Research into filming roles

There are so many factors that go into the making of a film, but there are 6 crucial roles whereby the film wouldn't succeed without them. This includes: The Director, Camera Operator, Editor, Art director/DOP, Producer, and Sound Engineer.

The director is the creativeness behind the film, whereby they're in charge of almost everything you see on the screen, they have a say in everything from pre-production through to the final edit. An example of a famous director is Tim Burton, he's known for his gothic horror movies such as Edward Scissorhands, The Nightmare Before Christmas, and probably most famously Beetle Juice. Burton isn't only a director, he's also a producer, artist, and writer. Some advice that Burton has given to budding directors is to 'always be creating' he's known for always carrying a piece of paper around whereby anytime he had a creative idea he would write it down no matter the time or place, this led to his success in his role as he was constantly thinking about his next venture.

Camera operators have the job of handling the cameras whereby they have to 'capture the action'. An example of a camera operator is Tim Normington who has worked on famous films and tv such as: Not the Messiah: He's a Very Naughty Boy, Noel Gallaghers High Flying Birds, and The X Factor.

Editors possibly have the most important role when it comes to filmmaking, they produce the final film during post-production by managing material such as camera footage, sound effects, dialogue, graphics, and special effects. An example of a famous editor is Thelma Schoonmaker who has worked with Martin Scorsese for over 50 years. Schoonmaker has famously worked: Whos that knocking at my door, Bad, Raging Bull, and Shutter Island. Advice Thelma Schoonmaker has commonly given to new editors is "Search for the trust" and "avoid cliché and sentimentality at all costs, there are too many films that are filled with cliches and sentimentality. try and lay down humanity in the film and true emotion".

Art directors (often referred to as DOPs) work alongside the director in order to convey the overall visuals for the film through the use of set design. An example of a famous art director is Rick Carter, he's famously worked on: Forest Gump, Avatar, The Goonies, Jurassic Park, and The Polar Express. 

Producers are crucial, they oversee everything from pre-production to the release. Film producers manage the production and are often in charge of selecting the script, directing, editing, coordinating writing, and arranging the financing. Walt Disney is one of the most famous film producers, although he was also an animator, voice actor, and writer. Disney has produced classics such as: Cinderella, The Jungle Book, Peter Pan, and The Pirates of the Caribean. Disney created the largest movie company ever.. which is supposedly valued at over $100 billion. Walt Disney famously said "If you can dream it, you can do it" his ever-expanding imagination is reflected in his movies where his advice is conveyed, he also said "life is too short to spend it doing the possible, learn to pursue the impossible, pursue what others say can't be done, pursue what has never been done before, pursue your dreams and turn them into reality" his ambition to break the limits within the movie industry through the use of his magical imagination led to his great success.

Sound engineers are responsible for recording and monitoring all of the sound's onset. 

Comparing Title Sequences

When comparing Grease and American Horror Story you can gauge a lot from their opening title sequence. firstly, the lighthearted genre of grease is conveyed through the use of upbeat music as well as bright colours and comedic animations. This is completely juxtaposed in the opening title sequence to American Horror Story whereby were shown a dimly lit house alongside old memorabilia such as shattered baby photos. 

Titles are an important part when differentiating the genre. American horror story subverts the common order of titles whereby only 9 titles are shown, and the title of the show is at the end of the sequence. The titles convey the horror genre through the use of font, positioning, and colour. The use of the gothic font alongside the black and white colour scheme highlights the horror genre as the colours are polar opposites as they represent life and death as well as darkness and evil deeds. 

In contrast, the titles in Grease are far more lighthearted as they're portrayed in a more playful manner through the use of font, whereby the title animation appears to dance to the soundtrack. In the title sequence all 21 titles are shown, and all in an interesting way that reflects their role. the positioning and colour scheme further reflects the lighthearted yet comedic genre as the title sequence not only introduces us to the characters it also tells us a bit of back story.

The tone in both title sequences is set through the use of a soundtrack. The non-diegetic soundtrack in Grease is very 50s whereby the song is uplifting and a 'bop' whereby you could picture it playing on the radio in the 50s. Moreover, the repetition of the title 'Grease' within the song suggests that it is going to be a musical and that the song was made especially for the film. Despite this, the soundtrack starts off non-diegetic, whereby Danny is seen dancing in his bedroom, although as more characters are introduced it becomes non-diegetic although the actions that occur remain parallel to the soundtrack. 

