Institutional Information:
Monsters Inc is an animation film based on a fictional city which is powered by the screams of scared children. However the children are also toxic to monsters, when one child escapes their door, Sully and Mike wazowski have to get her back before corporate find out. This movie was released on 8th February 2002 (UK) with an estimated budget of around $115,000,000. The film made $62,577,067 opening weekend and overall grossed $289,907,418. The movie was directed by Pete Docter also known for Up (2009) and Inside Out (2015), other directors include David Silverman who is also known for The Simpsons (1989) and The Simpsons Movie (2007). It was written by Pete Docter as well, in company with Jill Culton. Starring actors such as Billy Crystal and John Goodman as the voices of Sully and Mike.
Target Audience and Genre:
The target audience of this film is young children. This is demonstrated by the certificate of the film being a U. This means all ages can watch the film. You can also tell from the lack of swearing throughout the film, this would be inappropriate for the certificate. Animations generally tend to be aimed at young audiences, this is because the fictional characters appeal to the imaginative and creative mind of a child. Other common conventions are loveable characters and colourful catchy tunes. This movie fits into the genre of animation as the characters and setting of this film are computer generated and are played by voice actors.
Mis En Scene:
The opening scene of this movie is set at night. Night time is often a common fear amongst children as they are afraid of the dark as they believe there are 'monsters' lurking within it. This links with the title of the movie 'Monsters Inc' this playing on a common fear within children to create an eery opening. This shot acts as an establishing shot, we can see the setting (a young Child's bedroom). This shows the audience where the scene is set. However we get no establishing shot of the street outside, this could represent the unknown of the human world beyond childrens' bedrooms, this is common in the film, we aren't shown an outdoor shot throughout the whole movie. Another close up shot of a clock is used showing the time 9:04, to a child this would be late at night, this again puts the audience on edge as commonly nighttime is perceived as dangerous and scary.
Medium shots are used displaying toys, this again sets the scene, showing the audience that its set in a child's room. Although the shots are dark due to the time of day, you can still see the bright colours of the toys, this connotes a happy feel to the room, however this being set in the night, turns this happy feel sinister. This builds tension.
This over-the-shoulder shot is used to show a relationship between the child and the door. The door is where the monsters emerge from. The tension in this shot shows the fear the child feels towards the door (even though this child is a simulation, the audience doesn't know yet). Its made clear to the audience that something will come out of it that to the audience is frightening. In this same shot we can see the wind blowing the curtains, this creates a sense of calmness which juxtaposes against the building suspense. It also adds a chill to the scene which makes the audience uncomfortable. We are then given a point-of-view shot from the perspective of the child, it shows him hastily looking around the room. This quick movement shows the audience the fear felt within the child which tells the audience that something bad is about to happen.
This low angle shot is used to show dominance of monster over the child. This would frighten the audience as it implies that the monster is in control, we are unsure of the monsters motives therefore scaring the young audience. The red eyes are a common feature used in the appearance on monsters, as they have no pupils it takes away the humanity and emotion from the creature. Red also has connotations of danger therefore suggesting the monster is an evil force. A close up shot of the child screaming is used, close up shots are used to display emotion, in this case the emotion displayed is fear. We are then shown a long shot while the monster runs around the room in pain. This flips the mood and makes the scene humorous, this turns the scary monsters into laughable, loveable characters, thus appealing to the target audience.
Sound:
In the beginning of the opening there is diegetic sound in the form of speech between the child and his parents. The speech is 'Goodnight Sweetheart' 'Night Mom' 'Sleep tight kiddo' this tells the audience that the scene is set in a child's bedroom in a family house. We hear this before we even see the characters. While the parents are in the room there is a warm yellow light shining on the toys in the shot, as the voices leave the room, the light is turned out and changed to a dark cold blue, this represents the safety the child feels with the parents presence, and the anxiousness the child feels when they leave him to face the night alone. This is a common feeling amongst young children, this relates to them, therefore appealing to them. In the background of the scene we hear owls hooting and crickets and the clock ticking; these point to the stillness of the room, these are sounds normally heard in the dead of night. As the door opens we hear a creak, this puts the audience on edge. Eery music is played in the background if almost the whole scene, this builds up tension and suspense, the music peaks loudly as the monster is about to scare the child, this scares the audience putting them in the shoes of the child. Comedic sound effects are added to the scene whilst he trips over the objects, for example the sound used when the monster slips on the football is a noise you would associate with clowns, this makes the scene funnier to the young audience.
Conclusion:
This film opening is very successful. Although this film is aimed towards children, this film is also successful and appealing for older audiences as well. The build up of tension at the beginning of the film catches the audiences attention and keeps them on their toes from the start. However the flip in moods in what makes the opening so successful, it lightens the mood and sets the tone for the rest of the film which is lighthearted and fun. The plot twists keeps the audience guessing whats going to happen next.
awesome
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