Timeline of Titles: Easy A

The opening sequence of Easy A (2010), is one which contains embedded titles which the audience have to look out for in order to notice. This then brings more import ants and significance to the name of each member of the cast and crew, which makes them seem like they are more important or prestigious actors. 

It does have an unusual order of cast titles, with the star of the film, Emma Stone, having her name on screen last, after the rest of the cast. However, this is probably because the action involving her starts immediately at this point, so leaving her title until last means that hers is the name which sticks in the heads of the audience. Additionally to this, the film doesn't include all of the crew titles which would usually be seen in the opening title sequence, missing out titles like casting and executive producers. This could have been done for a variety of different reasons, perhaps they were trying to save time (the opening is nearly 5 minutes long as it is) or maybe it was deemed that these rolls weren't important enough to be included in the opening sequence. 

Studying this opening of this film has shown me how the order of opening titles can be adjusted slightly in order to fit a films purpose, whilst still fitting the order which audiences expect to see from a film, and without cutting out the names of anybody who is deemed too important to be cut. Looking at the opening of a coming of age film has also shown that they usually begin with the protagonist doing a voiceover before we see them on screen - this is an idea which could be greatly effective when making our film.

Analysis of Film Openings - Dazed and Confused

I have chosen to analyse the opening to Dazed and Confused because it could be considered to be a part of the coming of age drama genre, which is the genre which I am hoping to establish within the film opening which I am going to make.  

Universal title card connotes mainstream film -
everything else in the opening makes it
seem like an independent 

The first notable thing about this film opening is the Universal title card at the beginning. This connotes that the film has been made by a mainstream company, so is likely to be targeting a mainstream audience. However, as the opening continues and the audience sees many teenagers taking drugs, the idea of the film being targeted at a mainstream audience seems to then become questionable, as such ideas are usually aimed towards niche audiences. This could mean that the film is one of very few made by Universal to target a niche audience, which connotes the sense of freedom and rule-breaking which is a theme throughout the coming of age genre. 

The characters are seen to be teenagers, and committing
activities which wouldn't usually be associated with them,
for example taking drugs. This connotes both a comedy
and a coming of age film.

The main signifier that the genre of the film is going to a coming-of-age drama/comedy is the age of every single character who is seen in the opening. None of them look to be any older than 16 or 17, which connotes that they are still yet to undertake the transition from being a teenager to being an adult - this suggests to the audience that the film will show how these characters grow up. However, it could also be debated that the opening of the film shows that it is going to be a comedy - surreal situations such as teenagers doing drugs, and the upbeat music, both connote that the film is going to be a comedy, as they suggest a sense of recklessness within the film. However, there are also elements of a drama within this opening, as it is set in a realistic location - a high school. Because everybody in the audience would have been to school at some point, this means that there are high levels of verisimilitude within the opening, which is a key signifier of a drama film. Because of this, the genre would appear to be a coming of age comedy. This is quite similar to the precise genre of film which I wish to make, although I would rather that my film contained some serious aspects as well. 

In terms of narrative, little is actually discovered, although the film opening shows the potential for lots to happen. All of the students appear to be standing together in small groups - these groups could end up coming together or feuding together. Because of this, it seems that the writers have decided that revealing as little of the narrative as possible is the best way for the opening of the film to serve its purpose, which is to keep the audience interested enough to enjoy the rest of the film.

The girl rolling a cigarette suggests what the representation
of women in the rest of the clip may be

Little is revealed about each of the characters, although the activities which they are each doing connotes a rebellious spirit in some form. The highly modified car which two characters are seen in connotes a disregard for safety, with them more interested in looking good to their peers. This is typical of a coming of age film, especially in the opening, as it hooks the audience in as they want to find out what happens to the characters due to their decisions. This idea of the characters trying to rebel against something is continued in the next shot, which shows a girl rolling up a cigarette. Smoking is usually associated with males within the media, so this could connote that she is trying to break out of the typical boundaries of femininity, which again shows the rebellion within the mindset of the characters. Finally, showing the graffiti across lockers connotes the overall rebellious spirit of everybody within the film - the words say "seniors '76", which suggests that it is more than just individual characters who are going to be going against something within the film.

