Defining British Social Realism

British Social Realism is a genre of film that focuses on topical issues alive in modern society. For example, themes such as social class, religion, poverty, drugs and corruption of youth are sometimes the main focus of a realist film. The use of unknown actors supports this genre of film as it needs to be as realistic as possible for the audience. This genre of film are usually set in run down areas or council estates and the characters are usually from a working class background who are tired of living the same mundane life everyday. 

British Social Realism Themes

Drug Abuse/Drug Experimentation: 

The film "Shifty" shows drug dealing to be a common job to be involved in and knowing a drug dealer, even being friends with one to be quite normal. It also shows how drug dealing can cause conflicts between people as the clip hints at another drug dealer trying to set Shifty up. The film also shows Chris, struggling to keep away from drugs as he had already escaped, he mentions "knocking up weed" in college, suggesting he was once on the same path as Shifty. This shows how it is dangerous and risky job to be involved in, the film only focuses on 24 hours of Shifty's life and his life spirals out of control. The film is a coming of age story, as Shifty's friend tries to make him realise he is is better than drug dealing, and could have had a better future. In the trailer, you see a young girl lying on the bed hinting at drug experimentation and the effects it has on people. Drugs, a theme associated with British Social Realism films as problematic characters are shown to surrender to drugs when times get hard.

In my own British Social Realism film I would show drug experimentation through peer pressure. For example, a young girl pressured into taking drugs by her boyfriend who has been using drugs for a very long time. 

Domestic Abuse: 

The film "Nil By Mouth" shows an iconic scene of a jealous husband losing his temper with his wife and then violently shouting and beating her, a cycle that continues due to his constant violent outbursts and anger issues.There family is rather dysfunctional, Ray already kicking Valerie's brother out because of his addiction to heroin which interferes with business, this shows Ray to be unsympathetic or have a forgiving character as his own anger gets in the way. This also covers the theme of the male gender putting themselves above females, and shows that discrimination may still exist in the household. There is a scene in the film where in a pub it shows a clear separation of male and female characters, suggesting that the females are excluded and are treated inferior. Domestic is approached as a quite normal thing to be happening in households in British Social Realism, so people may think it is an exaggeration but really it just makes the audience realise how common it is.

In my own realist film, I would like to show there still can be a separation of genders in a household, and old themes can still exist. I would like to show or hint towards perhaps an abusive relationship, but don't think I would cover it in as much detail as the clip shown.


Childhood/Corruption of Youth:

In the film "This is England" the story of a troubled young boy is told, Shaun who acts as our lost boy in this realist film. The beginning of the trailer shows how he is treated different, excluded and picked on by kids from school and then somehow falls into the hands of a group of skinheads, who are on the outskirts of society, who have very different and controversial views. Shaun is forced to choose between the two groups of skinheads when Combo returns and enforces his nationalist and racist views. This is no situation for a child to be involved in as he cannot truly understand politics, he is purely following people that he thinks are good examples or mentor figures. This shows how children are forced to grow up too quickly, for example Shaun has lost his father figure, and the group of skinheads he meets provide him with the male support his childhood is lacking, however it forces him to become like them. It is clear to see it has had a bad effect on him, as in the trailer we see how, Shaun walks into a shop and asks for "100 fags and 10 cans of lager." This shows how his childhood has been tainted as he thinks a boy of his age can buy alcohol and cigarettes because of the role models he has been surrounded with. Also, as he is constantly surrounded by violence, verbal or physical, his youth has been corrupted by those around him, for example, in the film he witnesses Combo beating Milky into a coma, which is a sight no child should see. Shaun is too young to see such brutal acts or be introduced to the true world and politics.

Using childhood as one of the main themes of my own film, I would aim to show the story of a young boy forced to support his mother due to the absence of his father, and how he is forced to compromise other things like education and find ways to fund his mother's and his own lives.

