Many films roll credits during their openings to give acknowledgement to the cast, crew and studios, listing main actors, directors, producers, important crew positions. Credits are required for the film opening in this portfolio project, so I went over a few opening credit sequences from my chosen genre, which is of course fantasy. With stylized fonts and unique visuals, the credits can carry much more meaning than just displaying names.
Game of Thrones (2011 - 2019)
Overview:
One of the most well-known pieces of fantasy fiction to exist, Game of Thrones is a fantasy drama television show based off of a series of high fantasy novels called “A Song of Fire and Ice.” The show was developed for and aired on HBO. The story takes place in the fictional land of Westeros, and spans over several elongated story arcs happening simultaneously, such as a war of succession between royal families fighting for control over the Iron Throne. The show has won a collection of awards for its high quality, and has a very large cast. In 2022, a spinoff series was released, centered around the Targaryen family.
Game of Thrones is one of the most iconic examples of an epic fantasy story. It’s opening credits sequence that begins every episode is instantly recognizable, featuring a rotating metal sphere engraved with several intricate symbols that represent the fantasy world which the show takes place in, with a spinning sun in the center. This striking imagery establishes the dramatic and intense tone of the entire series. The rest of the sequence is many different shots moving around and looking down upon a map of this fictional setting, establishing the major locations that are important to the story. As this happens, the physical features and structures in each land dramatically rise out of the map, and the sequence uses various types of angles and shots from inside these locations and incredibly dramatic harsh lighting to make it all the more interesting. The music is also very big, dramatic, and orchestral, fitting the grand scale of Game of Thrones’ setting and plot and the epic fantasy genre. Every name in the credits is emphasized by a larger emboldened symbol placed in the front of it. The letters in the font are extremely detailed to look like gold or metal. The visual style in every element of this opening sequence, with an emphasis on metal and making all of the material look ancient originating from olden times, conveys the Medieval inspiration for the setting. The primary things which this credits sequence accomplishes is establishing the tone, genre, and setting of the show.
Wolfwalkers (2020)
Overview:
Wolfwalkers is a hand-drawn animated film made by Cartoon Saloon, an independent Irish production company that is known for making movies based on folklore from the country. Following Secret of the Kells in 2009 and Song of the Sea in 2014, the film is the third and final installment in a trilogy of individual self-contained stories based on Irish mythology. Released to streaming on Apple TV+ , it was met with overwhelming critical acclaim for its story and animation. It follows a young English girl living in Ireland with her father, who has been sent to hunt and exterminate the wolves inhabiting the nearby forests due to the superstitions of the townspeople. One day while running off to explore the woods, she discovers and befriends a girl with the ability to turn into a wolf at night.
This opening credit sequence is an interesting one, as it creates an eerie and enchanting feeling to engage the audience. It is also detached from the actual story events in the opening, and the film dedicates time to the credits on their own. This is likely to create a calm, peaceful, and slower atmosphere after the intense beginning of the film and further establish the tone and themes. The font used for the credits, much like the title, has exquisite, detailed illustrations of leaves and patterns around each capital letter, making it look fancy, elegant, and like it was drawn by hand like the writing in an old book. This immediately makes the film feel artistic and natural. Another thing of note is the way that the titles are lined up together in a paragraph structure rather than flashing on and off of the screen one after the other. This further enforced the natural feeling created by making it seem like formal writing on a page rather than a words on a screen. Given the film’s heavy focus on nature, this is very meaningful. And it is further enforced by the backdrops for the credits being stunning animated backgrounds made to resemble a painting or a sketch, each depicting a the forest landscape. These visuals change as each paragraph of credits changes to the next one, again making it feel like one big art piece with all of the elements engrained into each other. The music in the credits is the eerie, echoing song from a female voice singing Irish lyrics. This sets up the mystery and mystique surrounding the magic that exists in nature, and all of these elements together make this short sequence feel like a beautiful creation made by human hands.
Percy Jackson and the Olympians (2023-)
Overview:
Adapted from the expansive beloved book series, Percy Jackson and the Olympians is a television show produced by Disney and is currently airing exclusively on the streaming platform. Though there have been many adaptations of the Percy Jackson story in the past, this is the first and only TV series. The franchise takes inspiration from real Greek mythology and legends. It follow the titular protagonist, a misfit twelve-year-old boy with learning difficulties, who discovers that he is the son of Poseidon, the Greek god of the sea. He is sent to Camp Halfblood by his human mother, where other demigod children live, and given a quest to go on with his friends in order to retrieve Zeus’ “master bolt” before war breaks out between the gods.
This credit sequence is more of a spectacle with the moving pictures beautifully drawn in a flashy yet simple archaic style which references the Greek inspiration behind the story. The show’s theme music, which is epic and incorporates many different instruments, plays during this sequence to make it even more exciting. The golden font used to display the names of the cast and crew is quite small, so the sequence most likely wants to draw more attention to the accompanying visuals instead. Said visuals feature animated illustrations with complex colors and intricate details depicting many of the different monsters and scenes that the characters engage with in the show. The animation throughout the whole thing is lively but still reserved to display these detailed images. This credit sequence strives to illustrate the journey which the protagonist takes, and represents the story of the show as a whole, placing very little importance on the credits themselves and more on the moving fantastical art.
Beauty and the Beast is a romantic fantasy musical produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation. Animated in the traditional hand-drawn style, the film is an adaptation of the old French fairy tale “La Belle et le Bête,” and is considered part of the “Renaissance” era of Disney’s films. The story goes that a prince is transformed by a magical spell into a monstrous beast as punishment for his arrogance, a spell that can only be broken once he learns to love and be loved in return. Terrified by his form, the beast locks himself away in his castle, away from the outside world. Until a peculiar woman from the village named Belle stumbles upon his castle after he imprisons her father. Belle takes her father’s place in the castle, and she and the beast begin to fall in love over time, facing many deadly threats, until he is finally changed back into a man. He and Belle are then married, and the enchanted castle servants return to normal as well.