Whereas in American Horror story the soundtrack is eerie whereby an almost supernatural non-diegetic soundtrack is played, this sets a dark yet abstract tone reflecting the mystery and suspense within the actual show. moreover, the flashing images alongside obscure objects further reflect the mysterious yet dark tone.

In Grease the use of a storytelling element within the title sequence helps to establish the location and time period. We can tell that it is going to be based around high school kids and their antics, through the use of locations such as bedrooms and the final scene being the school whereby it swaps from animation to real life and assumingly current day within the movie, this suggests that the school is going to be a crucial location within the movie. The use of messy bedrooms and broken cars also reflects the age of the characters suggesting that they're probably 17 or 18. Moreover, the use of props such as a boombox highlights that it's probably set in the 50s. Furthermore, the use of billboards tells a story at it reveals the current affairs of the time, such as references to many pop icons as well as the Thunderbird Ford which was released in 1955. The current affairs are predominantly American-based, as well as the left-hand drive car highlighting it is going to be set in an American high school. Moreover, the storytelling aspect within the opening sequence hints at the typical teenage lifestyle that will be shown in the movie, we can assume that it will be based around two friendship groups, the boys and the girls- this is highlighted through the titles whereby they're introduced through their gang-like names: The 'T-Birds' and The 'Pink Ladies'. Additionally, the hint at the romantic narrative is highlighted through the use of positioning and order of characters, whereby Danny and Sandy are completely juxtaposed within the screen highlighting their story won't be so simple.

On the other hand, the title sequence to American Horror Story suggests that it is going to be set in a (haunted) house or certainly based on one, we can tell this as the sequence gives the audience a glimpse of the house and the troubles which come with it. Moreover, the title "American Horror Story" further reflects the horror genre as well as establishes the location within America. The lack of characters and narrative suggests that this could be the first series as the audience would have no prior knowledge of the cast nor would they have an understanding of the storyline, although the use of old photographs as well as bizarre props suggest that the narrative is going to be something to do with a possible old case and how it has been reopened in a more modern-day. 

Both Grease and American Horror Story convey generic conventions of opening title sequences and both stereotypically establish the genre. Although, personally I prefer the opening title sequence to Grease due to the lightheartedness as well as its ability to establish the narrative through the use of the combination of soundtrack and animation. Although I believe that American Horror story was more successful at instilling fear into the audience through the clear genre being conveyed, moreover the lack of narrative and duration further added to the horror genre as well as creating suspense through the fear of the unknown. Despite this, these two titles are difficult to compare and I think that they're both superb at successfully establishing the genre.

What are titles?

What are titles?

Titles are very regularly ignored by the average audience, although titles are often incorporated within the opening scene or shown at the end of a film. They are used to highlight key information such as the funding, making, and production of the film.

Here are the names and order that all 21 titles appear in:
Money
Production
Directors name film
Main star
Film title
Actor 1 – (end of the main section)
Actor 2
Actor 3
Actor 4

Actor 5

Casting
Costume designer
Music
Edited
Production designer
Director of Photography (DOP)
Executive Producer
Produced by
Based upon
Screen play (writer)
Director

Title sequences can reflect the narrative, genre, time period, and tone of the film; through the use of fonts, transitions and pace. For example, in "The Pink Panther" titles are used creatively and effectively whereby they're incorporated into the animation, this sets the light-hearted yet mysterious tone whereby the Panthers actions represent some of the selected titles, such as when the Director of photography is shown, the Panther is shown to be having his photo taken. by incorporating actions into the opening title sequence, it reflects the comedic yet lighthearted genre and encourages the audience to carry on watching.

Joker (thriller)

Joker was made in 2019 and directed by Todd Philips, it has since received 16 awards. It had a budget of $70 million and made $1.074 billion at the box office, this has made The Joker not only the most profitable comic book movie but also the top R-rated movie of all time. The Joker consisted of an A-list cast, including: Joaquin Phoenix, Robert De Niro, Zazie Beetz, and Frances Conroy. Common conventions of a thriller are: realistic, suspenseful, and gripping. The opening sequence adheres to these stereotypes whereby we the audience are left on the edges of our seats wanting to watch more. The opening scene sets a serious yet mellow tone, whereby we witness the protagonist getting beaten up by young thugs in the street. 

