Task 2.1 Analysis of a Romantic Comedy (She's The Man)

(Opening from 0:00 to 3:28)

The film is introduced with the Dreamworks production logo and theme tune. We then see a black screen and the upbeat sound of a pop song is the first thing we hear, instantly setting the tone of the opening. We see bright orange colours during the opening credits

which is something that we can associate with positivity and happiness and then the camera cuts away to a boy on a jet ski, clearly having fun and providing us with our setting which is a beach during the summer. Which again, is something we can personally relate to being in a good mood and having a relaxing, fun filled experience. This imagery is good as it allows us to feel as though we ourselves are having a good time watching the film along with the characters in it.

The camera then cuts away to a girl playing football on the beach. The editors of this film use a clever technique where they provide a still image for a split second, which then turns into a moving video.

 The way the opening credits are created is almost similar to a scrap book of images which would indicate that the characters are making memories of a fun summer. We can connote that the weather is hot due to the teenagers on the beach wearing swim suits and the sky being blue. The director could be using pathetic fallacy here, so that the audience can make a connection between the positive weather and the mood of the scene. 

The camera then pans up as the football is kicked to indicate the height and strength behind the kick, which some would consider unusual for a girl to be capable of. The camera then pans back down to the ground as the ball falls and we can see that the camera is moving with the ball. This is highlighted again as the girl tackles other players and the camera moves left to right depending on the direction the ball is heading in. We can now connote that football is most probably going to be a large part of the film as the opening is entirely centred around the football. The sound in the background of the cutaway shots of the credits and the girl playing football is light hearted screaming and laughter and the background images are girls and boys stereotypically messing around,

 picking each other up and pushing each other over which infers that the people in the shot are having a good time and are therefore inflicting those positive feelings onto us as the audience.

The girl kicks the football at a lifeguard ring and the scene builds a light tension as we wonder whether or not she will hit her target. The camera tracks one of the boys as he runs in the direction of the ball and as the football goes through the hoop he jumps and catches the ball before it falls. Celebration erupts through the group of teenagers and more laughter and cheering erupts, adding to the already very positive vibe of the film. The boy picks her up in a celebration and here we can infer that they are a couple and are clearly two important characters in the film as they are the two that have been mostly focused on in the opening. The couple share a kiss which is typical of the conventions of a romantic film

and is followed by some light comedy about the kiss seen in the previous shot. The comedy is introduced to create a light hearted feeling and make the audience feel comfortable and relaxed. The opening of this films purpose was to make the viewer feel as though they are having a good time and this is influenced by the bright colours, warm setting, friendly happy characters and positive upbeat music.