(Edited) Media Studies Summer Task - Comparison of ‘Casino Royale’s’ and ‘L.A Noire’s’ opening scene/ title sequence.

 In “Casino Royale’s” opening scene the genre is established quickly through the use of tension. “Casino Royale” begins slowly but then becomes faster which builds tension and entices the viewer to keep watching. As well as this half way through the clip there is a pause where the music and fast-paced action is paused. We are then taken back to the beginning scene in a room with 2 characters. Also, there is little dialogue and instead the focus is on the action. This reinforces the action stereotype and sticks to the conventions of the genre (masculine characters. guns, violence etc) as well as sticking to the generic theme of the "James Bond" series.. Also, in the "Casino Royale" clip the antagonist is followed by a camera as the background music begins to speed up. The camera follows him and the camera jolts often which creates panic and tension whilst creating a chase scene. The viewer follows the antagonist and as the music reaches the fastest and most exciting climax Bond bursts through the door and the fight scene begins. This is very different to “L.A Noire’s” title sequence as the title scene is very relaxed with no suspense. The genre is not established clearly and therefore presents the game as a mystery. The only things that are learned by the viewer are the time period (due to the fashion and the mellow music) and the narrator describing the city. The mysterious nature conveyed through the title scene provokes the viewer to want to discover the mystery. There is also another difference between the two which is that in "L.A Noire" the clip is mainly narration. The narration provides a basic insight into the background and describes the city as well as showcasing the time period.

The representation of gender is very male-dominated. In “Casino Royale” the primary focus is on a male. In "Casino Royale" it is widely known that whenever a woman is present in a "James Bond" film it is for one reason: a love interest. This is similar in “L.A Noire’s” title sequence as the detective is a male. The women are all wearing make-up too. The make-up reinforces the female stereotype and may reflect the society’s view on women. This may be the video game designers criticising society's views towards women too due to the excessive make-up. Also, there is on scene where the viewer is shown a class room with a male teacher. In the classroom it is difficult to make out any females however many male characters can be seen. This could also reflect the harsh sexism women suffered in that time period. As well as this there are no women entrepreneurs. Each one is male which reinforces the stereotype that women are not able to do hard labour but instead are restricted to stay at home. The other job women were shown to have in the clip was acting. There was one scene which was almost purely women-dominated however all the women were lining up for an audition for a movie which once again reinforces the idea that women cannot do hard labour. 

In the "Casino Royale" clip there is no colour. The clip is monochrome which allows for important characters to be spotted and draws the viewer's attention to them. For example, whilst James Bond is at the cricket match the audience is seen in white whereas Bond is adorned in dark colours. He stands out against the crowd and is established as a major character instantly. Also, his face cannot be seen due to the shadows which portrays the character as mysterious and entices the viewer to watch and discover who he is. The use of colour in "L.A Noire" is completely different. Throughout the clip colour is used and no excitement is created due to the normal setting. The normal and plain atmosphere created invites the player to discover the game and indulge in the rich back-story of the city as told by the narrator.