The atmosphere within the opening is one of unity. The technical aspect which shows this is the use of high key lighting almost throughout - it connotes that the characters are all bound together by being the same age, being at the same school, or perhaps something which cannot immediately be noticed. However, a contrasting atmosphere within the opening is one of absent morals. Whilst the idea of teenagers smoking in schools is commonplace within the media of today, when this film was made 20 years ago it would have probably been more shocking, which would have presented the characters in a bad light. This connotes that the atmosphere is only one of unity because the

characters are ignoring the things which should be stoping them from being unified.

The film is shown to be set in a high school through
this and a variety of other visual iconography

There are lots of both visual and audio iconography throughout the opening which show the audience the setting. The styling of the cars in the opening shot shows that the film is set pre-1980s, as these shapes began to become unpopular around this time period. Another piece of visual iconography which shows the time period the film is set in is the font of the titles. It is the rounded font which was seen on the cover of lots of 1970s rock album covers - it suggests that the film is set some time in the 1970s. This then links in with the audio which can be heard behind the action, as the song is by Aerosmith, a band who's most popular phase was in the 1970s. Finally, the most notable visual iconography of the time period is that almost every character is wearing flairs. These were the piece of fashion which were associated with the 1970s more than anything else, so this all but confirms the decade it was set in. Whilst the setting of the time period is fairly noticeable, it is the location setting which is a bit harder to spot. It is clearly in a high school, as connoted by large amount of teenagers within the clip. Due to the fact some of them are driving, it is likely that it is set in America, because there are much more lenient rules about teenagers driving in America than they are in the UK. In addition to this, the background song is by an American band, which further connotes that it is set in America. Despite all of these visual and audio clues about the setting, the

exactly location and date are told to the audience at the end of the opening.

There is very little diegetic sound within the opening, as whilst it is seen that characters are talking, the audience cannot hear what they are saying. This adds a sense of mystery about them, which connotes that maybe the film is going to be darker than the initial feeling of the film, which is one of comedy. Because of this, the main sound in this opening is the non-diegetic song in the background. This song completely sums up the mood of the characters in the piece - its fast tempo connotes their recklessness and disregard, and its instrumentation and lyrics immediately connote summer, which is the first hint that the film may show the characters on their summer break from school.

This font connotes the setting of the film as being
in the 1970s due to the shape of the letters

Finally, the titles within the opening tell the audience a lot about the rest of the film. As I previously mentioned, the "bell-bottomed" font of the titles connotes the setting of the film as being sometime in the 1970s. Even more interestingly, the titles only list the names of the crew who worked on the film, there is no mention of the cast within the titles. This could suggest that there are no notable actors appearing in the film, which seems ironic considering the Universal title card which the film opened with. Not listing any of the actors could also suggest that there is no real star within the film - this again goes back to the theme of unity which I previously mentioned. However, despite most of the things about the titles being fairly unusual, the titles of the cast do run in the order which is seen in almost every film, as they start with jobs like casting and camera, and run through to director.  

Studying the opening to this film has shown me the importance of establishing scene and setting within the opening of my film. Almost everything which is on screen in this opening has been done in order to establish the setting, and with culture being at the foundation of a coming of age film, it is likely that the success of my film opening will depend on how quickly it establishes a certain setting, and culture within that setting. 

Analysis of Film Openings: The Inbetweeners Movie

I have chosen to analyse the opening of The Inbetweeners Movie because it is possibly my favourite coming of age movie: it tells a story which anybody who grew up in the 2000s would be able to relate too, and this is the feeling which I want to capture with my own coming of age film. 

The Film4 logo shows that the film is going to be
independent and aimed towards a British audience

The film opening begins with the logo for Film4. This is the independent British company which is a subsidiary of Channel 4, the company who produced the original Inbetweeners TV series. This, and the fact that it is a very British film with themes which are likely to only be understood by a predominantly British audience, explains why it has been produced by a British independent company. The Film4 logo connotes that the film was also made on a small budget, so the audience won't expect to see CGI or the appearance of a star, Hollywood actor. This is likely to please the audience, as if the film was to be produced by a mainstream company, then it would probably lose some of its comedic roots which made the TV series so critically acclaimed. 

This logo helps to explain why the genre of the film is
comedy.

