Intertitles Order

I have been looking into the order of intertitles for films and I tried to use this for my intertitles video task, so that we can replicate a opening two minutes of a film accurately. I searched what the order is and I also looked at some example G321 Media coursework from other years and saw how they used intertitles in their work. This could help us when we are editing our film so we can be as close to a real film opening as possible.

Sample Order of Opening Credits in a Feature Film from Peter Bohush on Vimeo.

I found this video about the sample order of opening credits in a film and I will use this whilst editing to get the order correct.

Script

We have decided that we aren't going to have any dialogue in our opening 2 minutes of our film and this is because we don't want to reveal too much to the audience and leave the audience wonder what they think is happening or what they think will happen next. This film will have an element of mystery and crime solving to it and so we don't want the audience to know too much just in the first two minutes, an ambiguous beginning will be good.

Instead of a script we will have diegetic sound of heavy breathing, crying and screaming from the main character and maybe a chuckle from the side character of the 'villain' in the flashback scene. We will also have diegetic sounds of running and maybe birds tweeting in the forest. We will decide what sounds the characters will make when we are filming, as we will be in the moment and it will make it more real and not forced.

18 marks out of 20 blog

http://thrillerblog2011.blogspot.co.uk/

This student got 18/20 on their blog this is because they used a lots of media and done a variety of different posts for research and planning.

• They looked at opening credits of films and broke it down into a table that they presented using Scribd, They also included screenshots of films and YouTube videos to help explain their points.

• They researched and analysed different films that were like their genre and that could help them to help build tension.

• They uploaded their preliminary task on YouTube and they also evaluated their preliminary task with screenshots of their script, shotlists and storyboard.
• They put their initial ideas on Prezi. 

• They also looked at production and distributing as well as age ratings and audiences and included screenshots from different films.

I can now take into account how other people layout their research and planning and use that to help me with my blog.

Shot lists

This is our shot list for our opening 2 minutes we are going to have around 30 shots however we may shoot more when we are filming as extra shots or maybe in between different shots that we have planned. We added a flashback, so that we have more techniques and we can expand the plot more. 

We are going to take the shot list with us when we are filming so that we know exactly what we need to film and we also need to remember to shoot more than we need as it may not be enough when it comes to editing. Also, we need to remember to do lots of different shots of the same scene so we can decide which one we prefer and which one is better.

Actors and Characters

For our opening for the film we want to have a teenage girl as our protagonist, an actress that could be the basis for the actress we would like to find is Willow Shields from The Hunger Games but maybe a bit older. In The Hunger Games, Willow plays Prim, Katniss' sister and her character is quite innocent and worried, therefore this relates to our character as she is running away from someone.

In our flashback scene and maybe some scenes in the car, the actor that could relate to the actor we use could be Ian Somerhalder as he can play good and evil characters, therefore it is ambiguous whether the character is good or bad.

Although we won't be able to get these actors specifically, or with these specific characteristics we will try and get actors that relate to the actors that I've chosen.

Costume Ideas

In our film opening we are going to have only one character, who is a female. She is going to be a teenager so we need to find a costume that will present her as a teenager, perhaps using some stereo types. 

In my mood board I included some clothes that I think our character could wear. Shoes are important as we will have shots of the characters feet running through the forest. I think wearing muddy/worn converse would be a suitable choice because they are normal shoes for a teenager to wear and also being worn and muddy shows the struggle that the character has been through in the forest. 

In addition, we would like the character to be wearing a hoodie that is also dirty and muddy. A hoodie further shows that the character is a teenager as it is a stereotype. 







For the person's hair and makeup, I would like minimal makeup with some dirt maybe smudged on her face and her hair should be down and messy, and so it keeps getting in her way. This could help when the girl maybe trips over because her hair is in her eyes etc.

We should keep the costume colours a bit bright so the character is visible when they are running, however we want plain colours so maybe white is the best option.

Ideas for our film

Initial Ideas for opening of our film

Mood Board

This is my mood board. I have included pictures of the forest that we are going to film in, Richmond park. I have included some deer because we decided to have the film quite calm at the beginning with the deer then we cut straight to the action where the girl is running, this could help to build tension as it is a juxtaposition. I put in some costume ideas including a hoodie and converse, but also with the costume we need to put some mud on the clothes to show the girl's struggle through the forest. In addition, we included the car and the crash and also a road to show where the girl is going to run. The crime scene tape is to show that our film is a crime/drama film and there will be an accident. Also I have used pictures of clouds and fog because we are hoping to pick a day to film that is going to be cloudy and foggy to add to the creepy feel of the film. 

