R+P Post 5: Our opening sequence idea

NARRATIVE

1. Beginning  - Inter titles describing the basic theme of the film. A CU shot pans over Toby's bed in the morning, and there is a focus pull onto his alarm clock as it starts to ring. Toby wakes up, and an inter title reveals that he is invisible. This part is heavily influenced by the opening scene of What We Do In The Shadows.
2. Middle - The camera tracks to follow Toby around the house as he introduces the different characters, which will be cross-cut with documentary-style interviews with them. This, again is influenced by What We Do In The Shadows, as well as the general convention to introduce main characters in the opening sequence of films (although ours is done a bit more more blatantly than most films).
3. End -  Toby packs for going to university, and the family sit down for dinner in front of the TV on their last night together before he leaves.

 

The first 6 minutes of What We Do In The Shadows.

SCRIPT

Our opening sequence script.

NARRATIVE CONVENTIONS

• The audience doesn't find out what his 'condition' is until they see the character for the first time, when it is revealed by an inter title. This is a convention of the genre, as it leaves the audience is suspense, but not for too long.
• We are using binary opposites between Toby and his brother, a film convention in general. For example, the binary opposite between the main group of teenagers, and Hans (the main troll hunter), even though they still have to work together, in Trollhunter.