The genre of the film is presented as comedy throughout the opening. Even from the opening production company logo of "Young Bwark", which has the sound of a chicken behind it, which connotes that the film isn't going to be serious. The next scene shows a conversation between father and son, in which their roles seem to have been completely reversed, with the son talking relentlessly and the father changing the conversation at any point given. This is where the idea of a coming of age movie becomes apparent, because it seems that the son has come of age way before his time, and his father still seems to be in the teenage mindset. In the next scenes, we see three of the sons friends, and realise that the film is also going to be about them coming of age, which connotes that the first character seen is a bit off an outcast due to his maturity.

The narrative of the opening serves the purpose of showing how they suddenly all become available to go on holiday together. Will feels the need to go in order to gain respect from his father, Neil needs to go as an escape from his job in Asda, Simon wants to go to get his ex-girlfriend out of his mind, and Jay is able to fund the holiday with the money left for him in his fathers will. All of these events connote negativity, and that is how this coming of age film works. It takes the negative things which have happened to each of the characters, and allowed these to become positives, whilst demonstrating them in a comedic manner. 

The varying outfits of the characters demonstrate
how different they are from each other

The characters in the opening are all constructed through what they say, and what they do. The first character, Will, is dressed in a tank top and smart shirt, which connotes formality, maturity, and above anything else, geekiness. Whilst he would usually be the outcast in a coming of age film, as it seems that he doesn't need to grow up anymore, as he is the first character on screen, it appears that he is going to be the protagonist. Next we see the character who needs to grow up the most, Jay. He is wearing a football shirt, scuba mask and no trousers, which connotes that his life is in a   messed up place. He is also spending his day talking dirty to a stranger on the internet, which connotes that he is actually the most introverted of the group, despite his choice of outfit being a lot more extroverted than Will's. This is when the idea of characters with multiple dimensions begins to start, as all of the characters in the film need to come of age in some way, but that way isn't immediately clear to the viewer.

The themes which are established in this opening are ones of adolescence, detachedness from people around them, and a society which everybody seems to be trying to escape from. This escape from a society is the theme which is most associated with the coming of age genre, as the characters are often disillusioned with where they live and seek new adventures in order for them to 'come of age'. 

The setting is established as being in suburban London
through dialogue and a tracking shot through a
housing estate

The setting of the film opening is established through the background narration which can be heard throughout most of the opening. Will describes it as "suburbia" although doesn't specify where in the country these suburbs are. The accents of each character within the opening connote that it is set somewhere in the south of the country, so the audience assume that it has been set in the suburbs on the outskirts of London. Setting the film in the suburbs means that there is a high level of verisimilitude, as the audience are most likely to identify with this location as the majority of them will live in a suburb of some form or another. In terms of time period, the laptop used by Jay in the opening connotes that it must be set at some point in the 21st century. As it follows on from the series, which ended in 2010, it is most likely to be set in 2011, which was the year in which the film was released. 

The non-diegetic sound in the opening is made up from a voiceover for the two minutes, and then a background song from there. The voiceover, which is done by lead character Will, is in the same style as his many monologues from within the original TV series. It connotes that he looks down on the world around him as being inferior to his own intellect, which suggests that the film may be about his changing opinions to do with this topic. When his voiceover stops and the song begins, the true comedy of the opening begins, as it provides an upbeat backdrop to the events which happen simultaneously in each of the characters lives. In terms of diegetic sound, the dialogue connotes each of the flaws and insecurities of each of the characters, and this is what causes the humour. Each of the characters seems to be discontent about something, which is reflected in the dialogue within the movie. It also gives an insight into what it is that makes each of the characters socially awkward in their own way - Will's over exaggerated way with words, Neil's stupidity and lack of morals, Simon's clinginess and failure to understand what people mean, and Jay's strange habits.

The only titles in this opening show the names of the
four starring actors

Finally, the titles in this opening are used in a way which is fairly unusual compared to other films. There is no mention of any of the crew who worked on the film, and the only four actors names which are seen are the ones who play the protagonists. This was probably a deliberate choice by the director, as it connotes that there are only four important characters within the film. It also makes the film seem more realistic, which connotes the drama aspect of a coming of age film, as it seems like the film has been filmed with real people rather than characters, as only featuring the names of four actors connotes that they are far more important. Not having a huge amount of titles also increases the verisimilitude within the clip, as the audience feel like they are more of a part of the action.