Analysis of other G321 blogs 2

http://media.ksgs.cumbria.sch.uk/blog/wiilliamwilson-as1/

I really liked this person's use of screenshots when analysing clips of film and their openings. It makes his blog look tidy and neat and is also a good way to present parts of the opening. I use screenshots sometimes to show different parts of the clips that I am talking about but I might start to make a small collage of these pictures to make my blog look neat and more presentable.

Preliminary Task

 For my preliminary task, I worked with Ashleagh and Zoe. I filmed the task and I tried to get in as many techniques as possible, for example, 180 degree rule and shot reverse shot. Unfortunately, some scenes are quite jumpy when transitioning to the next but I now know that I need to work on that, also for my real opening I need to remember to film a lot of footage in order to have enough in case some isn't very good. I learnt a lot from my Preliminary task that I can now use when making my real opening.

Diary Post- Preliminary Editing

Today in class, we tried to edit our preliminary task. We used iMovie to edit all of our clips that we filmed of Ashleagh and Zoe. We tried out different techniques like splitting clips and moving the clips together. Unfortunatley, we discovered that we hadn't filmed enough footage in order for the clip to flow smoothly. This made us realise that we have to film lots of footage in order for the movie to look good in the end, this mistake will help us when we come to doing our end film.

However, we tried to carry on with what we had and we also got some music to put in the background when Ashleagh was walking down the corridor and opening the door.

In order to improve, next time we should film more and also make a better ending to our film because it stops quite abruptly. Apart from that I think our camera angles when the conversation is taking place were good!

Analysis of other blogs!

http://georgihonnorasmedia.blogspot.co.uk

I found this G321 blog that I thought was very well presented. Instead of just using text to talk about her tasks, the student used lots of different media to keep her blog looking great and more helpful to read. She used SlideShare, Prezi and also filmed videos to answer questions about her preliminary tasks and evaluation. I think that this is a good blog because it is easy to understand and read. The student put a lot of detail into planning the props, cast and setting of her final film and this makes for a better and more organised final film. 

The student also includes if they had changed ideas and for what reasons. This shows that they are flexible with their ideas and also that they want to make sure that their film is exactly how they want it.

From looking at this blog, I have decided that instead of having chunks of text that could be quite boring to read, I am going to have videos, pictures and various types of media to make my blog look interesting.

Diary Post- Preliminary Task

In today's lesson, we had a go at filming our preliminary tasks! Before filming we found out what the terms match on action, shot/reverse shot and the 180 degree rule. We then went to film the preliminary task. 

The first thing we filmed was Ashleagh walking towards a door and then opening the door. In order to include match on action in our task we filmed Ashleagh opening the door from the outside and then closing it from the inside to make it flow smoothly. 

We also filmed Ashleagh and Zoe having a basic conversation. I was filming using the shot reverse shot technique when filming Ashleagh and Zoe's conversation and I used an over the shoulder shot to show the two conversing. I also tried to follow the 180 degree rule. 

I think we done quite a good job filming our first piece of video. Today I learnt that you may have to film the same scene over and over again to get it just the way you want it but in the end it will look good and better than if you just filmed it once. 

Shot reverse shot and 180 degree rule

Shot reverse shot

Shot reverse shot is the filming technique where there is a shot of one person talking to another and then a shot of the other person replying. This shows the conversation flowing smoothly and so we can see both of the characters point of view.

180 degree rule

The 180 degree rule is where the camera only films from one side of the characters in an 180 degree zone. It makes sure the viewer does not get disorientated and the conversation can flow more smoothly and make more sense.

Film and Opening treatment

Class Feedback on Initial Ideas

When sharing the initial idea for our film with the class, we received some constructive criticism and things we may need to think about for our final film.

• First of all we need to choose whether what time of day we are going to do it and if we will be able to fit all of the filming onto one day. We decided that we want to do it on a cloudy day, so that it is dark and adds to the drama and suspense feel of the film. 
• We will also need to research more action/drama films to try and get some techniques for creating tension. 
• In addition, we need to think of some different camera angles and pauses, so that it is not just 2 minutes of someone running through a forest. We may think about included small hints to why the person is running. 

Overall, the feedback was positive, as the idea of the enigma seemed interesting and gripping. 

