Credit Scenes

 The study of Credit Sequences in Coming-of-Age Movies.

As I stated in my last post, the opening of a film is crucial, as it provides the first impression of the story's tone, characters, and overall mood. The other important element of a film's opening is the credit sequence; it acknowledges the individuals who assisted in producing the film and establishes the atmosphere intended for viewers. I looked up a number of credit sequences in films of the coming-of-age genre before I could sort out how I want to structure the credits to include in my own project. This helped me to observe how various filmmakers can incorporate credits without distracting from the story.

Napoleon Dynamite (2004)

The credit sequence in Napoleon Dynamite is very innovative. The names are written on various common items, such as food items, notebooks, and cassette tapes, on a table instead of being displayed

over the film scenes. This is effective as it gives the film an awkward and bizarre tone immediately. The ordinary items represent the small-town life of the protagonist, and at the same time, the credits are also very appealing, without the necessity of complex images.

Juno (2007)

The opening credits of Juno are based on a hand-drawn animation style that traces the main character as he strolls in her neighborhood. The animated sequence is accompanied by the lively indie music that suits the character of the movie. It is such a credit flow that contributes to shaping the tone of the film since the style of animation is immature and imaginative. It also corresponds to the character of the protagonist, demonstrating that the movie is going to revolve around a teenager who has a peculiar approach to life.

Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)

The film Spider-Man: Homecoming starts with a video of Peter Parker talking in a vlog on his phone at the beginning of the events that happened in the Captain America: Civil War film. Although the film features classic credits, this introduction serves as an innovative approach to the presentation of the character and the story. This is a good style of presentation since it would be natural for a teenage character to record his adventures using video. It instantly reveals Peter's excitement and personality and also sets a light-hearted atmosphere for the film.

Conclusion

Having studied these sequences of credits, I realized that a lot of coming-of-age movies involve imaginative shots that indicate the character or the atmosphere of the narration. Filmmakers do not just place text onto random scenes but, in most cases, create the credits in such a way that they appear to be related to the themes of the film. In my own project, I would prefer the credit sequence to include a sense of naturalness and connection with the story, maybe using objects near the character during the scene or making the credits fit in with the environment. This will enable the credits to be on the screen without diverting the audience at the beginning of the movie.

Film Openings

 Writing a Catchy Movie Introduction to the Coming-of-Age Film.

As I stated previously in my post, my project will deal with the coming-of-age genre, which is characterized by a young hero (or heroine) going through the process of personal growth, self-discovery, and struggles in order to enter adult life. Since the opening scene is the first impression of the audience about the story, it is an influential part of the introduction of the character, tone, and main motifs of the movie. Before making my decision on how I would like to form the opening of my own project, I went ahead and did some research on the openings of some famous coming-of-age movies to understand what tricks they apply and how they establish the story.

Research

Most of the coming-of-age movies start with the setting of the main character and their emotional state. These introductions usually depict daily life, school environment, or scenes that allude to the things that the lead character is going to undergo during the movie.

The Breakfast Club (1985)

At the beginning of The Breakfast Club, the five main characters are presented when they are heading to school to receive detention on a Saturday. The scene depicts that every student is being dropped off by their parents, and at the very beginning of the scene, it is clear that the personalities and family orders are different. As an illustration, some parents are tough and confrontational, whereas other parents appear remote or indifferent.

This introduction is effective since it immediately forms the stereotypes that each of the characters displays, being the athlete, the nerd, the princess, the rebel, and the outcast. Meanwhile, it is a clue that the movie will be a more profound exploration of the issue of identity and misconceptions between adolescents and adults.

Lady Bird (2017)

The opening of Lady Bird starts with the protagonist, Christine Lady Bird, driving with the mother, who has just been to a college campus. The quiet scene soon changes into a situation of arguing about the future of Lady Bird and her wish to escape her hometown.

This introductory line is successful since it directly presents the main conflict of the book: Lady Bird and her family struggle with the issue of independence and her connection with her parents. The scene was also helpful to establish the emotional atmosphere of the movie, as it revealed some comedy and tension between the characters.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012).

The Perks of Being a Wallflower starts with Charlie writing letters about his life, where he is looking forward to entering high school. This narration is an introduction to his ideas and feelings, alongside depicting his solitude and worry.

This is a strong opening since the reader finds himself right inside the mind of the main character. Listening to the inner monologue of Charlie, there is no need to explain to the viewers that it is the story of his personal development, his friends, and his identity issues.

