Research & planning

1, What genre have you chosen to use and why ?
Our film is a bridge between the drama genre and romance. We have decided to go for this route for our film because it is different concept that we have not ventured before. This enables us to learn new techniques of the drama/romance genre and we have come up with a range of interesting ideas.

2, What films have you looked at in your research?

The main film we have looked at for research was Sliding Doors starring Gwyneth Paltrow. We liked the idea of a film with a philosophical message, and we felt that Sliding Doors had successfully achieved this. The opening credits used iconography, showing an establishing shot of the River Thames showing that the film is set in London. We wanted an "urban" theme very obviously in our film so we thought the shots in the opening scene of the film were vital for our research.

3, What conventions have you noticed in terms of:

Narrative: there was no narrative involved in the opening of Sliding Doors, letting us focus more on what we can see on the screen. We notice things like where the film is set and the characters involved rather than having to focus on what the narrative voice is saying.

Music: Sliding Doors starts with upbeat piano music as it pans over London and then kicks off into funky jazz music as we get introduced to the main character of the film.

Character: the protagonist in Sliding Doors, which is Gwyneth Paltrow's character, is presented as clumsy, as the first thing she does is knock her tea mug. Her work clothes, (formal) and hair is simple and she has little make-up on her face but she can still pass off as a pretty character. She is not ridiculously gorgeous. She walks hurriedly and awkwardly when we see her rushing to work. This could show that she is a very busy woman but perhaps might not fit entirely into her workplace.

Mood: With the help of music, the opening is quite upbeat and the help of setting and the character's body language shows elements of comedy.

Theme: The theme is very urban as it is shown in a major city (London). The pace of the opening is fast, reflecting the urban atmosphere.

Setting: Setting is very obvious in the opening, showing London Underground, the River Thames, black cabs and old British buildings. This reinforces the idea of an urban theme.