I Robot opening analysis

Research: I Robot opening analysis

Information

I Robot is an American action, sci-fi film, starring Will Smith. Released in 2004, I Robot is about what could potentially happen in the future with advancements in AI machines. It took $347.2 million at the box office. It starts with the ident of 20th century fox and MediaStream, common conventions of openings. Then the title I Robot fades in with non-diagetic dramatic music. Which dissolves into what appears to be tiny organisms that floats away. Then, in fades a law about robots titled 'law 1'. It then cuts to a short mid-shot of a car under-water and someone banging on the window. Then cuts back to 'law 2' and again cuts to two people now trying to escape from the car, then law 3, back to car and we see a robot saving the man in the car (Will Smith) before the non-diagetic sound cuts out with the picture and we cut to a close up shot of Will Smith waking up to the diagetic sound of his alarm clock- a clock is a conventional piece of iconography in action films as it connotes that the protagonist is racing against time.

Character Analysis

The opening introduces us only very briefly to three characters. The first is of a woman in the car struggling to free herself, we assume she is important as she is the first character we see. However we never see a close-up of her, which we do when we meet the second character who is Will Smith. He is seen in the car to start with and is saved by the third character (the robot), which suggests he is the main character, also this is assumed as he is the one the character cuts to after the car underwater scene. These tense action scenes in the openings which are usually flashbacks are conventional aspects on quite a few action sci-fi films as it creates fear among the audience and a sense of sympathy towards the protagonist to whom the camera usually cuts to at the end of the opening

So we don't learn much about the characters which makes them mysterious- this is a convention of openings to most films as it makes the audience want to know more.

Thinking about the different characters, settings and iconography used in different genres has been interested and will make me consider in more detail who, where and what will feature in the 2 minute opening I will soon be planning.