In the opening scene of the cartoon version of Alice in Wonderland, one my favorite movies of all time, the variations of shots and shot progressions correlate very much to the meanings that the film writers, directors, producers, etc. were trying to convey within the movie. In the beginning we see the main landscape of the area that the opening scene is taking place in, showing the grasses, the flowers, butterflies flying around. This is called the long shot or orientation shot where the viewer is getting a general idea of the environment and the world that is encompassing the scene at hand. The environment appears pretty, quaint, and almost mystical with its abundance of green, a peaceful pond, and various butterflies fluttering around. In the middle shot, or information shot we see Alice's sister reading her some passages from a book for her history lesson. Then we see Alice sitting on a tree branch fiddling with a bundle of flowers trying to make a necklace of some sort. The viewer will most likely begin to assume that Alice is very distracted and her mind is in a complete different world. The next shot is the close up scene where we see Alice's face up close, which shows a look of indifference and anxiousness. She keeps moving around and playing with her cat in front of her and then complains that the book has no pictures in it. The viewer needs to remember that Alice in not content in her present reality, and when she experiences the "wonderland" that she is about to fall into, her present reality will be a far cry away.
Opening Scene of Alice in Wonderland
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