The film opens on a long shot of a forest, almost surreal in the way it is illustrated like a painting, filled with bursting colors and fine, pristine, detail. The shining beauty in these details is emphasized by the art style. A mystical forest is a conventional setting seen in countless other films in the genre, and this first image establishes the fictional fantasy world in which the story begins — one that is not like our own in its overwhelming magnificence. This artistic animation style persists throughout the entire movie, but it is especially striking in the opening. The shoot then zooms in on the Beast’s castle in the distance, introducing a key location in the film. Every single transition to the next shot uses a slow fade-in, adding to the mystical feeling in the scene.
The music heard in this scene is grand, dramatic, and elegant, doing a lot to pull the viewer in with powerful and emotional sound, and establish the tone as mysterious and magical yet also somber and suspenseful. Exquisite orchestral scores are a common convention in fantasies in order to reflect the large-scale storylines they typically follow.
Much of Beauty and the Beast’s opening is dedicated to setting up the backstory and character of the Beast, and other important story information such as the magical rose and the curse placed upon the arrogant prince. It uses intricate illustrations in stained glass windows on the enchanted castle to provide this information, which both serves as a creative and unique method of visually telling the story that took place in the past and also reinforces the opulent and artistic tone of the film. This alternative style, which is drawn in an ornate and slightly abstract way with polished curved lines and sharp edges, creates a disconnect between this story from the past and the current world that the narrative takes place in when it transitions back to the present, where the Beast is ripping up the portrait depicting his human form. This aggressive act captures the bitterness and anger inside of him.
The beautiful stained glass illustrations are assisted by a voice-over narrating the Beast’s story using complex words. This narrator’s deep, elegant, and refined accent as well as the complex and meaningful language which he uses to describe the situation builds upon the mystique, the intensity, and the impact the sequence leaves on the audience. It is a key element of the opening, providing essential context for the film through narration such as the Beast’s selfishness and lack of love being the cause for his punishment — information that also sets up a change in his character later in the film. It explains the meaning behind the enchantment and the function of his rose. The implementation of expository voiceover is yet another recognizable convention of the fantasy genre.
When the scene fades away to show the Beast in present day, the bright color scheme changes to become much darker, highlighting and the grim atmosphere that the opening adopts at the end and how the character has fallen from grace. The camera pans away from the his fit of rage to present the magic rose. The shot lingers on the dying flower for several moments, emphasizing its importance to the plot. It seems that it is hopeless for the Beast to break the enchantment, especially after the final line of the voiceover. The last moments of this opening are incredibly gloomy and despondent, with a conclusive zoom-out from the castle which is now surrounded by a grey thunderstorm in the background. These elements accentuate the dark depressive tone that replaces the beautiful wondrous tone from before.
The primary purpose of this opening is to explain the Beast’s tragic history and his terrible actions to the audience, information that is very important considering how the rest of this movie unfolds. It sets up the stakes of the story, that being the Beast and his servants remaining cursed forever, as well as the internal conflict that he must grapple with, overcoming his anger and hatred. Even so, this opening establishes the tone and genre very well as fantastical elements are placed in the Beast’s backstory. Beautiful enchantresses, castles, magic spells, and surreal forests are things that cannot be found anywhere else but in a fantasy. The tone is also very typical of the genre, emphasizing wonder and magic, and the music in this opening is grand and imposing, adding to the effect. In essence, the film follows a convention of fantasy by simply being an adaptation of an ancient fairy tale. I adore the style of animation in this and other classic Disney storybook films, and my own personal art style has certainly been shaped by these movies. So I can definitely see that being a part of my own film opening. I also want to try and imitate the way in which the film uses divine powerful music to create a strong feeling and add more emotion to the visuals.
How to Train Your Dragon (2025)
Overview:
Set in a island populated by vikings who are constantly under threat of dragons attacking their villages, How to Train Your Dragon tells the story of a young boy, an outcast in his own village, befriending a mysterious black dragon. After finding the creature injured and unable to fly, Hiccup, the viking boy, bonds with the dragon and helps it to fly again, as he forms an unbreakable friendship with the dragon who he names “Toothless.” He discovers that dragons are misunderstood creatures and are forced to feed a giant queen dragon or be killed otherwise. As the story progresses, the friendship between the two is revealed challenged by the rest of the vikings, who capture Toothless. However, the pair are reunited, defeat the large dragon, and bring the worlds of the vikings and dragons together. The film was produced by Dreamworks Animation, though this analysis focuses on the more recent, reimagined version rather than the original film from 2010.
The opening of this How to Train Your Dragon is extensive yet remarkable in how it establishes so much through a variety of filmmaking techniques. Most notably, it introduces the protagonist and his connection to the world and characters around him.
The film begins with a voiceover from Hiccup describing the main setting of the story, Berk, a small distant island. His narration is present throughout the sequence, providing insight on the village, it’s inhabitants, and Hiccup’s thoughts, feelings, ambitions, and inner workings. This technique effectively introduces the protagonist and his personality, and the ending of the movie ties back to it later on. Though these lines provide some information as to what Berk is like as well, the moving establishing shots looking over the village gives a look into the set design of the entire location. The small wooden huts with their unique cultural designs and the presence of primitive machinery and tools hints at the film being a fantasy, which often take place in the past or are inspired by a certain period. The tall grassy cliffs and soft wind instruments in the score alludes to the Northern European influence in the movie’s setting.
Hiccup’s narration builds up to the threat of dragons along with fast-paced editing that creates suspense, until a dragon dramatically shoots flames at him from outside his house. The whole opening scene consistently highlights the danger of the dragons and the threat they pose to the village through the many special effects used to bring the creatures to life. After the dragons arrive to attack the town and kill their livestock, the music suddenly becomes much more intense, louder, and faster.
Costume designs with horned metal helmets, animals fur or leather clothing, thick matted facial hair are extremely representative of the typical Hollywood portrayal of a viking, effectively communicating what type of people inhabit this village. The props include steel weapons like axes, swords, hammers, and shields carried by the vikings in the background, establishing their violent, rugged nature and physical strength. This is further explained by Hiccup’s monologue. The entire setup for the opening sequence is that the village is being attacked by a horde of various types of dragons, and the scene is very frantic and fast-paced. This is a perfect setup for the opening sequence because, as the people rush to defend themselves and their town, it allows for the movie to show the intense war going on between the vikings and the dragons, the raw power possessed by these fire-breathing winged beasts, the mechanisms that the people use to fight them, and the importance of physical strength and combativeness in this world — all very important to the story. Hiccup, the main character, stands out against all of this, with his smaller build and lack of any armor or weapons. This establishes him as a bit of an outsider, and not fitting in with the rest of the vikings.
