16/01/10

An opening sequence should include opening credits a title credits and a soundtrack. It could also be used to show an introduction to the genre of the film, establish the setting and introducing the main character/s and perhaps other members of the cast to the audience.

The opening sequence for the 1999 comedy Office Space uses most of these functions in a very effective way. It is easy to tell straight away that the film is the opening credits. The font used looks very comical; it is a bright blue colour which could indicate feelings of happiness and amusement. The style of the font is fun and adventurous suggesting that the film will create this kind of atmosphere. The type of music used is another quick indication to the genre of the film. The music is very upbeat jazz representing cheerfulness and adding to the humour in the scene. There is more music later on in the opening sequence that also suggests that the film is a comedy. One of the main characters in a car starts to sing along to a rap song on the radio. This creates humour because it is unexpected of him to be singing, or even listening to, that kind of music because of the way he looks, which is not following the stereotypical person who would be expected to listen to and sing along with that kind of song.

The setting of the film is shown at the start of the film by an establishing shot of a motorway with a lot of traffic. The opening sequence then has a series of shots introducing the audience to the main characters in the film who are all in cars stuck in traffic. However the shots focus more on one individual which suggests that he will be the main character throughout the whole film. The actions of the characters in the cars are probably the biggest factors that create a humorous mood to the film.