Film Opening Research #1 - The Terminator
1. How many titles are displayed during the opening sequences to the film?
Only two titles are displayed before the movie starts "An ORION Pictures Release" and "Hemdale Presents a Pacific Western Production of A James Cameron Film". After the brief introduction, the credits are listed, followed by the title of the movie.
2. What images are prioritized in the opening sequence?
The opening scene starts with showing a dark spooky place with few barren trees. There is also a place and time stamp reading "Los Angeles 2029 A.D.". A space ship of some kind then appears overhead, shining a beam on the ground below. The ship creates wind, which stirs the ground creating an uprise of dust. The space ships then shoot lazers everyone on the ground, bombs explode, machines run over skulls and bones, and soldiers run.
3. What connotations do the images carry?
The opening scene starts with showing a dark spooky place with few barren trees. There is also a place and time stamp reading "Los Angeles 2029 A.D.". A space ship of some kind then appears overhead, shining a beam on the ground below. The ship creates wind, which stirs the ground creating an uprise of dust. The space ships then shoot lazers everyone on the ground, bombs explode, machines run over skulls and bones, and soldiers run.
4. How is genre reinforced through symbolic (setting, mise en scene, acting, color) and technical (camerawork, editing, audio, lighting) codes from the outset (beginning)?
The setting is a battlefield, which reinforces the action/adventure genre. There are machines moving across the ground, crushing bones and shooting lazers everywhere. These lazers are a part of editing and audio. The lazer beams were most likely added during the editing process, as was the sound of the lazers being shot and bombs exploding. All of the color shown is very dark, with showing blacks and darker blues. Lighting, which is also part of mise en scene, is also very dark, as there are many shadows and low-key lighting is being used. Occasionally there is high-key lighting when a lazer shoots or bomb goes off, with an explosion of light. The camera work starts with a wide shot, then begins close-ups to show the damage that is being done. From there the camera mostly just pans out across the scene. The non-digetic music being used also helps to set the mood and genre, as it is very solemn and deep.
5. How does the film establish an enigma (mystery) from the outset (beginning)?
All of the scenes first shown have dark colors, lighting, and create a mysterious feeling. The viewer knows something bad is happening but is not sure what exactly is going on. At the very beginning of the film the place and time is set, so the viewer knows that this is in Los Angeles in 2029. This information also helps to create a mysterious mood, because no one knows what life will be like in the future. Because the viewer also knows that this is in Los Angeles, they may wonder what happened to turn it into a dangerous graveyard.
6. What strategies are used to ensure the film appeals to its target audience?
People who will watch The Terminator are typically older and are used to watching action/adventure films, meaning that they are familiar with violence. By showing the dangerous setting and mysterious mood, the viewers are captured by the intriguing film. They are wondering what is happening and where these machines came from, which is the whole premise of The Terminator. All of the techniques discussed in question 4 also apply to this.
7. How has technology been used effectively? You might want to consider camera angles, transitions and editing techniques.
The camera angles are mostly basic, such as wide shots, close ups, and pans. However, because this movie is an older one, this is not very surprising. The technology used works for the film, but it is definitely not as good as the technology and editing in some films today. Pretty much all of the transitions are cuts, where it suddenly jumps to the next clip. The only transition that differs is when the film goes into the brief explanation on the screen, in which the background fades to become a lot darker. This helps to contrast with the white letters on the screen, yet still allows viewers to see the action of lazers being shot in the background.
Only two titles are displayed before the movie starts "An ORION Pictures Release" and "Hemdale Presents a Pacific Western Production of A James Cameron Film". After the brief introduction, the credits are listed, followed by the title of the movie.
2. What images are prioritized in the opening sequence?
The opening scene starts with showing a dark spooky place with few barren trees. There is also a place and time stamp reading "Los Angeles 2029 A.D.". A space ship of some kind then appears overhead, shining a beam on the ground below. The ship creates wind, which stirs the ground creating an uprise of dust. The space ships then shoot lazers everyone on the ground, bombs explode, machines run over skulls and bones, and soldiers run.
3. What connotations do the images carry?
The opening scene starts with showing a dark spooky place with few barren trees. There is also a place and time stamp reading "Los Angeles 2029 A.D.". A space ship of some kind then appears overhead, shining a beam on the ground below. The ship creates wind, which stirs the ground creating an uprise of dust. The space ships then shoot lazers everyone on the ground, bombs explode, machines run over skulls and bones, and soldiers run.
4. How is genre reinforced through symbolic (setting, mise en scene, acting, color) and technical (camerawork, editing, audio, lighting) codes from the outset (beginning)?
The setting is a battlefield, which reinforces the action/adventure genre. There are machines moving across the ground, crushing bones and shooting lazers everywhere. These lazers are a part of editing and audio. The lazer beams were most likely added during the editing process, as was the sound of the lazers being shot and bombs exploding. All of the color shown is very dark, with showing blacks and darker blues. Lighting, which is also part of mise en scene, is also very dark, as there are many shadows and low-key lighting is being used. Occasionally there is high-key lighting when a lazer shoots or bomb goes off, with an explosion of light. The camera work starts with a wide shot, then begins close-ups to show the damage that is being done. From there the camera mostly just pans out across the scene. The non-digetic music being used also helps to set the mood and genre, as it is very solemn and deep.
5. How does the film establish an enigma (mystery) from the outset (beginning)?
All of the scenes first shown have dark colors, lighting, and create a mysterious feeling. The viewer knows something bad is happening but is not sure what exactly is going on. At the very beginning of the film the place and time is set, so the viewer knows that this is in Los Angeles in 2029. This information also helps to create a mysterious mood, because no one knows what life will be like in the future. Because the viewer also knows that this is in Los Angeles, they may wonder what happened to turn it into a dangerous graveyard.
6. What strategies are used to ensure the film appeals to its target audience?
People who will watch The Terminator are typically older and are used to watching action/adventure films, meaning that they are familiar with violence. By showing the dangerous setting and mysterious mood, the viewers are captured by the intriguing film. They are wondering what is happening and where these machines came from, which is the whole premise of The Terminator. All of the techniques discussed in question 4 also apply to this.
7. How has technology been used effectively? You might want to consider camera angles, transitions and editing techniques.
The camera angles are mostly basic, such as wide shots, close ups, and pans. However, because this movie is an older one, this is not very surprising. The technology used works for the film, but it is definitely not as good as the technology and editing in some films today. Pretty much all of the transitions are cuts, where it suddenly jumps to the next clip. The only transition that differs is when the film goes into the brief explanation on the screen, in which the background fades to become a lot darker. This helps to contrast with the white letters on the screen, yet still allows viewers to see the action of lazers being shot in the background.
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