Blog post #9: Film Opening Research #1 - Guardians of the Galaxy

Guardians of the Galaxy

The first movie that I have chosen to analyze the opening scene for is the 2014 movie Guardians of the Galaxy. During this movie, a group of space criminals called the Guardians joins together to stop a warrior who wants to destroy the universe. This movie is definitely one of my favorites, I find it so funny, and the group of characters are all so different, but their dynamic just works and it creates just a great and comical movie. To analyze the opening sequence and its elements, I answered these questions below: 

How many titles are displayed during the opening sequences to the film? 
In total there were around 40 titles that had been displayed during the opening sequence. In the beginning, we see the first title of the movie, "Earth 1988". This first title is in a gold capital font. I think the way the title is designed is perfect for the Sci-Fi, action genre of the movie. Through this title, the audience can understand where and when this portion takes place to increase their comprehension of the storyline. Next, you see the marvel title which shows the ironic comic book-themed intro for Marvel Studios. After we see a "26 years later" title followed by the planet name "MORAG" and the subtitle "abandoned planet' which gives the audience a new time and place for the rest of the movie. The audience now knows that the first scene was a flashback, and we are now in the present time on a new planet. Later the director's title appears which says "a James Gunn film" which shows who directed the film. Followed by that we see the headliner's names appear such as Chris Pratt and Zoe Saldana. It appears in a similar almost futurist space-themed font, which as stated before pulls together the aesthetic of the film. We next see the title of the movie in big gold letters. Which compared to the other titles is much larger and grand which grabs the audience's attention. Lastly, we see the names of the crew and producers that worked behind the scenes to create the film such as the visual effects producer, the costume designers. 

What images are prioritized in the opening sequence? 
There are many images prioritized in the opening sequence. For example, is a cassette tape named "Awesome Mix Vol.1" played on a Sony Walkman. This image is prioritized because it is an iconic item that Peter carries around. The present from his dying mother that Peter receives is another prioritized image. This image creates suspense as the audience wonders what she gave him. The next two images are his mother's hand reaching out to grab his hand and her flatling on the monitor. Both images are a representation of his mother's death. The first shows her hand full of life reaching towards Peter's and then we suddenly see it drop and then later as we know when you flatline you die. The next image is the spaceship that comes to pick him up. This image is prioritized because it progresses the storyline and shows what happens to Peter after seeing his mother die before his eyes. The next image is the mask. There is a mask on a certain figure that is unidentified and the audience may be wondering if they are a new villain, character, or older Peter. The last image is the Sony Walkman reappearing in the hands of the older man we see. This allows the audience to identify the masked figure as Peter 26 years in the future.

What connotations do the images carry? 
The images at the beginning of the movie are more somber and saddening. For example, his mother's hand, monitor flatling, and the spaceship are darker and sadder. Later, the images are more suspenseful and full of mystery as we see the spaceship come and pick up Peter. We don't know who they are or what they want with Peter. We also don't know what's going to happen. The masked figure also adds to the mystery since we also don't know who they are. Later, the connotation becomes a bit more lighthearted and through the use of the music from Peter's Mixtape.

How is genre reinforced through symbolic and technical codes from the outset? 
The genres of Guardians of the Galaxy are adventure, action, sci-fi, and comedy. The opening scene uses various examples of high-key and low-key lighting to convey the overall theme and message of the storyline. The use of low-key lighting shows the darker elements in the movie. It represents the potential evil and darkness emitting from the orb or what Peter himself is as we are unsure if he is good or evil in the opening sequence. Sound in the form of music is used later in the opening sequence to move the movie to a more temporary lighthearted and almost confusing theme. We are unsure as to why this upbeat music is playing because we had just seen his mother die and him being abducted from a spaceship. Also, the natural background sounds of the planet as well as Peter kicking the creatures being masked by his music may be an indication of Peter ignoring his surroundings and maybe being unaware of what is going on around him. Some of the camera angles used in the opening sequences are close-up shots and panning. The close-up shots were used to emphasize important items in the scenes such as his mother's hand and his mixtape. Panning was used later to show Peter dancing around the foreign planet.

What strategies are used to ensure the film appeals to its target audience? 
When creating a movie that originates from such a big production company with a large cult following like Marvel it's important to include some of the aspects to ensure that it appeals to its target audience. For example, in Marvel movies, there is a lot of action, elaborate backdrops, comedic dialogue, and the characters and plots relate to their comic book stories. In Guardians of the Galaxy, there is exactly that. There is constant action throughout the entire movie and many of the characters share extremely funny lines and jokes with each other. Marvel had already had success bringing together superheroes into a group called the Avengers to protect Earth and against all that jeopardize it. I think the Guardians being a group of criminals joining together brings a new concept to the big screen because there aren't very many movies of criminals joining together to do a hero's job. I think it appealed to its target audience through this plot.

How has technology been used effectively? You might want to consider camera angles, transitions and editing techniques. 
There were many different camera angles and transitions that were used to create the opening scene. For starters, as previously stated, close-up shots were used to add emphasis to important items in the opening sequence. An over-the-head shot was used to show some of the last conversations Peter had with his mother. Next, a wide shot was used to show Peter running away from the hospital which expresses the vast area and unknown that he is running into. Later, both a POV shot, overhead shot, and a panning shot showing him progressing through the abandoned planet. Through these shots were able to learn a little bit more about him and the new planet.