Intial Thriller Openings Research 2 - Carla Purchas

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ZfEEzKFEv8

Collateral

   

      

Shot of Tom Cruise with all the other people out of focus.

Sound

• Even though this clip doesn't show it, in the real film, there is sound bridge of aeroplane flying over as the Pixar screen fades out giving us and idea where the first scene is set straight away.
• We can airport noises like voices and the tannoy system - it becomes louder as we see character walking closer to the character.
• footsteps become increased in sound as he approaches creating suspense.
• The diegetic sound of the thud of hitting each other and the thump of bad hitting the floor would have been created by a Foley Artist.
• Minimal dialogue to create mystery while bags are switched. The fact one of the characters knows the other one is going to LA is also very suspicious.
• There is non-diegetic music - eerie/mysterious which creates suspense - gets faster.
• Footsteps still heard as the characters walk out of the shot.
  
  

Low level shot of bags being dropped

Mise En Scene

•  Costume/Colours - In this scene lots of people are busy passing in the airport terminal - they seem to be wearing colours but are all out of focus. The only two characters in focus are the ones dressed smartly in suits, one in black and one in grey. This shows they have importance, and gives off the impression they mean business and are not to be messed with etc.
• Props - the use of the sunglasses on one of the characters creates a sense of mystery. The matching briefcases that look expensive (black leather) both get dropped and switched which is automatically shown as dodgey and that someting is up. As an audience we want to know what is in the breifcases.
• Positioning of subject - During this short opening scene, the main attention is focused on Tom Cruise the one with sunglasses on, and the other man in the suit Jason Statham. They are always in focus and in the centre of the shot showing their importance.
• Lighting - the lighting is of a normal indoor enviroment, so naturally lit.
• Body Language is also very obvious in this scene. They both walk with dominance and importance and stand out from the crowd. When the two men collide there is no aggressiveness or tension between them, as they seem to know exactly what they are doing.



An over the shoulder shot

       Camera Work

• There are a variety of shots in this scene. The first being two medium long shots of the characters walking in to focus and also nearer the camera. We don't get to see their bottom half though, which makes the audience wonder if they are hiding something.
• As they collide, the next shot is placed very low but still horizontal and allows us to see their bottom half which is when we see that they both have matching briefcases. It is also when we see the exchange of bags, which is an immediately suspicious.
• The over the shoulder shot allows us to see both characters as they converse and is a good use of shot.
• Another shot which was good (below) is when Cruise walks away and as an audience we almost see what he can see but it is all out of focus, and we can just see the corner of his face. This creates a sense of enigma.

An interesting shot with the crowd still out of focus.

Editing

• During the scene there are cuts used at different paces. They start off fairly slow, giving the audience time to see each shot, but then they become quicker and quicker just as the men collide.
• When the bags are dropped there has been an obvious sound effect added in, which is a sharp 'whoosh' and it actually works very well because our attention is drawn to the bags being dropped and the swap, which is the point. If the audience misses the bag swap because its done too subtly, it wouldn't be any good.

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Intial Thriller Openings Research 1 - Carla Purchas

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ew5EYd5_i6M

Kill Bill Volume 1

Wounded Victim

Camera Work

• The scene opens with a close up of a victim in a lot of anxiety. From this close shot, we can see her injuries and sweat which show how panicked she is.
• There is an eye level view of black boots walking towards her, which creates tension.
• Most attention of the scene is on her, and we never see the antagonist which leaves us very intrigued and wanting to know what he looks like.

   Sound

• It starts off with loud high pitched panting with fear, terror and pain all etched in.
• Next we hear a sound bridge of footsteps coming nearer and nearer and then they appear in the shot. This creates a level of suspense as we want to see who they belong to. 
• Dialogue between the 2 characters is made but its fairly minimal and the antagonists voice is very menacing telling the audience he is to be feared.



Footsteps created by Foley

• There is also the sound of a gun being loaded before we even see it. Sound effects of the gun shot being fired create a really intense but harsh atmosphere grabbing the audiences attention.

Mise En Scene

Victim just after shot is fired.

• The first thing to note is the colour. It is in black and white. This makes us wonder whether it is current or a memory.
• The lighting is very dim and creates and eerie effect.
• Makeup is a vital part of this scene as its mainly intent on her wounded face. This shows the audience she has been beaten and makes us wonder why which keeps us very intrigued.
• Costume - the only part we see is the black cowboy boots. Is this symbolic? - It leaves the audience wanting more.
• Props - the use of the handkerchief which wipes blood off her face with the name Bill on, in his words is very sadistic. 

