Opening Sequence: Back To The Future

Back To The Future is a science fiction film about Marty McFly a teenager accidentally sent back in time through a time-travelling Delorean created by his friend Dr Emmett Brown. Made in 1985, by Robert Zemeckis, this film is world famous for its iconic car, characters and scenes. The opening sequence is set at Dr Emmett Brown's home, where Marty is looking for him, but he's not there.

Mise-en-scene:

The film starts with loads of clocks, all ticking and at the same time, showing the film immediately focuses on time. And whoever owns all these clocks has spent a lot of time getting all these clock to the exact same time and has a real interest with time. As the scene progresses a newspaper article is shown with the headline, "BROWN MANSION DESTROYED" creating a enigma to the audience of what destroyed the mansion", a mansion is a big building so if something destroyed it, then it must be very dangerous to cause such huge damage. Straight after the newspaper, the audience are shown two picture of famous scientists, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Edison and Albert Einstein. Showing that the person who lives at the house loves science and admires the work of these three people. The whole room is messy, showing the person who lives here possible doesn't like cleaning, However you cannot say he's dis-organised as the scene shows a chain of items like a domino effect come into life, making the radio, tv and kitchen appliances come one.
The TV turning on creates an enigma of what could have stolen the plutonium, this is later answered in the film, but the director creates sub- plots in the film. If people don't know what plutonium is, the news connotes the idea as dangerous with the radiation logo.
The dog food machine, connotes the owner has a dog, but also shows both the dog and the owner are missing with the large disused quantity of dog food on the floor. Creating a enigma of where have they gone. The entrance of the main character is shown of just his legs and feet. Jeans, trainers and a skateboard show the boy is a typical teenage boy of the time. When he puts the key back under the doormat, connotes the boy knows the place well as he knows where the spare key is kept and he knows the owner. The plutonium enigma is soon answered when its revealed under the bed, showing the plutonium is being hidden and is a secret and that even the boy who has just entered does not know about it when his skateboard hits it. The many switches is being hit at the end of the scene question audiences of what's gonna happen, certain knob and diles and shown going to the max create the impression that something big is about to happen.

Camera:

The whole opening sequence is done in one shot, almost like a point of view shot of the audience looking around trying find out who lives here and searching for clue, little shots of photos, newspaper articles and the state of the place give ideas to the audiences into a character profile of what the guy who lives here is like through his home. The one shot does stop once the teenager starts pressing and turning switches, giving a point of view shot of the boy seeing what he's doing.

Sound:

A diegetic sound can be heard throughout the whole scene, of a ticking clock. a sound that can come quite a annoyance after a while, especially with all the clocks in the scene to the audience. The ticking could be used to portray the idea of time which this whole movie is based on and maybe the person who lives in this home, works around this all the time, showing he has a real interest in time. Another diegetic sound is through all the dials and knobs being pushed on the amp, creating a weird low pitch, tension can be created of what's gonna happen. The sequence could be made to look like a science experiment but instead anti-climaxes to wiring up a guitar. No non-diegetic sounds can be heard making the idea that the doctor lives in isolated area and that nothing but the ticking goes through the owner head. The director might want to get this into the audience too .

Editing:

The ticking of the clocks doesn't starts when the actual scene starts, instead the tocking begins when the opening credits begin. Enforcing this idea of the film being about time. The credits during the scene are in plain white font with a black shadow connoting the idea of two opposite colours similar to two opposites minds a teenage boy and a scientist.