Perfecting the first few shots & Matching Inspiration

For my first couple of shots, I wanted to introduce viewers to my main character and draw them in. To conform to the coming-of-age genre, I'm using a voiceover that introduces the audience directly to the character like in the films The Perks of Being A Wallflower and The Sandlot, two very popular coming-of-age movies. I started with a medium shot of my character sitting down and then cut to a closeup of her leaning against a wall. I wanted to make these shots feel unique, So decided to start the opening as if it were a film reel. I used a reel sound effect and film slide transitions to establish the analog feeling I was aiming for.

This editing is common for coming-of-age films because it matches the quirky, charming feeling that a lot of them go for. So I am trying to emulate a common aspect while also putting my own twist on it. The use of a vintage font and atmosphere contrasts the modern setting and aims to intrigue viewers.

I wanted the cuts to be calm and straightforward, I wasn't trying to add any crash cuts that would startle the audience. I wanted to adhere to the blunt, slice-of-life feeling of a lot of coming-of-age films, like Ladbybird.

I also started with the studio credits just like most films of all genres. Specifically, I was thinking about the opening seconds of Booksmart. I emulated Booksmart's use of a J-cut, starting with the voiceover as the studio credits roll and then continuing with the voiceover as the actual footage appears on the screen. However, in Booksmart, the audio is a diegetic meditation podcast whereas mine is a non-diegetic voiceover of the character's thoughts.

The Opening Scene of Booksmart