LA Confidential's opening sequence

LA Confidential
LA Continental’s opening sequence starts off with a close up of brightly colour postcards of Los Angeles and yellow titles in the bottom right hand corner whilst a soundtrack of classical ballroom music plays over the top, with narration about life in L.A. A fade transition then bring us into the next long shot of a family on the beach in a hot summers day, portraying L.A. as a family place with good weather and this is portrayed in the next establishing shot of the whole beach. We then move on from the beach through a tracking shot of trees making the audience feels as though they are in a vehicle of some sort. The screen is then split in to four, each window showing classical jobs within L.A. with the title LA Confidential slanted across the screen. An establishing shot then shows us a small housing estate using a tracking shot as well, before moving on to another family scene in a pool and round the family table praying. Through out this, yellow titles are placed at the bottom of the screen allowing the audience that they are there without taking the focus off the action, as well as narration linking in to what is being shown on the screen. We then move on through the narration to what you may come across in LA, showing a close up of Marilyn Monroe greeting people on the red carpet, as well as other famous people. Each shot following is close ups portraying LA as a nice family place without nothing to worry about, a bit like paradise. A low angle is then used to show the height of buildings portraying businesses, following this are shots of different types of businesses which take place within LA, before showing again shots making LA seem like paradise as well as the narration complimenting the police for it is them who have made LA what it is. The narration then changes its tune by saying ‘but there’s trouble in paradise’ and naming the main criminal within the film as a pan leads into a zoom upon his face, as well as showing his bodyguard living up to his title, for when some one pops the cork of a champagne bottle he reaches for his gun realising what it actually was. A close up of money is then shown through a medium shot, portraying how much people earn through crimes, then listed through narration and the next few shots and how they are published. Through out this the narration has been used as a sound bridge linking all the shots together smoothly up until the narrator is revealed publishing what he has been saying on a typewriter. The opening sequence then ends with a black background and the yellow title of director in the middle of the screen whilst the soundtrack fades out.