The Hunger Games: Opening Sequence Analysis

The movie opens with the non-diegetic sound of major key music that is quite soothing. The first title we see is the distributor of the film which is Lionsgate, an Entertainment company known for movies including 'The Imitation Game' and 'La La Land'. This immediately gives the audience a clue to the quality of movies as this company is known for producing good and very engaging movies.

We then see the logo of the production group, 'Color Force' which is known to have produced the 'Diary of a Wimpy Kid' series and 'Crazy Rich Asians' which are both highly praised as very engaging films which elevated the interest in the audience as their psychological need for brand identity is met. 

We then see a series of white text dissolve in and out of the black screen. The slow transitions align with the calming music but I personally believe that this contrasts to what the writing itself is saying. The text is a brief description of the main event in the film, describing the process of the hunger games. This was written with a very formal tone as it utilizes sophisticated language and is more reminiscent of a proclamation rather than an introduction. The audience would similarly recognize this style of intro where text vaguely describes the forthcoming of a movie in the very popular and widely know Star wars series and the audience can subconsciously make a link and expect this movie to be similarly gripping. This also immediately engages the audience as they will not become confused as they already have a brief background.  

As the music shifts to a more minor key, the final note is held for a much longer period, creating a very eerie atmosphere and, in the last paragraph, we see that the first part dissolves first and the three last words, 'The Hunger Games', remain on screen for a brief moment longer with the diegetic sound of dialogue from the next scene beginning before this changes which further talks about the history of the hunger games, where Seneca Crane says, 'I think its our tradition. It comes out of a,' establishing this event as deep rooted into this society. The screen then suddenly shifts to an over the shoulder shot of Seneca Crane who continues to say 'particularly painful part of our history', and by making this character appear whilst he talks about something negative gives the audience an unsettling feeling and foreshadows that he will become the adversary character which is further amplified by the high key lighting created by the studio lights which seem quite harsh and make him appear as quite pale.

This scene is composed of a shot reverse shot sequence in the style of a television interview where both characters on screen seem to be sitting very comfortably and are positioned relatively close to each other. Neither character seems tense despite the harsh lighting, presenting their confidence. We mostly see close ups of both characters and can clearly identify their facial expressions although we know that they are being watched, presenting the idea of always being watched and having an audience which is confirmed by the diegetic sound of an audience applauding them. 

The costumes of both actors are very flashy and eccentric and they both have very neat hair that has obviously taken time and effort to produce. In Caesar Flickerman's case, he is wearing a blue suit that matches his blue hair along with the blue LED lights in the background. This cool tone often represents sadness which foreshadows the sadness of death within the movie but it also shows wealth. Seneca Crane, on the other hand, wears back and red which represents danger and blood, further establishing him as an intimidating character.

These characters purposefully are the first we see and Wes Bentley, who portrays Seneca Crane, appeals to many males rather than females as he is known for his role in 'Ghost Riders', and Stanley Tucci, who portrays Caesar Flickerman, is an american actor, formerly a model, who is widely known by the target audience of teenagers to adults (around 17 to 30 years old) for acting in movies such as 'The Devil Wears Prada'. The use of star-power successfully draws the attention of both males and females in a very broad age category.