At the very beginning of the The Place Beyond The Pines (embedding of the film opening has been disabled), we see the StudioCanal animation graphic. This denotes that the film was produced by this company, but connotes so much more. It tells the audience that the film is likely to have been produced on a small budget (StudioCanal are a company independent from any US media conglomerate), and is likely to be aimed at a niche audience rather than a mainstream one. This means the film is likely to have a small release due to its supposed limited appeal. Despite this, the film features fairly big-name actors in Ryan Gosling, Bradley Cooper and Eva Mendes, so its appears to defy what would usually be expected of a small budget film in terms of cast and release, before any acting has even taken place.
The low key lighting in the first shot (where Gosling is inside the trailer) connotes that the text is going to contain dark themes such as death and crime. If the text was going to include happier themes then he would have stepped out of the trailer into daylight, but because he steps out into the darkness of the night, it connotes that the film is not going to end happily. This has the effect on the audience of allow them to make their minds up immediately about whether it is the film for them or not - if they want to see a film with gritty themes, lots of darkness will connote to them that they are in the right place. The only thing which illuminates the characters within the opening is the flashing lights of the fairground amusements. These lights are harsh on the eye due to the strobe effects on them, so this connotes that the lighter things in the text are going to end in a bad way. It also connotes that the text is going to contain themes of hidden secrets, as the fairground lights don't provide enough light to adequately see what is going on. This gives the audience the idea that the protagonist(s) won't be able to see the things happening around them in the film.
The majority of the camera work in the opening sequence is filmed from a handheld camera, which can be noticed from the shakiness of the panning shot which follows the protagonist from his trailer to the arena. This conforms to the audience expectations of an independent film, as there probably wasn't enough money in the budget to use a steadicam for the shot. However, the use of a shaky handheld camera connotes the nervousness of the motorcycle rider, and the instability of his job, so it is likely to have been a camera technique chosen by the director rather than a unwanted choice due to budgeting. The other shot seen in the opening sequence is a mid-shot at the very beginning which doesn't reveal the face of the motorcycle driver - this has been chosen to connote the anonymity of a man who's job involves wearing a helmet. This gives the audience the idea that the protagonist in the film is going to be committing crime, and will frequently be having to cover himself up.
The main diegetic sound in the opening sequence is the mixed background noise of a fairground. This contrasts against lots of the other things which are seen within the opening, as a fairground is usually a place associated with enjoyment. The director has used this sound (and setting) in order to exemplify the hardship people have to go through to bring a passing joy to others - this suggests to the audience that a critical theme of the film could be the struggle of individuals. Another sound which is heard within the opening is the flicking of a knife. This is a sound which immediately connotes violence, despite the protagonist playing with the knife alone. The director has used it in order to immediately put a violent edge on the fairground setting, as the sound of a knife completely changes what the rest of the sounds connote.
The film is clearly a part of the crime genre, before any words have even been spoken. The key signifiers of this genre are the weapon (the knife which the biker is holding), the dark and dingy setting, and the use of the helmet in order to conceal his identity. The weapon connotes his expectation of violence and preparation for violence to come to him - if he wasn't involved in crime, then there would be no need to take this precaution. The setting of a trailer could connote that he is hiding from somebody in a place they wouldn't expect to find him, which is nearly always featured at the beginning, or the end, of a film about crime. Finally, the genre is confirmed when he places a helmet on to ride the bike - he doesn't want the crowd watching him to get a strong idea about who he is, which suggests the malicious intentions which he may have. Violence and mistaken identity are the two key themes of a crime movie, which suggests that this film is going to probably be a hybrid film between crime and another genre, such as drama or romance.
The narrative of this opening is one which is fuelled by mystery, due to there being no actual dialogue to confirm who the protagonist is or what his intentions are. We know that he is somebody who works at a fairground as a stunt performer, although his name and any other details about him are withheld from the audience. This is not unusual for a film opening though, especially considering the ambiguous genre of the film, as if all of the details of his identity were revealed to the viewer in the opening, then it is unlikely that they would enjoy the rest of the film as much. Because of this, the narrative structure of the opening is innovative, but has been done before, as the most entertaining and gripping way is to give away as few clues as possible about the identity of the man.
The audience which is being targeted for this film is probably a mature one, as it has a slow burning start which is unlikely to interest any viewers who are teenagers or younger. The target audience would probably be primarily male, as the subject theme of a motorbike rider connotes masculinity a lot more than femininity. However, from his bleach blonde hair, there is an instantly feminine side to the protagonist, which means the film could be aimed at a more niche female audience as well. The film is more likely to appeal to people in the B, C1, C2 and D socio-demographic categories, as they will be able to relate a lot more with a man who makes a living by performing at a fairground than people in the A class, who are likely to have no empathy for anything he goes on to do. The choice in setting of a fairground is what connotes the target audience being aimed away from people in the upper classes, as they are likely to be turned away from watching the film as soon as they see the conditions which he lives in.
The protagonist in the opening is neither presented as a hero or an antihero, as he is yet to do anything to make the audience warm to him, or reject him. This ambiguity about what he represents connotes the confusion and mystery about his true identity, as if he is a hero, then the director is disguising it well. Very few women are seen in the clip, with all three bike riders, who are the only people the camera focuses on, being male. Because there is such a lack of female characters within the opening, the audience are given the impression that the society shown in the film isn't one which female characters would be seen in, represents it as being a patriarchal society. It is entertainment which is put on by men, for men to watch.
Studying the opening of A Place Beyond The Pines has shown me the importance of audience targeting, as I would not have previously considered all of the different things which are likely to make certain socio-economic groups interested in different films, or different aspects of the same film.
The audience which is being targeted for this film is probably a mature one, as it has a slow burning start which is unlikely to interest any viewers who are teenagers or younger. The target audience would probably be primarily male, as the subject theme of a motorbike rider connotes masculinity a lot more than femininity. However, from his bleach blonde hair, there is an instantly feminine side to the protagonist, which means the film could be aimed at a more niche female audience as well. The film is more likely to appeal to people in the B, C1, C2 and D socio-demographic categories, as they will be able to relate a lot more with a man who makes a living by performing at a fairground than people in the A class, who are likely to have no empathy for anything he goes on to do. The choice in setting of a fairground is what connotes the target audience being aimed away from people in the upper classes, as they are likely to be turned away from watching the film as soon as they see the conditions which he lives in.
The protagonist in the opening is neither presented as a hero or an antihero, as he is yet to do anything to make the audience warm to him, or reject him. This ambiguity about what he represents connotes the confusion and mystery about his true identity, as if he is a hero, then the director is disguising it well. Very few women are seen in the clip, with all three bike riders, who are the only people the camera focuses on, being male. Because there is such a lack of female characters within the opening, the audience are given the impression that the society shown in the film isn't one which female characters would be seen in, represents it as being a patriarchal society. It is entertainment which is put on by men, for men to watch.
Studying the opening of A Place Beyond The Pines has shown me the importance of audience targeting, as I would not have previously considered all of the different things which are likely to make certain socio-economic groups interested in different films, or different aspects of the same film.
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