How does your opening sequence represent particular social groups?
My opening sequence represents particular social groups through the use of characters, props, costumes and the overall mise en scene. There are three main characters in my film who are established in my opening sequence; Nicholas (lead character), Jonathan (the psycho father) and Sarah (the daughter).
Nicholas is a British African male, he is an athlete, and he represents a typical wealthy young man who has been spoilt by his parents but is still involved in criminal activities; ignorant, aggressive and loves women. Many things in my opening sequence represent Nicholas’s character and the social group he belongs to. In one of the photographs shown in the opening sequence, Nicholas is posing in front of a his BMW X5 with his girlfriend, although the audience may not notice the BMW at first later on they will find out that it is his car, and in the picture he is all over the girl which represents his love for women like many young wealthy men.
Although Nicholas is wealthy, his costume represents how he is an urban person as he is dressed just like young men from the urban scene, black Nike Airmax 90’s, combat trousers and a Dolce and Gabbana hooded jumper. His cloths may represent the influence his community has on his fashion sense. Nicholas can be compared to 50 Cent in the film ‘Get Rich or die trying’ who is also a young black male who is wealthy and violent.
Furthermore, Nicholas represents the stereotype that young males, especially black males, abandon their children, and is therefore an irresponsible young man. Also, Nicholas represents and abusive man or a ‘wife beater’ as he abused his girlfriend because she was going to keep the baby, and eventually killed their baby, which is made clear in the opening sequences through the clues.
The camera is used smartly to follow the codes and conventions of typical thrillers; throughout the majority of the opening sequence Nicholas’ face was not shown, instead the camera showed parts of his body to make clear to the audience he is kidnapped by showing the rope all over his body, and to also keep his identity hidden, as I wanted the audience to piece together the clues of the opening sequence so they can come to a conclusion of who the kidnapped
person is. Jonathan’s face is also hidden; I wanted to portray him as a big strong man without showing his body, so he wore size 10 Timberland boots which were shown when he slowly enters the room. I requested he wore these boots because I have noticed most antagonists wear boots, not only do they look big and they make it easier to kick down doors, but they also make your presence known from the moment you enter a room. This is why Jonathan wore Timberland boots, because if he wore normal shoes he would not of made as much of a noticeable noise upon entering the room. So we recorded the sound of the boots; as director I urged my actor to walk slowly but to trod hard on the ground almost as if there is a meaning to every step, a meaning to Jonathan’s journey because as Jonathan is the most violent character in the film, even his body language should portray his violent and psychotic nature.
person is. Jonathan’s face is also hidden; I wanted to portray him as a big strong man without showing his body, so he wore size 10 Timberland boots which were shown when he slowly enters the room. I requested he wore these boots because I have noticed most antagonists wear boots, not only do they look big and they make it easier to kick down doors, but they also make your presence known from the moment you enter a room. This is why Jonathan wore Timberland boots, because if he wore normal shoes he would not of made as much of a noticeable noise upon entering the room. So we recorded the sound of the boots; as director I urged my actor to walk slowly but to trod hard on the ground almost as if there is a meaning to every step, a meaning to Jonathan’s journey because as Jonathan is the most violent character in the film, even his body language should portray his violent and psychotic nature.
Sarah is a British Asian female, she is sensitive and very truthful, and she is also very opinionated. Her beauty is Nicholas’s addiction, part of the reason why he sticks with her is because she looks good on his arm and also she is controllable. Her stunning hair, her mesmerising eyes and her attractive dress sense keep Nicholas coming back for more in this dangerous love affair. I tried to expose some of her beauty in the photographs during the opening sequence to show the audience why Nicholas would find her attractive. She is very soft spoken, and this is evident through her voiceovers where she speaks so softly, like when she says the line ‘But Nicholas just listen … I’m pregnant.’ She speaks so softly, almost as if she really wanted to avoid telling Nicholas, or she did not want to make it clear, also she paused before delivering the most important part of her sentence, this shows how she is a hesitant character instead of straightforward. Sarah may represent venerable beautiful girls in society.The voiceovers of the characters also represent particular social groups. For example, Nicholas is represented as an irresponsible typical you man, ‘Listen, I told you it’s over and I’m not having no baby!’ This supports the stereotype that most black young men get women pregnant and then abandon them. He is careless, as he not only ends the relationship, but then declares how he will not have the baby, meaning she will have to terminate it or worse. He is a commanding young man, his choice of words show this when he begins his sentence with ‘Listen’, he says it in a rude and aggressive way which may represent he has the personality of a violent and rude young man.
Also, Jonathan is represented as an aggressive overprotective father, when he says ‘How can he lay hands on my daughter??!! The emotion and tone in his voice shows how aggressive and enraged he is. I purposely raised the volume on this voiceover, so the audience can really feel the anger in his voice.
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