The opening scene continues to establish Hiccup as a misfit boy through dialogue, and his interactions with the other inhabitants of his village. The other vikings appear especially bothered by his presence. Wide shots are used to show his clumsiness as he stumbles around, running through the battlefield.
The scene then dedicates time to introducing another important character, the chief and leader of the village — through more of Hiccup’s narration describing his feats of strength — then through his actions, as he hurls a large shield into the air to fend off a dragon. A lingering close up is used to indicate his prominence. However, much like everyone else, he expresses irritation towards Hiccup during their brief interaction, and quickly dismisses him. This establishes Hiccup’s poor relationship between himself and the other members of his village, and he is often disregarded and pushed away by others because of his awkwardness and inability to fight. The chief, named Stoick the Vast, starts to shout orders, displaying the command and power he has over everyone and his ability to lead.
Hiccup then runs into the forge, and the following interaction between him and his blacksmith mentor, Gobber — who is described and shown through his dialogue to be sarcastic and humorously sneering — establishes Hiccup’s eagerness to join the fight against dragons despite his physical limitations. His desperation illustrates his true desire to simply fit in and find a feeling of belonging amongst his others like him. He shows off the machine he has built made to capture dragons from a distance, a prop that shows off his ability to craft intricate and functional tools, work and study, and his intelligence. Although, once again, he is shown to be quite clumsy, firing it off too soon, which Gobber scolds him for and continues to diminish him.
The scene then introduces the other teen vikings, as they extinguish the fires. Hiccup’s inner monologue reveals his desire to belong with them and be helpful, along with his affections for one of his fellow teens, their leader, a girl named Astrid. The film also uses a close up, slow motion shot of her to further capture Hiccup’s enamored feelings, and cleverly uses the smoke in the background as an aesthetic to emphasize Astrid’s beauty. The music suddenly swells, and becomes more romantic and emotional than the heavy, quick music from before. The other kids mock him and make cutting remarks as they pass by him, showing how, even with others his own age, he is still an outsider.
After his exchange with Gobber, highlighting their contemptuous relationship, Hiccup’s voiceover narration begins to describe the different species of dragons and their unique features as they appear on screen to cause chaos. This illustrates the variety among these creatures and also Hiccup’s talent for analyzing and evaluating information. Most notably, this part of the opening sees the introduction of one species of dragon in particular, the Night Fury, which is shown to be incredibly fast, powerful, and mysterious. A lot of emphasis is placed on this one individual dragon, as it shoots a blast of fire at one of the vikings’ towers. An air of mystery surrounds the creature, as it is never shown on screen after causing the fire and the dialogue explains that it has never been seen and never misses its target. Only the sound of it whooshing past is heard, and the scene cuts between many different shots using high angles and low angles, displaying the discordance that its mere presence is creating. This mystique is engaging to the audience in this moment, as the other characters express the severity of the situation. However, this also serves as setup for the proper introduction of Toothless later in the film.
Hiccup defies his instructions to stay in the blacksmith’s workshop, conveying his willingness to ignore orders and do whatever it takes to be accepted, taking his machine upon a cliff to try and capture the Night Fury. The music becomes softer and quiet, adding to the mysterious feeling. The sound effects of the dragon, heard but mostly unseen, are almost haunting, reminiscent of a shrill ghostly shriek while also being hushed as if the sound were coming from far away in the distance. By utilizing other elements like audio, fast-paced editing, and fire effects, the film creates an air of mystery surrounding the dragon, which intrigues the viewer.
After successfully striking down the Night Fury, Hiccup’s victory is interrupted when he gets chased by an extremely large dragon, showing that despite his impressive and underestimated cognitive abilities, he is still inexperienced and physically inept. The camera movements become handheld and shaky, complementing Hiccups clumsy movements as he runs away from the dragon, which sets a large portion of town ablaze. Stoick stops the fire-breathing beast before it can attack Hiccup and drives it away, as an action sequence begins where he delivers punches to the giant dragon with his bare fists — an astonishing display of strength that is engaging to the audience and displays the character’s physical combat capabilities.
An extreme wide shot, tilting upwards, shows the extensive damaged that Hiccup’s chase with the dragon has caused. Stoick looks at him with anger, and it is the revealed that he is his father.
This opening perfectly shows Hiccup's struggles. He is an outcast in his village. Though he means to be helpful, he constantly messes up because of his lack of physical strength and awkwardness. For this reason, he is disregarded and pushed away by the other vikings, including his father. This only motivates him to try to be more like them and slay dragons. This sets up his internal battle with not feeling like he is a true viking. This outsider status serves a perfect setup for him to connect with a misunderstood creature and form his own identity. The dragon attack is a masterful setup for the scene, as it is a multifaceted situation that allows for the involvement and interaction of multiple characters and the audience understands the personalities and relationships between them. It also establishes the central idea of the war with the dragons and vikings. This is a masterful opening, and though I’m not sure if I would attempt to pull off the professional techniques used in this scene myself, dragons are one of my favorite conventions in tye fantasy genre, and therefore I think I would look to this film as an example for how to employ them into a fantasy story so that they don’t just feel like accessories to the setting.
Shrek (2001)
Overview:
Shrek is one of the most influential animated movies ever released and marked the debut of Dreamworks animation. The first entry in the franchise, it is a comedy fantasy that acts as a deliberate subversion of the animated musical fairy tale adventure formula that was popularized by Disney in the 1990s. The story centers around a grumpy, reclusive, and unkempt ogre who is forced to rescue a princess after a bunch of displaced fairy-tale creatures overrun his swamp. Although it features classic storybook characters, Shrek functions primarily as a parody of traditional fairy tales, overturning many conventions associated with animated fantasy genre. The protagonist is not a handsome prince but a monstrous ogre, and the princess embraces the ogre form she was cursed with as her true self rather than having the spell broken. Instead of original theatrical broadway-style musical numbers, the film relies heavily on existing contemporary pop songs to set the stage. Its style of humor is another defining aspect, leaning heavily into crude jokes, risqué innuendos, and pop culture references. Released at a time when CGI was still a fairly recent development in technology, the film’s characters and environments are designed to look more realistic, with rough grimy details, complementing the film’s tone. As opposed to earlier animated fantasies which embraced their cartoonish art style with clean, exaggerated aesthetics. Before Shrek, most animated films, fantasy or otherwise, were more earnest and solemn, with an overall emphasis on spectacle and wonder. But the film’s massive success would go on to change the way that studios approached production of animated movies, especially after the release of its sequel.
