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.