Breakfast at Tiffanys
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1JfS90u-1g8
Audiences and Institutions:
Title: Breakfast at Tiffany's
Genre: Drama | Comedy | Romance
BBFC Certificate: PG
Director: Blake Edwards
Release Year: 1961
Production Company: Jurow-Shepherd
Distribution Company: Paramount Pictures
Awards: 2 Oscars (won)
Box Office Profit: $14,000,000
Audience: ...
Titles:
What title comes first and why?
"Audrey Hepburn" comes first, she plays the lead role in the film. She is a huge, well-established American actress and by putting her name first in the film titles it emphasises the fact that she is acting in the film. By emphasising her name by using it first, the film attempt to draw in a wider audience. The use of star theory is used in many film by using big-named actors/actresses to appeal to not just the audience of the film genre but the audience and fans of the star in order to gain a bigger profit.
What font, style and colour are used?
The font used is very formal in order to give connotations of a higher class and therefore suggest this of the character on screen. The font has also been capitalised and put in bold in order to put emphasis on the text and the names of the cast and production team. It has also been put in gold which has connotations of royalty and riches. The font reflects the “Tiffany” sign in the background of the opening shots as the company 'Tiffany' is known for its expensive and high quality jewellery. This also
shows the relevance of the store “Tiffany” to Audrey Hepburn's character, building the plot and narrative within the opening few shots.
What is the size of the font and where is it placed within the shot?
The font used in the opening titles of the film is very large, dominating the screen in order to emphasise the names of the actors, actresses, the director, producer and other big names. The text is off centre in order to ensure that the focus is not taken of what is being shown on the screen. The titles of this film were very different from titles of other film I have looked at as they were very formal but also in a very old fashioned-text. The titles leave space for Audrey Hepburn to still be in the shot so we associate her with the text, used as a way of advertising the fact the is staring in the film.
What order did the titles appear in?
The opening shot of the film was the name and logo of the institution which made and distributed the film, this was heavily emphasises through the use of bold/large font and loud music and eventually faded out into the opening scene. Audrey Hepburn's name was then the first to appear, emphasising the fact she is staring in the film in order to attract the audience and entice them into watching the rest of the film as she is a big US star. However the directors names was last to appear which has been done to again emphasise that he has made the film and by being the last name the audience see it is a form of promotion as that will be the name they are most likely to remember. In-between these two names came other members of the cast and also other crew members which contributed to the making of the film. However these names are shown in a smaller sized font that is consistent with the remaining titles, but are shown at the bottom centre section of the shot in order to not distract the audience from the iconic opening scene.
What transitions are used?
The titles change very slowly, which reflecting the calm mood of the film. The opening titles use few transitions in order to keep a simplistic feel. The titles use straight cuts as any fast, fancy transitions would distract the viewer from the titles and what was happening on screen.
What title comes last and why?
The last title is the name of the directors, this is as he had the most influence regarding the production of the film and deserves emphasised recognition. In addition, by putting the directors name last, it may influence the audience to watch any future films he directs, creating publicity and bettering his reputation.
Micro Analysis:
Camerawork:
The opening sequence uses an establishing shot of an empty street in Ney York City. We are shown a shot of one car, driving down the road as the camera pans to follow it. The car then pulls up on the side of the street and the audience see Audrey Hepburn's Character for the first time, due to her being alone, the shot is showing that she is the main focus and character of the film.
The opening sequence features a low-angled, over-the-shoulder shot as we see Audrey Hepburn's character looking up at the “Tiffany’s” sign. By showing this type of shot, it show the characters perspective, and the importance and dominance of the store by making her seen very much smaller in comparison, but also suggesting that the store may be a central theme of the film.
The use of a crane shot when she is running from the man sitting in the car shows an outer and wider view of what is happening showing a prior relationship between the two characters. The crane shot is also high-angled, which represents her vulnerable state and reinforcing the stereotype of that woman are weak.
Mise-En-Scene:
In the establishing shot, we are shown Audrey Hepburn climbing out of a stereotypical yellow taxi, which is associated with New York City, immediately allowing the audience to recognise the setting and environment of the shot/film.
Audrey Hepburn's character’s costume is black tie attire, wearing a silky, slim-fit evening gown, oversized sunglasses, a sparkling hair piece and jewellery and black heels. Her costume is in contrast with the time of day and situation she finds herself in which is done to try and confuse the audience but also attract them to continue watching the film. Her costume is very feminine and elegant emphasising her lady-like personality and posture. The costume concealed most parts of her body, however the most revealed aspect is her neck area which is highlight an expensive set of pearls which hang around her neck and emphasising the fact that money or wealth and materialistic items such as jewellery contribute the main factors of this film.
Sound:
The music used is very quiet and peaceful, portraying the feeling of being alone. The feeling of aloneness is emphasises through the use of the music only using one instrument. However, when we see her near the Tiffany store window, more instruments are introduced, suggesting that she is no longer alone.
The song used in the opening sequence is called “Moon River”. The track is in the style of Jazz, this type of music typically portrays romanticism, therefore conveying similar themes as we see Audrey Hepburn's character at the iconic Tiffany store.
Editing:
The opening sequence and titles used very slow moving and calm editing transitions. The use of fade edits have been used to give a very peaceful and calming feel to the opening. The edits slow the pace of the opening down and create a relaxed and tranquil experience of her time at Tiffany’s but also the emptiness of New York, highlighting the time of day.
