Student Film Breakdown

Hello blog!

Since today we have been given the freedom to choose what we base our research on, I have decided to research another student's film opening. The film opening I researched was "Barely Legal." The reason I researched this specific opening was due to the genre being the same as mine, which is coming of age, and the fact that the student worked all by herself, which I am intending on doing so as well. 

The film begins by introducing the production in bright bold yellow letters, and magazine cutouts and posters are pasted all over the wall. I think this idea is so cool, especially using the time that she used. A guitar and a poster can be seen along the first few seconds, suggesting these are the character's interests. Some other items like heels, cigarettes, and a disk player are shown, until the first view of the character is presented. She is seen taking off her shirt and throwing it into a pile of clothes. Anyway, the girl begins to talk to herself in the mirror, and as she's speaking it becomes very apparent that she is underage yet trying to distance from that impression. The facial expressions and movements she makes, makes this opening look so much more humane and realistic. I loved the way she incorporated enough different shots to make it clear she knows what she's doing, but not too many to the point that this piece doesn't feel real. As the girl hears a loud honk and checks outside her window, she runs to grab her poster, money, and shoes, and turns off her disk player. The girl shuts the door, but the room is still visible. This implies that something else will occur in this very room, and just as that realization is made, the girl quickly runs back and grabs a pack of cigarettes. The screen turns blank and the title "Barely Legal" is seen on the screen. I was really interested in the choices of the mise-en scene in this piece, as every little detail was taken into consideration: The Guns N Roses poster, the Nirvana Poster, the checkered blanket, the checkered carpet, the clothing, etc.