In Independence Day it starts with communication satellites picking up strange interference. American military pickup a gigantic object on a collision course with earth they think it’s a meteor but then it starts slowing down and bits of it brake off and head towards all major cities on earth. Huge spacecraft’s now hover above all over the world the world and all attempts to communicate with the aliens’ fail. Then a television technician, David Levinson discovers a code in the satellite interference and suspects the aliens are going to attack. His ex- wife works at the White House and he is a friend of the president. He heads for the White House to explain the discovery and together with fighter Pilot captain Steven Hiller leads the attack against the aliens on the 4th July now earth’s Independence Day. The aliens destroy each state one by one.
Setting
Typical Science fiction films are set where there is futuristic technology e.g. spacecraft’s, space centres. These settings show that aliens are futuristic. These settings show that aliens are futuristic creatures and that the idea of aliens and robots is something that might happen in the future.
Independence Day is set on Earth in America with a city setting. At the beginning the camera goes from the moon, follows a space ship then moves onto the earth. The Camera then does a long shot on satellite dishes, and then it goes to the Pentagon space command centre, where there’s a close up of computers and technology.
The setting is now lots of technical equipment with a man playing golf because he is bored. The technical equipment is typical in sci-fi films. Star wars has the typical sci-fi setting of space. The opening sequence is set on a space ship in the passages with sliding doors and miniature spacecrafts. Most of the walls are white and there are bright lights.
Characters
Typical sci-fi characters are aliens, secret services, robots, inhumane/evil and humans.
In the beginning of star wars there are people called Jedi Knights Obi- Wan Kenobi Gon Jinn who are trying to get into a spaceship and have to fight robots to get past them. The leaders of this space ship are some taking orders from a man in a hologram. This gives the impression that this man is the leader of the evil aliens and robots. Later in the film Queen Amidala is trying to save her planet and people she is a good person. Also there is Anakin a special boy with powers he later becomes evil Darth Vader.
Independence Day have quite different characters compared to Star Wars. In this film you don’t actually see the aliens so you have to imagine what they look like. All the rest of the characters are human. There are lots of important government people like the FBI, the people in the Pentagon space centre, all the typical Americans and fighter pilot certain Steven Hiller.
The characters are all quite futuristic and are not typical people you see every day.
Costume
Typical sci-fi costume includes space suits, alien costume, suits, lab jacket and clothes that are futuristic. In Star Wars they have aliens with smart cloaks but the Jedi Knights have plain black and brown cloaks. The Jedi knights wear plain cloaks so they do not draw attention to them selves but the aliens’ cloaks represent importance. The also wear cloaks to hid their faces.
Star Wars has futuristic clothes but Independence Day has modern and things other people wear like army uniform, casual and pyjamas. Aliens are not seen in this film so people will have different opinions on what they look like.
Sci-fi films normally have costumes that take imagination to think them up. Also what people are wearing can identify what side they are on or where they come from.
Objects and Style
The use of objects is very important in sci-fi films because they help make the film look futuristic. For example in Star Wars the Jedi Knights light sabers are something that might be used in the future. There are also holograms where aliens are communicating with a man in a cloak this is also futuristic, as we don’t do this. Space ships tell you they are in space. Mist is also used to make people wonder what’s coming next. The style of the beginning is it is filmed in white and bright-lighted corridors but outside it is dark so the two are contrasted. There is also lots of shiny metal to give the effect that robots would fit in well.
Independence Day uses the flag to remind you that people have been to the moon, the stone that says when they were there and then the foot prints being covered is showing time going by. All the technology equipment gives the impression that they are doing something important. When a close up of the speaker making the alien noise tells you it is important. The camera pans when the alien ship moves over the moon towards earth. The space centre is dark but it has lots of little lights and computer screens.
The style is normally dark to make you think it’s quite scary in sci-fi films.
Music, sound and language
Music in typical sci-fi films is mystical and mysteries. Sounds are normally loud but suspense is built up by leaving a long pause before something happens. The language is normally different for example is an alien is talking or technical if a scientist is talking.
Star Wars uses it’s well known to begin so every one knows it’s Star Wars. Music is also used in fighting scene to give it atmosphere, like when the Jedi Knights are fighting to get into the space ship. Sounds of guns and the movement of the light sabers give battles more excitement. The robots that are fighting don’t actually talk so you can tell they are sort of military and have been given orders. Independence Day has music when it’s showing you the moon and space ship. When the date comes onto the bottom of the screen the noise as if it is being typed can also are heard. The noise of the interference causes excitement because it hasn’t happened before this shows it is important. The language is informative and people giving orders/instructions.
Music creates a mood or atmosphere like in a fight. This helps the audience feel moods like if there’s a happy ending with calm music people feel happy.
Special effects
Sci-fi films have a lot of special effects like explosions, gunfire and making spaceships look as if they are flying.
Star Wars uses special effects when the Jedi are fighting the robots. The robots have guns and the Jedi have light sabers that aren’t real so special effects are used to make it look as if they are.
Independence Day has space ships looking as if they are flying and explosions; special effects are used to create these.
Special effects are used so things can happen in a film that could not be done without injuring some one they make the film feel real. Special effects are taken at long shot so people can’t see they’re not real.
Conclusion
I conclude that both Independence Day and Star Wars both have typical sci-fi genre features even if they are not the same.
I like Independence Day better because I think it has a better story line and its more exciting. I think Star Wars has more typical sci-fi genre features so I think that’s also why I like Independence Day better because I don’t really like sci-fi films.
Both of the beginnings consist of futuristic characters, objects, setting and plot. Both beginnings of the films have important information for you to get whats happening in the rest of the film.
