I looked at the three categories of sound- background music, dialogue and sound effects- in the opening sequence for the animated film Kung Fu Panda.
Music
- The first section of the opening sequence features an ethnic backing track, with instruments that are associated with the Oriental culture, such as a gong. This gives the audience an immediate sense of setting through cultural codes.
- The latter half of the sequence is fitted to a strong, orchestral piece which is played in a major key. Therefore, the whole sequence is very upbeat and fast-paced (and therefore exciting), and thus the genre of a children's film is established.
- There are pauses in the orchestral music in order to accentuate the visuals or another aspect of the sound.
Dialogue
- "Legend tells of a legendary warrior"- bad play on words in the first line of the voice-over establishes the comical elements of the film plot.
- "There is no charge for awesomeness... or attractiveness."- another funny punch line from the protagonist, Po, helps to establish character in the opening sequence.
- "We should hang out." "Agreed"- unlikely punch line in a film based on martial arts, but again reinforces the comedy genre. Furthermore, this is slap-stick comedy, and as it is easy to understand, this also further appeals to the target audience of children.
Sound Effects
- The fast movement in the action sequences are accentuated by short whooshes, which suggest Po is moving at an incredible speed.
- There is a sound effect of teeth chattering when Po enters the room, which connotes fear.
- The sound effect added when Po swallows is accentuated by a pause in the music and an introduction through the voice-over. This heightens the significance of the moment.
Sound and Vision Editing
- Po says "Enough talk- let's fight!" This is his first line in the sequence and immediately after that, there is a big change in visuals, with very sudden, staccato movements and a drastic change in on-screen colours and lighting.
- The characters martial arts moves are synchronised with sound effects, which is typical of films of both the action genre and the martial arts sub-genre, as it helps to further accentuate their movements and therefore to establish character.
- Right at the end, before Po wakes up from his dream, the whoosh sound effects along with the pauses in the backing track put emphasis on both the dialogue and the quick pans from one character to another. This camera movement is different to the rest of the sequence, and so putting emphasis on this section informs the audience that something is about to change.
I decided to analyse the opening of the 2010 sci-fi/action film, Inception, starring Leonardo DiCaprio.
Enigma Codes-
1) Why is he lying on the shore? How did he get there?
2) What is his relationship to the children?
3) Why was he carrying a gun and why does that bother the guards?
4) What is the relevance of the spinning top?
5) Why does everything suddenly start shaking?
Action Codes
1) The first thing Cobb sees when he looks up is the little boy, which suggests he has a relationship with him.
2) The soldier finds a gun in Cobb's back pocket, which carries the connotation that he intends to use it in the future or has already used it- either way, he poses a potential threat.
3) There are several close-ups of the spinning top- for example, when it is first put on the table and again when the man starts to spin it. This shows both the minuteness of the object but also suggests it is a significant prop in the narrative.
4) Cobb suddenly stops eating- perhaps the other man's words have affected him in some way.
5) The bomb blasts spark disaster, although we do not know what caused them. This makes the action more suspenseful.
Semiotic Codes
1) Crashing waves symbolise tranquillity and peace, but the jagged rocks juxtapose this.
2) The children connote innocence and naivety.
3) The gun shown afterwards juxtaposes the innocence of the children, as it suggests potential threat to the peace of the seashore.
4) Cobb and Arthur are wearing black suits and ties, and their hair is very immaculately styled, which connotes formality and a significant event of some kind.
5) The wine Cobb is holding connotes celebration and class, which is in agreement with his attire.
Cultural Codes
1) The children are building sandcastles on the beach, which is a very typical, enjoyable activity for a family day out.
2) The dark coloured uniform and cap of the guard suggest a military presence.
3) The Oriental architecture on the hill and interiors establish the setting as a Far Eastern country.
4) Cobb is sitting directly opposite the other man on a large wooden table, which may show that they are on separate sides and there is enmity between them.
5) The seconds ticking away on the watch show the passing of time.
Symbolic Codes
1) Danger is built up by the suspenseful music and also by the significant prop, the gun, shown repeatedly in the first few shots.
2) The way Cobb is spaced within the frame and in relation to the other characters suggests that he has enmity with them but also that he is alone in his fight.
3) The formality of the dinner has a very business-like/corporate feel, which juxtaposes the suggested personal drama of Cobb's relationship to the children on the beach.
4) The bomb blasts and the stampedes that follow symbolise disaster and panic.
This is a still from the psychological thriller, Black Swan (2010).
Character Description
Nina (Natalie Portman) is the protagonist and is in this particular still. The character has been placed off-centre, which seems distorted and odd. However, this has been done deliberately to confuse the audience and also to portray Nina's twisted mind. Nina is conventionally beautiful and perhaps the most striking feature of this photo is her eyes. They are a very prominent red colour, and the colour has several connotations, such as love, lust and anger, emotions that all feature in this film. The character has purposely been dressed in white feathers, which suggest innocence and purity (she is to play a character with such qualities in a production of Swan Lake), as this strongly juxtaposes her terrifying facial features.
Technical Codes
This shot has been framed as a mid-shot/medium close-up, in order to allow the audience to see both her expression and her costume. Furthermore, this is an over-the-shoulder shot, as she is looking into a broken mirror/shards of glass; the audience are therefore seeing from Nina's perspective, and feel even more helpless that they are unable to change the circumstances in any way. The broken glass also distorts the shot and causes more confusion. Not only does this reflect the character's thoughts, but it also reinforces the genre of the psychological thriller.
Nina's surroundings are all very dark- tones of grey and black are used for the bricks and walls, which further highlights the fact that she is out-of-place and perhaps also again reflects the darkness of her thoughts. The light source is to the side of her face, and it is high-key lighting, which connotes exposure or positivity.
Why I chose this still
- The way the shot has been framed is really interesting. The shards of glass cut through the straight lines of the bricks, which gives the whole still a distorted image.
- I like how the framing, lighting, costumes and colouring of the shot all reflect the character and her thoughts.
- This still is bound to raise questions for the audience, both of what happened and what is still to come. Why is the glass broken? Why are her eyes red? What is she going to do now?
