Research into a Sci Fi opening scene

For this blog post, I will be researching into a sci-fi opening sequence. I have chosen to look into Divergent, released in 2014 by Lionsgate this American science fiction film is based on the Divergent novel in 2011. This film is directed by Neil Burger and produced by Lucy Fisher. It stars Shailene Woodley, Theo James, Ashley Judd, Jai Courtney, Ray Stevenson, Zoe Kravitz and Kate Winslet. The story takes place in a dystopian and post apocalyptic Chigago, where people are divided into distinct groups of society depending on what job they are apart of to keep the peace in their world. The main character, Beatrice Prior, is warned that she is Divergent and will never fit into any one of the groups. She soon learns that a sinister plot is brewing in the seemingly perfect society. Divergent was released on March 21, 2014, in the United States and grossed $1.7 million internationally from four territories, with a worldwide total of $56,307,747 at the box office. Divergent is apart of a franchise called ‘The Divergent Series’ which includes the first instalment, Divergent (2014), grossed over $288 million worldwide, while the second instalment, Insurgent (2015), grossed over $297 million worldwide. Insurgent was also the first Divergent film to be released in IMAX 3D. The third instalment, Allegiant (2016), grossed $179 million. However, the first three films of the series have grossed over $765 million worldwide. 

From this opening sequence, we get the understanding that this is set in a dystopian city, guarded by alien like walls, as If its on another planet. The VoiceOver dialog gives the audience an introduction to the opening of the film and reveals the groups of society of which teenagers are classed into. This sets the narrative that the film will involve these worriors as they protect their city from the possible villain. We also get the impression that as the girl who is narrating this introduction is speaking from her point of view as growing up in this world as a child, who possibly is inspired to grow up and protect her city. 

I think that the target audience for this film is young adult due to the very modern day style and also the action packed narrative. 

Conventions if a science fiction normally include setting, themes, characters, narrative, structure, tone and mood. Classic elements include time travel, teleportation, aliens and space travel, fictional worlds, parallel universes, interplanetary welfare and speculative technology. For this film Divergent, it uses a dystopian setting which is familiar to reality, they use the city Chicago in this parallel universe. It also includes the narrative elects of a sci fi convention, such as conflict between good and evil, which we can guess will take place as the film continues. Usually sci fi’s include characters such as hero, antagonist, alien, humans scientists, robots and some artifitial intelligence. 

This opening sequence begins with an establishing shot which gioves the audience a perspective of the dystopian setting which is reconized as Chicago. The non diegetic calming, awakening soundtrack plays while the editing cuts to tracking, extreme long shots of the sky scrapers which seem to of been distroyed. As thr camera tracks and reveals mass people in the center of the city, we hear diegetic sounds of people talking and transport moving to show the bustling city center. The voiceover narration gives an introduction to the film from the perspective of a sivillian living there, while the camer atracks through crowds of people and all the differnet groups of society. We are introduced to these groups of society, while the voiceover ecplains this, we see tracking through the work places of which they work in. 

I think this opening bscene sets the narrative and dystopian setting of the sci fi, we get an idea that there will be some type of battle or war between these 5 groups of society and that the protagonist/ hero who narrates this introduction is probably the main chatacter. I think that this film would appeal to an action adventure audience and especially over the age of 15 year olds. From this sequence, it quickly hooks in the audience to continue to watch nore of the film and to discover this mysterious world.