The cover of "E.T" shows that two worlds will collide and that a new friendship will be born. The cover of "Independence day" shows clearly that this is a science fiction film. There is a picture of the white house on fire which signifies that the government is being threatened and the spaceship above shows that there is a superior force.
The lighting in "E.T£ is low key, this is the opposite of "Independence Day" which has high key lighting. This is more naturalistic. Both films show the use of the dark colours at some point in the opening scene. The filler lights in "E.T" come from the UFO. The red flashing light before the phone call suggests that the call is a bout an element of danger in "Independence Day". In "E.T" the smoke enhances the effect of mystery/
The music in both films are quite different. In "E.T" there is synthesized sound which has an odd and eerie effect which is conventional for a science fiction film. The music is also slow paced. The music in "Independence Day" somewhat reflects what the film is about by using the lyrics "It's the end of the world as we know it." The sound in "E.T" is magical and low tuned noises. The steady pace also keeps suspense. The beeping sound effects are usually associated with spaceships, this is conventional. There is diagetic sound in the form of dialogue in "Independence Day." The dialogue reveals the content of the film. The tone of voice changes throughout the opening sequence. The exaggerated sound at the beginning reinforces the titles.
In "E.T" we are introduced the something that is obviously not human, whereas in "Independence Day" we are introduced to four men. The protagonist is unclear so far, however, in "E.T" the extreme close-up of the hand leads the audience to believe that the film will be based on E.T himself. Also, the mist in "E.T" distorts our image of him which gives the film an element of mystery. The characters in "Independence Day" are in the military which shows there is some sort of authority involved. E.T seems to be quite peaceful and seems to have a peaceful nature as the wold rabbit doesn't run away. This connotes a sense of innocence. The heart indicates a caring nature, however. the characters in "Independence Day" come across as being both clumsy and intelligent. The first character we see is wearing glasses which is stereotypically associated with intelligence. The Army officers in this film also represent heroes as we begin to understand that there will be a battle between good and evil.
The establishing shot of the sky in "E.T" shows that the film will have something to do with space. Space is usually one convention of a science fiction film. The long shot of the moon in "Independence Day" reflects the man on the moon and the American flag signifies that America always seems to save the day, this is the audiences expectations. The point of view show in "E.T" makes the audience feel as if they are involved. The high angled shot makes E.T look small and vulnerable. In "Independence Day" the forced perspective of the spaceship makes it look surreal and powerful. The zoom out of the American flag could also signify that America could be vulnerable.