Editing

• The cuts are very minimal as most of the attention is on her. As the only cuts are only of her and the boots,  this makes the audience pay very close attention and to feel panic as to what is coming next.
• The gun shot being fired is edited in through the use of a sound effect, most likely created by a Foley, and then the almost instant portrayal of the blood from her head is edited in

Thriller Opening 5 - Donnie Darko - IZZY SOUTER

Donnie Darko

Camerawork

Extreme long shot showing man

·         There is an extreme long shot to begin with to show the character in the road, this builds suspense as the shot tracks in on the man and the audience is unsure what to expect.

·         The camera also circles the character which draws attention to him and it is clear from this that he is one of the leading roles.

·         There are no close ups in the opening which is unusual for a thriller opening.

Mise En Scene

Man in his pyjamas

·         The lighting is low key and
shows early morning
sunrise in the distance. This therefore makes most
things appear dark and is mostly silhouettes of objects such as the trees. This creates and eerie, mysterious atmosphere.

·         Due to that fact that setting is empty and desolate, with just a road and a mountain view it makes the character seem isolated and alone.

·         The man appears to be in his pyjamas, which suggests that he went on a bike ride over night, which arouses questions surrounding what he’s been up to.

Editing

P.o.v shot on the bike

·         The opening cut in one long
shot which tracks onto the man, this is used to show a clear emphasis on the character and that he has fallen off of his bike.

·         There is also a point of view
cut of the man on the bike on
the road which makes the audience feel connected with the man.

·         The cuts are limited to give the impression of a smooth and enjoyable bike ride and not to build tension.

Sound

·         There is gentle, melodic non-diagetic music, however you can still hear the sound of the birds which is emphasised to highlight the fact that it is early in the morning and also that he is alone.

·         There is no dialogue, therefore limited information is given away and this raises questions to the audience.

Thriller Opening 4 - The Disappearance of Alice Creed - IZZY SOUTER

(up to 3 minutes 20)

The Disappearance of Alice Creed

Camerawork

Opening tracking shot

·         It starts with a tracking shot leading onto the villains,
this shot is a almost a point of view from a driver, however this is not the case as it leads into a close up
of one of the characters.

·         There is a low angle tracking shot of the two men
walking in a shop, which is parallel to the ground. This
 is used to make the audience feel uncomfortable and
also to show that they are in control as they are higher up and seem to have more power because of this.

·         There are also a lot of close ups on the equipment, work that they do and also the character’s faces. This is done to illustrate clearly to the audience what they are doing and that it is bad, which is portrayed through their emotions.

Mise En Scene

Working in sync

·         Both of the characters are wearing dark, dull clothes, which makes them blend in and not appear suspicious.

·         They use real locations which therefore aren’t constructed, which makes the whole plot seem a lot
more believable; such as the woods and the car parks.

·         The two characters are symmetrical to one another,
with the same body language and action. This shows that they are well organised and are powerful together.

Editing

·         It uses quick sharp cuts which highlights that the two characters are very quick and efficient.

·         There are very smooth transitions from one scene to another. This makes it easy for the audience to follow as it clearly wants to get across to them what the two men are up to.

Sound

·         Throughout the clip there is no dialogue between the two characters. This shows that they have planned out what they are doing and don’t need to talk as they already know what they have to do. This makes the audience feel uneasy and that they are doing something bad.

·         The non-diagetic music in this opening sequence starts off at a slow pace and is quiet yet at the same time frantic as it is jumpy music. As the characters enter the woods, strings are added into the song, which makes it clear that that scene in more important than the others.

·         The soundtrack climaxes at certain points within the opening, such as when the man finishes the locks on the door. This is done to show that the renovation of the house is complete.
The diagetic sounds such as the drills are enhanced to make the audience focus on them as they are important in showing what the characters are doing.

Thriller Opening 3 - Jaws - IZZY SOUTER

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8SnZmUjhAA

Jaws

Camerawork

P.o.v of the shark under the water

  · It starts with the camera being under water, as if it was a point of view of the shark. This
creates tension and makes the audience feel uneasy. This
happens again when the woman is swimming, to make it clear that she is about to be attacked and
to generate tension.

  . The shots start of very slow pace because the cuts are long, but as the panic rises the cuts increase in speed until the woman in dragged under the water. This is used to illustrate and create tension.

Mise En Scene

Dark and mysterious out in the sea

  ·  At the beginning the point of
view of the shark is lurking in the seaweed, this gives an impression that the shark is hiding and hunting for prey. This is threatening as the audience isn't sure what is about to happen.

