Blurb

Hello, this blog covers all the research and planning into our slasher film opening, Camp Ivy. Co-produced with Kate and Millie, and influenced from films such as Friday the 13th and set in a rural location inspired by Eden Lake.

Sunday 23 September 2012

OpeningEG1: This is England

DVD cover

This is England
(Shane Meadows, 2006)
Box Office: £1.3m (UK) $320,000 (USA)
Ratings: 7.7 (imdb)
WIKIPEDIA, OFFICIAL SITE

Length of opening: 3.25

Media Language in Film Opening:
Idents/contributing companies: Optimum releasing (distribution company), warp films, film four (helps low budget films), funds from the national lottery, UK film council, em media, screen Yorkshire, Big arty productions. These are all companies unlikely to be seen on higher budget films. 

The film stars with a montage of American and UK film and TV from the 1980's. This is all part of the mis-en-scene and sets the mood of the film and already from the opening piece you learn a lot of the directors and writers views on people like Margaret Thatcher. 

There is then a back screen with white titles, the titles of which are in a serif font. The production companies are all shown in capital letters and the letters are made to look decayed and old. This is also part of the mis-en-scene. The Directors titles are shown as 'A Shane Meadows film'. 

From the initial shots you get the impression that this film is based on working class people from the surrounding area where the opening shot takes place. This mis-en-scene is shown through the graffiti, old fashioned cars and the very run down look. The opening shot is a tracking shot made to look like it is being filmed from a car which would also mean it is a point of view shot from someone maybe sat in the car. He is trying to show that this is the true representation of what England really is like. 

The titles are run over the shot of run down tower blocks. The stars names are in capital letters, with numbers underneath their names giving the impression of may be a criminal record. This is unusual as in most cases it would say 'starring' or 'introducing' before actors names are introduced. The different names always appear in slightly different places on the screen. As the names become less important they come on the screen in twos. The editor is then shown in capital letters along with the producers and executive producers.  

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