Studying the opening of this film has shown me that using a narration behind the action can serve a purpose to add lots too it, as the narration has been used to bring the comedy out of serious situations within this film. This is the last film opening which I am going to analyse, and whilst it is very ambitious, making a film opening similar to this one is my overall goal, because it sets up the characters and narrative of the rest of the film so well. 

Research into the genre of a coming-of-age drama

A coming-of-age drama is often focused on the psychological, moral or social growth of a character, as they go from youth to young adulthood. The protagonist of a coming-of-age drama is usually male, and a idea which is used frequently is the idea of him telling the story through the narrative technique of flashbacks.

One of the first films which could be classified as part of the coming of age genre was the 1957 drama movie Johnny Tremain. It is set in the 18th century American revolutions, and was one of the first movies to ever show teenagers having to grow up too quickly and take on adult roles. This is surprising, as the film was made almost 20 years after the outbreak of World War 2, which means that before this time, the media had ignored the plight of teenagers having to take on responsibilities which usually aren't associated with their age. Walt Disney then realised the appeal that a film like this could have on the market, and so in-avertedly invented the genre, which would go on to be used as an element throughout the genres of drama, comedy, and romance.

Looking at the poster for this film, it is clear that the soldier has had to join the army prematurely - he looks like he is barely out of his teens, yet has joined the army. This could suggest that he is trying to become an adult before his time - this is a key theme of coming-of-age movies which has been carried through right through to the films which are made in the genre today. The styling of the gun also immediately connotes the time period of the film - it is clear that it is set in the 18th or 19th century, which is unusual for a coming of age film. Most coming of age films are set at the time which the film is made, or sometimes a couple of decades prior to it (Submarine) so it would be very unusual today to have a coming of age film set more than 150 years before the film was made.

After Johnny Tremain, many more films with coming of age films were produced. Fast forward 16 years to 1973, and one of the most genre defining films was released: American Graffiti. It tells the story of the post World War 2 rock n roll culture, which is around the time ideas about what makes a "teenager" were starting to become widespread. It was immensely popular, earning over $200 million at the box office, despite only being made on a budget of $775,000.

It defined the coming of age genre because it showed how teenagers had now become a breakaway society from their parents, rather than living in the shadows of them. It also depicts multiple characters going through a coming of age, such as the decisions to attend college or reside in a small town. This idea of characters who want to break out of their small town lives is usually now the starting point of a coming of age plots - these films are seldom set in big cities where opportunity for youngsters to succeed is rife. This is the biggest influence which American Graffiti had on the genre, as it created the often repeated character type of the teenagers who have to find their own ways to stand out within their small lives.

Mischief (1985) took the coming of age genre to a more romantic level. I would argue that it is this film which inspired almost all of the coming of age films after it to include a romance between the male and female protagonists, as before this, romance had been shown in a much more hedonistic way in this genre of film, as they were often set in the late 1960s, which is a time period which will always be associated with relaxed morals. 

The poster for this film immediately shows that it is going to be about romance, although a twisted, teenage idea of romance. It is evident that the two characters are a couple, although both look uncomfortable, suggesting that the film is going to be about the social awkwardness which is often associated with being a teenager. This social awkwardness soon became a theme of coming of age films, as films like The Inbetweeners Movie show relative social outcasts trying to fit in, usually to hilarious results which the majority of the audience can relate too. Because of this, it could be argued that Mischief was one of the first coming of age films to include verisimilitude, as it deliberately attempted to contain themes which the audience could relate too.

The font and the use of the vehicle in the poster immediately connote the time period of the film is going to be in the 1950s/1960s. This is shown because the car has the wooden interior which was popular in these times, and the font is similar to the one of the musical 'Hairspray', which was one of the defining works of art to be set in this time.

The most defining coming of age movie of the 1990s was the 1993 movie Dazed and Confused. This film was one of the first to show teenagers openly taking drugs and drinking alcohol, as the only characters who were seen to be indulging in these practises were the antagonists of a film - the film almost singlehandedly broke this trend. 

