Kissing booth - Credit

FILM OPENING ANALYSIS
The Kissing Booth
 - 2018- 

Introduction

Genre: Teen Romance - Comedy

Running time: 105 minutes

Director: Vince Marcello

Release date: May 11, 2018

Distributed by: Netflix

Original: Based on a novel of the same name by Beth Reekles (2012)

Source: IMDb

Elle has feelings for her best friend's older brother, which is a violation of one of their established rules since becoming best friends as kids. The story goes as Elle becomes more honest with her feelings towards Noah, and the development of their relationship from a brother-sister-like connection, to a more romantic storyline. 

Source: Pinterest

    As the film is a Netflix original, Netflix’s intro first appeared at the beginning of the sequence. The film starts with an unstable master shot outside a hospital in the morning, with noticeable movements of the camera zooming in and out at a fast pace, to the point where the scene becomes unfocused, connoting unseriousness. We could already see the names of people who contributed to the production process appearing in the background. A straight cut leads us to a long shot of the streets where a red sign on the left stating “EMERGENCY” easily catches our eyes through all the moving vehicles. The color red itself can carry many meanings such as love, desire, or jealousy. However, in this situation, if we associate it with the establishment of the hospital, red connotes danger or urgency. An insert shot provided the audience with a closer look at the sign, which right below the red heading states “Labor and delivery”, which may be decoded that newborn(s) are expected later in the sequence. Another perspective of the same area of traffic was shown, adding to the feeling of chaoticness and noise of hornings. After an upward-vertical panning of the hospital, the scene cuts to another setting where a woman wearing a blue surgical suit is seen pushing a bed across the hallway. A man was also shown in the same outfit in green, scribbling down notes on a board. From their visual appearance, they were encoded as doctors which means we are now inside the hospital. 

The opening credits continued to coordinate along with the voice-over of Elle Evans, our main character. The non-diegetic sound leads us along the story of the friendship between Elle and her best friend, Lee Flynn. As Elle introduces where she came from, a flash of a scene at a beach in Los Angeles appeared almost too quickly and was replaced immediately with another shot of the ocean. Along with those were constant changes of camera angles at a very fast pace. A cutaway matches Elle’s voice as she talks about the relationship between her mom and Lee’s mom, how they were “BFFs (Best Friends Forever) before people even used the term” meaning that their connection goes way back into the past.

From here, we get to delve further into different events of Elle’s upbringing alongside her best friend through the ages: her sixth Christmas; getting a broken leg; dressing up to a variety of characters for Halloween; learning how to swim and ride a bike; etc. A 360-degree turn and invisible cut combination was able to show the growth of the two characters as they got older. However, they were always seen on the dancing machine across the years, encoding their “loyalty” to the hobby. 

Lots of diegetic sounds were added to enhance the chaoticness:

• Sound of students shouting when Noah (Lee’s older brother) got into fights.

• Elle and Lee arguing over who was the better dancer

• The audience cheering Elle as she scores at a soccer match

All were included to create a more crowded, busy sensation that was muffled underneath the main non-diegetic voice-over of Elle. The tracking technique was used repetitively, producing a disorganized atmosphere hinting towards a comedic atmosphere.

Juxtaposition can be identified quite often during the opening credit. For example, the high contrast of noises and sounds. From an exciting event with a pop song playing in the background to a more sentimental soundtrack truly emphasizing the "ups and downs" of Elle's life. For instance, from an optimistic, cheerful soundtrack while showing off her Halloween costume at eleven years old to a quieter, almost sad piano-based melody while visiting her sick mother in the hospital for the first time. As a result, we can declare that sound design played a significant role in enhancing the juxtaposition of the Kissing Booth's opening credit. 

At one point, Elle was seen wearing a navy (dark) blue sweatshirt, which connotes depth and depression, while sitting next to her mother. The mother’s hair is now messier than before, with hyperpigmentation on her skin wearing a patient’s gown, overall looking tired and ill. Along with the amounts of medication placed on the little table, it can be decoded that her condition hadn’t gotten better. An abrupt interruption of the scene in the night cuts the laughter of Elle’s mom with the room having significantly less light, encoding the night time. Elle was crying, a close-up showing her facial expression more clearly, displaying immense sadness and a little bit of fear. This may provoke sympathy and sorrow from viewers. 

