Analysing film sequences

Heathers (1998)

Opens with a distribution company (New Wold Pictures)
Non-degetic music is being played during this. You get the distribution and production company title. With a black background, the actor's name comes up. 

The film starts with an extreme close up full of connotations. For example, her hair colour is blonde and the colour red fills the frame. The director uses a shallow focus so that the audience is focused on the action. There is also a semi-slow motion on her movement. This suggests that she's taking her time and she's comfortable. During this the main title appears over the action. The slow dissolve moves on to show an establishing shot. The mise-en-scene within this shot sets the scene. Each girl is wearing a different colour from the other. The next shot slowly tracks around but it remains as an establishing shot. Although the music is slow paced and the scene is very feminine, it signifies that maybe they're good girls. However, as the girls get up and cuts into a close up shot on their shoes and where they're stepping on, as the audience we find that they're not nice girls. They tread on the flowers an this signifies that they're not good girls; the audience are given the first impression that they are bitchy. These actions are contrasting each other which shows the audience their true personalities. 

The long tracking shot is used to carry titles and establish the setting. The close up on the croquet balls show the colour coding. They walk in unison showing the audience that although they wear different colours they are the same. The titles are still playing but they are in between the dialogue. 

By looking at different film sequences, we can gather a variety of different codes and conventions for that genre and use it to create a plot idea for our final piece.