In the beginning of the movie "The Great Gatsby" it starts with a flashing black and white Warner Bros Advertisement. I think that this is very effective, because it is introducing us the time setting of "The Great Gatsby" which was set in New York 1922.The constant flashing is very affective as it is mimicking the technology of movie filming during that time era. Technology was not as advanced as it is today, the lights would flash during the filming and they were all black and white.
In the script the opening scene is written as "A Black Screen." The blackness is pierced by a single, pulsing green light.We drift, as if by boat, across a dark bay toward the light. Then, we hear a troubled voice." While during the actual movie there is a black screen, with old classic music playing in the background. Then there is a small silver light that flashes brightly, the small light is then enlarges to a bigger green light across a lake. This puts emphasis on the importance of the green light. The green light symbolizes an unattainable dream.
After emphasizing on the green light, the light turns into falling snow and the snow is filmed in a way, as if the snow is falling onto the viewers. This shows excellent camera work and this is a lot more effective than the script. In the movie the twinkling effect of the snow emphasizes the draw to the American dream. While in the script it is written as "A gentle snow begins to fall, obscuring the light." this does not have the same effect as the movie and it is less attractive and dull.
The camera then has a close up; with music playing on a building called "The Perkins Clinic," which is a psychology clinic. This introduces the idea that one of the characters from the movie has a psychological condition. Whereas in the script it is written as "CLOSE ON: The sign, "The Perkins Sanitarium." The camera work that pauses on the building catches our attention and with the music playing, it hints to the viewers that this is an important piece of information.
