The Fantasy Genre (Again)

 I have previously done research about the fantasy genre on my blog (it’s the second post). In that post, I talk about the basics of the genre such as the conventions of the genre, the hero’s journey, production techniques, the target audience, and examples of films in that genre. In this post, I’m going to analyze different film openings in the fantasy genre and work out how they will help me come up with ideas for my film opening.  I will also analyze the subgenre my film is following. 

This is the opening title sequence for the film Back to the Future. The film is directed by Robert Zemeckis and produced by Steven Spielberg. It was released in 1985. Although it is a sci-fi film, I plan to use aspects of its opening for my project. Throughout the opening, the audience gets a look at Doctor Emmett Brown’s garage which establishes some aspects of the plot. The film’s opening also establishes mise-en-scene by showing around the garage and connecting it to the plot by introducing the film’s main character. This is what I plan to do with my opening. In my opening, I want to show across the main character’s room, likely not in one shot like Back to the Future, and then cut to the main character at their desk, working or coming into their room.

This is an opening sequence and introduction to the main character, Miles Morales, in the film Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. The film was directed by Bob Persichetti and released in 2018. The film begins with an introduction to Spider-man and then cuts to Miles Morales who is singing along to a song that is playing through his headphones. This piece uses diegetic sound which is an idea I'd like to replicate in my film opening. I'd like to do a similar thing in which the main character is doing their homework or coming home from school and they have headphones on, but the audience doesn't realize the sound is diegetic until they see the main character dancing and jamming to the music. Diegetic sound can add depth to a film opening which is what I want to achieve.

This is the film opening for the film, Harry Potter and the Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. The film was directed by Alfonso Cuarón and was released in 2004. Although this clip shows the first ten minutes of the film, (in full transparency, this was the best clip I could find) the part I’m focusing on is the first two minutes, or until the doorbell rings. This opening uses magic to introduce the plot which is an aspect I intend to include in my film opening. This opening also uses the magical aspects to lead to the title which is also what I intend to do. In my film opening, the main character gets transported into the book and when the book is laying on the bed by itself, the camera will zoom into the title of the book, which will also double as the title of the film. 

As mentioned in my previous research, there are many subgenres in the fantasy genre. The one I’m exploring in my film opening is magical realism. Magical realism is a genre in which the real world is depicted as having magical or fantastical qualities. Some characteristics of the genre include a realistic setting, elements of magic and a unique plot structure. This genre typically has a target audience of kids and teens but can sometimes expand to young adults. The genre uses similar production techniques to fantasy but also uses the production techniques of other genres like, drama and comedy.  The realistic fiction genre is also commonly found in literature. Realistic fiction is one of my favorite genres which is part of the reason I gravitated towards it for my film opening. 

The previous paragraph mentions how magical realism depicts the real world with magical qualities. These qualities are usually depicted using special/visual effects or CGI. Visual effects can to elevate the film and create things that wouldn’t be depicted in real life. Although I am not using CGI in my opening, I plan to use visual effects to depict the main character be immersed into the book. I am have a good amount of experience using Adobe Premiere Pro and I’m willing to expand my knowledge and use of the program by creating visual effects. It’s going to be difficult and challenging but it is a crucial part of telling the story in my film opening.

These opening scenes have been a great inspiration for my film opening. Back To The Future, Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse, and, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban are all favorite movies of mine so it only seems fitting that they inspired my project. Research on the realistic fiction genre will benefit me greatly as I now have a better idea of how to approach my project. 

Sources: 

MovieTitleScreens. “Back to the Future 1985 -- Opening Title Sequence.” YouTube, YouTube, 1 Oct. 2012, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3isQI0nXQRE. 

Cut Entertainment. “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018): Miles Morales Intro.” YouTube, YouTube, 8 Mar. 2019, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3z1x9VreQ0. 

Warner Bros Entertainment. “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban | Full Movie Preview | Warner Bros.. Entertainment.” YouTube, YouTube, 30 Apr. 2020, https://www.youtube.com/watchv=MjoMN9RMKAY. 

“What Is Magical Realism? Definition and Examples of Magical Realism in Literature, plus 7 Magical Realism Novels You Should Read - 2023.” MasterClass, MasterClass, 23 Aug. 2021, https://www.masterclass.com/articles/what-is-magical-realism.