The opening of The Devil Wears Prada, directed by David Frankel, creates a composed tone and a light-hearted mood by using techniques such as music, the use of transitions and angle shots.
One example of an effective technique is music. Throughout the entireity of the opening, the only song that plays is Suddenly I See by K. T. Tunstall. The pace is medium, suiting Andrea's movement and attitude. This song was a great choice for the opening because it creates a comforting and cheerful mood, and the audience are able to really focus on what is going on, rather than trying to absorb dialogue.
The use of transisitions is used in such a clever way that it allows the shots to flow with ease. One example of a seemless transition is when the women are putting on their high heels. The first shot is a close up of a woman slipping her feet into her shoe, followed swiftly by another woman tying up her laces on one of her shoes. In a matter of seconds, the focus of the foot in one shot then turns to the focus of hands in action in the other, which makes the transition seem flawless. The use of transitions in the opening is highly effective as transtions help the scene to progress quickly, therefore holding the audience's attention and allowing more time to focus on the main character. Also, these women are insignificant in the film, so these characters do not require much attention.
Angle shots appear often in the opening scene, which are notably useful in this film opening as they promote the feeling which the main character is experiencing - the feeling of nervousness and anxiousness. For instance, before Andrea enters the building in which she will be interviewed, the camera focuses on the height of the building from a low angle, which in result gives the viewers an impression that this place is intimidating and scary, as the angle makes the building appear so much taller than it really is. Also, the main character, small in size in comparison, most likely has a view very similar to this. However, when the camera shot switches back to Andy, she simply inhales, smiles and comforts herself, lifting the mood back to a bright and cheerful mood.
One example of an effective technique is music. Throughout the entireity of the opening, the only song that plays is Suddenly I See by K. T. Tunstall. The pace is medium, suiting Andrea's movement and attitude. This song was a great choice for the opening because it creates a comforting and cheerful mood, and the audience are able to really focus on what is going on, rather than trying to absorb dialogue.
The use of transisitions is used in such a clever way that it allows the shots to flow with ease. One example of a seemless transition is when the women are putting on their high heels. The first shot is a close up of a woman slipping her feet into her shoe, followed swiftly by another woman tying up her laces on one of her shoes. In a matter of seconds, the focus of the foot in one shot then turns to the focus of hands in action in the other, which makes the transition seem flawless. The use of transitions in the opening is highly effective as transtions help the scene to progress quickly, therefore holding the audience's attention and allowing more time to focus on the main character. Also, these women are insignificant in the film, so these characters do not require much attention.
Angle shots appear often in the opening scene, which are notably useful in this film opening as they promote the feeling which the main character is experiencing - the feeling of nervousness and anxiousness. For instance, before Andrea enters the building in which she will be interviewed, the camera focuses on the height of the building from a low angle, which in result gives the viewers an impression that this place is intimidating and scary, as the angle makes the building appear so much taller than it really is. Also, the main character, small in size in comparison, most likely has a view very similar to this. However, when the camera shot switches back to Andy, she simply inhales, smiles and comforts herself, lifting the mood back to a bright and cheerful mood.
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