A romance narrative was also hinted at during this part of the movie. Her admiration for Noah, her best friend's older brother was hinted at many times. For example, when she saw " Noah getting really, really cute", or said, "Got over my crush on Noah, mostly", suggesting a humor component in the movie. Not much was given to the audience about Lee Flynn's personality or characteristics despite playing such a big part in Elle's life. Noah, on the other hand, was portrayed as a stereotypical popular guy in high school: Good physique; quite mean (or even rude); has a tendency towards violence (For example: his brutal punishments towards his younger brother).

    As the sequence goes, besides the credits, more texts were added to provide further contexts. Most were in bold fonts and displayed in eye-catching colors.

The text tells us the specific age of Elle and Lee at this exact moment, making it easier for the audience to comprehend. 

The voice-over of Elle says "Lee and I were born at the same day, at the same time". Instead of having Elle indicate the specific date or time, they chose to put those information on the screen, creating a more active sensation that aligns with the mood of the movie. 

Love, Rosie - Opening

FILM OPENING ANALYSIS

Love, Rosie. 

- 2014 - 

Introduction

Genre: Romantic comedy

Director: Christian Ditter

Distributed by: Lionsgate (United Kingdom) and Constantin Film (Germany)

Original: Novel by Cecilia Ahern named "Where Rainbows End".

Source of pictures: Pinterest

    The story surrounds two best friends who became inseparable at the age of 5, together dealing with the highs and lows of growing up side by side. After one missed opportunity, their lives continuously turned opposite ways, and whenever they would find their way back to one another it would always be as friends. "Will they ever be coming something more" is the big catch of the movie.

⊱ ━━━━.⋅ εïз ⋅.━━━━ ⊰

Source: https://cineb.rs/watch-movie/watch-love-rosie-free-18678.5299228

No establishing shots were provided for context, instead, the audience is expected to decode the ongoing setting. A voice-over guided the audience through Rosie's thought process as she was "spaced out", her eyes not depicting much emotion and her body almost completely still, not interacting with the environment. Muffled sounds of conversations happening behind a louder volume of the main soundtrack encode an event that involves many people. Moreover, dishes and utensils clanking against each other were also heard, signifying that meals were being provided at the event. Rosie's outfit doesn't look casual, instead, it is a dress made for more formal occasions. By adding sheer fabric as sleeves, the elegance of the look was greatly elevated. 

A centerpiece was displayed in front of Rosie as a bundle of flowers, often associated with weddings. From here it becomes more transparent to the viewer of “where” the scene is taking place. Despite being in a ceremonial ambiance, Rosie looks out-of-place and not enjoying herself, along with a zoom out to gradually show more of the background, as if to make her slowly look smaller, encoding distance from the crowds of people. Other guests were seen to be moving across the camera at a quick pace, further highlighting Rosie’s quietness in a boisterous atmosphere.

(⬅️example of wedding centerpiece; source: https://www.marthastewart.com/7912915/classic-wedding-centerpieces)

The voice-over matches Rosie’s action as it states, “Take a deep breath”, and a cutaway appears along with, "Start at the beginning".  Two little kids, a boy, and a girl, were introduced, befriending each other at a playground as we hear Rosie’s voice stating, “Tell them how we first met”. From that, we may decode that this was the first interaction between her and another character. A straight cut led to a classroom full of messy, but colorful drawings hanging by the walls, illustrating rainbows, animals, and flowers, encodes a kindergarten or primary school. This setting connotes a sense of childhood and nostalgia, along with the innocence of the children having fun exchanging notes and expressing joy. Lighting was set brightly, mimicking real sunlight peeking through the classroom’s window, as if reflecting their naive and sincere souls. Rosie and Alex as little kids also gave a very cute, charming impression of the film.

More information: Sunlight can trigger a sense of longing due to its association with many good memories and happiness. It is also known to positively affect our mood.

