Analysis of The Notebook opening scene

At the very beggining of the scene, the first thing that happens is the music begins to play. The music is smooth and mellow and creates a calm atmosphere. The first thing presented to us visually is the opening credits. The actors name - Ryan Gosling, appears in the bottom left hand side, it has been placed there so that it doesnt distract you from the shot of a lake on the screen at the same time. The establishing shot of the lake is the first camera work that is shown. This shot includes a sunset, reflecting on the surface of the water. This makes the scene look peaceful and gives the audience member a sense of warmth and happiness. The credits continue to show in the bottom left hand side, followed by the title of the film which appears over a new camera shot. The second shot is a close up of the man rowing his boat, which you see from a distance in the first shot. In this second shot the sunset is still an overpowering factor and its colour is what sets the mood. The next shot follows the man in his boat, the man is a silhouette on the red sky. This makes the shot look slightly mysterious as you are not yet introduced to the characters face and the warm colours like orange and red can be associated with love which is the main theme of the film. This shot fades out for the following shot to come in, these shots are all solely lit by the sun reflecting off the water which helps in setting the romantic mood. Another shot is taken of the rower, however this time it is side on whilst he rows, this allows audience members to see what he is doing. The shot is supported my the motion in the water, the continual movement of the water indicates a journey, but then the next shot views the man from a distance, and the joureny becomes unclear as you can see for a long time either side of him. At this point the credits switch to the bottom right hand side of the screen. The next shot to be taken includes the sunset in the distance. The left side of the frame is dark and black compared to the right side which is full of colour.This shot has been taken to allow the audience to see where the man is because it is difficult due to the lighting and positioning of the sun. Within the next shot, birds are shown flying near the man, the birds may represent freedom, much like what the man has, alone in the water. They fly from left to right, slowly and gracefully, they take there time, as does the man in the boat. The next frame shows birds flying across a house in the background. There has now been a link indicated between the man and the house. The next shot is a follow up of a woman who is looking out to the water and seeing the birds fly her way. A shot is taken of the woman through the window of the house, followed by a close up where you are able to see what she is doing, this is where you see that she is looking across the water. It gives audience members the impression that she waiting for the man in the water, or that she is looking for him. The font used in the opening credits is small and curved, it is a gentle font which will not distract the audience from what is actually taking place on the screen. All of the shots last for a long time, this has been done to create a slow atmosphere, it matches the fact that the man is obviously in no rush. The slowness effectively changes the way that audience members interpret what is occuring in the opening scene.