We can assume the protagonist is going to be “The Joker” due to his prominent feature within the opening scene, additionally, we can gather he is going to be relevant due to the title of the movie alongside the man's makeup, hinting that he is “The Joker”. Although, Jokers are stereotypically happy characters that entertain children, although the Joker was presented with subverts to the common stereotype whereby not only do we see him cry we also gain the understanding that he is working to live, whereby he almost sacrificed his life for his work. The subversion of the stereotype reiterates the thriller genre, whereby the audience wants to watch possibly because they empathize with the protagonist, or just because they're left on the edge of their seats and have little understanding as to what is going to happen next. Joker has previously appeared in 12 movies whereby he is an established character, many fans will want to watch the jokers first solo movie not only because they're a fan of DC but because they want to see Joaquin Phoenix's rendition of The Joker, an antagonist they know and many love. Due to prior knowledge of the Batman movies, we understand it will most likely be set in Gotham, although the use of long shots establishes the American city, suggesting it could be set in New York. Moreover, the costume the extras are wearing alongside the billboards and shop fronts, suggest that the movie is set in the 80s, additionally the reference to Typhoid in the radio report further suggests that its set in New York in the 80s, as at this time Typhoid cases were increasing in NYC.

Furthermore, the use of a diegetic radio recording reiterates the realism in the storyline, as the negativity of the radio references real events that have happened. Moreover, the piano soundtrack starts out non-diegetic and contrapuntal to the scene whereby we see the joker shed a tear, although soon enough we see him dancing on the streets; the soundtrack is now diegetic and parallel as we see the joker dancing alongside a man playing the piano in the streets, the soundtrack is upbeat although the tempo matches the scene whereby as chaos is created the soundtrack speeds up and eventually stops as the joker is beaten up, suggesting a bad ending for him whereby non-diegetic violins play, suggesting sorrow.

We can assume from the opening scene that the narrative will be based around the Joker and possibly his revenge antics, we can gather that he is relatively unstable and lonely. The opening scene is effective at revealing the thriller genre, although there isn't a lot of hints at what could happen, this is effective within the genre as the audience is gripped by the storyline from the offset and are so intrigued in the unknown and want to continue watching.

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (sci-fi)

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom is the 5th Jurassic park movie; although Universal has confirmed that there is set to be the 6th movie in 2022. It was released in 2018 and had an estimated budget of around $180million, although made $1.31 billion at the box office. It was directed by J. A. Bayona and has an A-List cast including: Bryce Dallas Howard, Chris Pratt, Jeff Goldblum, and BD Wong.

Common conventions of the Science Fiction genre are: “out of this world” whereby the story conveyed is supernatural, moreover, it's an unrealistic story that is made real to an extent. The opening scene conveys this supernatural science fiction genre clearly, whereby the opening scene shows a hunt for distinct creatures such as dinosaurs, with two men shown in a submarine exploring a specific location in the Costa Rican Ocean.

The use of modern technology suggests that it is an up-to-date or futuristic movie, although the lack of basic technology such as mobile phones or modern submarines suggests its set in the early 1990s. Additionally, we're told by the titles that it's set in Isla Nublar which is said to be an island off of Costa Rica. the opening scene radiates a supernatural yet serious tone, the fear portrayed on the character's faces reflects the inhumane troubles they're facing.

The Sci-Fi theme is also reflected through sound, whereby the use of pleonastic sound exaggerates surrealism, as well as creates a gripping scene for the audience whereby even the sound of the movement of the dinosaurs is over-embellished, forcing the audience to react to every move it takes.

The audience cant gather a lot from the characters as three of them die within the first 6 minutes, although we understand that they're some sort of scientists who specialize in extinct and dangerous animals such as dinosaurs. Considering this movie is the 5th movie within the series means that people are going to have prior knowledge of characters and this specific sci-fi genre. From the opening scene, we can gather that the rest of the movie is going to be about the new dinosaurs they’ve discovered and the dangers they bring to society and the world, considering the other movies tend to nurture the rare breeds we can guess that they'll try and protect these dinosaurs. 

Additionally, the use of the underwater location reiterates the science fiction genre through the use of mystery within the ocean as supposedly only 5% of the ocean has been discovered, this engages the audience as it makes extraterrestrial life appear more realistic through the use of CGI as well as their own imagination. Moreover, the use of dark lighting, as well as the horrific weather, creates an eerie vibe whereby we the audience don't know what's going to happen until brief flashes of light reveal to the characters the risk they're in, we (the audience) also are exposed to this risk at the same time as the character this gives the audience a more personal feel as we are able to share some of the emotions the characters do.

The opening scene is good at establishing the sci-fi genre. It hints at some narrative that will be explored in the rest of the movie although it doesn't reveal much at all, which makes the audience left on the edge of their seats as they don't know what's going to happen, therefore making them want to watch more.