Match on Action- Film making research

Match on Action is when the film editor cuts from one shot to another and connects them together. 

The shots are taken from different angles though the scene may be the same. This gives the impression that the scene is continuing through, though one shot may be filmed hours or days after. 

However, if they are filmed a long time after, they must make sure everything on set stays the same. The cut is smooth and effective so that the viewer’s attention is not on the cut. 

The actors sometimes have to repeat their actions several times in order to capture it from several angles.

When we make our final film we must remember to use match on action because it makes the film look more professional and we want it to look like a real film. This also makes the shots flow more smoothly and it means we can include lots of different angles of one shot. This will be very useful because our film is a thriller so we need fast cutting shots to flow smoothly.

Here is an example of Match on Action:

Generic Conventions of a Thriller research

In order to fit with these conventions our first 2 minutes need to keep the audience captivated and we can do this by using the right music and quick pace shots. We are going to use a flashback scene so this will keep the audience wondering and they will also wonder why the girl is running through the forest in the first place. 

Although we can't have dark lighting because we don't have the equipment real films have (lights etc) we will try to find a day where the sky is cloudy and grey to create the more dim lighting without being too dark and so we can still see the actor. 

We are planning to have quick cut shots especially between the girl running and the car driving and these shots will become faster and faster as the opening goes on. This will create suspense as the audience will wonder what is going to happen next. We are also going to have lots of different shots, including shots on the floor, behind trees and looking up into the trees etc, this will help the disorientation of the film and scenes.

We are going to use tense music, and diegetic sounds of heavy breathing and perhaps screaming of the main character. The music we are going to choose has to progressively get louder as the opening goes on. 

However through out this we must remember to follow the 180 degree rule as well as using match on action and shot reverse shot which will probably be most prominent in the flashback scene.

Audience Research

Taken's target audience is mostly 15-24 year olds, however it is also quite popular with older demographics. The gender who saw the film most was male and this may be because there is more action and violence, which generally appeals to the male population. On the other hand, there is also a lot of females that saw the film which means that the film also appears to females too, this could be because of the story line as females usually become emotionally invested with story lines.

Similarly to Taken, Taken 2 also had slightly more of a male audience than female though the percentage has increased a bit. The age percentage is predominantly ages 15-24 which shows that for our film we should aim it at these age groups as these are the people that enjoy the genre and also going to the cinema. There were less in the 35-44 age group, so for our film that will not be the target audience.

 The Hunger Games is a different genre to our film but some of the setting we want to use for our film is in The Hunger Games. The gender percentages are very similar but there are more males which could show that overall action is more popular with males. Like the other films, the age range of 15-24, which further shows that this is the main target audience for film makers.

Ransom is similar to taken and with gender the percentages are about the same as taken, with more males that females. However, the ages are different as there it is close between 15-24 and 25-34. This could show that for action films the range for age is 15-34 which suggests that it is a genre widely enjoyed by many people.

Overall, looking at the percentages for these films, that relate to our film, we can begin to see who are target audience will be, predominantly males aged 15-24. This will help us when we make our film to see what we should include to entice this type of audience.

Diary Post 3 - Audience Research

Last lesson, we looked at audience research and who our target audience will be. I went on the Pearl & Dean website and looked for some films that will be similar to ours, I looked for Taken, because we are going to use that film as inspiration. I also looked for films similar to Taken and I found Ransom and Taken 2. I also used The Hunger Games even though it is a different genre to our film it has similar scenes like running through forests. I learnt a lot about which audience we could target for our film. We should target males between the ages of 15-24.

Certificate Research

For our film we must decide what age rating we should have, age ratings range from U to 18

 U (Universal) films are suitable for all viewers, some examples are The Little Mermaid, The Lego Movie and Beauty and The Beast.

PG (Parental Guidance) films are permitted for any age but some scenes may be unsuitable for young children (under 8). May contain mild language and sex/drug references. May contain very moderate violence. Some examples are, Wreck-It Ralph, Frozen, Legend of the Guardians.

12A films are unsuitable for young children and cinemas are only allowed to let in children under the age of 12 if they are accompanied by an adult aged 18 and over. These films may contain mature themes, discrimination, soft drugs, infrequent strong language and moderate violence, sex references and nudity. Some examples are, The Hunger Games, Skyfall, Godzilla.

12 films are for people aged 12 and over. Usually 12A rated films are given a 12 certificate when released on DVD. The guidelines are the same for 12A films. Some examples are Les Misérables, The Perks of Being a Wallflower and The Lord of the Rings.