Sex:

The film "Rita, Sue and Bob Too" tells the story of two young school girls who have a fling with a married man. The film shows how people can be affected by their very first relationship and first sexual encounters as both girls end up falling for the same man. The story shows how it can cause problems between friends as Rita and Sue end up falling out over the fact that Rita is pregnant with Bob's child and that he is running away with her. It also shows how easy it is for young people to be manipulated by elders as they may have false trust in the person and in a strange way feel secure around them. This theme again was approached in a way that it happens regularly which makes it so shocking to the audience. This theme also associates with British Social Realism as it is part of coming of age, which can be a struggle for some. The girls are represented in a bad light, as Bob's wife confronts the two girls and blames them, and doesn't place blame on her husband originally. This shows that people had the view or may still have the view that if men cheat, it isn't bad, but to be expected and is normal for them. 

Using this theme in a film of my own, I would tell the story of first relationships, and the effect another person can have on someone. For example, a stereotypical bad boy causing a young girl to go off-track and lose control of her life.


Poverty: 

In the film "London to Brighton," the poverty of the broken family introduced to us is clear within the first minutes of the film. The struggle of single parenthood is clear, as the mother has to go out of her way to make some money for a train fare. The film hints at the theme of prostitution, which emphasises her desperate need for her and her daughter to leave London as quickly as possible, also hinting at the idea of running from someone. There is a scene of the mother ordering food at the fish and chip shop, receiving odd looks from others, showing the barrier of social class. Also the fact that she is ordering fish and chips, shows poverty as it is quick, easy and cheap. This theme is approached straight on, meaning the film has no build up, straight away the audience are shown the problems the characters face.

In my own film, I would use the theme of poverty, to show perhaps a broken family struggling to get by and probably a child who suffers the most from this. For example, through bullying at school, being excluded because they are of a different class and not being able to afford basic items.

British Social Realism Timeline

1950s:

"Look Back in Anger"

This film covers many different themes common in British Social Realism, a struggle for equality, for example this is set at a time where women were clearly seen as inferior and taken for granted. The wife is kept at home all day and night, while her husband is out working all day and then spending time at a jazz club for most of the night, showing how Alison has been domesticated. It also tackles the idea of an abusive relationship as in a scene, Alison tells Cliff she is frightened of her husband, Jimmy. There is also a scene where an ironing board is overturned by Jimmy causing Alison to get burnt, yet he doesn't rush to her side, he simply apologises but in a way that does not feel sincere. However he doesn't treat her nice for a long time. Jimmy and Cliff both work on a sweet stall in the market place, showing an idea of the same mundane job everyday. They also tackle a theme of unwanted pregnancy as there is a scene where Alison's doctor asks if Jimmy knows about the baby and she asks if it is too late to do anything about it to which he responds, "I didn't hear that question" as any kind of abortion at this time in Britain would have been illegal. 

Look Back in Anger's interior shots were filmed at Elstree Studios. However some establishing shots were filmed in Derby, market scenes shot in Deptford Market and the railway station filmed in Dalston. 

Music plays a big role in the beginning of the film as the opening sequence shows Jimmy playing the trumpet amongst other musicians in a club which continues in the background of shots after. There is also non-diegetic sound of a train passing that creates a sound bridge at 5:15 of Jimmy and Alison in bed to a shot of the view from their flat. Only before 7 minutes in of the film you hear dialogue between Jimmy and Cliff, all the shots before are used to show you the setting and the jazz music used helps you understand the era. 

The character's clothes are not anything extravagant, it seems they are tight for money, as three of them seem to live in a very small flat. Alison is seen wearing what seems to be Jimmy's shirt in scenes of the film, perhaps showing poverty in the way she cannot afford new clothes. Lighting in the film looks artificial in some of the interior shots, as the flat seemed it would be very dark as it was so small. 

