are shown in the shot eliminates any happiness that could be in the shot due to the audience signifying the colours with dull thoughts and death.

This image was taken from the film 'Sin City'. I have chosen this image as it reflects a thriller and also has the dark tones of a stereotypical horror. The black and white bland colours present on the screen reflects death and any unhappy thoughts for the characters.This is also shown through the death that is shown on screen for the audience to see. The rain that is also present in the clip shows how miserable the scene is for the characters, it also puts a dull colour into the scene which makes the audience feel like the scene is more dark and dull.

This image was taken from the film 'The purge' it has taken some influence from the film sin city in that everything is dull and dark but however the blood on the end of the persons weapon is coloured bright red. This draws the audiences eye towards it and also juxtaposes the dark background. The red signifies danger and pain, also due to the brightness of the colour this tells the audience that it is fresh and therefore the audience feels like the danger is present. 

Textual Analysis

1)Conventions





The warriors is a film from the 1970's which follows a lot of the conventions that are in film openings today. It does this very effectively as it manages to set the film up and the problems that the main cast will come across along the way. The film opening is 6:43 minutes long which goes over the 5 minute convention for a film opening but this is necessary in order to get as much information into the opening for the audience to understand what is happening later on in the film. The main characters are talking to each other a lot about where they are going in the opening which allows the audience to understand the scene they are going to and also why they are going, this is one of the conventions of film openings and in my opinion the warriors uses this very effectively. The characters are shown to the audience in the way that they stand in the 'gang', this is due to one of the characters always being questioned and knowing the answers also this same character proving dominance as the others look up to him and do not want to displease him. The opening credit titles are shown in a graffiti form of style this suits the era and style the film is set in. This is due to the film being about gangs and therefore them being associated with graffiti. 

2)How is tone/genre established?

The genres that The Warriors fits into would be action, adventure, drama, crime and 

thriller. These genres are portrayed through the opening sequence in many different ways. 

The action part of the film is shown through the quick transitions between clips which 

shows fast paced action and therefore making the audience feel like the film is very fast

paced and action packed. Adventure is shown through the main cast asking so many 

questions about where they are going and what they are doing there, this shows lack of

understanding about what they are doing therefore implying that the cast are going on an 

'adventure'. The drama part of the film is shown through the characters asking so many 

questions about the man they are going to see and also where they are going to meet this 

man, some of these questions are left unanswered or answered vaguely to maintain a 

sense of mystery and drama among the audience. Crime is shown due to the characters 

discussing the act that the place they are going to is filled with gangs and that they are 

going in 'like everyone else, nine guys and no weapons'. However one of the characters 

insists on fighting other gangs which is obviously a crime. this is also backed up by the 

titles being in graffiti which is a crime in itself. The thriller aspect in the film is not really 

played on in the opening as all that can be commented on in the opening regarding 

thriller is the characters building suspense through their dialogue by leaving a lot of 

questions unanswered.

3)Music


The music at the start of the opening is high pitched but with long tones, 

this is to build a sense of mystery among the audience as they are 

watching the train enter the platform. This makes the audience question 

what the significance of this train is and why it is relevant. The music when 

the 'the warriors' title appears goes into a sound sting, this is to get the 

audiences attention in order for them to read the title. When one of the 

cast members is telling the rest of the cast where they are going the music 

stops so that the audience can listen to what he is saying, the music is 

replaced with soundscape of the carnival they are at, this is mechanics and 

trains. When the cast enters the train the music picks up again but with a 

faster pace to build tension among the audience as they are now watching 

their journey to the location which the opening is focused on. whilst the 

journey is happening the camera cuts to a lot of different groups that are 

implied to be attending the same place as the cast, the music is played at a 

constant rate but however starts to pick up the pace whilst the cast are 

getting closer to their location. Once they reach their destination the music 

stops for an ambient silence, this is used so that the audience can pay more attention 

on taking as much information about the scene as possible.

4)Text/font



The text is in the font of graffiti, this fits the cast of the film and the setting of the film very well as the film is mainly about 
gangs -which are associated with vandalism and graffiti. The text also helps set the scene as in the area that the film is set 
there is a lot of graffiti and vandalism.  The red font could signify blood or danger among the cast which portrays the casts 
future in the film among the audience. The title of 'The Warriors' is the only text that is large among the title sequence, this 
is due to the fact that the director does not want this t go unnoticed, the members of the cast who helped produce the film 
are in a smaller font as the director does not want to cover any of the mise-en-scene with text that is not as important as 
the title. The negative space that has been used to contain the text is effective as when it is covered up by the words it 
does not cover any of the information that could be taken in by the audience on screen. 

