Media Studies 2009-2011

The titles for this film and others in the genre usually start during the first sequence, when the characters and storyline are being set up and introduced. The first shot in this film was a medium close-up of a crowd, which the narration then set as the arrivals gate at Heathrow airport. The camera kept zooming in and out and cutting to different people’s facial expressions to show their emotions, quite a lot of the shots blurred in and out of focus.

The main title of the film was introduced by the voice over narration and writing on the screen, the two things both said the words, ‘Love Actually is all round’, then after a few seconds the last three words faded to only leave the final title, ‘Love Actually’, and the next shot sequence started.

The film carries on in mid shots and medium close-ups as the characters start to appear, in the first seen comedy effect is made by using funny facial expressions, costume and comical singing and dancing. Throughout the first three sequences in the film the titles keep appearing and fading in different places around the screen, displaying actors’ names and people involved in the making of the film.

From the beginning of the film until the third sequence there is music over the top of any dialogue, this stops suddenly when one of the characters suddenly swears really comically and the titles stop appearing. After this there is an establishing shot of London and the words, ‘5 Weeks to Christmas’, are on the bottom of the screen, there is then a sequence of wide shots and mid shots to show the time of year and the location, showing things such as ice skating rinks and shopping centres.

The action then cuts to a mid shot of someone rummaging through draws and moving to reveal another character sat behind them, this makes the sequence flow well and look good. After some dialogue between these two characters the camera then switches to a wide shot of the house where the action is taking place, this sets up the location and tells us something about the status of the character. The action then cuts across to introduce some of the other major characters in the film.

We begin with the opening logo for “Universal Studios” with their advertising of their website (WWW. universalstudios.com), the next logo appears from ”Studio Canal” followed by “Working Title”. The Film then opens. When the film starts we see the use of a candid camera filming people at the airport, the first title that appears is ‘Universal Pictures and Studio Canal present’ followed by the next titile ‘A Working title Production’ and the next title ’In Association with DNA films’. After the three main titles we then hear the main character do a voice over of the the scene and playing in the background of the scene is some peaceful digetic music that gives the basic feel of the movie, the words of the voice over then comes up on the screen “Love actually is all around” then the ‘is all around’ fades and then you are left with the title “Love Actually”.

The next scene starts where the titles re-start with the name of the actors (Alan Rickman, Bill Nighly, Colin Firth, Emma Thompson, Hugh Grant, Laura Linney, Liam Neeson, Martine McCutcheon), the list starts in alphabetical order of all the main characters. The next scene starts and the credits continue with the names of the less important actors, ( Andrew Lincoln, Chiwetel Elloiter, Gregor Fisher, Heike Makatsch, Keira Knightley, Kris Marshall, Lucia Moniz, Martin Freeman, Rodrigo Santoro, Thomas Sangster and Rowan Atkinson), Still all in alphabetical order apart from Rowan Atkinson who guest stared and the ones who guess star are always last to be read. The next shot starts and the namesw of the crew start, (Casting by Mary Selway, Fiona Weir, Music supervisor Nick Angel, Music by Craig Armstrong, Co-Producers Debra Hayward, Liza Chasm, Costume Desighner Joanna Johnston, Line Production Chris Thompson, Production Designer Jim Clay, Photographer Michael Coulter, Editor Nick Moore, Produced by Duncan Kenworthy, Tim Benvan, and Eric Feliner, Written and Directed by Richard Curtis).