AN A GRADE ANALYSIS OF JUNOS OPENING SEQUENCE In order to analyse the opening sequence of Juno (Jason Reitman, 2008) I will

look at the different micro elements and try to esta lish how they are used to set up character, narrati!e and genre" SOUND #he non$diegetic music chosen for the opening sequences is y anti folk artist %imya &awson" It is e!ocati!e of 'o &ylan and helps to esta lish the low key feel of a () independent mo!ie" #his was how the film was successfully marketed" #he lyrics tum le along in the style of a quirky, down eat lo!e song listing partnerships like *If I+d e a tree you would e my lea!es," #his helps set up the character of Juno as oth innocent and pensi!e, as well as eing quite alternati!e in her !iews and alluding to the search for romance and the coming of age story that follows" #here is no diegetic sound in the opening, perhaps signifying that Juno is often in her own little world, cut off from reality and separate from others" MISE-EN-SCENE I feel the mise en scene plays the most important part in esta lishing the tone and genre, as well as the lead character in the film" Juno is depicted walking through su ur an ()-, at first in the opposite direction to a group of runners" In fact almost e!eryone she passes is going in the opposite way, esta lishing her as a unique indi!idual, someone who does not follow the crowd and someone who is not *mainstream," )hiplap houses and mail o.es set up her small world in which the local shops (the guitar shack, eauty parlour and drug store) are the dominant features and from which the park represents a temporary reak for reflection" /e see lea!es falling from the trees show time passing and esta lish the time of year 0 this will ecome important when Juno gets pregnant later on" )he passes an acoustic guitar and a retro #1 that reinforce the teenager+s interests" Juno+s costume acts as a kind of timeless unise. teen uniform2 lue 3eans, sweat top and can!as shoes" #his represents her as perhaps a it of a tom oy ut is neither e.traordinary nor pretentious" )he also walks in quite a *mannish, way, suggesting she is not a girly girl, and is a determined person with a purpose" #he )unny &elight carton that she is drinking from reasserts the land diet of the mid -merican teen" EDITING #he animation technique of rotoscoping (tracing o!er li!e action filming) suits the () independent style y alluding to independent comic ooks like -merican )plendour" #he technique allows the director to simplify and mute the colours, making it graphically pleasing as well as mundane" #he unfinished drawings also uild on a concept of an almost incomplete

en!ironment perhaps suggesting that she is not yet complete as a person (eg she is still in the process of maturing)" #he comic ook style also ser!es to emphasise Juno+s young age which will ecome important later on as she attles with life on the edge of ecoming an adult" )ome interesting slide and push edits also allude to comic ooks" Juno+s character is sometimes on the screen in two different shots and this, along with her constant presence and dominant framing, esta lishes the centrality of her character within the film and perhaps represent her as eing someone who is happy on her own" #he push wipes and slides also may represent the way she feels pushed around as a teenager" -lthough many shots are fast paced, emphasising her quick wit and mind, one long shot is used of her looking sad and pensi!e, de!eloping her character as also eing quite emotional" CAMERA - !ariety of shot si4es and angles ha!e een used" 5ow angles of Juno represent her as important in the story, gi!ing her dominance o!er the scene" 6anted angles ha!e een used in places to emphasise her confusion and the difficulties she faces as a teenagers" )ome of the more ad!enturous camera angles, for e.ample the o!erhead shot, are pleasing to the eye and are !isually interesting" 7anning and tracking shots are regularly used to represent her as constantly mo!ing, perhaps signifying that she is on a 3ourney emotionally and mentally as well as physically" - point of !iew shot is used as she alances on her toes and this allows the audience to see things from her perspecti!e, placing us literally in her shoes, and encouraging us to empathise with her as a character" TITLES (not !isi le in my 8ou #u e clip, ut are there on the film itself) 9f course the key function of a title sequence is as a !ehicle for the main credits" In Juno these are rought in as neatly hand drawn three dimensional lock letters, continuing the comic ook theme and not unlike a teenager+s graphics pro3ect or doodling to emphasise the film+s focus on teenage themes" -n effect has een used that keeps the titles wo ling slightly in an organic way, perhaps signifying Juno as someone who is hard to *pin down, as eing a particular type of person, someone who is always changing and mo!ing" #he titles are framed thoughtfully to alance with the framing of the su 3ect and many are rought onto screen from ehind its of the set or are integrated into the scene" -n e.ample is a title that appears painted on the fence y using perspecti!e drawing" Juno also walks in front of a num er of the titles" #hese techniques are satisfying for the !iewer and help integrate the title sequence into the film" DOMINANT IDEOLOGIES Juno is not represented as a typical teenage girl in this sequence" )he is not represented as feminine and girly and is often shown as going against the crowd and eing a unique indi!idual" #he dominant ideology of teenagers is that they are often la4y with their head in the clouds and she certainly does seem as though she is away in a dream world throughout most of this short sequence" :owe!er she clearly also walks with a purpose in many of the shots, and therefore this clip contains a !ariety of dominant and non dominant ideologies" CONVENTIONAL ELEMENTS #he sequence has included a !ariety of con!entions of opening sequences including -n introduction to the main character - hint as to the genre (see elow for details) ;on diegetic music #itles (they -R< in the film, 3ust not on my 8ou #u e 6lip) =ilm 6ompany 5ogo (they -R< in the film, 3ust not on my 8ou #u e 6lip) )ome narrati!e enigma (the audience is encouraged to wonder where she is going, why she is alone and why she is drinking an entire ottle of )unny &elight)"

GENRE / NARRATIVE SIGNIFIERS #he institution that produced the film ha!e encoded their opening sequence with se!eral genre signifiers to firmly place this film in the genre of *teen drama," #hese include> 6omic 'ook styling - teenage girl in the lead role #eenage clothing )chool costumes eg running uniforms etc &rinking out the ottle (which is someone associated with young people) -lternati!e music with a young sound and humourous music ? lyrics #houghtful looking facial e.pressions #hey ha!e also included further narrati!e signifiers to hint as possi le narrati!es such as> 6hanging seasons> autumn turning to winter suggesting changing maturity of teenagers eing part of the narrati!e Runners going in the opposite direction signifying a possi le narrati!e in!ol!ing her *going against the crowd," 5yrics that are a out lo!e and relationships signifying a story that might in!ol!e lo!e and relationships #hey ha!e also included some narrati!e enigmas to intrigue and engage the audience such as> /ho is this girl@ /hy is she drinking so much@ /here is she going@ /hy is she so different from others@ /hy does she look so sad ? thoughtful@

AUDIENCE RECEPTION -udiences would en3oy this opening sequence ecause it is light hearted in tone, ut with hints of sadness, encouraging them to want to find out what might e wrong with the main character" #he opening sequence has elements such as the music and the comic ook style which would e seen as entertainin as well as elements the audience could i!enti"# with such as the lead character feeling out of place, and as though she doesn+t fit in" #he film would gratify oth these needs (entertainment and identification) for the audience and would therefore e intriguing and interesting"