  

 The scene cuts to the two of them standing by a huge globe, pointing to presumably where they want to travel to in the future, as we hear "Tell them ever since we shared our dreams". This hints at the intimacy between the two characters since they were kids, to trust one another and convey their thoughts and wishes to each other. L-cut was used to maintain continuity as another scene appeared, showing a cassette as a prop, indicating an older time since cassettes are now considered "out-of-date". Rosie, and who we now know as Alex through the voice-over, were lying next to each other. This connotes how comfortable they are with the other person. The lasting friendship between Alex and Rosie was also encoded through their slightly older appearance depicted in the shot, indicating some time had passed. A straight cut to a "hotel" made out of blankets and pillows where the boy and girl were seen laying next to each other, sharing their dreams, "Even Alex's weirdest ones", Rosie mentioned. The closeness between Alex and Rosie is also shown through the physical movement of holding hands. This could potentially lead the viewers to think there is a romantic connection between the two, as the genre is said to be romance. Overall, the cutaway gave a nostalgic impression and also gave us an insight into the narrative of "friends to lovers".

 
 During the cutaway, writings appeared on the left corner of the screen to visually give deeper meaning to the content provided by Rosie. This detail could also mean that the certain context that was being talked about may be relevant later in the movie, and so the writings appeared as a way to draw the attention of the audience and make them save that idea for later. The words were seen as if they were being hand-written down during the sequence (like writing a letter) in a somewhat messy style, which increases the personal feeling of the scribbles. All were in capital letters, highlighting the importance of remembering this detail.

A constant background musical track was gradually building up in the background. "I'll Never Fall In Love Again" by Donnie Warwick. The title and lyrics can hint at a sad emotion as a result of falling in love, which can give us clues about the narrative of Rosie's love life.

   The scene cuts back to her original position, ending the cutaway. Enhanced sound of the glass being tapped by a knife, making a clinking noise was used to get the attention of the other wedding guests, a signal for all to settle down and get ready for a toast. As Rosie was speaking, an eyeline-match cut drew the attention to Alex who was sitting in front, expressing joy and excitement. He was dressed in a nice navy suit, with flowers attached to the pocket on the chest, indicating him as the groom. Rosie's voice trembling as if she was on the verge of tears, showing nervousness and agitation. As she pointed out "This has got to be one of the happiest days of my life", an abrupt cut immediately followed as a close-up of Rosie appeared, sobbing hard while on a moving vehicle, connoting that she was lying about her feelings, raising enigma code as to why she would lie, or why was she feeling such way? This also gave a sense of laughter by providing a contrast in emotions, or juxtaposition. Wedding bells were heard in the distance, signaling a marriage between two people, however, since Rosie was "hiding", it can be concluded that she was not the bride. The opening ended right after as a cliffhanger, encouraging viewers to continue watching.

   

One day - Credit

FILM OPENING CREDIT

One Day

- 2011 - 

Introduction

Genre: Romance - Drama

Budget: $15 million

 Director: Lone Scherfig

Box office: $59 million

Distributed by: Focus Features & Universal Pictures

Original (Screenplay):  David Nicholls's novel of the same name (2009)

Source of pictures: Pinterest

The story follows Emma Morley and Dexter Mayhew's relationship across two decades, beginning on July 15, 1988, their graduation day. Each year, on the same day, the story returns to them, following the maturation of their friendship, the advancement of their jobs, and the final flowering of their love for each other.

  ⤹ ⊹ One day ୨୧ ☁️ ₊˚๑

—————————————————— ⭑ ———— ๋࣭ ⭑ ——— ⭑———————————————————

The opening credit

Source: https://cineb.rs/watch-movie/watch-one-day-free-18172.5300134

The production companies included Random House Films and Film 4 Production as shown at the very beginning of the sequence, along with an echoing, slow-paced melody in the background, encoding melancholy. This sets a tone of anguish and sorrow. Anne Hathaway, who portrays Emma Morley, swims calmly with heightened sounds of her breathing. The mood was overall soothing, almost sedative. A straight-jump cut directs us to another setting of Emma riding on a bicycle as the camera tracks the constant forward movement. Unlike how traffic is often expected to be loud and noisy, with irritating honks from vehicles and people shouting in the streets, the main diegetic sound was Emma's bicycle. The rest of the sound sources were either muffled or made quiet through editing. This shines a light on Emma's life, implying that she should be the person to whom the audience should pay attention.