1960s:

"Poor Cow"

This film covers the topic of poverty as the setting of the bedroom seems very simplistic and small. Also it looks at crime, as the girl, Joy at only 18 runs away from home, marries and has a child with a thief Tom. When he tries to attempt a bigger robbery, he is jailed for four years, so Joy is left on her own with her son, Johnny so the film looks at single parenthood too. 

The film was set in London, and shows the effects of poverty and poor housing on the lives of its characters. 

The dialogue in the clip I have embed is limited but in the full film Joy acts as a narrator of her own story and the film didn't have a script and was mainly improvised which shows a more realistic story in the end. The music in the clip I have embed shows how the song is sung by the character and is actually diegetic sound but used in the clips before it shows him  singing.

The clothes of the characters show they aren't particularly wealthy, that they are just ordinary people. The lighting in the clip is natural, making the film more realistic to the audience.

1970s:

"Quadrophenia" 

This film is loosely based around the album called Quadrophenia by The Who released in 1973. The main theme of the film is the conflict between two different groups of people the "Mods" and the "Rockers" whom are both biker gangs that often fight each other. It also looks at mental illness, as the main character suffers from depression towards the end of the film. 

The film is set in London where the Mods are from and we follow them to Brighton where a riot takes place with the Rockers. 

The film makes reference to The Who and mainly has a sixties soundtrack which tells the audience when the film is set. The characters have the typical cockney accent that is associated with some Londoners.

There was a wider variety of shots in this film compared to the others, it was easier to identify techniques like Shot-Reverse-Shot. 

The clothing worn by the Mods does not show wealth but that they are ordinary people, along with the Rockers but they wear clothes that make them easier identify. In the clip shown, you see how a leather jacket made a character look like a Rocker. This also emphasises how there is a clear separation between the two groups as it was compared to the separation of black and white people which shows how serious the two groups took their conflict. Also, the main character avoided his friend because he was dressed like a Rocker. Natural lighting was used in this film, which makes it more realistic. 

1980s:

"My Beautiful Launderette"

This film tackles themes of homosexuality and racism, issues that were very controversial at that time. The clip shows how Omar's father does not want Omar working in a launderette as his job, a journalist is seen as much higher job and better living. His father is ashamed that his advice has lead them to where they are and refers to the working in a launderette as an "underpants cleaner" and that, "working class is a great disappointment" to him. He also tells Johnny at the end of the scene, that, "it is not a bad dump" he has. This shows how much working class people are looked down upon.

The film is set in South London, in Battersea where the story focuses on Omar and Johnny's reunion and romance and running of a launderette. 

The music at the beginning of this clip was non-diegetic and the sound of the door closing seemed to be foley sound, as it came across much louder than expected. 

The beginning of this clip was shot through the launderette doors, panning and following the character Johnny through the launderette. This was effective as you could hear the sound outside the shop and Omar's father's footsteps in the background although the shot was of Johnny. Then there was match on action used on Omar's father opening the door. There is also shot-reverse-shot used during the conversation between Johnny and Omar's father. Next, you see a low angle shot used showing Omar's father to be above the people in the launderette.

The clothing of Johnny in this clip, shows him to be lower than Omar's father as he is wearing a jacket and jeans compared to Omar's father wearing an ascot and suit. This shows their different classes. The lighting in this film is natural, only the lights in the launderette are artificial.

1990s:

"Trainspotting"

This film looks at petty crime and drug addiction between a circle of friends. The main storyline seems to be trying to quit but failing too, and then the main character Renton finally removing himself from the situation and his old friends in the end of the film.

The film was set in Edinburgh as the first scene you see Renton and his friend Spud running down Princes Street being pursued by security guards. However the majority of the scenes in this film were filmed in Glasgow despite being set in Edinburgh. 

The use of a voiceover is used so Renton acts a narrator in this clip. The shot is frozen as he tells you what is happening. Renton's voiceover is also used as a sound bridge from the still shot of Tommy and then to a shot of him lifting weights. Then again to take us back to the shot that's been frozen of Begbie. 

