Maid In Manhattan Opening Analysis

Maid in Manhattan Opening

This film does follow one of the codes and conventions of a ROMCOM which is that of it playing happy music, it is an example of parallel sound as the song matches what is happening within the sequence. I think this opening has been used to set the scene for the film, which is based in New York; however it is different as it starts with a panning shot of the huge city and then a not so glamorous area that you wouldn’t associate with New York. The key idea that interests me the most are these opening shots which almost gives you an impression of parallel worlds, especially as there is a change from high key lighting so slightly low key lighting. The titles have been timed in a particular way, for example the main “Maid in Manhattan” title for the film has been placed on top of a shot of a subway train passing by over a café and a police car parked up, these are all subtle details but they help to set the tone for the film. This sequence represents the main protagonist as someone who is not earning a lot but loves her son very much and they have a strong relationship, I think the film does this well by having the opposite settings by having the large city first then the quiet suburban neighbourhood after it. The production company behind this film is Columbia Pictures; this is relevant because they are one of the leading film companies in the world, in fact they are known as one of the top six film companies in the world, so if someone sees their intro before a film they know they won’t be disappointed. I think that the audience for this opening sequence would be young females, couples and maybe even families, I think this because the opening sequence is quite cheery and it shows a mother taking her son to school which most families could relate to if they have children, so if they saw that they can almost picture themselves in the film, making it more personal. This opening sequence keeps the audiences interest by having happy cheery music straight away, as well as having diagetic sound, making the scenes feel more natural. No special effects have been used as this is meant to be a happy scene so there would be no place that would be appropriate (at this point) to add any special effects, maybe something like rain or snow would help set the scene, but anything else would be irrelevant.