Research into Sci-Fi genre

  Research into Sci-Fi genre opening scene

(0.00-2.43) Divergent is a 2014 American dystopian science fiction film. This film is the first movie in The Divergent Series. This film was produced by Summit Entertainment and Red Wagon Entertainment, and was released on the 4th of April 2014 (UK). The director of this production was Neil Burger and written by Evan Daugherty (screenplay) and Vanessa Taylor (screenplay). The budget of the production was $85,000,000, and grossed $150,947,895 (USA) and the worldwide grossing was $288,885,818. 

The main cast in the film are Shailene Woodley, Theo James and Kate Winslet. This opening clip begins with a panning camera movement which does a 180 turn and then goes into an establishing shot that travels up the wall to make the audience feel as if they are going over the wall. There is a title that appears which tells the audience that the action is all taking place in Chicago. The sound that is used during this scene is the non-diegetic sound of calm and peaceful music, which contrasts the destruction and desolation of the city. From this opening clip we get a sense that the target audience for this movie is around the age group of 14 and above.

                        

As the clip continues we are introduced with a long shot of the inside of the city with different members of the city/society working and talking to one another, all dressed in certain colours and clothes and what seem to be, every individual divided by their clothing. 

The narrative is introduced through this clip and it provides information to the audience that this movie could be about the different groups, but it also get the audience thinking about why they are dressed in similar colours and what it could mean. Through this clip the genre of this film is not well portrayed due to how it comes across as it either comes across as an action film or Sci-Fi film. The sound used in this clip is both diegetic and non-diegetic by the use of the background noises of people talking and working. 

The use of the rule of thirds in the clip show a clear division between the different groups as one group goes to the left side of the frame and the other group go towards to right side. This informs the viewer that there is not one key group they are focusing on and both groups have the same status. But in this clip we are only introduced to two different groups and unsure how many there are. 

As this opening scene continues the following shot is of people walking across a bridge as the camera is going through it, there is a voiceover saying "Were lucky to be in the city" and then the voiceover mentions a war which had taken place which provides a brief understanding to the audience of why the city is full of ruins. The voice that is used for this voiceover is a female voice with a kind and gentle tone which suggests to the viewer that this could be the protagonist of the film.

Overall this opening scene provides a clear vision of what this movie may be about and is very eye grabbing and attention grabbing for the viewer and makes the viewer want to keep watching. Although the genre through this opening scene is hard to identify and is not made clear for the viewer as there are a variety of genres that could be used through this opening scene and it is hard to tell, this is a very well produced and informative opening scene.