The opening title sequence of ‘Sister Act’ uses typical conventions of a comedy film. The film begins by setting the scene ‘Saint Anne’s Academy, 1968’; a preview of writing informs the audience of the location and the year. This creates understanding of where the film is situated and where the action will take place. There is a strong sense of Mise-en scene integrated throughout the title sequence. For example the bright lighting projects the morning atmosphere and the zooming camera technique magnifies towards the ‘Academy’. The title sequence continues by showing an organised classroom in which is complete with young children and a nun. The title sequences consist of on-screen sound. Unlike most films dialect is immediately preformed by the characters. This is effective for this particular genre because a sense of laughter is created by the humorous conversation displayed.
The Positioning of characters at different distances implies character in the foreground have more power and influence, to those in the background. For instance, the nun would have authority over the class of children.
The positioning of the characters highlights their facial expressions. The nun’s dialect is delivered in a serious tone, while the opposing character’s is witty; conveying possible conflict later in the film.
The film entails a Flashback of a vivid memory capturing a past event which is set in a time earlier than the main story. I think this is an effective way of emphasising the passing of time. The sudden growth and physical change in a characters appearance is presented through merging two shots together. From a young girl to a woman, the audience becomes aware of this time lapse. This suggests the rest of the film is a continuation of the girls’ adulthood in relation to her occupation as a singer.
The titles of the film appear consistently in the center of the screen. White, italic font provides clear and readable titles, as the fonts bright colour contrast with the background. The audience is engaged with the titles not only by the calligraphy like font, but the consistency of the centre position.
The opening title sequence can represent different groups of people. The location of an ‘Academy’ and selected costume can relate to youths, they may have commonalities of also attending school. Youths may also wear school uniform and be a factor of a similar commune. However the humorous dialect relates to all ages and enforces the idea that the film is a family comedy. The musical and dance aspect of the film may interest children in particular, and adds to the entertaining quality of the film. Altogether, the film can represent a variety of people and is suitable for all.
‘Touchstone pictures’ are a production company in which created ‘The Sister Act’. They are an American film production label, and are one in several film labels of the Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group. The fact that Touchstone pictures are in corporation with a successful organisation, adds to the recognition of the company. The audience recognise a successful company created the film and are convinced to watch.
The appropriate audience for this title sequence is an array from adults to young children. The family comedy provides an entertaining aspect, by including humorous dialect, singing and dance. However the serious storyline and action scenes are aimed particularly at adults. The audience remains interested throughout the title sequence because it includes a combination of past and present. This engages the audience as we become curious to what will happen subsequently, in the film.
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