Opening credit analysis - 2

DREAMY EYES  

                                                               

1. Information

              Genre: Romance

              Directed by: Victor Vu

              Release date: 18 December 2019

              Running time: 117 minutes

              Language: Vietnamese

              Cast: Truc Anh as Ha Lan

                        Tran Nghia as Ngan

                        Tran Phong as Dung

                        Khanh Van as Tra Long

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2. Synopsis

"Dreamy Eyes" is a cinema movie that dominated the film market during the year 2019.  

The story was about two young adults, Ngan (male character) and Ha Lan (female character). They lived in a rural area of Vietnam called Do Do and went to the same primary school but not in high school. At one point, Ngan fought with the bullies and injured himself, but Ha Lan was there and helped him bandage the wound. Ngan was emotionally stirred, and he told his grandmother they would marry when they grew older. His grandma agreed with him and said he had good taste because Ha Lan owned "Dreamy Eyes," which evoked a sense of freshness and purity. 

Ngan and Ha Lan became close and shared many happy times before becoming best friends. But one day, when they were driving home and listening to Ngan's song, Ha Lan declared she had to move to a city for college. As a result, they were split apart. 

One year later, Ngan moved to the city with Ha Lan. They reunited, but Ha Lan changed much compared to Ngan's thinking during an outing with Ngan's flirtatious cousin, Dung. Ha, Lan, and Dung started to hang out frequently; they tried to get to know each other because they were interested in the opposite. Ngan was hurt. He could not do anything besides hide his love and turned into Ha Lan's best friend, who listens to her whenever she is devastated by Dung. 

The peak of this film is when Ha Lan gets pregnant, but Dung denies his own daughter. After that, she gave birth and named her daughter Tra Long. She understands Ngan's feelings. She knows that Ngan is truly in love with her. However, love must come from both sides. She can not force herself to like Ngan. In the end, neither of them can get into a relationship. 

3. Why did I choose this title sequence?

"Dreamy Eyes" is one of the famous movies in Vietnam during that time. It leads viewers to observe Ngan's unrequited love for Ha Lan, childhood friendship and the bittersweet nostalgia. First love is always unforgettable, especially during the teenage age, which is 17 years old. Moreover, the genre matches my future product, so I see this research as an opportunity to discover more ideas about editing, sound, and camerawork for a romantic drama. 

4. Analysis

The opening starts by introducing two companies, November Films and Galaxy Me, which are their production and distribution companies. 

An establishing shot is used right at the beginning to show where the event will take place. Based on the setting, the period is around the 90s. It was encoded through a green car, which was a famous type of car during the 90s, and the design of surrounding houses is pretty old and aesthetic, which does not match modern life nowadays.

The action of Ngan riding a bike is then highlighted with a close-up shot focusing on his feet. After that, the camera moves to an over-the-shoulder shot that shows a portion of Ngan's face, creating a mystery that keeps viewers interested in learning more about Ngan's appearance and how his personality can be expressed. Later on, with the purpose of satisfying watchers' curiosity, the director used a long shot to capture his body and the background. Linked to this scene, we can see that Ngan wears a high school uniform in the town, which includes a white shirt and a dark blue trouser, a standard set of uniforms in Vietnam, while his hand is holding a black handbag. Therefore, we can conclude that Ngan is a high schooler, and he is on his way to school. 

Furthermore, his possessions suggest that Ngan does not come from a low-income or wealthy household. Since he can still afford to attend school and uses his bike for mobility, he should live in a middle-class family. 

At this time, the crew members are still introduced along the sequence. A close-up shot continues to be used to reveal Ngan's image. He looks skinny and weak, but he can be the kind of person who is gentle, warm-hearted, compassionate, and always pays attention to others. It is encoded through his facial components and facial expression during this shot. 

At the end of the opening title sequence, before getting into the main story, there is a high-angle shot with a perfect ratio, looking down the stairs in a high school. Students go down the stairs; it is eye-catching and indicates that it could be an after-school time.

Finally, a juxtaposition technique is applied when a female and a male group of students are standing at the school gate, waiting for each other. 

About editing, as you follow the sequence, you can notice that there are no complicated edit effects. It is mainly a continuous shot and a straight cut to reduce visual confusion. 

The tones and atmosphere are full of youth, with a warm palette of orange and yellow as the primary colors; this suggests a sense of belonging and represents the film's theme, which is love and memory. The soundtrack is very soft and calm instrumental music, which usually encodes for student love. However, even though every component contributes to happiness, some sadness is still present, which makes the audience predict that this could be an unrequited love trope. 

As a result, this film appeals to a variety of target audiences. For example, young adults and teenagers can easily attracted to this kind of film as they have gone through and are currently going through school love. Additionally, because this is based on a novel by Nguyen Nhat Anh, a famous author in Vietnam, the novel's fans can also be drawn to it.