Chronicle

We are now getting to my last "official" week of research, so I really would like to focus on some more film examples. While, I am certain I am going to be endlessly researching the details that go in to film making, this week really feels like ... it.

Today, I am going to be visiting some found footage films. I have seen many already, and I think it would be most beneficial to observe ones that I have already seen but from a different perspective. Most found footage films are thrillers, so I won't have to search too hard for a film that has a similar ambience to what I am looking for in my opening.

So, I rewatched the 2012 film 'Chronicle.' I had seen it a few times, but only watched for the purposes of entertainment, and never had attempted to look past the surface. While the film as a whole is interesting, I put a lot of focus on the opening scene, of course.

After viewing the first minute of the film, I found it interesting how the first thing we hear -- other than the clattering of the camera -- was conflict. We immediately discover that the boy in the mirror, Andrew, has some unfortunate issues with his father. Not only is his father drunk at 7 AM, but from simply the tone of the actors voices, we know that they have a toxic relationship with each other. Andrew even warns his father that he's filming everything from now on, which is enough to get his father to leave. Within this minute, Andrew's father is never shown. So, a lot happens in this short opening, that holds a lot of significance. It can be assumed that the protagonist (Andrew) is a child of neglect, and his father, the antagonist of the scene was not shown at all which is a typical technique used in thriller films. It keeps a sense of mystery within the audience. Andrew also addresses why he is recording, which would explain why the film takes place from this point of view.

The way this opening was set up genuinely has me questioning how I would like to structure my opening. I was thinking of a more generic opening, but now I might go a little more abstract. I would like to stick to the book, and have an opening that introduces some aspect of the film in a way, but 'Chronicle,' did not stick to that narrative and the basis of the film was not lost. This definitely has me considering some more things, but I believe viewing this opening was quite beneficial. I will be observing films all week!