Film Opening Research #2 - "Avengers: Endgame."

How many titles are displayed during the opening sequences to the film?

The opening scene of Avengers: Endgame is showing us what happened to Hawkeye's family after Thanos snapped. After this we see the "MARVEL STUDIOS" logo, in it you can see scenes that happened in the previous marvel movies.

What images are prioritized in the opening sequence? 

The images that are prioritized are what happened to Hawkeye's family. We see in "Avengers; Infinity War" that many of the Avengers were snapped away but we didn't really see the extent of the damage, unless you watched the end credit scene, so in the opening of "Avengers: Endgame" it showed us how no one in the world was safe. This scene also sets up what happens later in film when we see what happened to Hawkeye we know it is because he lost his family.

What connotations do the images carry? 

These images carry sadness and are very emotional because Hawkeye did everything in his powers to have a happy family, and make sure that they didn't get hurt. But in the end Hawkeye wasn't even fighting Thanos and his family was still wiped away.

How is genre reinforced through symbolic and technical codes from the outset? 

Through technical codes we see that later in the film Hawkeye is broken after his family is wiped away. Hawkeye goes from being a vigilante to a cold blooded killer who will do anything to get revenge for his family. Through symbolic codes we see how without his family Hawkeye might've been the killer he is, we see at the end of the movie, after his family is brought back, that Hawkeye is full of emotion and just seeing that she is calling him causes him to begin crying.

How does the film establish an enigma from the outset? 

It is established in the beginning when we see that Hawkeye is with his family shooting arrows with his daughter when all of a sudden they disappear. Hawkeye doesn't see them or hear them leave so he is filled with confusion about what is going on.

What strategies are used to ensure the film appeals to its target audience? 

One of the strategies used is the use of confusion and suspense, we as the viewer know what happened to Hawkeye's family but he is confused and scared at that point. Also, through the use of background sound you can pinpoint when his family was snapped away, because in the background you hear his sons playing but then all of a sudden it becomes dead silent and there is no noise. After Hawkeye turns around and can't find his family the only noise that is there is Hawkeye screaming for his family.

How has technology been used effectively? You might want to consider camera angles, transitions and editing techniques. 

The use of camera shots and sound affect everything, the movie starts with an over the shoulder shot as Hawkeye is teaching his daughter to shoot a bow and arrow. Then there is a wide shot which shows us Hawkeye, his daughter, and his wife and boys. These camera shots are being used to show us all of Hawkeye's family. There is then a shot in which Hawkeye is retrieving an arrow and the directors use a close up shot of him. Through the use of sound we can hear that at this moment everything goes quiet and that is when his family is taken. Hawkeye is not aware of this yet until we see another wide shot of an empty farmland with nothing but Hawkeye holding a bow and arrow. All of these shots and sound cause the viewer to feel suspense and unease about what is happening.