15 films are only suitable for those aged 15 or over. Films under this category can contain adult themes, hard drugs, regular use of foul language and limited use of very strong language, strong violence and strong sex references, and nudity without graphic detail. Sexual activity may be portrayed but without any strong detail. Sexual violence may be shown if discreet and justified by context. Some Examples are, Ted, Mama and The Heat.

18 Films are only suitable for people aged 18 and over. Films under this category do not have limitation on the foul language that is used. Hard drugs are generally allowed, and explicit sex references along with detailed sexual activity are also allowed. Scenes of strong real sex may be permitted if justified by the context. Very strong, gory, and/or sadistic violence is usually permitted. Strong sexual violence is permitted unless it is eroticized or excessively graphic. Some examples are, The Wolf of Wall Street, Evil Dead and Spring Breakers.

Because our film is going to be a drama/thriller, there will be moderate violence and some mature themes so therefore it won't be suitable for young audiences but 15 and 18 will probably be too high and will lessen the range of audiences for viewing our film. I think our film will probably fit under the 12 category because that if where most dramas are placed, however perhaps in cinemas the film could be a 12a because most of the violence will be moderate and a lot of action/drama films are 12a's in cinemas, such as The Hunger Games and Skyfall which are both quite dramatic and violent. 

Font Research

STOCKHOLM SYNDROME

For the inter-titles, we have decided to have capital letters and also a plain straight, this is so it is easy to see but also seems loud and urgent, therefore adding to the intensity of the film. However, for the main title, I have been looking at distorted text to maybe show that it is quite disorientated.

Tranquila

Hacked Font

Nervous Font 

Windy Day Font

My favourite's are Hacked and Nervous because it looks quite technical and distorted. It also makes it seem more dramatic and intense. Also the name is relates to the font because it is quite a strange concept and therefore it is unclear why the sufferers feel this way. These fonts are from the website Dafont and they could be good to use in our film. We may also do one word in red and one in white to make it stand out but also to fit the conventions as you can see below, red and white are popular in drama/thrillers.

This font from Taken 2 and SE7EN looks a bit damaged and distressed which links to the story line. This makes me want to use one of the 'distressed' and 'distorted' font.

Title- STOCKHOLM SYNDROME.

We have decided on the name "Stockholm Syndrome". 

Stockholm Syndrome, or capture-bonding, is a psychological phenomenon in which hostages express empathy and sympathy and have positive feelings toward their captors, sometimes to the point of defending and identifying with them.

We could then make a twist on the plot throughout the film, such as making the 'evil person' someone that the girl knows or loves and therefore isn't running away from them but perhaps running to them?

Institution Research

I looked at similar films and Taken was distributed by 20th Century Fox, so this could be the company that we use for our film as it obviously makes the type of film we want to make. 20th Century Fox are linked a variety of films so our genre could fit. 

Ransom is another film similar to ours, this film was distributed by Buena Vista Pictures. However, we can't use this company as it no longer exists and Walt Disney Pictures is in it's place, and they usually make kids films, this does not link to our genre so we won't use that company.

Ransom was produced by Touchstone Pictures, Imagine Entertainment and Icon Productions. Icon usually makes dramas and thrillers which is similar to our film. A lot of Touchstone films are dramas and quite dark themes, so this could be good for our film too. Imagine usually makes more upbeat and some kids films so this may not be the right company for us.

The Hunger games was distributed by Lionsgate Films, this is mostly known for action and dystopian themes so this could be good for our opening. The film was produced by Color Force, which is an independent company that usually makes movies out of books, since our film isn't a book, we may not use this company. 

The production company TriStar Pictures would be a great production company to use for our film as in the past couple of years they have produced many thrillers and horrors so this means that they are focused in that area. A film called The Call was produced by them and after looking into this film I have discovered that it is about a teenager being kidnapped which is what our film is based on, therefore this institution would be best as they have experience in creating thrillers, horrors and dramas.

Our final choice for institution is TriStar.

Location Research

Our location for our film is Nonsuch Park. We have chosen this because we wanted to find a forest that was really secluded so we could easily shoot our film without interruptions. 

We want to find an area with lots of trees so that we can get shots of Anna running from behind trees and the leaves will be effective when we film Anna running through the leaves and mud on the ground. 

The trees will have no leaves on them at this time of year so it will make the setting more eery and creepy which is what we are going for. 