Audiences and Institutions:
Title: Breakfast at Tiffany's
Genre: Drama | Comedy | Romance
BBFC Certificate: PG
Director: Blake Edwards
Release Year: 1961
Production Company: Jurow-Shepherd
Distribution Company: Paramount Pictures
Awards: 2 Oscars (won)
Box Office Profit: $14,000,000
Audience: ...
Titles:
What title comes first and why?
"Audrey Hepburn" comes first, she plays the lead role in the film. She is a huge, well-established American actress and by putting her name first in the film titles it emphasises the fact that she is acting in the film. By emphasising her name by using it first, the film attempt to draw in a wider audience. The use of star theory is used in many film by using big-named actors/actresses to appeal to not just the audience of the film genre but the audience and fans of the star in order to gain a bigger profit.
What font, style and colour are used?
The font used is very formal in order to give connotations of a higher class and therefore suggest this of the character on screen. The font has also been capitalised and put in bold in order to put emphasis on the text and the names of the cast and production team. It has also been put in gold which has connotations of royalty and riches. The font reflects the “Tiffany” sign in the background of the opening shots as the company 'Tiffany' is known for its expensive and high quality jewellery. This also
shows the relevance of the store “Tiffany” to Audrey Hepburn's character, building the plot and narrative within the opening few shots.
What is the size of the font and where is it placed within the shot?
The font used in the opening titles of the film is very large, dominating the screen in order to emphasise the names of the actors, actresses, the director, producer and other big names. The text is off centre in order to ensure that the focus is not taken of what is being shown on the screen. The titles of this film were very different from titles of other film I have looked at as they were very formal but also in a very old fashioned-text. The titles leave space for Audrey Hepburn to still be in the shot so we associate her with the text, used as a way of advertising the fact the is staring in the film.
What order did the titles appear in?
The opening shot of the film was the name and logo of the institution which made and distributed the film, this was heavily emphasises through the use of bold/large font and loud music and eventually faded out into the opening scene. Audrey Hepburn's name was then the first to appear, emphasising the fact she is staring in the film in order to attract the audience and entice them into watching the rest of the film as she is a big US star. However the directors names was last to appear which has been done to again emphasise that he has made the film and by being the last name the audience see it is a form of promotion as that will be the name they are most likely to remember. In-between these two names came other members of the cast and also other crew members which contributed to the making of the film. However these names are shown in a smaller sized font that is consistent with the remaining titles, but are shown at the bottom centre section of the shot in order to not distract the audience from the iconic opening scene.
What transitions are used?
The titles change very slowly, which reflecting the calm mood of the film. The opening titles use few transitions in order to keep a simplistic feel. The titles use straight cuts as any fast, fancy transitions would distract the viewer from the titles and what was happening on screen.
What title comes last and why?
The last title is the name of the directors, this is as he had the most influence regarding the production of the film and deserves emphasised recognition. In addition, by putting the directors name last, it may influence the audience to watch any future films he directs, creating publicity and bettering his reputation.
Micro Analysis:
Camerawork:
The opening sequence uses an establishing shot of an empty street in Ney York City. We are shown a shot of one car, driving down the road as the camera pans to follow it. The car then pulls up on the side of the street and the audience see Audrey Hepburn's Character for the first time, due to her being alone, the shot is showing that she is the main focus and character of the film.
The opening sequence features a low-angled, over-the-shoulder shot as we see Audrey Hepburn's character looking up at the “Tiffany’s” sign. By showing this type of shot, it show the characters perspective, and the importance and dominance of the store by making her seen very much smaller in comparison, but also suggesting that the store may be a central theme of the film.
The use of a crane shot when she is running from the man sitting in the car shows an outer and wider view of what is happening showing a prior relationship between the two characters. The crane shot is also high-angled, which represents her vulnerable state and reinforcing the stereotype of that woman are weak.
Mise-En-Scene:
In the establishing shot, we are shown Audrey Hepburn climbing out of a stereotypical yellow taxi, which is associated with New York City, immediately allowing the audience to recognise the setting and environment of the shot/film.
Audrey Hepburn's character’s costume is black tie attire, wearing a silky, slim-fit evening gown, oversized sunglasses, a sparkling hair piece and jewellery and black heels. Her costume is in contrast with the time of day and situation she finds herself in which is done to try and confuse the audience but also attract them to continue watching the film. Her costume is very feminine and elegant emphasising her lady-like personality and posture. The costume concealed most parts of her body, however the most revealed aspect is her neck area which is highlight an expensive set of pearls which hang around her neck and emphasising the fact that money or wealth and materialistic items such as jewellery contribute the main factors of this film.
Sound:
The music used is very quiet and peaceful, portraying the feeling of being alone. The feeling of aloneness is emphasises through the use of the music only using one instrument. However, when we see her near the Tiffany store window, more instruments are introduced, suggesting that she is no longer alone.
The song used in the opening sequence is called “Moon River”. The track is in the style of Jazz, this type of music typically portrays romanticism, therefore conveying similar themes as we see Audrey Hepburn's character at the iconic Tiffany store.
Editing:
The opening sequence and titles used very slow moving and calm editing transitions. The use of fade edits have been used to give a very peaceful and calming feel to the opening. The edits slow the pace of the opening down and create a relaxed and tranquil experience of her time at Tiffany’s but also the emptiness of New York, highlighting the time of day.