5)Main characters



The main characters of the film are shown in the opening, the audience 
can identify that they are the main characters as they appear the most and 
also have dialogue among the opening sequence. One of the main 
characters appears to be the 'leader' of the cast, this is due to the other 
members asking him lots of questions during the clip and him having the 
knowledge to answer back. As well as, this character is the one telling the 
rest of the cast where they are going to which also proves leadership 
among them. Some of the casts characters are shown in the opening and 
their characteristics are shown in a short clip. This helps the audience 
understand what each character is like and therefore gain a further 
understanding of the story and characters. 

6)Technical codes



The opening starts with an establishing shot of the train coming into the station, this is effective as it sets the 
scene for the audience by showing them where the film is starting and it also allows them to be able to get a 
picture in their head about the economy of this certain area. the next shot is a close up of the main 
characters of the opening with a fair ground ride behind him, the depth of field is shown to have him in the 
foreground and the focus on him therefore the ride being very blurry behind him so the audience can only 
see the colours of the ride. The ride is shown to be very symbolic as it is already shown twice in the opening 
scene in a short period of time. It is also shown along with the title of the film at the start of the opening. An 
over the shoulder shot is used several times in order to show conversation between two characters, the 180 
degree rule is used several times in order to show the audience they are talking and to also stop confusion 
among the audience. 

7)Mise en scene

The main characters in the opening are all dressed in similar attire, this is due to the 
film reflecting that this group are a 'gang' in the city that the film is set. The gang lifestyle is 
reflected through the number of crimes and harassment that is present throughout the film. 
An example of crimes in the opening would be the amount of graffiti on the train and around 
the surrounding areas. Lots of the clips in the opening involve other gangs around the city, 
this is shown through the way that they act and also that they are all also in similar attire to 
one another. The whole opening is set during the night, this gives it a dull tone and therefore 
gives it a more impacting start due to the audience not focusing on the background as they 
cannot see it but rather on the characters and surrounding

8)Impact on audience

The overall impact on the audience changes throughout the audience, this is due to the tense music at the start further 
developing into a fast paced and action based piece. The characters actions also change the way the audience feels as 
when they are seriously talking about their journey the audience would be feeling tense but however once they get onto 
the train and start messing around the audience would feel more at ease with the situation. This opening is effective at 
setting up the story for the audience overall due to the minimal dialogue which doesn't make the audience stop listening 
and also does not include any unneeded dialogue to set the story.

Alfie and Will Preliminary Evaluation

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7GW-2SVWYg - Here is a link to our preliminary task.

Pre Production
We have been set the task of creating a short 2 minute clip of a character walking into a room and having a conversation with another character. The only conventions that we must include in the clip is the 180 degree rule this is when the camera does not cross over the line through the middle of the scene, This is effective as it prevents confusion within the audience as the characters are facing different directions. Shot reverse shot is when a character is to say a line of dialogue and a close up of another character is followed up by it to show the emotion of another character. Match on action editing, This is used to do two cuts in a scene when a character is doing a piece of action, for example a character picking up an object as this will cover up the cut as the audience will not notice it due to the action. Therefore due to the conventions we must use we have chosen to create a clip that has an action and thriller genre to it. This meant that we need to find a cast for the clip that are willing to take part. We have also chosen to use a lot of close up and medium shots in the production to show the audience the facial expressions of each character. These are effective as it allows the audience to see what the character is feeling and therefore put themselves in the characters shoes.

During Production
During our production we realised that we had little room to film the conversation, this meant that the 180 degree rule had to be broken in order for us to film the whole scene and for it to make more sense for the audience. To use the shot reverse shot we had to try to fit as much information into each shot due to the little amount of room that we had to film, this proved a challenge and therefore when we make our final piece we will take the space into account when planning. We had our first chance to use the editing software iMovie to edit our preliminary together. We have learned and gained a basic knowledge on how to use and edit clips so they flow into each other nicely.