The film poster immediately shows that the film is going to have subject matter about teenagers taking drugs. The yellow font immediately connotes that the characters seem to be immoral and unfazed about what they are doing. Additionally, the tagline "see it with a bud" is hardly subtle about the drug use in the film. It seems that the idea of teenagers consuming drugs was what the film was primarily marketed on, as it had never really been seen in popular film before. Finally, the title of the film says so much about the coming of age themes. The idea of the characters being "dazed" connotes that they are not only doped out from taking drugs, but are also unsure about what they are doing with their lives, which is another key theme of the coming of age drama movie. Finally, the immediate appearance of the characters doesn't suggest any specific time period - this makes the film more generalised, which means it could be about teenagers from almost any period in time, as they are likely to all go through the same emotions and thoughts at some point.

Finally, the most recent coming of age film which I have studied is 2010's Submarine. This film contains nothing groundbreaking, as it contains key themes from all of the other films which I have written about. However, it is the combination of all the themes, with a protagonist who is even more relatable, which has meant that it is the main inspiration for the coming of age drama which my group and I plan to make. Like Johnny Tremain contains themes of growing up too quickly (the protagonist feels like he is solely responsible to save his parents marriage). It contains a representation of a subculture in the same way American Graffiti did, as it shows the protagonist as a part of the hipster/mod revival culture. It shows a teenage romance like Mischief does, as there appears to be a fractured romance between the male and female protagonists in the film. Finally, it has ideas of trying things for the first time, with cigarettes and alcohol replacing the harder drugs which are used for shock factor in Dazed and Confused. 

Because the film takes an aspect from each of the four films which I consider to be cornerstones of the genre, it is the perfect film to base our film opening on. Researching into the history of the genre which we are looking for our film to be a part of has helped show me the key themes and iconography which have been changed and added too over time, but have always stayed more or less the same. 

What needs to be considered when writing my film opening?

The most important thing to consider when writing my film opening is character. This is important because it is the basis of a drama film - we have to carefully construct a character who is both a hero and an anti-hero. This will be difficult, although within the opening of the film they will be presented as more of a hero than an anti-hero. This is because the film will have to show both positives and negatives to this character, leaving it up to the audience to decide whether they like this character or not. By constructing a character like this, we will be being fairly revolutionary, as most drama films are clear cut about which characters the audience are supposed to feel attached too, and which ones they should avoid.

Another important aspect of our story which needs to be considered whilst we are writing it is the setting. I think that our film would work best if it was set in an urban/suburban setting in a city such as London or Birmingham. Whilst this is fairly unusual for a drama film, because ours is going to be a part of the coming of age subgenre, setting it in a big city will explain why there is such a large amount of opportunities available to the protagonist when they decide that it is the time to come of age.

A third aspect which we need to consider when writing our story is the actual events which happen within it. Within a drama almost anything is possible to happen, as long as it is realistic. Keeping this element of realism within the film we make is important in order to make sure we have the high levels of verisimilitude which are necessary in order to make our film look professional and interest the audience as much as we possibly can.

Finally, we need to consider the title which we give to our final film. The title needs to signify lots of things about the story and the protagonist, including giving a clue about what they do within the story. When we have a working title we will have to consider if there are any films out already with this name, or if it connotes something different to the rest of the symbolism within the film.

Researching about what needs to be included in the story has shown me how important it is to. Onside reachable spect of the story and what it can signify to the audience. I will ensure that I think about all of these things with the audience in mind when writing the story for the film. 

Difference Between Independent and Mainstream Film Openings

The most striking difference between mainstream and independent film openings is the order of titles. Mainstream film openings often feel the need to follow a certain order of titles, starting with the staring actors and ending with the director. On the other hand, independent film openings often run the titles in a more unique fashion, usually as a way of emphasising that certain names are more important than others, although sometimes independent film titles run in an order which emphasise that nobody is more important than another within the films production.

This difference is proven by looking at the opening sequences of Catch Me If You Can (mainstream) and The Inbetweeners Movie (independent). The opening of Catch Me If You Can runs in the order of Production Company Logos -> Starring Actors Names -> Film Name -> Supporting Casts Names -> Crew Names -> Directors name. This order is more or less universal across all mainstream film openings, as virtually the same order can be seen in the opening of The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, which I have also embedded. Interestingly, these title sequences are only a second off being the same length, which suggests that the titles within the sequences run at the same speed.