There are shots of Begbie and Tommy as they tell the different versions of the story in the clip and then cross-cuts of them actually playing snooker in the past. There are a variety of different shots used, close ups and high and low angles. 

The clothes of the characters again are just normal clothes you'd see ordinary people wearing at the time this film is set. The lighting in this film is natural, which makes the audience think it's more realistic. 

2000s:

"This is England" 

This film covers topics of racism and youth sub-cultures such as 'skinheads' that were around in 1983. Shaun a 12 year old boy is welcomed into a group of skinheads and the film shows what living a working-class life was like in the early eighties in England. 

The film was set in the Midlands and the majority of shots are filmed on location in Nottingham. However some of the accents of the characters come from a wider geographical area.

In this clip, Combo invites Milky to tell him more about himself, and as Milky starts describing his big family, non-diegetic music starts to play and a close up shot of Combo is used and the music helps us understand the jealousy that Combo feels starting to increase more and more. When Milky invites Combo round to meet his family and have dinner, the piano in the music plays more often and speeds up and you can see that Combo is envious of Milky's life and that his response to Milky isn't genuine, it is blunt. He then brings Milky's race into the conversation, to which Milky doesn't respond, only angering Combo more as the music continues to create the tension between the two characters, which escalates to Combo beating Milky into a coma. While Combo is beating Milky, the music is played fully and the shouting of Shaun is used in the background, making the audience feel sorry for him to have witness such a sight. 

In this clip mainly close ups are used as it escalated into a very tense and heated argument so that kind of shot would allow you to see the character's full emotion.

The characters in this clip are wearing basic clothing, but some of them are wearing braces which helps the audience identify them as a group. The only light used is the one coming from the corner of the room which makes the shots quite dark and creates an atmosphere.

2010s:

"Ill Manors"

This film looks at topics of drug dealing and drug addiction. It also covers the corruption of youth as Chris is brought up around drug dealing and as he grows up it is the career he has chosen. The film was written and directed by Plan B, who is a British rapper. The film includes original songs by Plan B, and each song tells the story of a character. 

The film was set in Forest Gate, London. The main scene in this clip is this basement which looks dark, dull and dirty is where the drugs are made and stored. 

The main sound used in this clip, is the song by Plan B, 'Drug Dealer' which tells us what is happening in the scenes we are watching. The tempo of the song suits the shots we see and rapping suits the theme of the film as the audience would be able to associate rap with gangs and youths, as the song is about the kid growing up with a hard childhood. Not much dialogue is used in the clip until 2:30 when Kirby loses his temper and the music is stopped to hear what he has to say, and then the music is started up again. 

There are a variety of different shots used to show what is being said in the rap, some shots fade into another to keep up with the rap. The beginning of this clip shows Kirby walking it out of jail and then the events before he got put in jail are shown. This is effective as it acts as a flashback and then brings us back to present time.

The beginning of this clip shows Kirby leaving jail with nice clothes on suggesting he has earned a lot of money from drug dealing and can afford some nicer things. But in the shots before he got put in jail, he is seen in jogging bottoms suggesting that when he's out he dresses for show, to live up to a reputation perhaps. Chris is wearing normal clothes, which would what would be in fashion of the time the film was set, showing he is an ordinary kid, but living in unfair circumstances. The only artificial lighting used was the light bulbs in the basement, so it does not take anything away from the film being believable or realistic.

How has British Social Realism evolved?

Genres are not static and they move with the society, as the audience taste changes, genres adapt to suit and satisfy this change. If film genres did not do this they would fail to engage and interest viewers. The first social realism films were seen as explicit and morally corrupting as they conveyed themes such as drug use, sex, prostitution, abortion and many more, some themes which were frowned upon at the times these films were released, some which still are. Topical issues now covered in British Social Realism films are not as shocking as we as people have become more exposed to such themes and are more aware of them. Social Realism can still be brushed aside, as some may view it as an exaggeration, but the stereotypes are key in identifying the faults in society to the audience and creating a voice for a particular group of people.

