The Accidental Husband
The Accidental Husband opens with its main focus on a female radio host, giving advice to female listeners with relationship issues. While being shown this woman we mainly see close ups of her face, to possibly show her passion and belief in what she is talking about.
Throughout the opening credits it jumps from showing us the radio host to showing us life in New York. We even see a split screen of the host and New York at some points. The shots of New York are mainly Extreme Long Shots, as it allows the audience to see the busy life of many of the residents and to possibly make the audience think “how do people have time for a healthy relationship in amongst their busy lives?”
It also shows a lot of happy-looking, independent women listening to the radio station in their cars and through headphones while walking about...possibly trying to prove to themselves and the outside world that they are just fine, however, deep down we get the impression that they have relationship issues. All of these shots are shown in Long shots, as it allows the audience to see both the women and their surroundings.
There is also a lot of non-diagetic sound throughout this opening sequence, of the radio host talking to women while we are shown New York, there are also sirens in the background (could this be an early indication that there is to be some form of conflict?)
This cuts to a Long Shot of a football field and pans down to ground-level; from here we track some players around the pitch, this is used to set the basic atmosphere.
This goes to a medium shot of a woman by a car, which is parked next to the football pitch and she is listening to the radio. The medium shot is used in order for the audience to see both her body language and facial expressions all at once. Another medium shot is then used to show one of the men on the football pitch looking at the woman, this shot is used for the same purpose as the previous medium shot but it also singles him out to the rest of the players.
From here we are shown to play on the pitch and the woman is almost narrated to the problems with her partner through the radio.
Then we see a long shot of the same man getting into a car with his friends, not with the woman...this leaves the audience wondering why this could be. We are then shown a medium close up of the men in the car listening to the radio.
We are then taken to a new scene of the woman in her car on the phone to the radio host; a medium close up is used to show the facial expression of the caller and cuts to another medium close up inside the ‘lads’ car and is of just the partner of the woman as he hears her on the radio this allows the audience to focus solely on the man’s facial expression as it goes from happy to sad.
This then fades to black in preparation for the film to get going.
There are a few examples of non-diagetic sound used in this opening sequence, some of which have already been mentioned, however the most noticeable sound is the sound of soft music playing throughout the entire piece. This is used in order to set the vibe and mood of a romantic comedy and also to put the audience in a false sense of security as they will assume that everything is ‘rosy’ until we start to realise what is going on.
The is also a lot of diagetic sound, the sound of talking and horns being honked add to the atmosphere of New York and the sound of the referee’s whistle being blown, players shouting to each other and cars driving passed which allow us to come to ‘ground-level’ with New York.
The Mise En Scéne all follows convention, from the radio booth with its microphone and buttons, the hectic city of New York...taxis, traffic jams, the sound of horns, things that we all associate with the city to the football pitch with its players, arguments and referee.
Not all of the editing used was invisible, as we had the fade at the end to black and also there were coloured bars running across the screen at different times.
Bridget Jones's Diary
Bridget Jones’s Diary opens with a medium shot of Bridget walking in the snow, her body language giving the impression that she may be fed up and annoyed. This then goes to a long shot of a car and Bridget getting out of the car; it stays on the long shot as the camera pans to follow her to the doorstep of her parent’s house she seems to be slamming her feet into the snow...is this out of frustration or does she just not want to fall over?
Once Bridget reaches the door, an over-shoulder shot is used to show her mother’s welcoming reaction towards her.
A high-angled long shot is then used to show Bridget entering the house, this may foretell the scale of events that she has to overcome, that are grand but possibly reachable.
There is then some medium close ups of a conversation between Bridget and her mother, her mom is trying to get her out of the ‘single’ life and is try to set her up with someone, medium close ups are used to show the expression on both of their faces and the coldness that Bridget feels towards her mother at that moment in time.
The camera then tracks Bridget through a party on a medium shot looking awkward and unsatisfied with what she is wearing, the medium shot is used to show her fidgeting and lack of self-confidence.
From here there is a medium shot showing the disgust on Bridget’s face at an older man that just groped her bum.
At this point Bridget goes to her father in which there is a two shot used of them on a medium close up to show their discomfort towards the party and what her mother is trying to Do in setting Bridget up. This switches to a medium close up of the back of the man she is being set up with; this makes him seem mysterious and makes gives suspense to the feeling of possible romance.
Te camera then tracks Bridget and her mother as her mother leads her towards the man...as if being forced to go and meet him; however the narration tells a different story, it seems Bridget may deep down want to get to know this man.