 

Regarding her interaction with the surrounding environment, she is comfortable or is used to the occurrences of the road. For example, her facial expression doesn't indicate much unfamiliarity with the area, but rather confidence, possibly encoding that she lives near this area or that she travels around here pretty often. Moreover, the act of raising her hand to the side, signaling her desire to go in front of another vehicle further sustenance how familiar she is with riding the bike out in the street. This encodes that these activities make up the story's equilibrium, according to Todorov's equilibrium theory. 

As Emma entered a smaller alley, a date appeared and the year seemed to "roll" backward, signifying that the storyline is rewinding back from 2006 to 1988 when the movie first took place in a late evening. Many establishing shots were shown, each with views of numerous buildings and modern architecture encoding a bustling city that has come to rest for the night.  Extreme long shots were used to utilize those properties as compositional coverage while having one constantly moving group of people wearing what looked like graduation gowns. As the streets were mostly empty, their presence seemed to be more noticeable under the few low-key lights illuminating the pathways. The yellow light was also reflected off the wet street, which can be interpreted as having just rained.  However, despite the many extreme long shots and master shots, the genre was not indicated during the opening credits. The geographical setting was also not included and was kept as a mystery until near the end of the opening credit by the dialogues between characters, revealing delicate, British accent. We could now decode the place to be the UK.

The overall pacing was comfortably slow, creating a calming mood. Cross-cutting was used between shots of the newly graduated university pupils and master shots of the town, each lasting a certain amount of time for viewers to absorb the details (which is one of the benefits of slow-pacing editing). This was accompanied by an orchestral soundtrack, adapting the same gradual, almost romantic nature of the sequence. Most of the melody was made by a violin, commonly perceived as sadness and tranquility, but also sympathy and fragility due to the clear, pitchy sound of the strings.

    There was a tiny feeling of coldness due to the lack of warmer tones incorporated into the scene. However, the music seemed to eliminate the distant emotion that is usually associated with the color blue which was used as a filter to encode the darkening night. There were no special transitions such as fade in/out. In contrast, the sequence mostly stuck to straight/invisible cuts to maintain continuity, as if trying its hardest not to disturb the established contentment of peacefulness. Moreover, there were not many sources of diegetic sounds except the laughter of the graduates, so we can decode that they were having a great time, celebrating youth and the time they've spent together throughout their college years. 

    The fonts of the letters used to give names of those who participated in the movie's production also signify a little of the vibes of the text altogether. The letters seemed to be cursive, connoting formality and elegance. Cursive writings are often perceived to be more graceful and aesthetically pleasing than others, also having a vintage feel to them which overall gives a traditional and sophisticated impression.

To All The Boys: P.S I Still Love You - Opening

 FILM OPENING ANALYSIS

To All The Boys: P.S I Still Love You

- 2020 - 

Introduction

Genre: Romance

Director: Michael Fimognari

Distributed by: Netflix

Original: Based on the novel  by Jenny Han (2015)

Source of all pictures: Pinterest

    "To All The Boys: P.S. I Still Love You" is a typical romance-comedy movie targeted towards teenagers and those genuinely interested in young, innocent love stories. The movie is supposed to be a sequel to "To All The Boys I've Loved Before" which involves most of the development from our two main character's "fake dating scenario" to their cultivating real romantic emotions towards one another. This second movie is more focused on their story as a high school couple devotedly in love, facing hardships and together conquering them all. It can be said that the two represent the dreamy, fantasized-worthy kind of love which the young generation wishes to experience. 

 

Source: https://cineb.rs/watch-movie/watch-to-all-the-boys-ps-i-still-love-you-free-60184.5425447 

    We are first met with the iconic intro of Netflix as the film's exclusive distributor, followed by openings of other parties presumably investors and/or production companies (ACE; Awesomeness Films). Then, the intro to the soundtrack of "Then He Kissed Me" by the Crystals starts playing, which is a recognizable track from the 1960s era of pop music, although there were no images or shots shown just yet. And so, before any footage appeared on screen, we could already expect an upbeat, and bright feel to the film, which could also be called the J-cut. 

