Genre Analysis
Need For Speed
The opening scene for Need For Speed has many conventions to show the audience its an Motorsports action adventure film. It does this through the narrative, iconography (props, costumes etc), characters (star system), and the locations.
Narrative
The opening scene starts zooming into a house/gas station, which looks like it is located in the middle of nowhere. The audience are then introduced to the inside of a home, this is when we start to get the clues that this could be a motor sport action adventure film, this is because we are shown a with a section of close ups picture of cars and car races. The audience are then shown so car trophy's and medals. At this point there is also a voice-over telling us about his past and future car races and shows. The last picture you see is two men one older and one younger, this could be a clue to whom the main character may be. The audience is then shown a mechanics garage with two men working on a car, another man walks in playing the video that turns out to be the voice over. So far this isn't a classic action adventure film but has got the cars in the film within the first few minutes of the film starting.
Iconography - Props
In motor-sport films there is generally some kind of weapon in them but during this scene there is no sign of any weapon. But the audience still knows this is a car action adventure film, this is because there is clips of fast cars in the opening scene and a clue that chases are going to be involved in the film.
Iconography - costumes
Generally in motor-sport action films the consumes are either a race gear or messy shorts or t shirts or mechanics gear. So in the opening scene to the film the audience is already shown two of these iconography that link to this type of film. Most of the men in this opening scene are shown either wearing shorts and a t shirt or mechanics overalls.
Characters
Straight away the audience is shown the protagonist of the film which indicates that this is an action adventure film and you are just meeting the antagonist later in the film. You are also shown the stock characters in the opening scene which are shown to the audience as his friends and co workers which is also an classic way to one show its an action adventure film and two to show its an motor-sport action adventure film.
This film has also used the star system which means, the actors in the films are know for that genre of film. So in this film Michael Keaton is well known for car films as he has already started in Herbie and action adventure films like Batman.
Locations
The locations in this film are probably one of the key clues for the audience to show this is an 'car' action adventure film. For example the first shot is an outside of a garage, and looks like in the middle of no where which could be a good place for racing cars. The audience is then also shown the two men working on a car in a workshop, so all these places give little and big clues that this is an car action adventure film.
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