Shrek’s opening is a perfect example of establishing tone, and the bit where the title character steps out of the outhouse is one of the most memorable moments in popular film culture. It masterfully captures the fundamental idea of subverting the typical fantasy adventure.
The film opens with a fade-in to a brightly colored storybook filled with intricate medieval-style drawings, a classic convention seen in so many fantasy movies such as Sleeping Beauty. This immediately signals the genre to the audience. The storybook acts as a framing device to deliver expository information that is relevant to the plot: a cursed princess locked away in a tower and guarded by a dragon. The images are accompanied by soft voice-over narration and pretty orchestral music. These visual and auditory elements are all very reminiscent of traditional fairy tales, and reinforce a mystical, elegant tone.
This atmosphere is then suddenly broken when Shrek tears out a page from the book, depicting a heroic prince, and uses it as toilet paper, punctuated by a toilet flushing sound. This crude action creates sharp tonal whiplash, and instantly communicates that, despite the familiar fantastical imagery, the film is not at all what one would expect from a typical fantasy feature. The defacing of the fairy tale storybook for the purposes of something gross and inappropriate establishes the film’s rude and irreverent humor, which is further emphasized by the dialogue that includes a brief joke about profanity and bodily functions.
Much of this opening is dedicated to introducing the protagonist, Shrek himself. Much like the film’s tone, he is brash, dirty, ill-mannered, unruly, rough, abrasive, and openly taking pleasure from what is typically considered foul and disgusting. He is shown touching, bathing in, and even consuming substances such as mud, slime, and pond water, among other lewd unpleasant conducts which he delights in. This sequence presenting Shrek’s regular behaviors is unfolds in the setting of a murky swamp, further illustrating his preference for filth and muck, as well as living in solitude. These conventionally unappealing traits sharply contrast with the noble heroes found in most fantasy narratives.
Animation style and character design are also tools used to further contribute to establishing the tone and character in this opening. As stated before, the textures are very rough and realistically unclean and imperfect, with the grime and decay in the swamp being emphasized to make the world look more grounded and unpleasant and less fantastical. Shrek’s physical design reinforces this: his big, lumbering stature, large pudgy features, and rotund body convey both physical power and lack of refinement. Details such as the dirt on his skin, body hair, thick saliva add to his unpolished appearance. Though this design is certainly monstrous, those small ear-like appendages and iconic shade of green are instantly recognizable and memorable when paired with his distinctive Scottish accent, and help to portray Shrek as a beastly creature who most people find fearsome and unsettling.
One of the most notable things about Shrek is his association with the color green, which can be seen in abundance throughout the film’s opening (as well as in its marketing). The forested background is full of highly saturated shades of green in the plants, foliage, water, and mire. And of course, Shrek himself has very green skin. Earthy browns are also used in mud, wood, and his clothing. These colors form a cohesive palette; green and brown, when paired together, commonly represent nature, or filth and grossness. Both concepts that align with Shrek’s character.
Undoubtedly, the most well-known element in this famous opening is the non-diegetic use of “All Star” by the band Smash Mouth, which was incredibly prevalent at the time of the film’s release. Again, the inclusion of contemporary songs from popular culture was fairly unusual in the world of animated fantasies at the time, but it further distinguished Shrek from films that came before it. This was another unique subversion of the genre, and served to reinforce the comedic tone of the film while also functioning as the introduction to the character, Shrek, as the beat of the song accompanies the moment when Shrek first appears on screen. Beyond setting the mood, “All Star” also highlights Shrek’s importance as the central character in the movie, and to this day, the song is almost exclusively associated with this film.
The scene concludes with a mob of villagers attempting to hunt Shrek chase him out of his swamp, though he is able to easily frighten them away. The simplistic medieval architecture, props, and clothes on the townspeople help to once again ground the genre firmly in fantasy, in spite of all of the subversive elements that have been shown so far. The wanted posters establish the fear and disdain directed towards ogres. As the men enter the swamp, several pieces of dialogue provide some meaningful information. The men relay their exaggerated assumptions regarding what ogres are like, suggesting that the creatures are dangerously yet misunderstood by humans. As Shrek approaches, he begins to threaten and taunt the villagers in a light-hearted manner, showing a more witty, sarcastic, and self-aware side of his personality. This interaction also implies that being harassed by the townsfolk is a common experience for Shrek, to the point where he gets amusement from scaring them off.
Overall, the opening of Shrek especially succeeds in establishing the rude, coarse nature of both the movie and the character, as well as show beyond doubt that the film is most certainly a subversion of the typical fantasy genre through its tone, soundtrack, and set and character design. Something that I find impressive about this opening is how it does very clearly incorporate elements of a fantasy film, with the presence of ogres, dragons, magic spells, and the aesthetics of the village, yet it ultimately communicates it's subversive intentions in other aspects of the filmmaking. In my own fantasy film opening, I hope to also effectively establish the genre while also being able to stand out if my film were to be lined up among other fantasies.
At this moment in time, my excitement is starting to build as I know have a basic idea as to what my film opening is going to be. Even so, there are still some things I need to put in place before they can be put into motion. I am not one to go into such a big project without a plan, as the process can be quite messy and more overwhelming than it has to be otherwise. If my film opening is going to be animated, then this is sure to be a long, meticulous journey. Not to mention keeping up with this blog, which is paramount to the final grade. With all of that taken into consideration, I have put together two documents to help guide me through the Cambridge Portfolio Project.
The first one here is a comprehensive step-by-step breakdown for just the process of film opening itself called “Steps to Success.” It does not include the blog postings and research. Like I said, animation can be difficult, careful, and precise, and has its complexities different from live-action. So it only seems appropriate to have a space for that alone, and this should be very helpful to me over the following weeks.
Steps to Success: Making an Animated Film Opening
Step 1: Preparation
Come up with an idea of the storyline.This will help to give me a clear idea of what kinds of characters, backgrounds, music, and sound effects I will need to create and design going forward.
