When the vocals begin in the music the second section also begins showing the relationship between two characters. In the images shown there is always something separating the two, the most common of these things is glass. This to me indicates that the couple has something between them stopping them from being together.
The second and third section is separated by an image of a typical American highway. As the image is shot from an angle it allows the viewer to see the surrounding countryside. As the sky darkens from pale grey to black the bright light that first dominated the screen steadily changes to a clear text that states the programs official name “Roswell High”. The font used is bold, original and fun at the same time. It gives the watcher the impression of writing stencilled on the screen. The light shines through the letters once again allowing the viewer to connect alien life forms with the program as it represents the blindingly bright light in another way.
Two official post mortem photos are shown on a polished wood table. The top photo shows a torso of a white male bearing a burnt marking of a hand over the heart. The mans head is half hidden by shadow thus giving the spectator a larger impression of death as the head appears to be that of a skeletons. The shot quickly changes to the girl that was shown in the relationships earlier, she is slowly lowering her top to cover a handprint on the right hand side of her stomach that is similar to that on the corpse. This allows the onlooker to also connect alien behaviour with the girl. At the same time as she is slowly lowering her top the girl is looking upwards towards the screen as though she is looking back at her reflection in the mirror. More images of the couple being separated by glass are shown before an image of the same girl is shown looking anxious and frightened. Her real name is shown on the bottom left of the screen in the same font as the programme name that is portrayed between sections two and three. The male character is then shown in the same scene walking away from her towards the door. His true name is also in the same size and font but this time on the right hand side of the screen. Just before the scene ends he looks back towards the screen as though he is looking directly at the viewer, this draws the onlooker making them feel more involved. Another image of the couple is shown before a clip of a young woman around the same age of the other characters already shown. She is exultant and smiling showing that the program is not only about serious things it is also fun. Each of the characters follows on these clips, each with two separate clips with their names other than the first two characters shown. This also gives the observer the chance to see that their agenda is different to the rest of the characters. By all the characters apart from the first two having an equal amount of clips the viewer is allowed to see that they are of equal importance. Out of the two clips there is always one shot that shows the characters having fun or being foolish, doing things such as dressing up as aliens for fancy dress parties and play fighting as this symbolises teenagers to the audience.
In between every two character clips there are another set of shots showing pain and despair. Each clips shows images ranging from fires to being trapped but all the clips show three of the characters together and united.
After the final characters name has been shown it shows the two characters from the beginning running desperately, hand in hand away from a set of bright lights, which is quickly shown to be a car. This shows that the teenagers are in danger of mortal objects as well as the extraterrestrial dangers that the audience has connected them with. As well as showing this it proves to the audience that emotions such as love and hate can be found in this program in addition to the action that the clip has just shown.
The music reaches its climax when showing the characters, as this is when most of the emotions are shown.
The first two characters are next shown once again looking through the glass at one and other. The lighting that has been used gives the characters skin a blue tone making them look unnatural connecting with the theme of aliens. The final scene shows the young girl standing at the end of the corridor looking lost. At the opposite end a bright light is shining once again allowing the viewer to connect the programme to extraterrestrial life forms.
When the couple is desperately running away from the car the music begins to calm down mimicking the music first heard at the beginning, also by slowly relaxing it prepares the viewer for the beginning of the programme.
After watching a small section of the programme, I have noticed that in actual fact the programme is just like what the opening sequence prepares you for. It’s a teenage drama with a science fiction twist that has all the emotions that you expect to see from the opening. One thing that the opening does not show is all the relationships. There is more than is shown in the opening but this makes the programme more interesting as something happens that the opening sequence did not prepare you for
Lots of love Tanya Appleyard any good??
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