Walking into this project, I assumed it would take me a long time to think of an idea. But then I remembered a piece of advice we talked about in class- “draw from what you know.” At first, I was thinking to create an opening about having divorced parents, but I would not have actors for it; therefore, I had to abandon the idea. After watching the openings to numerous films, including Parasite, Lady Bird, and the student samples we were shown, I knew I wanted to pursue the “dramedy/coming-of-age” genre.
Drawing from my actual life, my opening would be an introducing a friend group, all of which who are neighbors and love to skateboard. I developed this idea from my actual life- my neighbors and I often hang out and go around the neighborhood skateboarding, biking, and listening to music. Of course, I will be exaggerating these characters to have this sort of teenage/rebellious vibe. Each character will have their own aesthetic- none of them will have a similar style- but their differences will be what brings them together.
Here are some of the inspirations I took from various film openings:
1. Parasite(2019)
When watching the opening to this film, I felt really engaged by the camerawork. I thought that the use of fluid camera movements, showcasing each character and room, would be a really useful tool in my project. As there will be many characters in my opening, each who need to be somewhat introduced, this technique will help the audience get a feel for the characters and the way they interact with their environment.
2. Lady Bird(2017)
I loved the dialogue in this film opening. I really think that using a conversational dialogue with personal elements would help create the personality of each character. I also liked the rebellious nature of the main character, Christine, and wanted to incorporate that into my own project. I will also introduce my characters with a song they all enjoy (this idea developed when Christine and her mother were listening to a reading of their favorite book).
3. The student samples
In whole, the idea of introducing the characters’ environment with objects in their room stuck out to me. Since the characters in my film’s opening are charismatic/rule-breaking teenagers, introducing their environment first will set the tone of my piece. I thought that with my plot, filming the opening in my own room would be suitable; after all, I’m a teenager myself and with just a little re-decoration, I can transform my room into one that would fit my group’s vibe. I loved the idea of incorporating an over the shoulder shot facing a mirror- this made me want to film my characters’ applying each-other’s makeup through the mirror- I feel like this would engage the audience more by creating a nostalgic/childlike connection with them. At the end of the opening, I want to incorporate a silence that will leave the audience feeling fulfilled. After getting ready, the teenagers will sneak out the window and then as it shuts, the diegetic music from inside the room will stop playing and the characters’ will grab their skateboards and run off laughing (or something to that effect). The title will subsequently show and the video would end.
By drawing from my own experiences, and incorporating inspiration from different film openings, I was able to put together a general idea of how I want to do the project. Of course, I still have to develop it a little bit more, but I feel like my idea would resonate with the viewers who perhaps had this type of childhood.
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