The opening sequence finishes with a medium close up of the man turning around to unveil himself in an almost romantic way, as if all of Bridget’s prayers had been answered in a moment.
There were two main non-diagetic sounds heard throughout this opening sequence. The first was the sound of Bridget’s narration in order to add to the comedic aspect of the movie and also to explain the background of herself. The second was a couple of different sons played in order to build up an atmosphere for the audience to ‘play’ off of.
The diagetic sounds her were all normal and they include walking, talking, a car and shouting.
The opening sequence was based in an English village at winter time, this was made obvious by the snow on the ground and the Christmas spirit seen throughout.
The Mise En Scéne all follows convention the house is your average English country house and set out accordingly.
All of the editing used was invisible.
He's Just Not That Into You
He’s Just Not That Into You opens with the camera panning across a child’s playground on a long shot to show all of the kids, doing kids things and playing. The panning stops at a girl building a sand castle.
The shot then switches to a long shot of a group of boys heading towards her with intent. The camera then tracks the ‘leader’ as he heads closer to the girl.
There is then a couple of high angled and low angled shots used as the girl is lower than the boy, this could represent the power that he thinks he has over her. The boy then pushes the little girl down and there is a high-angled, medium close up to show her on the ground, his shows the audience her tears and the pained expression on her face. There is again a low angled shot of the boy from the girl’s perspective as he is shouting at her, this could have a connotation of the fact that the boy is having a go at her makes her feel small and is represented by the clever use of cameras.
This goes to a series of over shoulder shots of the little girl explaining what has happened to her mom, it allows us to see the sympathy on her mom’s face while seeing the pain and emotion within the little girl.
We also are given a two-shot of the girl and her mom holding hands as her mom reassures her that everything is going to be ok, it shows the audience the mother and daughter relationship between the two of them and allows us to see a bond between them.
We, as the audience are then taken to a series of different clips of women talking about their experiences with guys not calling them back, this is integral to the movie as it allows us to see what possibly is to come with the main characters.
It includes a scene of two women sat by a phone and the scene opens with a close up of the phone showing that there are no new messages and no one is calling, yet they are still staying positive.
After this the screen fades to black and the writing “He’s Just Not That Into You” shows up.
The none-diagetic sounds present in the opening sequence are the sound of ‘quick’ music, in the sense that the beat is quick however it is not jolly due to the scenes that it is present in. Also the sound of woman (the little girl grown up) narrating us through it.
The diagetic sounds include kids playing, laughing, screaming, ladies talking and cars.
The main scene’s Mise En Scéne also followed convention; the park is a typical kids place to hang out with the parent sitting around the side watching on at their children playing on the climbing frames and making new friends.
Most of the opening scene had invisible editing, excluding the very opening as it fades from black to the park and at the very end when it fades to black.
Horror
The Others
The opening sequence of The Others seems like a pretty normal opening, with no scary music and nothing odd or suspicious going on.
However, when you look deeper into it, this is what makes the movie scarier, the eeriness of a silent atmosphere and the fact that it is luring the audience into a false sense of security.
There are no none-diagetic sounds to be heard and the only diagetic sounds are that of talking, walking, the door bell and keys jangling, again adding to this eerie atmosphere in a big dark house.
The Mise En Scéne seems to follow convention with being set in a big dark-looking mansion, wooden doors and beams, the sort of house we the audience expect from a Horror movie. The old clothes and hair seem to match up with each other and the time that this movie is set in (the war period).
The movie opens with three people going towards the house, this is shown on a long shot and we pan in order to follow them. This then goes onto an over should shot towards the door to see it being opened and to see the house owner open it, this is then followed by another over should shot towards one of the people that was walking towards the house (they are looking for jobs), the person that talks to her seems to be the main speaker of the three. Following this, a series of over should shots is used in order for us to see the conversation in action.
The three job seekers then line up inside the house and are shown on a three-shot from the chest up, the owner is stood opposite them and is shown on a medium close up and seems to be shown on a low angle shot, this makes her seem more powerful and in control, as though she holds power over these three people who haven’t yet started working for her.
The camera then changes to behind the door of the next room and pans in an ark shape in order to show the house, a cold looking place with bare walls and a wooden stair case.
We then catch up with the house owner and she is shown on a medium shot, stood with her hands in clasped, maybe this shows the authority that she feels.
Another pan is used down the bottom of a corridor as the owner and three job seekers go towards a door.
This is where the opening sequence finishes, as they all enter another room.
All of the editing used is invisible.
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