Dunkirk (war)

Dunkirk was released in 2017 by Warner Bros, and it has since won 12 awards, this could be due to their A-list cast including: Harry Styles, Cillian Murphy, Fionn Whitehead, and Tom Hardy, or additionally because Christopher Nolan directed it. Warner Brothers had a budget of between $100 to $150 million although they made over $526 million at the box office. 

War films are often perceived as mellow and dark with lots of deaths and explosions. The opening sequence to Dunkirk adheres to the war genre, as it does indeed include lots of deaths and explosions. The first shot shows German propaganda being released in the air amongst British soldiers, this event did actually occur; in hopes that the British troops' morale would be weakened. The use of factual information alongside added fictional stories creates a realistic story that engages the audience whilst enlightening them to historical facts.

Director, Christopher Nolan put extensive research into making the costumes and props as realistic as possible, the use of accurate costumes not only highlights the time period it also reiterates the genre, showing clearly that the film is going to be about war, specifically the British troops in the Second World War. Furthermore, the use of location, as well as set building, highlights the genre of war, the use of the barracks and defences highlights the war genre, making the sets more representative of the time, helping the audience gain a more realistic perspective.

The opening scene encapsulates the audience through the use of action as well as drama, the use of pleonastic gunshots within the action sequence grasps the audience's attention as we’re fearful as to what's going to happen next, this is shown through a tracking shot followed by a mid-shot of the only survivor, the fact that he's the only survivor suggests that he's going to be the protagonist, although he appears to be extremely young and ill-prepared suggesting he most probably won't survive, as he didn't even know how to load a gun. The tone is set to be sombre yet serious, it's set in Dunkirk during the second world war. I presume the narrative of the film will probably surround the journey of the potential ‘protagonist’ and how he copes with the events he will face in the war. 

The final shot in the scene is a mid-shot, which shows the ‘protagonist’ looking out at onto the beach, this shot puts him into perspective whereby he’ll be known ‘just as a number’ as thousands of soldiers are lined up on the be

ach, later this would be called “the Dunkirk evacuation”, the use of the panning shot highlights his lack of significance in comparison to the thousands of others as they all wait for refuge. Additionally, the beach location used is the actual Dunkirk beach where the evacuation took place.

Dunkirk's opening scene is good at establishing the war genre. The balance of action, as well as dialogue, helps to play on the audience's heartstrings, as despite our pre-established judgment that there definitely will be lots of death, we don't want to see the innocent men die. Many people would have prior knowledge of the events that will be covered in the film, therefore the importance of portraying the film in a realistic, war tone is incredibly important. 

The Conjuring (horror)

The conjuring is a supernatural horror film directed by James Wan in 2013, it had a budget of $20 million and made $319.5 million at the box office. The cast wasn't too well known at the time and it was many of their breakthrough performances, although, since the actors including Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson, Joey King and Lili Taylor have earned their A-list names. There are now seven movies part of the conjuring franchise including the sequels Annabelle and the Nun, Warner bros have grossed $2.1 billion from the 7 movies while having a combined budget of $178 million, making them the second-highest horror-movie franchises.  

Common conventions of a horror film are: a chilling storyline, a brutal death early on, and lots of emotion. The opening scene to the conjuring suggests that it is going to follow most of these conventions. It's apparent that the opening scene is set in 1968 in the US, despite being told the date we can also tell that it's not modern due to the costume alongside the camera quality, the lack of technology makes the opening scene scarier as it appears more real to the audience almost as though it could happen to them. 

The first 7 seconds are a blank screen with a diegetic male voice speaking, the blank screen gives us no hints as to the narrative, although soon enough a hard cut reveals a horrifyingly scary doll, the doll alone highlights the horror genre through its scratched face alongside its exaggerated smile. The tone is pretty dark and chilling, this is necessary in order to scare the audience and make them genuinely scared. Were introduced to three characters who appear to be roommates, they are filing a case about the doll and how it has haunted them. The use of female characters creates a damsel in distress vibe while at the same time getting an emotional attachment to two best friends. 

Moreover, the dark lighting and pleonastic sound effects also enhance the horror genre. The dark lighting reflects the dark and chilling tone, whereby the darkness also connotes mystery and evil which allows more room for fear from the audience as well as engaging them as they are left on the edges of their seats as they are unaware as to what will happen next. 

The use of editing further conveys the horror genre, the repeated cutaway shots of the doll reiterate fear into the audience as paranormal movement is reflected through the doll. 

