Step Up - First 2 minutes analysis

 

• The first 22 seconds of the opening extract are the film companies logos - being Constantin Films and Summit Entertainment.
• Fade from black to the first scene of ballerinas getting ready to dance with titles carrying on over the top. This is followed by long shots of a street group preparing to dance and having a laugh. These two groups are crossed back and forth for the hole two minutes showing the audience that there is something very important about the divide of these two groups of people but what is the divide? Another enigma is created in this opening.
• The editing between each group varies throughout the clip. Between each clip the screen fades to black and out again to show a real divide between is group.
• Loads of different close ups are used on different parts of the bodies and the dance which could connote the variety of the film but also focuses on the fact that each groups dance is as detailed as each others. This gives an idea that maybe the two groups are not as different as they are perceived because they both have a great passion for dance.
• The genre and the divide also suggests that one person from each group fall in love, which will cause problems between their friendship and social class groups.
• The ballet dancers appear to be in a school which is shown in one of the other films openings because schools are iconic to teenage films because of the different stereotypical groups of people that do not like being mixed with another group.
• The music starts when the title is displayed on screen.
• The music used in the opening is the music for the street group which suggests that they have a bigger role in the film and maybe they cause the problems for the ballet school, which is iconic with the stereotypical black, street community.
• The titles go past the 2 minute point.