Analysing Film Openings Within Comedy

To see what type of conventions are used in comedy films, I will be comparing 3 film openings within the comedy genre to pick up on any similarities in how the opening conveys the genre of the film.

Step Brothers (2008)

Step Brothers Opening Scene

The film begins with the titles appearing in a casual, handwritten font. This immediately gives the audience the impression that the film is a comedy. The music in the background is non-diegetic, and is very upbeat and lively. This creates an content and relaxed atmosphere for the viewer. The lighting is generally natural or high key, creating an uplifting mood and distinguishing the film as a comedy.


The characters have a humorous appearance which is made up with their bizarre and wacky hair. The costume is also portrayed as comical as one character is dressed in childish pajamas, and the other is wearing an outfit that is too small for him. This suggest the humour used throughout the film will be immature and would appeal to a youthful target audience. This humour is also portrayed through the fact that the main characters are grown men and still live in their parents' houses. The titles follow an nontraditional format as the film title is not shown at the beginning of the opening. This suggests that if the opening is clearly distinct from a film trailer, the film title does not need to be presented at the beginning of the opening.

Napoleon Dynamite (2004)


Napoleon Dynamite Opening Sequence

The film begins with the titles appearing in a casual, handwritten font. This immediately gives the audience the impression that the film is a comedy. The music in the background is non-diegetic, and is relaxed and casual. This creates an content and upbeat atmosphere for the viewer. The lighting is natural, creating an uplifting mood and distinguishing the film as a comedy.


The main character seen is very comical looking and adopts the image of a stereotypical nerd. This suggests that the sense of humour used may be slapstick and immature, which would appeal to the young generation as a target audience. This style of humour is also conveyed in the drawings of fictional beings later in the opening sequence, and the card pulled out of the character's wallet that says "U.F.O. Abduction Insurance".


The titles are displayed in a quirky fashion, suggesting that the humour used in the film is unique. The titles include objects such as pencils, a rubber and a protractor which suggests that the character is a teenager who attends school. This also links into the target audience. The titles also follow a traditional format as the film title is displayed towards the beginning of the sequence. This is used to distinguish the film opening from a trailer.

Superbad (2007)





 The music in the background is non-diegetic, and is very upbeat and lively. This creates an energetic and stimulating atmosphere for the viewer. No particular lighting is used as the opening is presented in a cartoon fashion. This could be interpreted and juvenile and suggest that the film's target audience is teenagers and young adults. The dancing is lame and idiotic, suggesting the genre is comedy.


One of the 2 character silhouettes seen is thin and weedy, while the other appears to be more fat. The contrast in character physique also suggests that the genre is comedy. The opening uses a variety of bright colours, contributing towards an uplifting atmosphere. The titles follow a traditional format as the film title is displayed towards the beginning of the sequence. This is used to distinguish the film opening from a trailer.

Overall, there are several conventions used to show that the film is within the comedy genre, such as the following:

• The music is generally upbeat and energetic
• The font is casual or handwritten
• The characters/costumes are used as portrayed as comical
• The lighting is generally natural
• The style of humour appeals to a youthful generation

When creating our final G321 film opening sequence, these conventions will be taken into account to ensure that our opening successfully represents the comedy genre. From this comparison, I have learnt that all of the above conventions are vitally important to setting the right mood for the audience and introducing the appropriate genre.

Opening Titles Research

Seeing as our film ideas were inspired by the film Superbad (2007), I will be recording when the titles appear on screen using a timeline, and evaluating how useful this research is towards our G321 film opening.

Superbad - Film Opening

For this opening, the titles follow a very traditional sequence that tends to begin with the production companies and distributors, following onto the film title, then comes the main star(s), miscellaneous cast & crew and ends with the film writers and director. This format was used to distinguish the opening from a film trailer.
The titles are not spaced out at all, as one title appears instantly after the last one disappears. This may be due to keeping the opening sequence short and snappy or keeping to a certain time frame.


Although our film opening will not consist of as many credits and titles, I have learnt from this task that timing is vital in the film opening so that titles appear at the right time and remain on screen for the appropriate duration. I have also learnt that if titles come and go too quickly or too slowly, this could affect the pace and atmosphere of the opening in a negative way.

Comparing Ideas Within Comedy

The idea for our film is based around 3 nerdy characters competing to win the girl of their dreams. This storyline was inspired mainly by the film Superbad (2007), as the narrative is very similar.