Moreover, the parallel non-diegetic soundtrack builds tension, whereby as suspense is heightened the music becomes louder and more chaotic instilling fear within the audience as scary moments are exclaimed, the soundtrack and the doll are directly linked with each other, whereby once the doll is supposedly gotten rid of the soundtrack stops, this reiterates the horror genre making the audience weary of the doll. From the opening scene, you can assume the narrative will either be surrounding the trio in the interview although this is unlikely due to the end of the opening scene whereby they appear to have been terrorized, therefore it's more likely that the rest of the film will be about the doll and possibly its next victims.

I think that the opening scene to the conjuring was successful at establishing the horror genre, the use of varied camera angles and movements add to the fear instilled into the audience, for example, the birds-eye view of the doll being disposed of followed by a zoom exaggerates the complexion of the doll. Additionally, the suspenseful soundtrack helps to enhance the horror genre.

The Dark Knight (action)

The Dark Knight was released in 2008 as the sequel to Batman Begins, and as of 2012, it became part of a trilogy, although Warners Bros have confirmed there won't be anymore. The movie had a budget of $185 million although it made over $1 billion at the box office. All three Batman movies were directed by Christopher Nolan and had Christian Bale playing Bruce Wayne who is indeed Batman, the rest of the cast was mostly all A-list, including Heath Ledger, Gary Oldman, Michael Cain, and Morgan Freeman. 

Action movie conventions generally consist of violence, mass destruction, and death. The opening scene to The Dark Knight does adhere to the action stereotype, whereby the first shot exposes us to one man holding a mask and a duffle bag, already we (the audience) can tell he's on a mission, the use of the clown mask suggests he and his men are the villains, as they don't want to be identified, although we later find out the clown mask represents ‘The Joker’, who bases his appearance off of the common court jester. We’re soon told that there are 5 men part of the heist, each with their own speciality that'll be useful for this specific heist, this suggests the main man behind the plan has been planning this for a long time due to the detail and people he has hired, furthermore the plan reflects his intelligent as well as his experience.

The use of the non-diegetic soundtrack creates tension as the bank heist unfolds before our eyes, the soundtrack is parallel to the scene whereby as tension builds the music speeds up, heightening the tension. Non-diegetic soundtracks are extremely common for action sequences as they enhance the action. The use of a suspenseful soundtrack in this opening scene helps the action flow, the pace of the soundtrack varies, the change in tempo exaggerates some of the action. 

The opening scene has a serious yet suspenseful tone, whereby the audience is gripped from the offset due to the violence and lack of knowledge of who the characters are and what they stand for. It appears to be set in the US, specifically Chicago, you can tell this from the bird's eye shot, where the city is established. Additionally, the technology within the scene suggests that it is set in the current day and the narrative of the story will focus on the Joker and his nemesis and will include many more fights and confrontations.

The use of the soundtrack within the opening scene helps to build up the ‘protagonist’. We don't know an awful lot about the characters or their backstory, although we can grasp who is in charge. The scene begins and ends with the protagonist getting into a car, the cyclical structure reflects the simplicity and childlike manner the joker obtains. his costume, in particular, his makeup also represents him as a child. Conversely, the dialogue within the scene represents his intelligence, as no one knows who he is nor that he is present. As the joker unmasks his face the music changes to a more evil and dark tone, highlighting that he is the villain. The Dark Knight's opening scene is really effective at establishing the action genre through the ruthlessness of the joker, as within the opening scene all four of his accomplices are murdered. Although without watching the rest of the movie, one would assume the joker is going to be the main character due to his screen time alongside ruthlessness. Despite being very key in the movie and the opening scene, this is the Joker's first physical feature within the trilogy and DC world, therefore this encounter would encapsulate the audience who have prior knowledge of the film, as they want to fully understand who he is.

Django Unchained (western)

Django Unchained is a western movie made in 2012 by Quentin Tarantino, it had a budget of $100 million and made $425.4 million back at the box office. It has since won 17 awards globally. Django unchained had an ensemble a-list cast, including Quentin Tarantino, Jamie Foxx, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Christoph Waltz. 

Western movie conventions often consist of: cowboys, shootouts, ranches, and horses. The opening title sequence to Django Unchained appears to adhere to these stereotypical conventions. The first shot highlights the desolate landscapes of the wild west, whereby the actors' names are shown over the landscape. 