Choose what style and software to animate in. You cannot begin animating anything if you don’t know how you’re going to do it. For example, if I wanted to do 3D animation, then I would need to find a software that supports that like Blender.
Start designing characters and backgrounds!It cannot be stressed enough that having a firm grasp of what your character looks like (their dimensions, accessories, and features) is a massive advantage when bringing them to life. Character and background design is also important for narrative reasons, as it can help to visually communicate things like setting and genre, or personality and backstory. In the production process, drawings used to convey your early ideas for a film are called concept art.
Make a storyboardthat will act as the blueprint for the entire scene. A series of quick drawings, it is the most basic outline for an animated sequence, and very important to tell you what is even going happening in the scene.
Step 2: Animation
Make an animatic, or a rough animationreferring to the storyboards. Drawing the keyframes, or the most important positions that make up the characters’ movements, helps me know where the characters are relative to the setting around them and how they will move as a whole. Then, I can go back and draw the frames transitioning into each pose to make the movement even smoother and realistic (this is called inbetweening). Animatics usually just have rough sketches of the background and characters. The intricate details such as facial expressions are not necessary here!
Draw the backgrounds. Every animated scene needs to have backgrounds, otherwise the characters will be moving around in empty space. You can also incorporate mise-en-scene and important story elements here. While you could animate the characters first, for more complex things like a full film opening, it is advantageous to begin with backgrounds so that you know just where to place your characters as they interact with the setting.
Go over the rough animation with clean lines. This is where you need to really draw the characters in their final designs and proper dimensions, with all their fine details. Though this can be quite difficult, that is why we have animatics. You can see the position the character is to be in and draw right over it.
Color in those drawings. This has to be done frame by frame, which is a bit grueling, but color is one of the most important aspects in animated films.
Add the shading and lighting to make the characters look dimensional, and like they are actually in an environment and not just in front of an image.
Put in any finishing touches that might be necessary.
Step 3: Post-production
Do some composition for the video. For animation, that means not only deciding how close or far the camera should be from the subject, what should be in or out of frame, where the subject should be relative to the set, and how the camera moves, but also putting all the visual elements together: backgrounds, character animations, lighting.
Add in audio elements. This includes music, diegetic or not, sound effects, and voiceover. It should be perfectly timed with what you see on screen.
Export the video! From here, you just need to choose what video quality you want the scene to be in, and the best format for it.
Below is a schedule that lists the weeks over which the project spans, labeled with the dates, and telling me what I should be working on everyday in order to get it all done in an efficient amount of time. This schedule mostly exists to ensure that I hit all the marks for where I should be as we progress towards the due date, and don’t fall behind. The schedule will definitely be edited; plans and ideas change, and problems occur, especially with creative endeavors. But I am going to try and follow it as best as I can.
Overall, these two documents together will help to make the project feel much more manageable. Though the work ahead is still daunting, having a clear structure and timeline gives me more confidence going forward. I know that this plan will likely change as the project develops, but it provides a strong foundation to build off of. As I move into the next stage of the Cambridge Portfolio Project, this schedule and step-by-step breakdown will be essential in keeping me organized, motivated, and staying on track.
So this marks the beginning of the final big project for this class. It has really been a journey from where I was at the beginning of the school year, and I can truthfully say that I feel that I understand filmmaking techniques more than I ever did before. This blog has come a long way since my first post, and so have I. But still, the task ahead is a bit daunting. Creating my very own film opening. Nevertheless, I will try to go above and beyond for every part of this project as best as I can. I quickly began considering how I was going to approach my Cambridge Portfolio Project.
Ever since we were told about this ending project at the start of the course, I knew exactly which kind of film I would want to do: Fantasy. The fantasy genre opens the door for so many possibilities and ideas, and I see myself as having a very creative mind when given enough time and the freedom to make something like this. I want my final project to represent me and my capabilities, and stories about magic, castles, and mythical creatures were and still are the kind of narrative that is most dear to me. Fantasy was my absolute favorite kind of media when I was younger, and as such my artistic skills grew around that interest and I believe I would excel at creating a film opening for a fantasy.
I know for certain that, above all, I want to make a two-minute sequence that is 2D animated. Drawing has always been my most passionate hobby. Breaking down the dimensions of a real world object or getting imaginative and sketching something unique. Either way, I usually prefer to draw in a more realistic style, even when it’s something that doesn’t exist in real life. Actual fantasy films almost always incorporate technical special effects to create the setting because of course, fantastical elements are not something you can achieve in the real world. This includes the use of CGI and other types of animation, a medium that is not bound by the restrictions of the physical world. Perfect for a fantasy. I have had years of experience with digital art, and I think that I can efficiently craft a short scene as long as I keep things simple, and don’t get too ambitious with the story!
As for my initial ideas for my opening, I have been thinking about this since I began taking this class, and I know I want the scene to involve a big, powerful, mythical creature. I have made myself familiar animal anatomy since being in middle school, when I was always trying to draw different kinds of animals in a realistic way to the best of my abilities. But my love for fantasy still brought me back to fictional creatures. Now, I am exceptionally adept when it comes to drawing animals, even ones from the fairy tales. I think a dragon would be a good fit, a classic antagonistic character, and an icon for fantasy films. They were also a childhood obsession of mine and I spent a lot of time drawing them when I was younger.
I am considering doing some more research on dragons in media texts going forward but for now, I will confirm to develop my concepts. Typically, they are either portrayed as evil and malicious beings that serve as antagonistic forces or helpful allies for the protagonist. Intelligent and powerful beings or simple minded animals. My immediate thought was to do the former, and include a dragon which plays a more villainous and intimidating role. And with that, my idea began to form.
Pictures from my class notes
Initial idea for the opening:
This scene is the set up for a story about a man trying to hunt down and kill a dragon out of the need for vengeance.
