The Opening Sequence

The opening sequence starts off with an Ext. shot of the camera panning around Barking Abbey School (Leisure Centre), it then dissolves to a panning of inside the leisure centre, which then transforms into the camera panning across the basketball court; the dance studio then the hallway leading to the classroom. The use of establishing shots sets the scene of the film. (All the establishing shots leading up until the classroom will be in black and white). We then have a medium close up of Alison sitting in the classroom bored looking up at the clock which leads to the close up of the clock. Then music then fades out until you can just hear the clock ticking. We then cutaway to a close up of Alison's feet tapping to the beat of the clock. After a few minutes the bell goes and then the shots are in colour (we chose for this scene to be in colour at this point to emphasise Alison coming alive after being bored in school for so many hours).

We have a long shot focusing on Alison's excitement leaving the classroom, then we have another long shot from a diagonal side view of Alison as she rushes through the corridor and Ricardo with his basketball team on the other side. They both bump into each other, there is a medium shot of Ricardo helping Alison pick up her stuff. Ricardo's friends puts his hand Ricardo's shoulder, hurrying him up and reminding him that they have to be somewhere; Ricardo forgets his ball. Alison sees while she is walking and kicks it, out of frustration that Ricardo did not pay much attention to her. The camera follows the ball which then reveals the title sequence of the film as it rolls.