Genre Research: About a Boy

About a Boy

Paul and Chris Weitz, 2002 (Rom-Com, 12)

Produced by: Universal Pictures

Distributed by: Universal Pictures

Budget: $27M

Box Office: £16M ($40M

Trailer, Wikipedia

Rotten Tomatoes: 93%

Synopsis:

This rom-com is slightly atypical, in the fact that it features a central protaganist who is a man. The movie follows a man as he chases a single mum and bonds with her son, an outsider.

Paul and Chris Wietz are named

Titles:

The titles are mostly similar to previous ones I have looked out. Notable titles include the 3 main stars before the title of the movie itself and 'A Paul Wietz and Chris Wietz film', the latter title fits with the aueter theory.

The first we see of the main character

Arguably the second main character

Points about the opening:

The opening features a soft guitar song over the young boy's parts which picks up over the main characters parts. It also has a voiceover over the opening. This voiceover provides exposition on the characters and how they feel at the start of the movie. There is a general lack of romantic elements through the opening, though it is clear, though the cutting between the two (and the foreshadowing of hugh grant holding a baby) that the two characters will be link, most likely though the boys mum, as hugh grants character is shown to have an interest in single movies, as shown at the end of the opening.

foreshadowing the fatherly role

Genre Research: Love Actually

Love Actually

Richard Curtis, 2003 (Rom-Com, 15)

Produced by: Universal Studios

Distributed by: Universal Studios

Budget: $30M

Box Office: £36M ($59M in US)

Trailer, Wikipedia

Rotten Tomatoes: 63%

Synopsis:

Love actually is another atypical rom-com. This time however, it is because we follow many interlinked characters as each of them find love. 

Titles:

The idents starts with Universal, then Studio Canal, and finally, Working Title . Each have their own audio.

The titles are not very noteworthy but include the phrases

'Universal Studios and Studio Canal present'

'A Working Title production'

'In association with DNA Films'

Points about the opening:

The movie title is presented in a unique way

The movie starts with a voiceover, which says the words 'love actually is all around', as these words are said they fade onto screen, all the other words fade away, leaving only 'love actually' on screen.

In the recording studio

The movie then cuts to a recording studio, where a christmassy song cover is being recorded, which leads nicely on, through an audio bridge, to a very quick montages of shots. While quick, this montage provides a lot of exposition. Through shots of the London eye, Trafalgar square and a christmas tree at a shopping centre the location and time of year are provided. This makes it clear how much information can be given through a short amount of time by using a montage.

As there are many characters, who each have their own 'story' to be set up the opening could easily be very overwhelming. However, the producers have avoided overwhelming people by carefully choosing what to show. It also helps that many characters are interlinked already, meaning multiple stories can be shown at the same time. This is particularly notable as it highlights the importance of good mise-en-scene.

The first montage shot

Second montage Shot

another montage shot

Genre Research: Bridget Jones's Diary: Edge of Reason

Bridget Jones's Diary: Edge of Reason

Sharon Maguire, 2001 (Rom-Com, 15)

Produced by: Working Title/Studio Canal/Universal Pictures/Miramax Films

Distributed by: Universal Studios

Box Office: £35M($40M in US)

Trailer, Wikipedia

Rotten Tomatoes: 27%

Length of Opening: 6:30 mins. until end of titles, story has been set up by 10:05 mins.

Synopsis:

The second installment of the Bridget Jones series. his film continues 4 weeks after the first film. It focuses upon the continuing relationship between Bridget and Mark Darcy, but Bridget is already feeling uncomfortable over it.

Universal's Ident

Idents & Titles:

There are 4 idents, one for each of the production companies, Each features it's own theme or no sound at all, aside from working title's which has an audio bridge of non-diegetic music. We start with Universal, as they are the distributors and also have most likely inversted the most money out of the production companies. The final ident comes from Working Title, Most likely because it is a subsidiary to Universal.

First title, ordered (most likley)
by monetary input

The first title to come onto screen is "Universal Pictures and Studio Canal and Miramax Films present" The Company names have been made bigger and are written in a serif font, almost as though it has been written by hand. The rest is written in all caps, and sans-serif. 

The way the main 3 cast-member's
names came onto screen.

We then have the opening scene, which will be discussed later. In the next scene we get the 3 main cast members names, these come onto screen as though written out by a pen, they last about 3 seconds.  Over the next scene the remainder of the main cast's names are shown, along with important crew members, they fade in and out, and are as follows:

BRIDGET JONES: the Edge of Reason
Jim Broadbent
Gemma Jones
Jacinda Barrett
James Callis-Shirley Henderson-Sally Phillips (These were presented over lines, each hyphen represents the start of the next line)
Neal Pearson-Jessica Stevenson
CASTING BY Michelle Guish
HAIR AND MAKE UP DESIGNER Graham Johnston
COSTUME DESIGNER Jany Temime
MUSIC BY Harry Gregson-Williams
MUSIC SUPERVISOR Nick Angel
PRODUCTION DESIGNER Gemma Jackson
(There was a pause here while Bridget Jones, having parachuted through out these credits, lands)
EDITOR Greg Hayden
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY Adrian Biddle BSC
LINE PRODUCER Bernard Bellew
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS Debra Hayward-Liza Chasin

Director's name

BASED ON THE NOVEL BY Helen Fielding
SCREENPLAY BY Andrew Davies AND-Helen Fielding AND-Richard Curtis AND- Adam Brooks
PRODUCED BY Tim Bevan-Eric Fellner-Jonathan Cavendish
DIRECTED BY Beeban Kidron (Stylised with an underline at the end of the name)