An Analysis of Mise-en-Scene in "Fish Tank"

Production Design:

Fish Tank was filmed on set, in an area of Essex, where the main character lives in a council estate. The film was based in a rough urban area, and as the typical view of people living in council estates is that they are working or under class people, this connotes that the main character and her family are too. The main character is often seen in tracksuits, gold hooped earrings and chains and trainers. This again shows us the stereotypical view of how a chav/gangster is supposed to dress, which is what she is trying to be represented as. She is sometimes heavily made-up, which is another element we associate with that representation, this connotes that she cares about her appearance and her reputation around the area she lives. For example, in the trailer above, she is seen arguing with other groups living in the council estate. 

Lighting and Colour Design:

The lighting used in Fish Tank is natural, this adds to the realistic factor you expect in BSR films. It makes the film more believable and genuine for the audience. There are shots that have used natural lighting clearly, as its filmed outside on location. Also, there is a shot filmed in the living room and the only light used is coming from the TV as you can see the shadows on the character's faces. For example: 

There is a red colour design used instead of blue (like in most BSR films) on one shot which gives the shot a much more angry and dangerous feel to the shot. 

Actors:

Kate Jarvis, who plays the main character Mia had no prior experience in acting was cast after being seen arguing with her boyfriend at a train station by one of the casting directors. Using an unprofessional actor in British Social Realism films just makes the film more believable to the audience. 

Era:

The film was made in 2009 and I think that it was set at that present time. Some of the representations could still be applied to how things are now so the idea is still relevant today. For example, separation and conflict between gangs in an area. 

In my own work, I will ensure to use a suitable location and costumes. For example a council estate, in a rough urban area like the one used in "Fish Tank" might be used to represent the type of characters lifestyle and class. I will use natural lighting as it makes the scenes more believable and genuine for the audience, for example how the lighting was used in "A Room for Romeo Brass" there is a shot where the light is coming from the TV, and shots outside in the dark where you can see the natural shadows on the character's faces. Also in the same film, a blue colour design was used, which I plan to use for my own work as it gives the shots a colder feeling and adds to that idea of being tired of and suffering the daily grind and mundane life the characters in British Social Realism films tend to have. I plan to use a storyline that can be set now, in this era like in the film, "My Brother the Devil" as the ideas of conflicts between gangs and knife crime are covered which are relevant topics at this time. The actors in my own work will be regular people and  it won't be heavily scripted as conversation should come across more natural and should add to believability of the opening sequence.

British Social Realism // Production Log Two

British Social Realism films are filmed on actual real life locations, for example council estates. This makes the film more realistic for the audience. An example of this is in the film "Fish Tank" as that is based on a council estate. This is also why there are many wide shots included in British Social Realism films, so the audience can see where it is set. 





Regional identity of a BSR film depends on where it is set and based around. The film would use the appropriate accent and language, correct settings and the main issues within the local area of the film. The actors would embody the typical character you would find in that area. For example in the film, "Yasmin" the issue of racism was used as it was evident in the area they filmed.

British Social Realism films use non-professional actors as it adds to the realistic feel of the film. The scripts are improvised sometimes so it makes the dialogue seem more natural and realistic. Especially during arguments, the director would want it to flow and escalate naturally so the actors can show their true emotions in the moment, making the text more believable for the audience.

The lighting in these films is natural most of the time to show how realistic the film is to the audience. It is common in BSR films that a blue colour design is used to give a cold feel to the shots. A blue colour design is used as British Social Realism films aren't usually happy, they tell the real struggles of some people's lives. They have moments of humour, but films in the BSR genre are usually tackling a serious issue within the story. 

This will impact my production because I now know common things found in British Social Realism films. Wide shots need to be used to clearly show the audience where the film is set and the surroundings of the characters. I will use real life urban areas, such as parks and blocks of flats as that's where most British Social Realism films are set, this will make my film more realistic.