Post Production
We liked that we tried to create a more interesting preliminary rather than something completely basic. We also liked the shot we made of the bit where the lock was being picked. Unfortunately we struggled to find somewhere suitable to film our preliminary. We had a lack of space and that therefore lead to a few shaky shots and we broke the 180 degree rule due to the lack of space we had. To improve we would've tried to find somewhere with more space so we could work a lot better with the camera. We also feel that maybe we could have used more shots such as a motivated cut. We also would have liked to have had taken more time with the editing software so we could gain a greater knowledge to put into our film opening such as adding visual and sound effects.

Mood Boards

This is an image taken from the film Zodiac (2007). The image follows the conventions of stylistic shots as well as it being at night. The darkness obscures the setting and it gives a slightly mysterious and hostile undertone to the scene. You can see from the developments of the roads and buildings that the setting is in an urban place, which again follows the conventions of a neo-noir crime genre. There tends to be a lot of vehicles in the openings of neo-noir films as they establish the setting by driving around the surrounding area. The rule of thirds has been used to put the cars on the right side of the shot, and much of the surroundings of the shot are obscured in darkness, the lighting from the cars are creating an eerie tense situation, as they are drawing a lot of attention to themselves by being this beacon in the middle of the darkness. The lighting itself also obscures the aspects of the shot, the car behind the first one is still very obscure because of the bright lighting making the characters and the audience unsure of who is in the second car.

This image is from the opening of the movie Seven. The image shows two hands on a piece of paper, it is presented to be in a dark crime setting, this is denoted by how it looks like to be a picture in the form of evidence for a crime. Most of the shot is obscured by darkness, this also makes the text on the screen much easier to read. The hands look very disfigured and creates a feeling of uneasiness, this implies that these hands belong to a criminal or perhaps the antagonist in the film. This one frame can easily show that this film will be in the genre of crime and possibly horror or thriller. There is a green hue on this frame which can connote quite an uneasy feeling, since it is associated with things like disease and poisons. This follows the connotations of a typical film opening as it has opening credits.

This is taken from Sin City, this shows denotations and connotations of a crime drama/thriller. There is a man wearing a suit and holding a gun. This gives off the impression that he is some kind of professional criminal or law enforcer, the suppressor on the gun also shows he is somewhat discreet and therefore clever about the crimes that he commits. There are very limited colours, most of the image is in grey scale and there is a splash of red for the woman's dress. Red can connote danger. blood or passion. The grey scale and dark setting as well as the rain makes them seem isolated, and it can denote that the equilibrium has been disturbed.

This is taken from The Woman in Black, this one frame can easily show the audience that this is a horror genre. There are many dead trees, as well as the gravestone this denotes that there is a strong theme of death. The bland grey-like colours also connote the lack of any happiness and adds to the feeling of death and isolation. The woman is wearing black, which is traditionally worn to funerals again adding to the theme of death and darkness. The area looks hostile, the environment the woman is in makes her look hostile as well, she is fairly obscured by the many trees and bushes making her seem like a mystery. The woods is a very cliche setting for a horror, this is because it is so easily accessible to many people as well as being very effective at the same time. This has inspired us to do our film in a location such as this. The use of colours and location has been done extremely effectively and it is something that we intend to make use of in our own production. The image uses the rule of thirds effectively and it makes it seem much more effective when she is standing just off centre, if we were to use this in our opening sequence we could use the negative space (in this case to the left of the frame) this is where we could put our text.

This was taken from Orphan. The setting in this frame is in the woods, which also appears largely withered. This further reinforces that the cliche of horror tends to be in an isolated woods. The colours used again tend to be mostly on the grey scale (white to black) with no real bright or primary colours. The only real different colours there is, are the ones present on the hammer (brown and red) this draws the audiences attention to what is in her hand and makes her seem more threatening and hostile. The use of colours on to draw the audiences attention to certain objects is something is something we could possibly use in our own production. She is in the foreground of the frame, with the woods obscured in the background because of the depth of field. It allows us to focus on the current situation while also understanding where the setting is as well. She is standing just off centre, creating some negative space this makes the shot look better as it is simple yet effective.

Textual Analysis

1) It follows some of the conventions of film openings such as having opening credits, music and introduction of important characters. It also follows the convention of the typical length of a film opening which tends to be 2/3 minutes long. It sets the scene in an urban location, it also has established an equilibrium (a group of men walking down the street in a seemingly positive light, the sun and bright colours connote this).

