Franco Zefferelli’s film techniques Essay

The opening sequence of a film has to tell us a great deal about the story, its the opening sequence, which captivates the mind and keeps the viewer interested. Franco Zeffirellis opening dig is of the camera panning over a long- thrust of central Verona, he does this to give an insight into the metropolis, a quick zoom along across instantly tells us this is set in the past as we be seeing 15th century Verona. The directors name is superimposed on this, and then the camera cogitatees on a misty sun, this gives a sense of calmness.The camera then zooms in on the sun, and William Shakespeares name comes up below it. We then do a straight push down to a ray inside the city walls, the title of the film is again superimposed on the same shot while all this is natural event music is playing (romantic orchestral). The camera then is showing a long shot of the citizens entering through and through the gate, the camera pans left, this shot lasts for fifteen seconds this shot is give n to add to the anticipation on what we are overtaking to see next, where are these people going?It adds to the whole scene we have seen so far, every shot we are gathering more information about the place and that shot just helps it along a little. Then we hear the bustle of the securities industry and cut to the market. Yellow and red clad legs are locomote through the market, this is done, as this is our first view of the Capulets. Zefferelli frames the mens legs, in their house colours to focus on them as part of the Capulets.We are now up to shot 4, the camera tracks the legs through to shot 6 one of the Capulets kicks a dog, and someone shouts villain. Shot six is when we first see the mens faces, this shot is quite close to give a clear view of the servants of the Capulets, it also shows us their emotions and they are talking about the everlasting quarrel between the masters of the Capulet and Montague.The Capulets are portrayed to be evil and having scandalous fun in th e market that makes them laugh. Shot 7 we see the Capulet servants at a market stall, the shot is took behind the stall so we see a full on view of the Capulets, and on that point expressions when they see a Montague coming The camera then cuts to another stall, where the Montague priest is talking to the stall holder, this institute in the religious theme of the story.Then for the final shot in the opening sequence we cut back to the Capulets, where they are talking about quarrelling with the Montagues. This whole sequence lasted one minute thirty troika and due to the shots the camera took we have gained a great deal of information about the setting and themes, already we have seen evidence of religious and conflict themes within the story.