The first opening 2 minutes i'm going to look at are those of the 2009 Star Trek reboot. Now I could go on all day about the entirety of the opening, or the film for that matter, but for the sake of my A level I won't.
The very first thing you hear once the film starts is the diegetic sound of futuristic noises that can only be associated with space this location is further confirmed by the view panning to to show the starship USS Kelvin sitting in the middle of empty space, a sun visible in the background. These combined elements immediately set the scene for anyone who had somehow managed to sit in front of a Star Trek film with realising it would be in space. It also gives us an idea of exactly how grandiose the effects and locations of this film are going to be, with it's rich colours and mysterious lights that we can't even pretend to understand the practical function of.
Soon after this we start to hear the soundscape of official sounding voices talking about a lightning storm being picked up which is the claimed to be impossible by another voice, something that without explanation the audience couldn't possibly know. This knowledge helps the audience feel connected to what is happening as well as starting to reveal the situation they are viewing. The following sudden cut between space and the ship juxtaposes the calm of the vacuum and the organised chaos on board the ship, this is an atmosphere the audience can relate to whereas the previous shot feels even more alien by comparison.
After cutting into the ship we follow the entrance of a man onto the bridge, the focus on him shows him to be the captain of the ship, a leader figure which is an archetype commonly used in the science-fiction genre. This is further shown by him sitting in "the captain's chair" which is placed centrally on the bridge drawing not only the attention of the crew onto him but that of the audience too. The fact that this chair is placed so centrally shows his position in the social standing of the ship, telling us he is very important.
Focus soon leaves him though as alarmed voices draw our attention to the new ship emerging on screen, it is immediately distinguishable as very different to the first by it's colouring and shape. While the first ship is lightly coloured and has a smooth, elegant design this new one is dark and jagged a mess of what looks almost like tentacles, combined with the menacing tones of the music there can be no mistake in the eyes of the audience that this ship is bad news. This is another feature you will find in most science-fiction films, the stereotypical good vs evil.
As the view changes and we see the two ships in comparison to each other the first thing the audience notices is the massive difference in size, the second thing is that this being bared in mind those on board the Kelvin don't have much chance. Despite the fact that the audience as barely met anyone on board that ship they still feel sympathy for them at this realisation and makes them root for their victory despite the odds.
Once back on board the Kelvin the audience is engulfed in a flurry of activity the previous mechanic voices are now panicked at shouting the lighting inside the ship is darker tinged with the red of the alarms, which helps to further the understanding the audience has o how those on board are feeling.
Missiles are launched at the Kelvin and as we are informed "they're coming fast". This line is said by a face (Chris Hemsworth) who we've already seen once in this opening sequence and as this is the only person other than the Captain who has received that we can assume they're important, this is despite not knowing their identity yet ( later confirmed to be the father of James Kirk). Another effect of this is that it helps the auience to sympathise with him.
Upon the missile's impact the screen is soon littered with explosions and we hear the screams of those engulfed by the flames shortly before watching them burst through the corridors, the sever damage is confirmed for the audience quickly by a crew member making a report, the anxiety of the inevitable outcome of this attack builds for the audience.
The way this film sets the space setting is comparable to that of 2001: A Space Odyssey in it's wide views that are both beautiful and intimidating at the same time.
Posted by Katy Hart