Generating your film idea

Throughout the discussions we have had in class so far, you should have a rough idea of what you are going to produce for your opening sequence.

I like the idea of someone making a journey. I will outline an idea and some example clips which may play a part in influencing my ideas.

I know what I am like in the mornings - I am not the best (as you well know). I am going to plan a 'getting ready to leave the house' sequence. Pete Fraser, the Chief Examiner has stated that he doesn't want to see these types of sequences, so I will plan this as an example.


The first thing I am going to think is films videos which show people walking along the street or getting ready in the morning.....

In the opening sequence of The Devil Wears Prada, we see the character
Andie getting ready for her first day at Runway Magazine. Her sequence
of events is cut with sequences of 'fashion girls' getting ready for their day at work.
Andie does not select her clothes or put her makeup on with the same care
and attention as the 'fashion girls'. She collects her breakfast on the way to
work - a bagel, while we see on girl have a handful of almonds for her breakfast.
We see Andie arrive at the Runway office via public transport - metro and walking, while some girls are seen to catch a taxi.
She arrives at the Runway office and awaits the interview with Miranda Priestly.

In this opening sequence of Closer, we see two of the characters walking toward each other. They are walking along a busy London street and they are among the many commuters (presumably) on their way to work. They notice each other in their respective sections of the crowd and smile.
Natalie Portman's character seems eager to meet Jude Law's character and she walks across the road too early and is hit by a black cab.
As she is lying on the ground, she looks up and smiles at Jude Law's character and says, 'hello stranger.'
She is then taken to hospital.
We are unaware at this stage that the characters hadn't met before.




In Definitely Maybe, we see Ryan Reynold's character leaving his office to go and collect his daughter from school. We hear him speak over the visual action that he loves this journey - going to collect his daughter twice a week from school and she stays over in his apartment. As he walks long the street in New York, he has a soundtrack playing in his ears through his MP3 player and we hear it as the music over the action.
One he arrives at the school, chaos is breaking out as the students had had a sex education class during the day. The camera zooms in on the daughter - she looks very serious and says to her father 'We need to talk'.





This is a music video clip - Bittersweet Symphony by The Verve.
The clip shows the band's lead singer Richard Ashcroft walking along a street in East London.
Richard Ashcroft walks along the street in an almost straight line and is singing along to the musical soundtrack. As he walks, he bumps into people, or cars are needing to stop suddenly. The people he bumps into are shocked as he continues to walk along, however, one person in the clip screams and yells at him but he is oblivious to this as he keeps singing.
This clip has been parodied in Vindaloo by Fat Les - a football anthem.