Analysis of Opening: Spring Breakers, 2013 – Crime, Drama, Thriller

Story line: four college girls who land themselves in jail after they rob a restaurant in order to fund their spring break vacation are bailed out by a drug and arms dealer who want them to participate in some dirty work in return for their freedom of being bailed.

Director: Harmony Korine

Stars: Vanessa Hudgens, Selena Gomez, Ashley Benson, Rachel Korine, Gucci Mane and James Franco

Opening (first five minutes): Begins with title credits – use of bright, neon, aluminous colours with bold, flashing font – like the ones used for nightclub signs – suggests cast are in their late teens, discovering some of the impacts of growing up when it comes to drinking and the impacts of being under the influence of alcohol. No music, just text on screen until the title of film appears (roughly one minute into opening), electronic music brought in – music you would expect to hear in most nightclubs – linking in with impression of title credits.

Music increases in volume as first location is introduced – beach with clear blue skies, filled with a mixture of both males and females in their late teens partying in beach wear and drinking alcohol from bottles, cans and the well-known ‘American red cups’ – hints at a more detailed setting, summer on a beach somewhere in America. Close ups and extreme close ups of random teens with background out of focus, panning establishing shots of surroundings. Demoralising – exactly what parents wouldn’t want to see their kids doing – letting the influence of alcohol control their actions, completely letting loose. Screen turns black, sound of loading a gun and a shot.

Different location – boxed in room, dark, not well kept, mess everywhere – sums up typical teenagers lifestyle? Various teenagers smoking cigarettes and weed, passed out on sofas. Introduced to the first two main characters: Rachel Korine, passed out, and Vanesssa Hudgens, inhaling smoke from a bong – careless image. No music, faint background noise coming from children’s programme on TV. Various shots – close ups, extreme close ups and medium shots.

Different location – school/college/university buildings, establishing shots of new setting. Calm faint music – contrasts with previous scenes – different side to the teenagers that were shown before.

Different location – inside a lecture hall, hundreds of students with Apple Macs in front of them – establishing pan shot of the hall, calm music continues but fades into background as voice of lecturer overpowers. Extreme close up of another main character, Ashley Benson, and Vanessa Hudgens – messing around, clearly not interested in the lecture – only excited about Spring Break.

Different location – inside a studio, class lead by a teacher, introduced to final main character, Selena Gomez, by a close up – only main character who seems interested in her academic studies opposed to socialising events.

Setting: University/college/school - suggests main characters are going to be students there. Beach - carefree, sense of freedom - what teenagers crave. Room - dark, confined - suggests they have been confined into certain positions where they felt pressured to 'fit in with the crowd'.
Props: Bottles, cans of alcohol, cigarettes, bongs - negative influences on growing up - suggests film is going to hit at reality and not create some kind of 'bubble' where everyone is happy and lives happy ever after where they can't be touched by negative influences of hurt. 
Camera shot types/angles: establishing shots of beach and school/college/university, pan of study/lecture hall, dark room - showing where film could be set throughout, or a setting that will have a big impact on the story line. Close up and extreme close ups of main characters - made clear who will be focused upon during film.
Lighting: natural - beach, natural surroundings, can just be yourself, sun - bright, high-key, happiness. Study/lecture hall - low-key lighting, dark and boring side of their lives - don't want to be there, would much rather be at the beach or elsewhere. Room - dark, low-key lighting - represents dark side to growing up, smoking, drinking passing out etc.
Casting: ex-Disney stars - Disney grown up, suggests how not all of the stars continued to act like they did on the TV shows - grew up and where they are now, what they're doing on a daily basis, shows that their lives are not innocent and 'happy ever after' - faced with negative influences, dealing with pressure etc.
Costume and make-up: minimal clothing, beach - bikinis, swimming shorts - revealing, showing their inner character, what they really want to be doing, opposed to sitting in a lecture hall, fully clothed - bored.
Movement: beach - dancing, running around in the sea - carefree, freedom. Study/lecture hall - all sitting still - confined, bored, caged in. Room - passed out, out of their heads - no clue what's going on - drained from education and their actions. 
Music: upbeat, electronic, house - to keep up with their movements and actions - growing up too fast.
Positives: introduced to main characters and given ideas about what to expect from the film, Disney grown up – audience will be familiar with 3/4 of the main characters from Disney shows they watched when they were younger.

Negatives: not much information is actually revealed within the opening, just a mixture of two very different locations – how will they ever link together? Will now see their loved Disney characters in a completely different light - could affect their image they had of them as a child

Why I chose Spring Breakers: I chose to analysis the opening of Spring Breakers as the genres are Crime, Drama and Thriller - the genres I have chosen to focus upon for my own coursework piece. The main characters in the film are a mixture of teenagers and gang leaders with the subject of growing up, dealing with consequences, alcohol, drugs and making money illegally, the initial ideas for my film opening.