2) The genre of a crime drama is established by the group of men looking like they are in some kind of gang, the suits help us understand their professionalism and it sets out the conventions of something more like an organised crime gang. Most of the men in suits are wearing sunglasses, this makes them look more mysterious and elusive which can fit into their criminal persona, Some of them smoke which can make them seem rebellious.

3) The music (Little Green Bag from the George Baker Selection) is quite an upbeat and happy song. It accompanies the equilibrium well, as they all seem friendly to one another, the music as well as the colours and lighting around them connote some sense of security and friendliness. It goes against the conventions of setting the genre as it isn't denoting or connoting any action or thriller genre through the music, this makes it unconventional.

4)The font used for the credits is fairly basic, they introduce each actor individually as they appear on the screen. The opening scene has gone against the conventions of having the credits in negative space, instead it puts the titles on the characters themselves. The filming sequence then fades away into black with the credits still rolling. This time the text is in the centre of the screen and is now filling the negative space, as it now takes up most of the blank screen.

5)The main characters are introduced all individually as what actor they are played by, the opening credits don't actually introduce them as their character as they play in the film itself. However this could have been done to hide their identity even further, which again fits in with the crime drama convention of the criminals being an enigma.

6) The codes and conventions that we gain from this opening assists in helping us understand the genre of the film as well as the personality and possibly even the motives of the characters. The scene shows us what looks like an equilibrium, the bright colours and sunlight further reinforce that there is currently no threat to these people. There is a group of men walking down the street together in some kind of clique. Their body language and use of props (i.e. the sunglasses, cigarettes and suits) this tells us that they are somewhat rebellious, but at the same time in some kind of professional manner. Most of them have an emotionless face, this can connote that they are hardened criminals that don't fear the repercussions of their actions. This could link to an organised crime and professional criminal operations. This in itself creates an enigma, if it connotes that they are about to commit a crime it can make the audience want to continue watching to see the outcome of the crime and what happens to these group of people. The entire sequence is in slow-motion which draws out a little bit of filming to 2 minutes so it can introduce every character.

7) Mise en scene has been used effectively in this opening scene. We can easily identify what kind of people these people are due to the props that they have (such as the aforementioned props such as the cigarettes, sunglasses etc that all connote that they are rebellious but at the same time professional and fully grown adults). The lighting connotes that they are currently in a friendly environment and perhaps the only hostility in the entire piece is the group of men themselves. The setting is established in an urban location, this information can be gathered through the large road they are walking along as well as the numerous buildings, there are a lot of cars too which also sets the scene in an urban location. The urban location also matches the genre of the film, seeing as they are criminals and could be involved in the robbery of a bank or a place with lots of valuables like a jewellery store.

8) The impact these people have on the audience is to make them feel powerless against them, as each of the characters are introduced, they seem hostile towards the audience and since they are in quite a large gang, it can make the audience feel like they are the ones in control and have the power so the audience feels powerless and make them feel that no one can interfere with what these men are going to do.

Introduction

My name is Will Caton and I am working in a pair with Alfie Reynolds. We have chosen to do the genre of a horror-thriller theme. Our task is to analyse of film openings of usually of the same genre, this is to help us learn the conventions and for us to form our own ideas to allow us to create our own film opening of the same genre. Some of these conventions include having eerie and tense music that will keep the audience engaged, this adds to a mysterious feel and creates an enigma. There is also a high usage of controlling light, particularly keeping most of the opening in a dark/dusky setting, which also ends up obscuring some of the scene. In addition to the lack of light, it leads to very bland colours that tend to be on the black/white and grey scales. Splashes of colour may be used to draw attention to certain objects (e.g. blood on a dead body or weapon).

I have chosen this genre because as a group we decided that it is a fairly simple genre to gain ideas for, since many of theme follow the conventions you can easily form an idea from watching a few examples of opening sequences. The opening scene has to give off the impression of a horror-thriller, and at the same time have some dark and mysterious enigma undertone. Alfie and I have analysed the opening to the movie Se7en in order to gain some ideas of horror conventions and creating enigmas. I did an analysis of the opening of Reservoir Dogs to get some thriller conventions

The experience I hope to gain is to be able to successfully analyse films openings to quickly understand their genre and conventions, understanding these conventions can lead to creating an effective opening sequence that can set the scene and begin a narrative that is sure to keep the audience entertained and curious.