I want the scene to open on extreme wide shots of a burning medieval town lit up in flames, and the shots would become tighter and tighter until it focuses on a single house that has been destroyed by the fire, one of many. Then it would transition to shots that are inside the house. Close ups on various household items like photographs, beds, dining table, etc (all damaged by the blaze), in order to communicate that a family lived in the house. These would all incorporate slow pans, tilts, and zooms so that nothing feels stagnant. Then we would see a man, implied to be the sole survivor of the fire, injured and scarred, crawling out from the house, with a sorrowful and traumatized expression. All the while, slow, sad music plays in the background (non-diegetic). Immediately afterwards, a shot of a giant, roaring dragon soaring above, indicating the cause of the fire. The man would crouch down to hide as the dragon flies by and away into the distance, after which the man would grieve before seeing a sword lying nearby. He would stand up and limp down to pick it up, and dramatically point the sword in the direction of the dragon, his eyes full of anger and seething with the want for revenge. Finally, he would hobble away in that same direction.
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I really like this idea for an opening scene, and I think it accomplishes everything that a film opening should from what we have learned. A medieval inspiration for the design of the burning town as well as the presence of the dragon follow typical conventions of the fantasy genre, taking place in an ancient time and including fantastical elements that would not be possible in the real world. Beginning with a tragic and deeply upsetting event also establishes the tone of the story as well, eluding to the high fantasy epic genre that typically adopts a more gritty and serious tone. I believe it effectively sets up the character and his story line beyond the opening, establishing his goal and his motivations without any words. This clear setup engages the audience. It is vague enough to the point where exactly what happens next is a mystery, but the main character’s journey towards finding and killing the dragon is apparent.
I have also been looking at hand-drawn animations in preparation for this project, because that is of course the style that my film opening will use considering my skill level and resources, as well as what I am used to. I looked at older animated media from Disney (a company that has mastered the medium) for reference, as well as more modern hand-drawn films like those from Studio Ghibli and Cartoon Saloon.
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This basic concept, I believe, is a solid concept for a film opening, establishing character, setting, genre, and tone.
My connection to the fantasy genre runs very deep, as it was one of the first forms of media I remember engaging with. I chose to research this genre because of the limitless potential and huge range of stories it can encompass. Unlike some other genres, fantasy is unconstrained by the restrictions of the real world, allowing creators to imagine entirely new realms, systems, and possibilities. In this sense, fantasy is open to the extraordinary. Anything can happen. This gives me a lot of freedom as to what I can do with my film opening. However, that liberation also creates some challenges as not only is the wonderful and otherworldly possible in a fantasy, but it is expected. Even so, I trust in my own inventiveness enough to pull off such a task.
Fantasy films make the audience feel swept up in the wonder of a far away imaginary world where events are unlikely to occur in real life. The key element that ties all fantasy films together is that they feature magic, or some kind of thing that would otherwise be impossible. From there, the genre branches out into many iconic sub-genres that integrate components from other major genres and while there is overlap between them, fantasy films will always take place in a world unlike our own. They provide an escape from reality and the mundane by showing the viewer magical powers or fictitious creatures. Many of these films revolve around some kind of quest that the main character must embark on, following the typical narrative framework of the “Hero’s Journey,” and the character tropes that we see in many media texts. Regardless, fantasy stories can be exceptionally outstanding and memorable when quality writing meets the dramatic cinematography that films in this genre often have. Fantasy has a broad scope that can incorporate many facets of our world and imaginations.
Fantasy is a genre that is about as old as fiction itself. Our earliest recorded narratives contain elements of fantasy and it we can only assume that the stories passed down orally which inspired these ancient tales were full of fantasy as well. For example, fables, which historically feature talking animals (something that could not happen in the real world), are a type of fantasy. The imagination and creativity of the brain tempts you to create something that transcends the bounds of the real world when fabricating a made-up story. Indeed, this genre is the backbone of modern fiction. The earliest fantasy film dates all the way back to the late 19th century, in France. However, it wasn’t until the 1960s when fantasy films would become more frequent staples.
By far the most recognizable and emblematic subgenre that has become a symbol of the genre as a whole is high fantasy or epic fantasy. It is likely what immediately comes to mind when you think of the genre. Sometimes based on books, these kinds of stories involve swords, spells, wizards, dragons, quests, princes and princesses, and of course, magic — generally all of the key elements you would associate with fantasy. The trademark of a high fantasy film is the presence of a secondary world, a setting that looks similar enough to Earth but operates by the standards of a fantasy. It is a place where anything can happen. With that said, a fantasy world should have basic rules as to how it and the magic within the world functions, to avoid inconsistency and gaping flaws in the plot. This requires a level of world building, and explain to the audience the ways in which this secondary world functions. For that reason, these films are usually more prone to over-exposition than most others. High fantasy is predominantly dramatic and serious, exploring a world-ending threat, high stakes, or a problem that will terribly disrupt life for the characters forever. The fate of everything is on the line in a high fantasy epic. Lord of the Rings is a perfect example of this. The scope of the story and the setting are huge. It often employs an internal character arc for the protagonist, incorporating the conventions of a coming-of-age story.
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Typically speaking, a fantasy uses the dichotomy between good and evil as a central theme and pits the two against each other. The protagonists may be a small part of a greater force.
These films are usually inspired by mythology or folklore. Another staple is the adaptation of fairy tales, which is commonly seen in Disney films.
On the opposite end of the spectrum is urban fantasy. Urban fantasy is modern, gritty, and nuanced. This sub-genre usually takes place on a version of Earth, though a secondary world setting can still be used, and typically based in the past. Though they still include fantastical elements, such as supernatural beings, the existence of magic, or something else otherworldly. That extraordinary element may exist in secret and hidden away from the rest of the world, allowing for it to exist alongside our reality. Harry Potter and Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief are films that would be considered this type of urban fantasy. However, if the fantastic exists openly, then it is likely a blending between both the real world and fantasy elements. Buffy the Vampire Slayer is a good example of that. Common conflicts of involve humans fighting against the supernatural or magical beings, and urban fantasy usually has more realistic themes than high fantasy.
Horror is a genre that pairs quite well with fantasy, resulting in the dark fantasy sub-genre. Dark fantasy explores the horrific side of the genre by combining it with horror. They usually take place in a real world setting, but may be set in a secondary one. It takes the more wondrous and mystifying aspects found in fantasy films such as magic and fantastical creatures and twists them to be purely malicious, dangerous, or violent. Many horror films could be considered fantasy. Think of ghost and monster movies, which feature supernatural beings. Movies like Dracula and the Conjuring are dark fantasy. There are so many films that focus on vampires, werewolves, witches, ghosts, and the occult, but they are often associated with only the horror genre and not always recognized as fantasy.