Following this, Lara Jean Covey is introduced to the audience standing in front of her mirror dancing and lipsyncing to the song, with close-up shots of her face expressing joy and excitement. The bright pink shirt that Lara was wearing gave a strong first impression. As the color is the result of a combination of the passionate shade of red with the purity of white, pink connotes tenderness, sweetness, and nurture, somewhat hinting at the genre of the film. Overall, the setting of Lara's room can be described as colorful and incredibly vibrant, mirroring the youthful and enthusiastic energy that Lara conveys and also subtly hints at a 1980s vibe. For instance, there was a vivid pink blanket, and blue-painted walls which heightened the contrast between them and her yellow and red furniture (bookcase, chair,   desk). She subsequently changed into multiple dresses, each of different distinctive primary colors which makes it easier for the audience to detect the jump cuts in between. 

   I later found out that this was entirely an intertextual pop culture reference to the movie "Adventures In Babysitting" released in the 1980s, which explains the slight indication of such style from her room. Therefore, it can be decoded that Lara has a great appreciation for older, longer-existed films and television. 

Source of pictures from "Adventures In Babysitting: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sycqHLvfh_Y

    Moreover, there were many decorations visible taped above Lara's table which included childhood drawings, photos of what could possibly be of her as a baby, or polaroids capturing memories with friends. This connotes that Lara Jean's personality is emotionally driven, someone who cherishes the past and present. In addition, the character was also portrayed as Asian-American, or more specifically, Lara Jean had Korean heritage passed down by her mother. Despite not having that detail highlighted in the opening sequence, the movie successfully represented the minor community of Asian - Americans in a romance film. This could potentially make viewers who are a part of the category feel seen and acknowledged. 

Long shots and medium shots were prioritized to show Covey's movements, such as throwing her hands in the air, spinning around across the room, or taking steps as if she were following a jazz routine. This further sustenance the assumption that she is delighted about something that may have happened or is going to happen, which raises enigma codes, creating confusion and interest. Another display of enigma was when an insert shot was used as Lara Jean picked up a framed photo of a mysterious guy and kissed it. This provokes the curiosity of viewers and encourages them to keep watching to find out his identity. 

An abrupt cut appeared as we were introduced to a new character. From the way her lines are delivered, combined with ridiculously-looking facial expressions, it could be decoded that her character has a big role in providing laughter or is the comic relief. 

   

A complete switch in the atmosphere is witnessed as the camera tracks Lara Jean's pace down the stairs, dressed in red along with a gradually building up background music. We now know that she was getting ready for a date with her boyfriend through the conversation with Kitty (her younger sister) earlier, so the color red in this scene clearly connotes love, romance, and passion. The lighting became more low-key, with a slight hint of yellow of warmth creating a cozy, night-time-like impression.

The non-diegetic voice-over of Covey shows that she is deeply and passionately in love, "People say fairy tales aren't real, but sometimes, happily ever after is real." An eye-line match cut made another character known to the audience. A man who is more mature looking, with grayish hair and simpler items of clothing, it is likely he was the father of the family. However, no mother figure was seen in the frame, raising the enigma code once again.

Finally, as the door opened, the guy from the photo on Lara's bed stand came into view meaning he was the boyfriend all along. The music also came into a big drop, highlighting his entrance. 

Editing Practical: Reflection on Planning

PRE-PRODUCTION

   1. ALIGNMENT WITH THE ASSIGNED BRIEF

The assigned brief gave me a foundation to brainstorm upon, turning the brief into something more compatible with the destined audience: Teenagers and adolescents. The narrative is kept the same, with a drop exchange happening between two characters. However, by utilizing our school's facility with my teammates, I could adapt it into a developed storyline that included the participation of real-life students, which complemented the intense feel of the scene. 

    Additionally, I decided to delve further into the emotional impact of drug abuse upon people, more specifically teenagers, by requesting a certain amount of tension in the acting part of the assignment. The perturbation then encodes for the mental influence on teens due to drugs.

Props.