The opening scene has a serious yet violent tone, Its apparent from the characters shown and the lack of technology that Django unchained is going to be set in the US, specifically in California, and set during the 1950s/60s, we know that at the time the civil rights movement was very prominent due to Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King, so at the time the film was based racial equality was horrific, moreover this is conveyed within the opening scene whereby we see numerous black men who have obviously been abused and enslaved by white men whose status are represented through horseback. As well as the civil rights movement, during the 60s the American civil war took place, this could affect the narrative of the movie.

The non-diegetic soundtrack assumingly called “Django” establishes the western genre through the tempo alongside the choice of instruments and vocals. Guitars and banjos are instruments western artists use therefore the soundtrack radiates a strong western music vibe setting the genre off strong from the opening scene. The continuity within the song reflects the non-stop journey the “slaves” are on, indicating they've had no rest over a few days through the use of lighting as well as costumes. The scene starts out showing the desert in the peak sunshine, although throughout the opening scene the sun begins to fade and the sand becomes more mountainous and grasslike, by the end of the opening scene its pitch black, and the men appear to be walking through icy woods, whereby their costume has changed to represent the change in temperature. The change in set shows the power the men on horseback have over the “slaves” as it reflects the brutality they can inflict on them.

Moreover, the audience is engaged as there isn't a lot hinted at in the rest of the story, for example, we don't know anything about any of them or where they are or where they're going, the element of mystery engages the audience and makes them want to carry on watching. There is only one character whose face is intentionally shown, we can assume that he is “Django” and the rest of the movie is going to be about him. The use of screen time further reflects his status as it gives him the most importance within the scene. Additionally, we can gather from the title “Django unchained” that the movie is going to be about his life when he's no longer part of the slave trade and how he potentially gets out.

The opening title sequence is good at establishing the western genre, the use of the panning shot establishes the location, whereby the western genre is reflected through the desolate landscape. Furthermore, the characters and their lack of costume highlight the slavery theme within the movie, although the slave trade can be associated with plantations often in the wild west, which highlights the western theme. Therefore the genre is successfully identified within the sequence and not too much of the further narrative is uncovered.

Goodfellas (drama)

Goodfellas is one of the best Scorsese films of all time.

Goodfellas is a drama which was made in 1990 and directed by Martin Scorsese. It had a budget of $25 million and made $47.1 million at the box office. The cast includes Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, Ray Liotta, and Lorraine Bracco. The generic conventions of a drama are that it's realistic and fairly solemn, dramas often include an interesting plot twist to keep the audience engaged.

The opening sequence to Goodfellas adheres to the stereotypical drama genre although it does include an added action vibe. The first shot introduces the car that three men are traveling in, it begins by showing the boot and then pans around to show the rest of the car and then the road. It's set during the night, setting an eerie tone due to the lack of vision of the surroundings, furthermore stereotypically in movies, something bad often happens at night. The three men are shown crowding around the trunk of the car, where an unsuccessful murder has taken place, the setting is pitch black although the men are shown in a red light, this encapsulates the audience as not only do we want to find out more as to how the men got into the situation and who they actually are, red is a common connotation to danger as well as anger and war.

 The title shot establishes the place and time of the movie, it's set in New York in the 1970s, we know that at the time America was much more corrupt and classist, therefore we know that the 3 men that we were introduced to must be very powerful and high up in what they do, as the use of smart costumes alongside guns and knives highlights their job quota.
The audience is encapsulated through dialogue and facial expressions, the men show distress when a noise is coming from the back of the car, although once they’ve fully murdered the man, they show no emotion at all, this also reflects the lengths of the jobs as they must be so used to killing people that it no longer affects them. Moreover, the costumes, car, and props all reflect a drama as none of them are too out of the ordinary highlighting the serious tone and realism within the storyline.

The audience is engaged through the use of a non-diegetic voice over “As far back as I could remember I always wanted to be a gangsta” this fully introduces us to the protagonist whereby we can assume the rest of the movie will be based around the protagonist and his associates and either how they got into their current situation and how he did become a “gangsta” or what they're going to do next. The story will most likely include violence, following the three men's jobs within the mafia. Although the lack of non-diegetic sound highlights the drama genre as it shows the scene to be more realistic as nothing is exaggerated.

The opening scene to Goodfellas is successful at establishing the genre as it hints to the storyline although leaves a lot to the audience's imagination, this fully engages the audience as they want to carry on watching the movie. The opening scene fully establishes the drama genre through the use of action alongside dialogue. I thoroughly enjoyed this opening scene and thought it to be very gripping.