Conclusion

Having read about these openings, I have observed that most coming-of-age films revolve around bringing the personal conflicts of the main character to the forefront, be it in family conflicts, the school setting, or a narration of the character. These introductions enable the viewer to grasp the character and the issues that they will encounter fast. In my own project, I would also prefer the first pages to set the emotional state and environment of the main character in a natural manner, like Lady Bird and The Perks of Being a Wallflower do with their characters. Meanwhile, I would like the scene to give subtle foreshadowing to the personal journey that the character will have in the film.

Drama Genre

     In addition to coming-of-age, me and my partner also wanted to research a genre that goes hand in hand with it, being drama. We chose this drama as it allows the emotional weight that is a heavy theme in the story to feel serious and grounded with reality. Even though by nature I'm not a very dramatic person by nature and am not very good at putting on a dramatic show, however my partner assured me that she could help. Additionally many of my friends that agreed to help me are from the drama department at my school and they agreed to give me advice and examples of how to act in a way that feels both fictional but realistic. To make sure i have an understanding of drama as a genre and how i can make it properly fit into my story I have done research on it and some popular instances of drama in media.

Genre Research                                                                                (The Shawshank Redemption 1994)

Drama works by making emotional stakes a central point of the story and rather than rely on exaggerated humor commonly found in movies that disconnects it from reality. Since were trying to create a more serious film it can allow the audience to get immersed with the internal battles that the character must deal with rather then seeing them as just common teenage problems that are minor. The conflict in drama can come from both internal and external factors as they can deal with mental problems like insecurity, self-doubt, or guilt and outside issues with friends and family which will both present in the story we create. Mise-en-scene elements often employed in drama media are intimate framing and close-up shots that create tension and allow the audience to really capture emotional shifts and natural lighting to keep the setting authentic and in the moment.

(Good Will Hunting 1997)

What really ensures that a drama is made well are the emotions and how they develop throughout the film, as the stakes being placed must feel important to the audience. Without an important conflict or if it feels unrealistic from exaggeration it weakens the emotional impact. The pacing of the film also contributes a lot to the genre as they often take slower approaches to progression which creates downtime in which the story can stick with the audience. Most importantly to make a drama that is not only good but impactful to an audience is by making them feel emotions as if the story were real whether it be negative emotions like sadness or anger as well as positive ones like hope. A mix of both allows the story to feel well rounded and like a real journey through emotions.

Coming of Age Genre

     After me and my partner sat down right after receiving the information on the project and what was expected of us the first thing we sat down to do was discuss what film genres we were going to implement with out opening. While discussing we both came up with a genre that we were wanted to use aspects of in our opening and it ended up deciding on coming of age and drama. I was the one who proposed the coming of age as I felt more comfortable composing a story for a film like that especially since I've always been a fan of the genre as I liked seeing stories of people going through relatable experiences. I'm a little less confident in dramatical aspects in film however and I feel like ill have to learn how to implement them properly as I tend to not watch many films that are overly dramas since they don't feel too genuine to me. To properly demonstrate characteristics from both of these genres I did research on both and will explain my findings and ideas on the genre in two separate blogs, this one will discuss the coming of age genre

Genre Research

Rather than being a plot driven story most coming-of-age films are character driven, focusing on the personal growth throughout the story rather than the story itself which is just a means to progress the character. Often at the beginning of the narrative the protagonist begins with many flaws and misconceptions about the world or those around them, eventually gaining maturity throughout their journey. The mise-en-scene elements in these films are usually used to display the current mental state of the character which begins in more reserved and muted clothing and transitions to increased expression through progression

(Perks of Being a Wallflower 2012)

Creating a well made coming-of-age story involves many factors that all play upon each other, but one necessary to its creation is authentic writing as the emotions and dialogue spoken need to feel real especially to teenagers as they can easily tell when lines are forced. This also ties into the actors that portray the characters who need to not only look the part but also be able to give subtle but powerful performances.                                                            

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              (Dead Poets Society 1989)

Initial Plan

For my personal blog I want to try to follow a storyline centered around growing up as a teenager with all the pressures and different conflicts that go into how teens develop into adulthood. One topic that really interests me and that I want to include is the subtle peer pressuring common for teenagers trying to fit in with friends or with groups they want to be friends with. Peer pressure isn't always black and white and many times even just simple interactions can lead to it as teens try to not ostracize themselves from their peers.

My approach to the project will to me to have a structured idea and to prepare everything needed early like the script, storyboard, and mise-en-scene very early on so I can focus on filming and editing my project thoroughly and reshoot or get more scenes depending on what is needed. I would also like to take an approach of strong characterization of my character, showing the audience what type of person they are in the beginning of the film. I like this idea as it allows me to utilize more than only dialogue to show character. Additionally having a set idea of what my character will be like and how they act will allow me to have a good idea of what my story will be centered around and what tropes & symbolism to employ in order to get the characterization across.