Film Opening Research: "Divergent"

Institution Information.

• Divergent (2014)
• Director: Neil Burger.
• Production Companies: Summit Entertainment, Red Wagon Entertainment.
• Distributed by Lionsgate.
• Rated PG-13.
• Opening weekend: $54,607,747 (USA) (21 March 2014)

Target Audience.

This film was ultimately made for the existing fan base of the book as the primary audience, never the less as is common in book to film adaptions the promotion needs to attract new fans  in order to be successful on opening weekend so is secondarily targeted more generally to teenage 13-18 girls maybe also for fans of the dystopian genre which would in-store an expectation of a futuristic world that has some kind of advanced technology (Immediately addressed with the animation and typography of the production companies, director and film title) as well as sufficient action to tap into the audiences pleasures of the genre.  

Title and Credit Analysis.

To expand on the dystopian genre expectations and the codes and conventions that come with it the typography and animation of the first few titles shown on screen are successfully representing these expectations due to the advanced connotations of how they are presented. The titles for the production companies and the director coming before the title with this separate opening screen before the action actually starts draws attention of importance on to them and then the title kick starts the legitimate narrative content and brings the list of cast starting with the start that ties Shailene Woodley and the rest of the cast together to signify their relevance to each other. 
    The fading in and out of the text accompanied by the calm and peaceful soundtrack opposes the typical expectations of a dystopian film and therefore would keep the secondary audience questioning and interested. The calm content tones to the soundtrack and the subtle presentation of the titles may signify a calm before the storm impression on the audience, establishing a sense of foreboding on the assumption that the people watching the film no a little bit more about what to expect due to the promotion, genre codes etc. whilst also setting up something of the narrative that the civilisation being presented is reasonably content. 

Camera and Editing. 

The film starts with an establishing shot over a plane of grass, however as the scene progresses with the track of the camera zooming into the completely fenced in city, presenting the audience with the first signs of an unstable society represented through the details of the setting of the mese en scene as the camera carries through semi-demolished building that, as the establishment settles, presents itself as fully functional and peaceful and yet with the introduction of the separation in the costumes, introducing the details of the five factions. The introduction of the outside of this dystopian Chicago before the details of the main films setting presents both as completely undisturbed with the exception of each other; giving the imprecation that the characters they will be introduced to as being completely alone in whatever is to follow.
    The cutting onto a different long shot throughout this title sequence adequately presents the size of the city and details of how the film is implying it has broken down by this time. The slow movement of the camera gives time for the audience to gather these preferred readings but also the direct cuts straight to another shot creates a skim over of the main setting and gets to the point of the apprehension over how perfect the civilisation  really is that the director has created so far into that of the people - although the rise in music creates a tone of tranquility adding to the overall impression for the audience that something bad will be inevitable.