This park will be easy to get to for all of us so we will be able to return any time if we need to film any additional footage. 

Our alternative was Richmond Park however this would be harder to get to and we also don't know the area that well so it may be time consuming to find an area where we can film. Therefore, Nonsuch would be a better choice for us.



Our other location will be a classroom at school and this is where the flashback will take place and when we see where the girl is running from. We need to make sure the classroom doesn't look like a classroom and more like a small room or cupboard, this will create a more realistic environment and make the film look more authentic.

Non Copyright Music Analysis

Music is very important in films, especially in the opening two minutes, as it is needed to set the mood for the rest of the film. Our film is an action/drama so we need to show this genre by using suspenseful tracks that build tension but perhaps are eery at the same time.

http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1400041

This song builds in suspense and gets faster and more exciting. However, the first half is a bit slow so if we were going to use this, we might have to just use the middle or end as it gets louder and faster in the second half of the music. It fits well with our theme of action and drama so that is good. 

https://ia600408.us.archive.org/22/items/EerieCreepyAndScaryMusicForYourScoresDvds/DvdThemeMusic-chasePulse.mp3

This one is quite creepy and so builds tension and suspense whilst the girl is running through the forest. However, it doesn't really fit with the 'running' part as it is generally quite slow and doesn't get faster as it goes on which is vital to what we are looking for.

https://ia600408.us.archive.org/22/items/EerieCreepyAndScaryMusicForYourScoresDvds/DvdThemeMusic.eerie.creepy.rightBehindYou.mp3

This song is also creepy and suspenseful and builds an eery atmostphere. It also has breathing noises that could help us create the illusion that someone is chasing the girl which is good and because we are hoping to film on a foggy day it adds to the mystery and distorted environment. The only downside is that it doesn't have much beat to it so it doesn't fit with the running element in our film, however, if we find another running song we could link these two tracks together as I really like the creepiness of this track. Alternatively, we could use this in the flashback scene, which is supposed to be really creepy.

http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1300013 

HITMAN

This is my favourite one to use because it is suitable for a chase scene because of it's drama and suspense. Although it is less eery than the others, the main thing we want to show is the tension of the girl running and show that it is a 'chase scene' as if she is running away and I think that this music shows that perfectly.

Analysis of opening 2 minutes of Les Misérables

• Les Misérables is a 2012 British epic romantic musical historical drama film produced by Working Title Films and distributed by Universal Pictures.

• The film starts underwater with telling us the back story. It gives us the year and what has happened before we join the story. As the text fades away we hear a muffled drum beat. We then see what looks like a french flag as we get nearer to the stop of the water. When we reach the top there are lots of bubbles and the first thing we see when we get out of the water is a ship that looks like it has crashed. 

• The music is very loud when we come out of the water, there are trumpets which represents an alarm of war or a command to march. It is very dark and gloomy which could show us that it is night or to represent that it is going to be depressing and dismal. The waves are crashing up against the boat which could show that it is stormy, which is pathetic fallacy, foreshadowing something bad will happen. We then see the whole of the ship and at the other side are men pulling the boat with ropes. The music seems to be coming to a stop. The men grunt as they pull the rope to show that the work is hard, also they are getting hit with the waves constantly so we get the feeling that this is not voluntary. 

• The camera zooms in to the men and they all look tired, dirty and angry. From a worms eye view we see someone standing above the men, this is to show his authority over the other men. The men have chains on them which could suggest that they are slaves or prisoners. The men start singing, “look down.” which is like an order that they have been told to follow, though one man keeps looking up and this could show that he is disobeying. The slave is dressed in rags, has a long beard and dirty face and the officer is wearing blue which connotes to royalty and looks clean and well presented.

• The main is told to ‘retrieve the flag’ and as he picks up the flag pole the music gets louder and more prominent, this could be to show the strength of the man. The French flag is dragged through mud which could show us that bad things may happen in France in the rest of the film. 

Analysis of opening 2 minutes of Sweeney Todd

• Sweeney Todd is a drama, horror and musical. It is about the story of Benjamin Barker, a.k.a. Sweeney Todd, who sets up a barber shop in London, which is the base for him and his companion Mrs. Lovett's sinister plans. 

• This opening title sequence is great because it creates a creepy atmosphere which creepy music and the dark imagery. It sets up the rest of the film, showing that it will be gory. 

