9 FRAME ANALYSIS

Lucy Billington-Groom

The first frame introduces the production company. The use of the production company name is that it gives the audience some kind of idea about the quality or success of the film. Rogue productions isn’t a well known company but it is an extension of Universal therefore the positive reputation of Universal would be expected to be upheld by Rogue. The audience has high expectations of the film due to Universal’s success in the film industry. The use of a filing cabinet shows the lack of modern technology which represents an “out of date” character, also the disorganisation represents the comical and incompetent nature of the character.

This shot in the opening sequence presents another production company but like the previous scene the main attraction on the screen is the actions in the background. The image of a classified document and a photograph of a missing person is the largest image in this scene which allows the audience to interpret that it is an important piece of information in relation to the plot. The colour red represents importance and in this case a warning towards the classified information. The large, red stamp on the picture represents a closed case and a dismissal from authority.

By this point in the opening we are being presented with the producer’s names, if these are well known it allows the audience to draw on previous experience of that producer’s work and make a judgement about the movie. In this case the producers aren’t widely acknowledged in the public eye so it is harder for an audience to judge the film in the beginning. By this point in the opening we are being introduced to the main characters through the images on the screen. The image being portrayed by the actor in this scene is that he is not very professional, by this point the audience is introduced to the comedic side of the movie. The surveillance image of the character represents interest in the character which then leads in to the main plot.

We are introduced to the main character and immediately after spend the majority of the opening scene watching him in a type of workshop. In this scene he is dressed in a way that portrays an unkempt life style with his tattered shirt and unusually over grown hair. We see him tinkering with different inventions and the audience assumes he is unemployed and trying to generate an income. The audience then make the link between the official documentation shown previously and the character in order to deduce this man is important to the film plot. This scene represents an easy lifestyle for the character the action of him inventing represents he is a creative person with a decent amount of knowledge.

In this scene we are shown the main character playing a musical instrument, this is implies that he has a multitude of past times as we have seen him inventing previously. This scene is also part of the comedic side of the film as the audience is urged to see the main character as immature. The use of the instrument allows the audience to see that the character doesn’t have a serious side and enjoys fun. Again there is no text on screen so our full attention is on the character. The use of musical instruments represents the care free side of the character and the light-hearted sense of the movie.

This scene includes the names of the main actors in the film, this allows the audience to make an early judgement on the quality of the film, if the actors are well known for successful film roles then the film will have high expectations to meet. Also in this scene we see the character continuing to build. We are shown a range of tools that suggest the character is dedicated and passionate about inventing, this suggests that the character maybe isolated. The tools represent a passionate side of the character but can also represent focus and precision.

This scene has no text for the audience to read therefore we are expected to focus on the character again. We see him finishing an invention he has created, this is important as the audience have not had an image of the character that connotes a mature adult, this event allows the audience to understand that the character is able to complete tasks and is capable to achieve complex goals. This scene represents the dedication of the character in his hobby and how he has a serious side when it comes to things he is passionate about.

In this scene the director’s name is presented. If the audience are familiar with the director’s work again it allows the audience to formulate an idea about the quality of the movie. In this scene we see the main character finish his work by topping it with an American flag, the audience interprets this as the character being a proud American and the film having a heavy, stereotypical American influence. The use of the flag can also be interpreted by the audience as a democratic image and that could relate to the plot being political. The flag represents a strong patriarchal link, we feel the character has served his country in some way.

The film title is an essential part of the opening sequence. The example here is that the title is in large, block letters in order to captivate the audiences attention and be the main attraction on the screen. The background allows the audience to interpret the film, the fire which seems explosion-like connotes that it is a high action film and will be exciting. The stone effect of the lettering can be interpreted as that the name is unbreakable and powerful, connoting that the character with that name is also powerful and unbreakable. The flames represent the explosive action to come in the film and the charisma of the main character.