Technically, superhero films are also a sub-genre of fantasy, featuring human characters with incredible and unnatural powers. With that said, superhero movies are usually considered their own separate genre entirely.
Portal fantasy is a very particular sub-genre of fantasy, but also one that is famous and seen a lot in media. In this kind of story, the protagonist leaves our reality and enters a secondary world, a magical world. It differs from other sub-genres of fantasy in that both the real world and the secondary world coexist, but are completely separate from each other. And thus, the only way to traverse between them is through a “portal.” There is often a heavy contrast between scenes taking place in reality and in the secondary world. There is usually a quest or a mission awaiting the protagonist in the other world that they must complete with the help of characters native to the magical world. The main character’s primary end goal in a portal fantasy is typically to return to their own realm. The Wizard of Oz is a textbook example. These films are perfect way to combine an epic journey with character growth.
As stated before, fantasy films often incorporate different kinds of tropes depending on the sub-genre. The typical quest format is an especially pertinent one, along with numerous character tropes. Antagonists are usually powerful and domineering, with some kind of supernatural abilities or armies. There are also parental figures, love interests, mentors who train people in a skill, damsels in distress, big cities, and wise elders. One of the main tropes is setting the story in medieval times, or some time in the past. Crafting a character in a fantasy is exceptionally fun as there are endless possibilities. The genre allows for the existence of elves, ogres, princes and princesses, wizards, witches, shape-shifters, and talking animals. However, it is important that the story supports the character concepts in order for the narrative to be more cohesive, which is something I want to keep in mind when making my film opening. Despite the fantastical setting, the characters are still real people with wants, desires, goals and motives.
Fantasy films often use grandiose, orchestral music in the score to emphasize the intense plot and action. They also typically have very detailed set designs in order to better flesh out the fictional world in which the characters inhabit rather than through expository dialogue. As stated earlier, high fantasy films usually have a very large scope, and for this reason they mainly utilize wide shots, establishing shots, and long shots to capture just how big everything is. Fantasy movies also commonly use heavy, dramatic lighting as well to enhance emotion. I am going to strive to use these techniques in my film opening. Fantasy films rely very heavily on special effects.
The target audience for most fantasy movies is young adults, and the films give a feeling of escapism and magic. The dramatic plot lines and complex world-building appeals more to an older crowd, though fairy-tale inspired fantasy films are commonly marketed towards families and children with a more light-hearted and whimsical tone. Like I said before, many high fantasy stories are adapted from novels, and promotion of the films might lean into its faithfulness to the original source material to draw in old fans. Studios love fantasy films because their epic scale stories give them great potential to make a franchise out of it, especially when a film or TV show is based off of a preexisting series with multiple installments.
Trailers for fantasy movies typically show the general mood, style, and aesthetic rather than the plot. They are crafted to highlight the grand visuals, set pieces, stakes, and characters, creating a visual spectacle. Fantasy film marketing loves to utilize cross-media convergence, with tie-in books, video games, and other pieces of merchandise.
Examples:
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (2001)
This is the first film in one of the most famous fantasy franchises that has ever hit the screens, and a perfect representation of the genre. The Harry Potter films hit almost every single major convention of a fantasy story. The films are all about wizards and witches and other magical creatures, with magic and spells being one of the most important elements in the series. It follows the typical “Chosen One” storyline, and a moral struggle between the forces of good and evil. The fantastical setting is fully developed, with the magic school of Hogwarts as a key location. Mise-en-scene elements such as the gothic architecture, robes, and magical symbols instantly communicate the fantasy genre. The films end up exploring personal themes such as friendship and loyalty, death, loss, and choice.
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The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005)
The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe is a classic example of escaping the real world into one of magic, Narnia. The titular wardrobe acts as the portal between the realms, as ordinary children are taken out of their plain reality into a land full of wonder, but also of evil and corruption. The film centers around a prophecy guiding the protagonists, and there is a clear battle between good and evil. Aslan, the lion, represents goodness and light, while the villainous White Witch is the embodiment of fear and control. Narnia is full of mythical creatures such as talking animals and centaurs, with a snowy enchanted forest landscape that the viewer will undoubtedly associate with fantasy.
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This genre can be shaped to fit any situation. It is perfect for the blending of other genres, resulting in so many distinguishable sub-genres. Fantasy has many serviceable tropes that can be tools to craft a story or something to cleverly subvert, and allows the imagination to go anywhere.
This is a genre that has increasingly captivated my interest over time, it's not hard to understand why. Coming-of-age films depict a deeply formative yet complicated period of life, one that feels especially relevant to my life right now. But my fondness for this genre goes beyond relatability. I find it absolutely fascinating how this seemingly simple narrative framework can be transformed by personal themes, creative themes, and stylistic choices that often reflect the creator’s own lived experiences. This genre of stories has the potential to be a reflection of the person telling the story and offer a meaningful look into someone’s life at an important time. Truly, the coming-of-age genre is one of my favorites at the moment, and though that may change as I myself grow older, these kinds of movies currently hold a distinct appeal for me. For that reason, I was very eager to start doing research on it, even if I don’t intend to replicate it in my own film opening.
The coming-of-age story is one of the most iconic types of narrative in the media, resulting in some beloved pieces. A staple of film, TV, and literature, these stories are popular because of their portrayal of the transition from childhood to adulthood, an experience that most everyone can relate to which gives the genre universal appeal embedded into its core. Initially appearing in the early 20th century, coming-of-age films were typically adapted from books. Teen dramas became widely popular in the 1980s because of films from director John Hughes, whose movies were critical and commercial hits. Today, coming-of-age films feature more diverse characters and development.
Coming-of-age movies often center around a young protagonist, and chronicle their personal growth as they face significant life challenges and changes that are synonymous with growing up physically and emotionally. This type of story is one that is very realistic and relatable to the average human experience. Everyone can understand the feeling of facing new adult situations at a young age. These stories typically follow adolescents or younger characters as they struggle to confront the complexities of adult life, often through trauma or major life changes. Transitional periods are a common focal point for coming-of-age films as well as the awkwardness and uncertainty of youth. The process of growing up introduces huge, usually unexpected and difficult aspects to our lives, but it looks very different for many people depending on their circumstances and backgrounds. And that is what makes these kinds of stories so compelling to most people. They resonate deeply both with young audiences seeking relatability and adults reflecting on their own journeys.