In terms of independent film, The Inbetweeners Movie has titles which run in a completely different order to any mainstream film. In fact, it only actually has four titles - one for the each of the names of the starring actors. This could have been a conscious decision by Film4 in order to set the film apart from mainstream films in terms of opening titles, or instead could have been a decision in order to show the different kind of film, as in this film, these actors are far more important than any of the supporting cast, or even vital members of the crew such as director and writers. Unfortunately, the opening of this film is not available on YouTube, so I have done a screenshot of one of the titles in order to show the design of them. 

Another difference between mainstream and independent title sequences is the soundtrack which is featured in them. In the James Bond film Casino Royale (mainstream), the opening title sequence has been set out to a song recorded by an established American artist which was specifically written and recorded for the film. Contrasted with the opening to Kidulthood (independent), which has an instrumental opening song which was hastily produced by the director. Whilst both songs work equally well considering the differing genres, it is clear that mainstream film companies have a lot money to spend on an opening song, compared to an independent film who often have to self produce any original music. Additionally to this, a fair portion of the Kidulthood opening contains silence, in order to add to the tense atmosphere. It also makes the film seem like it has been produced in a more rough way, which is typical of independent films.

A final difference between mainstream and independent film openings is the choice of institutional logo at the beginning. Most mainstream films will show the logo of the main production company and distributor at the beginning, believing that these will be what gives the audience reassurance about the quality of the film. On the other hand, independent film openings will usually rely on an immediately hitting storyline/use of characterisation in order to hook the audience in, as they will not have a flashy institutional logo to encourage the audience to continue watching the film. The opening of Django Unchained (mainstream) uses both the Columbia logo and 'The Weinstein Brothers' in order to show its audience that it has been produced by a big company, and thus will be a good movie. On the other hand, the opening of Drive (independent), doesn't contain an institutional logo, instead relying on the big name actors and use of mysterious storyline in order to interest its audience into watching it. 

Studying the differences between these film openings has shown me the various rules which we can break and adhere to in order to make our film opening appear to be a genuinely produced independent movie, which would be the best possible outcome for our project.

Why We Are Doing The Remake

The film opening which we are going to remake is Drive (2011). This film was a good choice to remake as it is part of the drama genre, which is the genre which the film we make is going to fit into. Additionally to this, it contains lots of shots which would be incredibly challenging to do with no budget or specialist equipment, so it will mean that we have to be creative and innovative in order to get around certain problems. 

The main reason we are doing this remake is to get used to using both the hardware and software which we will be using for our final film. However, by learning these skills whilst making a light-hearted movie remake, we will be able to try out different techniques with the equipment without wasting valuable filming time, which would happen if we were attempt to start making our final film opening without having practised using the equipment before. This will help us when making our final piece because we are likely to have a much more professional looking film if we already have had practise using equipment such as cameras and tripods. Whilst we are not using Final Cut for this remake, it will still be helpful to practise using a Mac to edit, as there are many similarities between editing on iMovie and Final Cut.

Another reason for doing a remake of a pre-existing film opening is to get a proper feel as to where titles should go, and what order they should run in. By copying the exact order of the titles of a film within the genre of drama, we will be able to apply this order, or a similar one, to the final product which we end up making. Additionally, we will be able to test out the limitations of the software we will be designing the titles on, as the more powerful the software, the closer we will be able to get to the titles in the original film. This will help us in designing our titles as we will know whether they have to be static titles, or whether we can do more complex things with them. 

A final reason for making a remake of an existing opening sequence is that it will allow us to showcase the innovative style in which we plan to make our final piece, and will highlight any flaws in our style which need to be ironed out by the time we make it. For example, as this is a fairly difficult remake to open due to the ariel shots of a skyline in America, it will encourage us to find innovative ways in which we can recreate this. This will help us to find a specific style to make our final film opening with, as we will have to find ways to do shots which would require us to have specialist equipment such as a crane.

Audience Expectations Questionnaire

In order to gauge what an audience would want from a coming of age drama film, I have devised a questionnaire. I am going to target the questionnaire primarily at people within the age group of 15-25 who come from a variety of different backgrounds. This will mean that I will be able to compare what people from across the socio-demographic spectrum would expect to see in a coming of age film, in order to include as many of these elements as possible in my own film.