I included props (to resemble genuine substances) as a means to further enhance the reality of drug usage:

• 
  Real Vietnamese money: 50,000 VND
• Accentuates the real-life occurrence of such events in our daily life.

• Titanium white powder (an art supply) used to encode for Cocaine (a toxic substance)

Development of character(s). 

    Despite not mentioning his name in the sequence, character A is Quang. Since his character was portrayed as an addict experiencing withdrawal symptoms, Quang's behavior can be described as nervous, irritated, and discontent, which frames the ideology of him being an addict. 

I found inspiration for this set of mental behaviors through Rue Bennet, a character from the HBO series: Euphoria. In the series, she describes herself as "a liar, a thief. I'm violent, abusive, manipulative. And even if I got clean today, no one would forget the trauma of me not being clean." Her characteristics truly stuck with me, and Zendaya's performance was incredibly compelling, so I chose to have the same kind of intensity in my character. 

I purposely keep the identity of the second person (Character B/the dealer) hidden. This supplements the intention of maintaining the focus on our main character, which in this scenario is Quang. 

2. SKILLS DEVELOPED.

Storyboarding : 

    To come up with visual expectations of the sequence means determining camera angles, prospects of acting performance, and developing the story while considering how to cultivate continuity. I had to familiarize myself with envisioning how I would like my personal version of the brief to play out and present those images in a way that is easy to comprehend. It was difficult to put those ideas into drawing at first. However, as I gradually made up my mind about the flow of the narrative, it became easier to depict how each scene would look like, what shot type to use, and how they all make one complete story. 

[PREVIOUS-PERSONAL STORYBOARD]

Added notes to indicate this is filmed in POV, the background is character A's room.

Close-up of character B's feet, walking towards a certain direction.

Assessing risks : 

    It is important to predict possible errors that could affect the pace of the filmmaking process. This way, we could maximize our time recording multiple footage, instead of wasting precious minutes on fixing problems that could have been prevented beforehand. 

    For example, since our destination for filming is the restroom, we anticipate that there will be spills of water around the floor. This can result in injuries to the crew from slippage and falling. Furthermore, equipment (such as a camera, tripod, and light stand) can also be damaged because of the disturbance. Hence, it was constantly reminded within our team to wipe the floor before and after different shots were taken to ensure the safety of the crew, as well as the equipment. 

    Contrary, we were unable to foresee interruptions by other people. Although the restroom was free to all male students, it was a pretty secluded place since no classes or common areas were nearby. That is why it was unexpected for me and my groupmates to see a janitor enter during filming. 

We carried on for a few takes to see if we could still utilize the time and manipulate composition to have her unseen on screen. However, it is clear upon watching back the footage that it is unusable. 

This moment truly made me understand the importance of assessing risks before filming and became a great learning experience for the crew. 

3. RANGE OF CAMERAWORK AND EDITING TECHNIQUES

    To create more sense of dimension and keep the audience "hooked" throughout the sequence, I mentally noted that there must be a variety of camera angles. 

I originally planned on creating a bird-eye angle for the second shot in the first scene. However, with the given equipment, it would be a lot of trouble for us to achieve that shot. Instead, a high-angle shot was chosen to fully capture the character and his impact on the environment. 

Furthermore, POV shots were also taken advantage of quite a few times, along with close-ups and some medium shots. These were included as a means to draw attention to the actor's expressions and physical behavior. 

For example: 

• His hands toying with the money: encodes for nervousness
• Medium shot of his face closing right before the bathroom stall: expression connotes distress and/or exhaustion.

    Regarding editing, it would be best if they were unnoticeable. This could be accomplished by using straight cuts and audio-related editing techniques such as L-cut to maintain continuity. 

4. COMMUNICATION OF SHOT LISTS AND STORYBOARD

[SHOT LISTS AND STORYBOARD IN TEAM ASSESSMENT]

    I believe the intentions are all quite transparent through the shot lists and storyboard. However, it is our first few attempts to display this type of information in such an organizational method, so it is obvious there are some details to improve.

For instance:

• The descriptions for each image in the storyboard should be further elaborated, to ensure it is conceived thoroughly and correctly by viewers (to avoid confusion and misunderstanding.