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Common themes found in coming-of-age include the loss of innocence, self-discovery, or the struggle to adapt to fit into society, with a heavy focus on a central character arc. The protagonist typically progresses into the next phase(s) of their life and grapples with a certain major conflict or realization for the first time. The genre often showcases big shifts or milestones. One of the biggest themes that links together all coming-of-age films and helps to define the genre is the theme of self-discovery and finding oneself. Even if the central story of the film is about something else entirely, this is the essence of every coming-of-age film. The protagonist, by way of the trademark narrative, inevitably has a revelation about themselves.
Romance and drama are another very common aspect of the coming-of-age genre, introducing themes of first love and heartbreak. Though not all media that fall into this category will feature romance, most do to some degree. Romantic relationships between adolescent characters are often funny, complicated, passionate, and intense. Coming-of-age films always implement dramatic themes into the story, and because feelings of attraction are such a strong yet new and challenging part of growing up, elements from the Romance genre are often integrated into the narrative.
A light-hearted coming-of-age film often focuses on the high-energy moments associated with teenagers and young adults, incorporating comedic elements into the film. Comedy is a genre that is commonly blended with coming-of-age.
The tone of a coming-of-age film is usually mundane and “slice of life,” capturing the nuances of everyday life and the real drama that arises from it. These stories are a naturalistic representation of real life. They often lack massive stakes and big complicated plots in favor of a real-world setting and developing character relationships, interactions, feelings, and arcs. These films present more dialogue and moments of stillness than dramatic action or events, and tend to have slower and steadier pacing both in the script and the editing.
The common themes and tone of coming-of-age films lend themselves well to highly personal stories. For this reason, many coming-of-age films take on an autobiographical or semi-autobiographical style, often going off the writer/director’s own personal life and experiences as the basis for the protagonist’s story.
Coming-of-age films tend to take place in familiar or relatable settings, with one of the most used settings being school. These films sometimes involve the excitement and/or struggles attributed with student life. Truly, high school is the most focused-on period of life that coming-of-age films like to explore. Another common setting for coming-of-age films is a character’s home, often set in a single city or town.
There are a lot of visual motifs in coming-of-age films to represent the protagonist’s internal conflict visually rather than through spoken lines. This can be done through props or set design, and objects that are significant to the character or plot.
The soundtrack of a coming-of-age film often includes existing pop music. Pop songs are designed to have memorable catchy melodies and be instantly recognizable. This is done to evoke a reaction from the audience who are likely familiar with a well-known song, as well as set the tone for a scene. Popular songs can also be used to reinforce the time period in which the film takes place. For example, a song that was released in the 80s might play in a scene that takes place in the 1980s. This can give a sense of nostalgia to older audience members.
Coming-of-age films will typically cast younger actors to portray the main characters, in order to better capture the experience of growing up into an adult, but also relate and appeal to adolescent audiences who are more likely to see themselves represented by the face of a real teenager or young adult.
In many coming-of-age movies, the narrative will use an adult character who plays the role of a parental figure, mentor, or guardian in the protagonist’s life. They facilitate the protagonist’s journey of self-discovery by providing guidance or support. Alternatively, adult characters are opposing forces to the protagonist, deterring them from their goals and acting as an obstacle. They may be overly strict authority figures, playing into how people at a very young age might perceive adults.
These types of films often like to provide some social commentary, with mental health being a very common topic in the coming-of-age genre. Other heavy topics that may be addressed in a coming-of-age film are drug and alcohol use, bullying, or sexual themes.
Coming-of-age movies typically have a very wide audience because, despite what age range a person is in, everyone has experienced the transition from child to adult and knows what it’s like. Because of this, coming-of-age films are in that perfect area of relatability. These movies seamlessly connect with viewers. Whether you’re twenty or eighty years old, everyone enjoys a good coming-of-age film. Young adults and teens, are invested in these types of films because they resonate with them and reflect what they are currently going through. This age group is also usually the primary target audience for these films. Coming-of-age films give them a sense of understanding. Meanwhile, adults get a feeling of nostalgia, and these films take them back to a time when the troubles of growing up seemed so much bigger and when they experienced things for the first time.
These films have to strike a difficult balance when it comes to marketing as to reach as large an audience as possible. Usually in trailers and promotional material, moments that are relatable to everyday life or teenage life specifically are shown the most. Along with displaying the emotion and heart of the movie, as coming-of-age films are typically more focused on that rather than action or high stakes. They often use social media as the main form of marketing, which many younger people and most people in general use nowadays. Almost all films in this genre feature licensed music, typically pop songs, in the movie and in the soundtrack (called “needle drops!”), relating to audiences who are familiar with or fans of a popular song. Another way coming-of-age films build an impactful image and aesthetic for themselves is by having a color palette that is prevalent in the movie and in the marketing.
Examples:
Boyhood (2014)
Boyhood is a perfect example of a coming-of-age film. The movie centers around a young boy named Mason, his family, and his experience growing up, and the entire film follows the character’s life from early childhood to the end of the movie, when he goes off to college. The transition from a kid to an adult is all there. It details the family’s ups and downs, changing dynamics, and complexities over the course of many years. The movie is famous for taking twelve years to film, providing a natural and exceptionally realistic portrayal of people evolving, growing, and changing with time. Though it is over three hours long, watching this movie is a testament to how quickly childhood goes by as it documents a boy’s growth into a man in just three hours.
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Moonlight (2016)
Moonlight is a movie that follows the very difficult life of the protagonist, who goes by different names with each stage of his life (which makes Moonlight very unique in that regard). It tells the story of a young African American man’s discovery of his sexuality in a world where he feels very alone and helpless. He struggles to navigate his identity and relationships, but befriends a drug dealer who helps to guide his journey to adulthood, acting as a mentor or a guardian for the protagonist. The film deals with intense subjects such as drug use, bullying, homophobia, and growing up in poverty.
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Coming-of-age films serve as authentic voices for the adolescent experience. While many feature whimsical narratives and light-hearted treatments, the genre spans a wide emotional range, from comedic to dramatic. Their universal appeal makes them successful with diverse audiences, which explains their enduring popularity with studios and directors.