• It starts with showing the Dreamworks logo, with some creepy organ music in the background, foreshadowing something frightening is going to happen. Then on a black screen, "Watner Bros. Pictures and Dreamworks Pictures present" comes up. The font is a gothic style. There is quite, eery music in the background. The thunder and lightning is pathetic fallacy, therefore showing that the film is not going to be happy and something bad will happen. The camera then takes us to the sky, where there is thunder and lightning and "A Parkes/MacDonald production."appears. It then moves down to show roof tops and chimneys, where "A Zanuck Company production" appears in the same gothic font.

• We go to one window where we see a chair with blood spattered on the window. This shows that a death will occur. There is also a chair in the middle of the room, and "A Tim Burton Film" appears over the chair. The next shot is of a picture on a wall and it looks like a silhouette of a woman but the picture frame looks old and rusty to suggest that something may have happened to this woman. The actors credits start with Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham-Carter, Alan Rickman etc. 

• We then start to follow a trail of blood as it goes through cogs, then under the floor where the screen goes dark before "Sweeney Todd" comes down from the top of the screen in red, which symbolises blood and evil. Underneath in white comes "The demon barber of Fleet Street". This shows us further that there will be evil in the film. 

• The rest of the opening shows the gore and blood that the rest of the film will hold, including 'meat' coming out of a meat grinder looking like worms and then it follows the trail of blood going through the house and sewers. There is also fire and pies which could leave the audience confused at why there is food in such a dirty place.

• The music in this opening is mostly short high string notes which some booming drums and occasionally trumpets when the title is shown or when the blood reaches the sewers. It gives a tense feeling and sounds quite scary as if it is getting faster and louder. 

• Even though the opening looks animated it still creates a creepy atmosphere very effectively.

Analysis of opening 2 minutes of The Proposal

The Proposal is a romantic comedy made in 2009.

• The film starts with the producers logos, Touchstone and Mandeville Films.

• The non-digetic music used in the opening scene is cheery and upbeat which shows us that the genre is going to be happy or funny and steers us away from horror or sci-fi genres. The first scene is someone walking through a forest which could be seen as quite scary but the music makes us have a different view on the genre of the film.

• The shot then pans out to show that the forest is just on a screen and we see a woman exercising and reading manuscripts. The fact that she is watching a forest shows that she wants to be in nature and probably lives in the city. We see this when the shot keeps panning out and we see buildings in the window.
  
• The woman seems to be organised and determined because she is on time and lives a healthy lifestyle.

• We then get introduced to her opposite, the male lead. The diegetic sound of a beeping car wakes him up which carries on the idea of them both living in a big city. He is late from waking up so he is the opposite to the female lead who is organised. This already shows us that these two characters will end up not getting on, because they are totally different. In addition, the male lead swears whilst the female remains professional.

• The females kitchen is also very tidy, whilst the male's home is messy with magazines lying around. This goes with gender stereotypes where women are the more domestic gender. The kitchen also looks very expensive which shows that she is successful.

• We then get our first taste of what city this is set in as we see busy streets with yellow taxis, signifying that we are in New York. This fits with the romantic comedy cliché as they are usually set in a big city.

• Meanwhile, the intertext is shown over the action but near the bottom so we are not distracted from the story that is forming.

• The male lead goes into a coffee shop and we see that a girl in the shop is flirting with him and obviously thinks he is attractive as we see later when the girl has written her number on the cup.

• The camera shot follows the characters around showing how fast moving the city is and how they must rush to catch up. It is effective because we are following their lives.

• We see that both of the people work in a publishing house, this shows that they work together and that is how the two characters meet. The male lead is rushing about with two coffee's. 

• The male bumps into someone spilling a coffee, he shouts 'sweet jesus' which shows that he is probably stressed and his job is very demanding.

• When the female comes in, it it obvious that many people do not like her or are scared of her as a people steer clear of her path and there are messages sent around saying "It's here." There is diegetic sounds of the messages popping up to make the mood lighthearted.

• Finally, we see how the two characters know each other, the male being the females secretary, which challenges gender stereotypes as usually the men are the boss and the women being the secretaries. 
  

• The two characters are polar opposites and the male seems to want to have a real conversation with the female but she seems to distracted by her work, which foreshadows that later on she may look away from her work and see that she likes the man. The male seems clumsy, awkward and perhaps unlucky, whilst the females collected, determined and serious.

This is an effective opening as we can clearly see the characters' personality, for our film we should use some of these techniques to show the audience what our characters are like and how they represent different social groups.