Research- Review - Elf

Analysing The Opening Sequence of ‘Elf’

I have chosen the Children’s film ‘Elf’ to analyse as part of my research. This film uses actors and some CGI and animation alongside them. The genre of ‘Elf’ is adventure with a hint of mystery, which makes it very appealing to children as they are able to follow a story and make guesses to what will happen within the narrative. From an audience’s point of view, the opening sequence introduces a large amount of the narrative and it provides us with information. This is that the storyline will include elves and another main character (not an elf) that will join the narrative very soon. The way that the narrative has been introduced is very effective as it engages the audience immediately, especially children because it is filmed in a storytelling fashion. This is created by the character ‘Papa Elf’ who is the narrator.

Only one of the main characters is introduced in the opening sequence and this is ‘Papa Elf’ who narrates all of the opening sequence. He is filmed sitting in a chair as if he is about to tell a story, this makes him seem a friendly character and this will make children feel comfortable right from the beginning of the film. The other characters that are introduced in the opening sequence are the elf workers who are shown making shoes, baking cookies and making Christmas presents. They all are very jolly and happy, with smiling faces, again creating a comfortable atmosphere for the viewers.

Jolly, happy, light hearted and cheerful, these are the words I would use to describe the atmosphere created by the opening sequence of ‘Elf’. From the very first shot you can tell that the film is going to be a happy one. The atmosphere is mainly created by the music as it uses bells, with a jolly tune. The target audience for this film is children and the atmosphere created would fit into this target very well.

The first scene opens with a dissolve from the title screen to an animated book which will be opened to reveal the story of the film. Continuity editing is definitely used in the first seven to eight shots of the opening sequence and it is very smooth, with sharp, clean cuts. As a viewer it would be difficult to recognise the transitions from shot to shot and they are so quick and well edited. Most of the sequence uses linear editing up until the point where chronology of the clip changes and goes back in time to when the elves are introduced doing their different jobs. This is when non-linear editing is used, however the order of events are still vey clear to the viewer because of the storytelling aspect, which makes it more understandable.

The sound plays a major part in this sequence, as it sets the atmosphere, gives clues towards the narrative, and helps to set the scene. Most of the sound is non-diegetic in the form of music which plays throughout most of this sequence. It is very cheery, with carol singers, bells and a light hearted feel to it; this connotates that the film is set at Christmas. The other sounds heard are all diegetic; laughing elves, toys being made and people talking.

There are many special effects used at the beginning of the opening sequence and these include

• CGI


• Floating snowflakes moving across the shot in the title screen


• The book in the first shot which opens to reveal ‘Papa Elf’ sitting inside the frame of one of the pictures, this then transits from animation to an actor.


• Elves appearing smaller than objects/people around them, e.g. Elves running out from a burning tree trunk.

These special effects contribute so much to the quality of the whole film and make it more enjoyable and much more appealing to the viewer, particularly children.

The establishing shot of the opening sequence is a shot similar to a track forward shot, but as it is animated it is as if the camera is zooming in onto the book and through the pages to the very first scene. This then cuts to a long shot of ‘Papa Elf’ the first character of the scene, who is narrating. The narration continues as the shot changes to a mid shot of him. The scene then changes completely with a 5 shot of elves and this quickly transfers to a long shot. A high angled shot is then used to pan down onto the working elves. It then cuts to a track shot that moves forward along the table to a smooth holt at the end. The transition between the panning and the track shot is incredibly smooth and is barely noticeable from the audience’s perspective. The next shot is a slightly higher angles backwards track shot away from the elves and then table and then it cuts to a completely different scene, where a simple pan is used. All of these shots are extremely complex yet effortless making the sequence flow. The sequence ends with the same mid shot of Papa Elf used at the beginning. By ending the sequence with the same shot it started with, makes the introduction seem very concise and clear to viewer so they now know, what they need to know to be able to understand the film.

If I was to freeze a certain section of the opening sequence, I would be analysing the Mise-en-scene (everything within that frame). I decided to look at one of the busiest frames in the clip (shown below) as there are so many things happening in it.

As you can see there are many actors within this frame, most of them being extras, like the ones pushing the wheelbarrows on either side. They are all elves and dressed in appropriate costume for this role which also makes them stand out from the colour of the scenery in the background. This focuses the viewers’ attention on them rather than their surroundings. This frame is set in the workhouse and you can tell because of the long table in the centre and the stacked boxes to the upper left of the frame. The elves are working on making presents and from their body language you can see that they are hard at work but enjoying it. This frame is positioned from a high angle.

The opening sequence to the film ‘Elf’ is an excellent one as it clearly introduces the narrative and sets the scene for the film. The way in which so many shots have been included in such a short space of time has been very cleverly edited which creates a fast pace and makes the clip flow very well. The music used connnotates christmas and this sets the atmosphere for the film excellently. I believe that from the clip I have analysed, this film would appeal to all children and seems to be a typical children’s film with a happy beginning, a troublesome middle and then a happy ending which most children love.