Analyse how the film’s opening establishes genre conventions and reaches target audiences through technical codes, narrative and characterisation.

Notting Hill

Notting Hill is a 1999 British romantic comedy film set in Notting Hill, London, and the film was released on 21^st May 1999, the film had a budget of $43 million and has grossed $363,889,700 at the Box office. It was produced by Duncan Kenworthy and directed by Roger Michell. The film stars Hugh Grant, Julia Roberts, Rhys Ifans, Emma Chambers, Tim McInnerny, Gina McKee and Hugh Bonneville.

William Thacker who is played by Hugh Grant owns an independent travel book shop in Notting Hill, he is divorced and shares his house with ‘Spike’ who is an unemployed, clumsy welsh guy. One day when Will was at his book shop a famous actress comes in the shop and buys a book, they then fall in love and Will’s live is changed forever.

The opening of the film starts with women called Anna Scott (Julia Roberts) who is the world’s most famous actress and she is posing for photos, there are super imposed shots from each photo shoot that she does showing that she travels a lot and is always working. This also shows he fame and fortune, this is when you are first introduced to Anna Scott and you instantly know that she is rich and famous. The titles then come in after and there is also music playing while the titles are rolling, the music gets you in the mood for the rest of the film, the titles also fit the genre of the film, they aren’t too big or bold they are quite small and soft, they are like the writing you get on Valentines cards and the colour of them is pinkie, purple.

After the credits have gone there is an establishing shot of the street that Will lives down and it is very busy and while the camera is showing the area where Will lives there is a voice over from Will, he is telling his life, about him being divorced and how him and his ex-wife painting his house. His house is blue and it stands out from the rest of the houses around him, this could be like himself, he stands out from everyone else. The next scene is inside Will’s house and it shows you him opening the door and then hitting a bike that is behind it, this shows that his house is messy and he doesn’t really compare to Anna Scott in any way, she it rich, classy, famous and he is less wealthy doesn’t really do anything, no one knows about him and he doesn’t really care about himself and his life. He is unlucky in love and his luck then suddenly changes. Will is clumsy and this is how people look at British men, American men in films are usually rich and powerful but in British films they are clumsy and poor, silly and they have no luck.

Will is first introduced to Anna Scott in his bookshop and the camera is focussing on him as she walks in and he looks up realising he has a customer and there is a close up on him and you can see his expression’s, he is looking at her trying to figure out if it’s actually her, he is shy and didn’t want to talk to her. She then goes to his house and she she’s Spike which would put you off someone because you wouldn’t think that someone like her would go for someone like Will, they are un compatible and even though he is really low compared to her she stills goes for him.  

In conclusion I think that the Titles create the best effect for telling what the genre is at the beginning of the film, this is because they are in a soft font and they are quite small and the colour of them is pinkie/purple which is the a loving colour. The font is like the font that you get on valentines cards which links to the film genre of a romantic comedy.