Harry Potter Opening Scene Analysis

One of the genre indicators that we can see in the opening scene to "Harry Potter and the philosophers stone" is the character of Mrs. Mcgonnogall transform from a cat to a human. This shows to the audience that it is a fantasy film. Also, the characters are mainly of wizards and witches, which also show the fantasy genre.

One question that the audience could be asking is how the other characters would have an impact on Harry's future, such as if they were to look after him. Also, they could be wondering how Harry Potter got the scar on his forehead, as well as to why he has no parents.

We find out early on in the film that Harry Potter has no parents, although we are unsure as to why his parents are no longer with them. We also find out that the film is related to magic, as we see one of the characters turn from a cat into a human.

The non diegetic background music relates to the genre of fantasy, as it has a magical theme to it. The diegetic sound of Hagrid's flying motorbike car hints to us as well that the genre of the film is fantasy.

One effective camera angle that is used is the low angle shot of hagrid landing on his motorbike car which he had been flying. This once again emphasises the genre of the film being fantasy. An effective camera shot that is used in the opening scene is the extreme close up of Harry's scar on his forehead. This shows the audience that this mark could be important to the film itself.