"The Selfish Giant" was very influential as it shows many different themes clearly throughout the film, disabilities, social class, regional identity, gender, age, sexuality and race. The film shows how families can struggle with poverty, meaning children are forced to grow up to quickly and they miss out on their childhood. Also, "Fish Tank" because it is very realistic and shows the type of people you can find on council estates and what it is like living in a broken home. It is a coming of age story, where the main character is trying to find her way as she faces many difficult situations. 

I hope to be able to create an opening sequence that uses a similar mise-en-scene created in the British Social Realism films I have mentioned. British Social Realism films tend to have a serious topic as the focal point of the film, so I hope to do the same, by showing people something that maybe shouldn't be happening or what they are unaware is happening to people. For example, it's hard to believe that in such modern times, in some societies/cultures in the world, race or sexuality is still something that can cause separation between people.

An Analysis of Representations in "The Selfish Giant"

Regional Identity:

The film was set in Bradford and filmed on location. Northerners have been represented as aggressive for example many characters have had arguments and in the film the characters swear in every conversation almost. The film shows the area to be rough and run down in wide shots showing the area they are living in and the surroundings of the characters. 

Age: 

In the film, younger children have to do more at home and help their parents with family issues. The older members of the household are represented as weak because of their social class. The children are forced to grow up too quickly, so they do not value their education and care mostly about making money. When they were excluded, Arbor could not wait to go out and earn money, this shows how education isn't important to them. There was a scene in the film showing Arbor at school, messing and joking around in the classroom, which in that moment made him seem so young and to have a normal childlike spirit for a boy of his age and it makes you realise that he is far too young to be risking his life for money. The older people around children like Arbor and Swifty, do not set a good example, they allow them to risk their lives and turn them into thieves. Most of the older people in the film are broken and they don't really have the authority or power over their kids, and allow them to do what they want. In the absence of his father, Arbor also has to do his best to support his mum and his brother as his older brother is a drug addict, he doesn't do anything to support his family. This also shows how he has been forced to grow up to quickly. 

Disability:

Arbor suffers from an aggressive form of ADHD. I noticed that it is being treated by casual medication meaning that it masks the difficulties and not fully treats them. This shows that Arbor's mum wants to hide his mental illness from others, as it was viewed as preventing you, and makes someone unable and different. I also noticed that Swifty and Arbor's brother often say things like "mad head" or "off your head" which shows that his mental illness is not taken seriously and just brushed off, which again shows that people are not understanding of him. 





Mrs Swift is suffering from depression, she is made to feel weak and like a failure by her husband. Again, it is not addressed by others as mental illness in their culture is something to be ashamed of and hide.





Social Class:

The characters in this film are under class and viewed as the bottom end of British society. It is clear to see that they struggle to afford basics, especially in big families such as Swifty's. For example, they hadn't got any electricity and they were forced to sell their sofa for a bit of extra cash. 










There is a scene where Arbor's mum is trying to keep him from being excluded permanently and the teacher is not paying any attention to her side or point of view, which shows how within the same area, there is still a barrier between them because of how much money they have, so poor people are ignored and treated inferior. 

The characters in the film are obviously used to dealing with the police as they show no respect for someone in a position of authority. For example when visited by the police, Arbor started playing games on his phone and paid no attention to the presence of them. 

He also then started feeding the fish, which shows how young he is and the fact that someone that young is in trouble with the police, shows the difference in childhood in different social classes. 






Gender:


The women are made very domesticated in the film and are made to seem the weaker sex. The men go out and earn, so sometimes this is used against the women. The only strong woman figure expressed in this film, is the lady who works for Kitten who handles the finance. But there is still a binary split between jobs, as men have to do the heavy lifting so they must be doing the superior job. Also, because Arbor's father is absent in the film, I think that Arbor and his brother have not got the moral partnership of parents, as I think most father's enforce the rules in the household as men in the film are portrayed as more aggressive and less sensitive, while the mother's are more comforting as that is how they are displayed in the film. 