I asked the questions to 15 people, although if I decide to add to this amount later then I will update the graphs. 

Question 1. How many protagonists/antagonists do you expect to see included within the opening 2 minutes of a coming of age film?

The results from the survey show that most people would like to see a few of the main characters in the opening, but not all of them. As I plan to feature 4 or 5 protagonists in my film, the stories of whom all end up joining together coincidently, asking this question has shown me that it may appear to be unrealistic if the protagonists are all shown in the opening 2 minutes or so.

Question 2. What sort of props would you expect to see in a coming of age film?

I expected this answer from the question, as it is often the fashion choices of the protagonists which bring them together as part of the same subculture. An example of this is in This Is England, which despite not strictly being a coming of age drama, shows a group of people who are bound together because of their mutual interest in skinhead fashions. I am keen to use an idea like this in the opening of my film.

Question 3. Which time period would a film have to be set in in order to interest you the most?

The response to this question surprised me a bit. I thought that there would be an overwhelming majority vote for a film which is set in the present day, although it appears that the majority of people would rather watch a film which is set in the 20th century, more specifically in the 1960s/1970s. This could be an idea which works well, as an audience would prefer to see how people grew up in times before theirs, rather than watching a film which is set in the time which they grew up in.

Question 4. Would you rather watch a film which is set in a notable location in the UK or one which is set abroad?


I was expecting this answer, because films which are set in the UK often appeal to a UK audience much more than films which are set in, say, America. It also means that we will be able to film it more easily and won't have to bother with American actors (or dodgy American accents), so setting the film in the UK, probably in a notable place in London, would be a much wiser move in terms of finances and keeping the audience happy.

Question 5. Would you rather watch a protagonist who is around your age, older, or younger?


The response to this question surprised me, as I prefer watching films with a protagonist who is older than me, yet the majority of the people who I surveyed said that they would rather see a protagonist who is around their age. This fits in conveniently as I am unlikely to be able to find actors who are much older than me (adults are unlikely to want to star in a piece of A level coursework), so by having a protagonist who is between 16 and 20, I will be able to meet the wants of the audience without having to look too far into casting the actor. 

Question 6. Would you rather watch a film which is light hearted or serious about a certain subject matter?

I was hoping for a response like this to this question, because I have always believed that films which are light hearted about something will please audiences more than films which take it seriously. This is because a section of the audience are likely to have had to experience the subject matter in real life, so presenting it in a light hearted way will make them see a more humorous side to the subject, which will then mean that they enjoy the film even more.





Question 7.  Which of these coming of age films appeals to you the most?

The response to this question was not surprising considering the answer to the previous question, as the majority of people who took the questionnaire preferred the coming of age film which contained a comedic aspect. I hope to include a bit of subtle comedy in my coming of age drama, although if the comedy gets overboard, it can completely change the genre of the film.

Question 8. Do you prefer films where the main protagonist is male or female?

The answer to this question was surprising, because I asked 8 girls compared to 7 boys, so I thought the results would be almost equal, if not in favour of a female protagonist. However, it appears that a male protagonist is preferred by both sexes, as it usually seems that male characters can recover from the things which happen to them in a film better than female ones can. This is important in a film which has as turbulent subject matter as a coming of age drama does.




Question 9. Would you agree that the soundtrack of a film opening is important as the action on screen in a film opening?

I was surprised about the response to this question, because I personally believe that a film opening requires careful attention to both the soundtrack and the on screen action in order to work well. However, it has shown that the majority of audience members pay more attention to what they can see than what they can hear, which means I should plan out what is going to be on the screen more than I should plan out the accompanying soundtrack.






Question 10. Do you agree that the opening title sequence of a film will either engage you, or put you off from, the rest of the film?

I completely agree with the majority response to this question - the opening to a film is what will either make it or break it in the eyes of the audience. Films seldom recover from a poor opening, which is why I need to ensure my opening is of the highest quality, so that if I was to go on and make the rest of the film, the audience would have the best idea possible about what they should expect from it.






