The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Conventions of an Opening Sequence

Sound:The use of non-diegetic sounds has been presented at the very start of the opening sequence as there is the sound of a typewriter in the background. As this sound continues, the text begins to appear on the screen, implying someone is typing out the words which are going to be shown.

Typography:The colour of the text isn’t very bold as there are different shades of white throughout the whole of the text. This gives us the impression that the text is quite old as it isn’t perfect. The font of the text also comes across as being quite ancient which links to the sounds of the typewriter as that is also an old piece of equipment.

Mise en Scene – Colouring:There are only two colours presented in this particular shot which are black and white. This contrast of colouring is really effected as it makes the white stand out completely, leaving it the main focus of the shot. This is particularly common for showing text as it there is no way of getting distracted due to the plain black background.

Editing:The transition of this shot to the next is done with the use of a fade. The way it fades into darkness then appears with the next piece of text creates a calming mood and doesn’t seem so dramatic.

Lighting:The use of the low key lighting conveys what time of day it is, in this case, night time. However, it may also demonstrate what sort of situation this boy is in as darkness represents sadness and sorrow, implying he’s not particularly happy.

Camera:In this scene, they’ve use an over the shoulder shot along with a medium shot. The use of the medium shot can give the audience a better understanding of the location in which he’s sat in. The over the shoulder shot gives a sense of mystery as the audience are unclear of what this character’s identity is. The way his reflection is shown in the mirror leaves the audience guessing more as it still isn’t very clear.

Mise en Scene:An example of mise en scene shown in this particular shot is through the use of setting. The setting looks as though it ’s the boy’s bedroom as he’s sat at his desk writing. This gives the audience a better impression of the age of this boy as it suggests he’s still a student. Another example of mise en scene shown in this particular shot is through the use of costumes. The boy is wearing very casual clothes which relates to the age that he is, giving the audience hints about this certain character.

Camera:The use of the side shot is to show a little bit of the character’s face whilst still leaving a sense mystery as half of the character’s face is still hidden. The side shot can also represent what’s going on within the scene, in this case, it shows a close up of the boy writing.

Lighting:The use of the low key lighting with the specks of light on the boy suggests that the background isn’t important the boy should be the main focus of this particular shot. This also gives the audience the impression that this boy could be the main character of the film.

Sound:In this particular scene, there is a voice over which starts as the boy begins the write. The voice is reading out what his letter says as he’s writing. This could give the audience a better understanding on the narrative and the boy is explaining about his past and his present struggles.

Editing:This specific shot is fairly long which creates a slower pace so the audience feel more relaxed. It also makes sense with what’s happening in the scene as the boy is writing and speaking at a slow pace.

Camera:This over the shoulder shot has been used to view the scene almost in the boy’s perspective or to make the audience feel like they’re there with him. This shot also gives away part of the setting and the characters within it.

Characters:There are two new characters shown in this scene which look as though they’re the boy’s parents. We know this as the voice over explains a little bit of history about his parents and the camera instantly shows a shot of them. The father is wearing some sort of shirt which implies he has quite a sophisticated job whereas the mother is just wearing casual clothes.

Lighting:The lighting is fairly low key but the lights and candles in the room give it a more calming effect. This gives the audience the impression it’s a very homely environment and gives it an uplifting, relaxing mood

Editing:The shot duration is particularly long as they film the boy walking towards the room down a corridor until he reaches the setting he’s in now. This has been done to focus on aspects of mise en scene that would’ve been missed.

Target Audience:From what’s happening in the shot, it can attract families from all different backgrounds as most of them can relate to the setting and environment in with they’re in.

Mise en Scene:Mise en Scene is presented here through the use of costumes. The boy is wearing a blue hoodie and a red t-shirt, which is the typical sort of clothing people wear at his age. However, the colour red has connotations with danger which relates to the scene as there is chaos within it. Another example of Mise en Scene is through the use of props. Many props are shown within this scene, such as paper and his rucksack. This is effective as it makes it even more clearer about what his school is like.

Characters:The way in which half of the people are blurred and the boy walking down the middle is in the centre of the screen represents that he is the main character.

Lighting:The high-key lighting is used to to make it seem upbeat, even with the chaos in the background.

Setting:The setting of this shot is of a school corridor, even if it is blurred out the audience can still clearly see little parts of detail. The colouring of the walls are very dull, suggesting school isn’t a particularly fun place to be.

Sound:A diegetic sound is used through the use of a school bell, making the location seem as real as possible

Camera:This close up of the boy’s face is used to show his facial expression in more detail. With this close up, we can clearly see his eyes are widened which implies he’s either scared or in shock.

Setting:The location of this shot is blurred along with the people in the background. This conveys that the boy is the main focus of the shot and the background shouldn’t distract the audience.

Sound:Even with the sound of the voice over still happening, there are still some diegetic sounds being demonstrated in this certain shot. An of example of this is with the shouting of the other students in the corridor. This conveys that this school is a noisy place to be in and everything is quite hectic.

Target Audience:This specific shot can give hints for what the target audience could be. In this case, the noise from the students and the location in which he’s in can attract the younger audience as they can relate to the school environment.

Camera:This long shot is used in this part of the opening sequence to show all the people in his class. This will give the audience the impression on the type of people who go to the boy’s school. Secondly, the long shot is used to show the surroundings, in this case, a DT class. We know this due to the amount of tools lines up in the background and the safety signs on the walls.

Costumes:The characters in this shot are all dressed fairly well but still quite casual. This implies that the school aren’t so strict on clothing but still expect the students to dress relatively well. However, none of the students are wearing particularly bright colours which suggests school and this certain lesson isn’t especially enjoyable.

Mise en Scene:Mise en Scene is presented in this particular shot through the use of lighting, in this case, high-key lighting. This could create a more uplifting mood and give more of a positive view on school. Another example of Mise en Scene is through the use of props. This is shown with the books on the table and the tools in the background. This gives the audience a better idea on what sort of lesson the students are in.

Sound:There aren’t any examples of diegetic or non-diegetic sounds within this scene as the voiceover is still playing. The voiceover is describing the experiences he’s been through with different people, which may be giving hints on the narrative.

Characters:The way the man is positioned with his hand on his waist gives the audience the impression he has an important part in the movie or is higher than everyone else. He’s also wearing a pale blue shirt which has connotations with purity, which may suggest what sort of character this man is.

Setting:Linking with the other slide with the classroom, this shot has been taken from the other side of the class so the audience get a better understanding on what the classroom looks like.

Camera:This over the shoulder shot/long shot is used so the audience feel like a student themselves looking at the teacher like all the other pupils. The long shot is used to show the background and the surroundings to give them a better idea on what sort of lesson the students are in.

Sound:This is the first scene where one of the characters begins to talk as the voiceover has ended. Diegetic sounds have also become more common as there is rustling of bags and people sniggering in the background. A few seconds after this shot, another man walks in and the first form of dialogue is introduced as he begins to speak to the man in the pale blue shirt.