Although the film plots are similar, we intend to disassociate our opening with the opening of Superbad as we want our film to be distinctive and separate from other existing films.


Superbad - Film Opening





Our group was not inspired by the opening of the film, but by the characters, storyline and comical style. We chose Superbad as it was a successful mainstream film in the comedy genre that was produced to appeal to a mass audience, like we intend for our film. 


Superbad is an admirable example as it shows that if our group can successfully create an opening that indicates our film is in the comedy genre, our film has the potential to be as successful and massive as Superbad.


We then compared our film ideas to the storyline of There's Something About Mary (1998), which we found that our film idea contains a similar competitive narrative for the desirable female.


We decided that this similarity is a great idea as our film would share a similar comedy style, and comparing storylines would benefit our film as There's Something About Mary is a successful and reputable mainstream film within the comedy genre.


Overall, we have decided that, although our storylines are similar to other comedies, we do not intend to replicate or mimic ideas, but to see them as inspiration for our own film and see successful ideas in other comedy films as potential successes in our own.

G321 Ideal Actors

Institutions Research

One way of identifying whether a film is aimed towards a mainstream audience or a niche audience is by looking at what company funds and distribute the film.

The mainstream institutions tend to have a much more flashy and whizzy logos, and include some kind of jingle, animation/motion or both. This is because the company wants to excite their audience and maintain a certain reputation or status.

2 great examples of famous mainstream institution logos are Universal Pictures and Warner Bros. Pictures.

Both logos have:

• A recognisable jingle that is distinct and associated with that institution
• Very flashy effects, such as the shimmering gold and powerful glow
• A fade-to-black finish and a fade-to-image begining, easing the audience in and out

On the other hand, companies who target niche audiences tend to have a more simplistic logo that may or may not include motion/animation. This is because the company is not as famous and glamourous as the more reputable film institutions, and usually have a smaller budget.

2 great examples of smaller film institutions that target niche audiences are Warp Films and Film 4. 

Neither logos have:

• A recognisable jingle that is distinct and associated with that institution
• Flashy special effects or motion animation

Another huge difference between mainstream films and niche films is whether it is funded by a big American company or an independent UK based company, as American film institutions tend to be more famous and leading as opposed to UK film institutions which are more local. Whether a film goes with an American production company or a UK production company can have a massive impact on, or even decide, whether a film is mainstream or niche.

For this reason, we have decided that our film would be a mainstream film. This is because we aim to target the general population and attract a larger audience.

Jelly Babies - Experimenting with Film Openings

Considering Genre - Ghostbusters, Blade & Star Wars

The purpose of this comparison is identify how different aspects of a film opening distinguish a genre. I will be doing this by comparing 3 seperate genres.

Ghostbusters (1984)

The lighting in the text is low key and sets a dark atmosphere. The woman at the beginning of the opening screams diegetically as she faces a ghostly glow. This suggests the film is a horror. The title of the film is 'Ghostbusters', and suggests the theme is ghosts and paranormal activity. This is also evident as the words 'Paranormal Studies' is seen on an office door. A red circle encloses the image of the woman, holding strong connotations of violence and bloodshed.

The film jingle is upbeat and comical, showing juxtaposition as the theme is horror. This suggests that the film genre is comic horror. The setting of the film is in the 1980's. This is evident in the hairstyles, dress sense and technology used in the opening. The male carrying out the test is clearly the protoganist, as he is seen through mainly medium close ups and midshots. The attraction between the protagonist and the blonde female suggests the film will also contain romance.

Blade (1998)

The lighting is low key and is set at night, setting a dark atmosphere. The strobe lights create a fast pace setting, and the editing and non-diegetic music are equally as fast. This builds tension for the audience and suggests that the genre of the film may be thriller. The titles are in block capitals and are bright red, conveying strong connotations of blood and violence. This suggests that the genre is also horror. The characters are lively and youthful, setting an up beat atmosphere for the audience.

Star Wars (1977)

The genre of Star Wars is sci-fi. This is evident in the setting as the film is set in outer space and uses spacecraft. The lighting is low key, setting a mysterious and ominous atmosphere. Diegetic sound effects, such as guns and lasers, suggest the genre of the film may also be action. Fast pace and non-diegetic music is played throughout the opening, and sets a triumphant and heroic mood for the audience.