Below is the table which shows the results from each of the questions. Doing this questionnaire has been possibly the most helpful piece of research which I have completed as part of the planning for my film opening, as it has answered all of the questions which I had in my mind that I couldn't answer from researching on the internet.

Question	Answer 1	Answer 2	Answer 3	Answer 4	Answer 5
1. How many protagonists/antagonists do you expect to see included within the opening 2 minutes of a coming of age film?	None/one	Two to three	All of the protagonists of the film	N/A	N/A
Answers:	3	7	5
2. What sort of props would you expect to see in a coming of age film?	Drugs/Alcohol/Cigarettes	Weapons	Certain fashion choices to reflect the period	N/A	N/A
Answers:	6	2	7
3. Which time period would a film have to be set in, in order to interest you the most?	Pre 1930s	1930s-1950s	1960s & 1970s	1980s-1990s	Present day
Answers:	1	3	5	2	4
4. Would you rather watch a film which is set in a notable location in the UK or one which is set abroad?	UK	Abroad	Not sure	N/A	N/A
Answers:	9	4	2
5. Would you rather watch a protagonist who is around your age, older, or younger?	Around your age	Younger	Older	N/A	N/A
Answers:	8	2	5
6. Would you rather watch a film which is light hearted or serious about a certain subject matter?	Light hearted	Serious	Not sure	N/A	N/A
Answers:	7	5	3	N/A	N/A
7. Which of these coming of age films appeals to you the most?	Submarine	Easy A	American Graffiti	Dazed and Confused	Mischief
Answers:	4	5	3	1	2
8. Do you prefer films where the main protagonist is male or female?	Male	Female	Not sure	N/A	N/A
Answers:	9	4	2
9. Would you agree that the soundtrack of a film opening is important as the action on screen in a film opening?	Yes, it is important	No, the action on screen is much more important	Not sure	N/A	N/A
Answers:	6	8	1
10. Do you agree that the opening title sequence of a film will either engage you, or put you off from, the rest of the film?	Yes	No	Not sure	N/A	N/A
Answers:	12	3	0

Ideal Target Audience

The ideal target audience for our coming of age drama would be an audience who are between the ages of 15 and 25, male and somewhere within the working class or the middle class. However, this breaks down a lot more specifically, with there being six categories I have studied in order to find the ideal target audience for our film.

Gender: The gender of the ideal target audience should be one which is made up of primarily males. Whilst the themes of our film are likely to also appeal to certain female audience members, our film is likely to have a male protagonist. Based on the findings of my questionnaire, I have discovered that audience members prefer to watch films with a protagonist who is the same gender as them, so in theory the audience for my film will be mostly made up of males.

Age: People who are likely to enjoy a coming of age drama have to be either going through their teenage years, or have recently lived through them. This is why we are aiming the film at people between the ages of 15 and 25, because it means that they will be able to relate and empathise with the characters within the film more.

Ethnicity: The ethnicity of our target audience is likely to be the white race, purely because this sort of film stereotypically appeals to a white teenage audience more than it would one from an ethnic minority. Stereotypically, an ethnic minority would be more interested in films which show the plight of their own ethnicity than a film which shows a white person from the south of England, so would not be as interested in our film as they would in a film which has been targeted specifically towards their race.

Cultural Identity: In terms of north and south, I believe that our film will be appreciated more by an audience from the north of the country, which means that they are the ones who make up this section of our ideal target audience. I believe this because dramas are usually set amongst the working classes, and thinking stereotypically, the north of England is associated with there working class more than the south is.

Class/Status: As I previously mentioned, our film is going to be primarily targeted towards the skilled working class (C1 and C2 sociographic categories) with themes which will also be relatable for people who are middle class (B1 category). We have decided to target these classes because they are likely to be most interested in a drama film, which is the overarching genre of our film, before we get into the specifics of age and gender (which are what defines its 'coming of age' subgenre).

Sexuality: I would expect an audience of mixed sexualities to watch and enjoy our film. This is because unlike most coming of age dramas, it doesn't really deal with the idea of reaching sexual maturity, instead dealing with many of the other themes which are associated with the transition from being a teenager to becoming an adult.

Studying these areas has helped me to design and create a mood board for my film genre so that I can have a visual representation of what I believe my audience will be like.