Research & Planing

Opening Sequence to Step Up

The very first shot is of a group of girls and boys in dance costumes, ballerina costumes, this immediately suggests the theme of the film which is dance, ballerina is a accurate dance, which requires a lot of talent and it is portrayed as something very classy, the lighting is natural coming from the window behind, it shines through as the students are settling and warming up to dance, the natural light suggests optimism and hope. I can connote that these are students enter the frame they are all chatting, also you can see some students carrying big bags and backpacks again looking like students, lots of different voices are heard in the background, and it has that school like atmosphere, busy, so from this I can suggest they are teenager students. The setting is of a dance room, it looks neat and tidy and professional, gives a sense of classiness. The 2nd shot is in complete contrast to the first shot, a group of teenager are in the frame, chatting, voices are heard in the background and many conversations are going on at the same time, however, the difference is the setting, which is on the streets, it does not look professional or neat and tidy, or shows any evidence of class, the costumes worn is street wear, hoodies, chains and joggers, fits the stereotypes of gangs and other types of youth. Then it cuts back to the shot of ballerinas, they start dancing, very elegantly and fast, the dancing is smooth and choreographed, it looks rehearsed and professional, this suggests the good lifestyle these people have, the elegance and smoothness of there dance could link to there smooth and flawless lifestyle, also, at the same time a soundtrack is being played, the music has violins, which is a classy instrument, compiled with a mixture of beats, so it contrasts classy music with urban type music, a artist starts rapping when it then cuts to the street dancers dancing, we can tell the street dancers are dancing on a street and this links well as the setting links to the type of dance they are performing. Also the setting of the street dancers, is of a neglected looking street, the background is messy, with tires and ropes scattered about, shows the difference between the ballerinas and the street dancers. The fact that the street dancers are not wearing uniform but general clothes shows the unprofessionalism. However the two types of dancers both share a similarity, there talent in dancing, although its very different both types of dancers, it is still equally both impressive. This is effective in the opening sequence as it shows both equally good types of dancers, but also shows how different they are which hints out the conflict of the two ‘cultures’. The rapper in the music is rapping about dancing, ‘show off that body you got’, he says this at the same time were seeing the dancers dancing which makes it contrapuntal to what is going on, the whole dance theme.
It then cuts away to an establishing shot of the street, buildings are seen in the background and it looks very ‘ghetto’, it then pans towards a car pulling up on the road side, the car looks old and scrappy, very cheap car, this suggests the type of lifestyle they live which is poor. It then starts tracking into the house party, and music rises as we get closer towards then inside the house, rap music is being played and is contrapuntal to the people and setting, which is the streets, and the house has a lot of graffiti on the walls, so we sense a sort of gang culture which again links to the rap music. It then shows a guy street dancing in the house to the music, which relates back to the theme of dance. A fight then breaks out and a gun is pulled out on the guy. Immediately we are introduced to conflict within the street culture, and these are stereotypical aspects of gang culture; gang violence and street crime. It links to the type of lifestyle of these youth and introduces us with a problem, which makes us think and wonder about.