Coraline and Dr. No opening sequence

Coraline opening sequence

The film opening starts with the credits and then a doll entering a window and is then placed on a table. The doll is then being sown and cut by metal hands. The music is heart-warming and light to symbolise innocence since it is showing a doll. After the doll has been reconstructed into another doll she is thrown out the window again.

The fact that the doll is going round and round and enters through the window shows that is odd. The doll then has the hair, eyes and the insides sown off by metal hands. With little understanding at the start, the audience then realise that the doll is being made into another doll with different features. Every sown piece of the doll is shown to show how much time is put into making her. It is quite hard to understand the narrative straight away however the fact that the doll is changes its features definitely makes the audience want to find out more since the doll is being sown by metal hands.

The camera is at a high angle filming the metal hands assembling a new doll. It also shows the power of the thing with the metal hands as it manipulates the doll. The metal hands seem creepy but at the same time making the audience curious to find out what it really is and it is making a new doll. An extreme close-up of the hair being taken off of the dolls head is to show how it is being taken off as well as when it shows the button eyes...etc

Ellipsis is shown when the doll first comes into the window and the outside is light navy blue however when the doll is totally different and thrown back out the window the sky is pitch black.

The non-diegetic sound is orchestral mainly using the triangle to show it is light hearted. The metal hands reconstructing the doll contrast the sound because it is unusual. The sound is somehow ghostly with children singing in the background emphasising the fantasy genre as well as the thriller. The music then pauses and continues at a high pitch but more comforting.

The doll is in a room with a creature/character with metal hands. Around the room I can identify textiles, sewing pins, wool, yarn, buttons, scissors, sewing machine...etc. The props help to reconstruct the doll’s features. After the doll’s clothes are made, the audience is aware that the doll is a little girl. The lighting in the room is relatively dark and therefore gives us the impression that the film is not entirely heart-warming.

My opinion:

The sound in Coraline's opening is suave however the lighting and the metal hands transforming the doll into another completely contrasts to the music. Through my research I have found out that the Other Mother sews children's eyes into buttons and takes their souls therefore the metal hands we see are from the Other Mother. I still think that the song should have been different but it contrasts the Other Mother's character which we later find out she is a monstrous witch. I didn't think the opening caused an instant arousal however it definitely set questions and didn't give too much of the plot.

 

Dr. No opening sequence 

Editing for perspective is successfully used when it also acts as the eye line match who is used from the assassin’s perspective.

Non diegetic sound added in post production is used very well. At the beginning the sound effect is high pitch which quickly grabs the audience’s attention. Before the point-of-view shot there are instrumental noises that introduce James Bond to the audience and then the gun shot noise.  After the gun shot, the James Bond theme song is introduced and it acts as a motif, a musical refrain which accompanies Bond as it introduces him to the audience. The theme song sets the mood of mystery as the big circles continuously flash around the screen. The tone and pace of the music is fast as it goes from one credit to the other. The music all of a sudden changes to a drum and rhythmic sound that adds ambience making the audience feel like dancing.  The change from the rhythmic sound to the three blind mice sound sang in a Jamaican accent shows the audience where the film might be set or the protagonist’s regional identity.

Mise en scene is not used very well mostly because of the graphics used in the opening and therefore does not require a lot of costume, location and props. However, James Bond’s suit and hat was chosen very well because it definitely supports the stereotype that agents wear black suits and black hats. The audience knows from the start that he is an agent due to his clothes. Also, the gun used was great in order to make it bel

The film opening starts off with the credits. Then the audience’s perspective is shot from the point-of-view of an assassin’s gun barrel. The gun barrel follows James Bond’s movement as he walks, turns and then shoots directly at the camera which then causes blood to run down implying that the man behind the gun has fallen. This is then accompanied by the James Bond theme song. The title Dr. NO is flashed around the screen several times in different bold colours. Big circles in different colours are flashed around the screen and at the same time the credits are being showed. The James Bond theme song then wears off and then changes to a more rhythmic beat song that show human like characters dancing to the beat. Then it shows three old men walking to the right, all behind the other. It reminds us of the human evolution image that show the change from apes to humans. Due to the music they are the ‘three blind mice’ it is clearly shown because all three have walking sticks.

The images of the circles probably symbolise the gun barrel. The fact that it is shot inside the gun barrel is captivating and engages the audience; making us see from the assassin’s perspective. The blood dripping down the screen emphasises that it belongs to the assassin and the fact that the camera moves unevenly and then falls suggests that the assassin has also fallen. It hooks the audience because we want to know more about why the assassin was following Bond in the first place...etc In addition, the flashing big circles on the screen grasps the audience’s attention as well as when it is done with the title. It helps the audience understand the narrative and since it is an opening it has to quickly grab our attention. The dancing people show a different side to the film, meaning that not all of it is serious and a mystery. The dancing people and the three blind men leave the audience in doubt and thus making us want to find out more of the film.

The camera is successfully shot from the point-of-view of an assassin’s gun barrel. When Bond shoots at the assassin it engages us because it makes us feel as if we have just been shot. When Bond shoots the assassin he is still and the camera uses pan because it swivels left to right and then eventually moves on to the next scene. There is a mid shot of the people dancing to the beat to show their dance moves and then a wide shot of the three blind men walking. There is a drastic change from the bright colours on the screen when the people were dancing to dull colours such as navy and grey to when the men are walking which may suggest that something bad has happened. The camera tracks the men’s movement to deliberately show their slow pace.

ievable that he actually shot the assassin. The colours of the circles and the title differ so it is more appealing to watch. The animation graphics of the people dancing are in different colours to differentiate each character. Throughout most of the entire sequence until the three old men walking, the background colour is black. The three old men walking with their walking sticks are all black and the background colour is navy and grey.

My opinion:

I think that overall Dr. No has successfully used most of the thriller conventions. The reason for this is the fact that the music chosen was very appropriate for the genre of the film, for instance the James Bond theme song is mysterious and  it is a glamorized spy film so it worked very well. The opening gave out some clues of the story for example, the three blind mice song is sang in an Jamaican accent, later on in the film we find out that  John Strangways' is murdered in Jamaica and his body is taken by a trio known as the 'three blind mice' and James Bond is sent to Jamaica to investigate his dissapearance. The three blind mice song set up questions at the start because no-one knows where the film is set but this is exactly what film produces do to film openings. Film producers make us set up questions because they do not want to give too much of the film away otherwise it would have been a waste of money for the audience.  Personally, when I first saw the opening I thought that there was too much going on. I did not understand why there was dancing and the three blind men however through research I found that the opening related to the film a lot more then I thought it did.