Sexuality:


Arbor's brother says that Arbor and Swifty are gay because of the strong friendship they have, and Arbor seems so disgusted by the thought that it causes an argument between them. Also, Swifty and Arbor often call each other gay, so it shows that in their culture it's not an option for them to be gay as they make fun of it.



Ethnicity:

Kitten aspires to be something unsuccessful in life shown as he is called a "wannabe traveller" and a "wannabe gypsy." This means he isn't a good role model for Arbor and Swifty. The idea of gypsies is shown through the important role of horses in their culture. There is also not a wide range of races explored through the film, showing the majority of people living there to be white.

Evaluating Past Students' Work

"Drained"

Drained used a variety of different shots as you can see from the screen-shots that made the opening sequence very effective. Overall the camera work was good, the camera was handled well and kept steady. The lighting was good in the opening sequence and the shots were clear. I didn't think the dialogue or acting was very realistic, as the 'boss' character isn't old enough.


The establishing shots (0:11-0:15) which is a common convention among opening sequences is effective as it allows the audience to see the location and set the scene. However I feel the pan of this street should last longer as it is quite short and does not last long. 

These two shots are effective as they both clearly show the male character as much more intimidating. The first gives the audience a low angle shot and makes the audience view the character as quite powerful and a figure of authority. However, this shot is let down by the facial expression of this character, as it does not tell the audience that he is angry. This second shot is a two shot, where we see very clearly the authority this character has over her. This shot could still be improved as we should be able to see the girl's reaction to this.

This opening sequence uses super-imposed graphics which is good as it is much more interesting for the audience than a black screen. The typography has slight movement which again makes it more interesting, through the shots of her getting ready. 



The continuity editing from (0:35-0:40) has been done really well, making the cuts as invisible as possible, making the shots flow easily into one and other. This amount of varied shots make an opening sequence that is quite slow-moving much more interesting and gives it some pace. 

 
This opening sequence also has a good amount of credits, showing  many different roles. It also shows the logos of production companies and follows a good order of job roles. 

The shot at 0:45, I found is really effective as it is a good way of changing location, as the clock fades into the washing machine and the title credit "Drained" appears. The opening sequence also shows many pans of the launderette showing where this film is set. This tells the audience it will be a key location in the film and plays a role in the story. The opening sequence also establishes characters, as it is made clear that we are in a place of work, and that the male character has more authority over the female. At the very end of the opening sequence we see him strangle her, which hints at the theme of abuse or violence in the film.
 

"Bridges"

I think Bridges could be improved by using a more interesting story-line and making it much clearer to the audience what that story-line is. There could also be a bigger variety of shots used in the opening sequence. As you can see in some of my screen-shots, the 180-degree rule is broken. However, the camera work in this opening sequence was smooth and steady and they filmed in a real shop with normal customers in there which must have been difficult.

The opening sequence starts off with the production companies logos and a clean pan of the location which sets the scene for the audience. We have quite an upbeat song in the background, which engages the audience. However this song choice isn't exactly matching the scenes being presented to us or hinting at any themes that may arise in the film. Therefore the sound is not relevant to this story-line. Also where they have filmed in a real life location with normal people in the shop, we hear a lot of background chatter making the character's dialogue very unclear.

This opening sequence also does not include enough credits and the credits are not given enough screen time. They are shown so fast the audience would not be able to read them. By watching this opening sequence I got the feeling that credits was something that was forgotten about and left to the end, the credit with the title of the film cuts to a black screen, which is boring for the audience and also the credits seem to be placed randomly throughout the sequence. This can be improved by focusing more on how to make credits interesting for an audience, the order they are presented in and in researching the amount of credits showing many different job roles are presented in the opening of a film.