    · The crowd of people around the campfire sets the scene of a happy, pleasant time, which is
the opposite of what is about to happen in the water.
  · The fact that it was filmed in the dark makes it even more eerie as you wouldn’t be able to see under the water and also there wouldn’t be any people around to help her.

Editing

Warm and slow shot around the campfire

  · At the start the pace is slow and peaceful due to the shot lengths being long and the minimal use of cuts as they are enjoying time around the campfire with no initial danger. However, when the woman gets into the water the cuts increase in speed and the tension builds because she is being attacked.
  · It switches between the male and female character to show that she gets into the water what he
is doing and that he doesn’t end up getting in the sea with her.

Sound
· The non-diagetic sound at the beginning of the clip is extremely tense as it increases in speed and noise. It makes the audience feel very nervous even before the film has truly begun!
·  The music changes when it switches to the crowd of people around the camp fire. The music is diagetic and jolly from the man playing the harmonica. This is an example of contrapuntal sound as we as the audience know that something bad is about to happen.

Thriller Opening 2 - Inception - IZZY SOUTER

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-VXkUzf1et4

Inception

Camera Work

Shot reverse shot conversation

Close up shot reverse shot

• Most of the shots are either long shots, medium shots and close ups, this provides variety and keeps the audience interested. However, it doesn't build up much tension as the audience is fully aware of what is happening.
• The close ups provide detail to the audience to portray the characters reactions and emotions, this is done to portray to the audience what each character is like and what they are thinking. They are also used in this clip to highlight which characters are of importance, excluding the soldier at the beginning. This is done however to highlight and make the audience wonder why there is a soldier on the beach.
• Because they vast majority of this opening consists of conversation it is mainly shot reverse shot, which is used to show a character talking and also to show their reactions.

Mise En Scene

Interior of room

• The interior of the building is full of gold, wood and lights. This emphasises that the owner is obviously very wealthy and threatening.
• The children are wearing
  very brightly coloured clothes, whilst every other character is wear dark dull clothes. This shows that they are in business and are far from having fun – as the children are, it is a contrast between different characters.

Editing

Children playing - slow motion

• The shots are very slow pace as the majority of the scene is the characters having conversations, switching
  from one to the other. This doesn't build up much tension.
• The shot of the children has been slowed down to emphasise the fact that it is a dream.

Sound

Wave sounds emphasised

• The diagetic sounds of the crashing waves and the spinning of the spinner top are emphasised to show their importance to the main character, which is also backed up by close ups of
  the object and the water.
• Angelic music is also played with the strong sound of the children laughing. This is done to highlight that it is a dream and also is quite sinister and creepy as the audience isn't aware what significance the children have to the man.

Thriller Opening 1 - Se7en - IZZY SOUTER

Se7en

Camerawork

Close up on the writing 

•  Everything in shot is either a close up or a extreme close up, this is done to clearly portray to the audience that the man is planning for something. It also creates mystery as you cannot see the man's face.
• The absence of a establishing shot adds extra curiosity and intimidation as you are not sure what to expect.
•  The shots are all still except the tracking shots over the books and there are lots of canted, eye level and over the head shots. This technique makes the audience instantly ask what the man is doing as it is very disjointed, making the audience feel uncomfortable.

Mise En Scene

• There is lots of writing and drawings in the books and on the paper, which shows that planning has been put in place for something that is about to happen or that has previously happened. However, due to the shallow depth of field you cannot actually read what the wrong says the majority of the time, which yet again adds mystery.
• The man has plasters on his fingers and his hands are dirty, making him seem as a character that is up to no good and is most likely to be the villain. The dirt suggests that he has already been preparing or up to something else and that he also doesn't take pride in his appearance, which suggests that he has other things on his mind.



Dirty, plastered hands

• Everything he does is very slow and meticulous making it seem that everything the character does is important and that it means a lot to him as he's spending a lot of time doing it.

Editing

• The majority of the cuts are fast pace, flicking from one to another to show that the man is doing lots of different things. This also sparks panic as it builds tension as the audience isn't sure what is happening and what the man is up to.

  

  Slow motion page turning

• Some of the shots have been done in slow motion, such as the pages being turned. This has been done to highlight the importance of the book. This also builds tension and it leaves the audience wondering what is about to happen.

  Sound

• The soundtrack is parallel to the clip because as the character is cutting, sewing and flicking through books, which makes these sounds diagetic. The sounds of the objects have been enhance to attract more attention to them and make them more predominant.
• The clip is jerky and fast pace, therefore the music matches this because it is disjointed music with the occasional non-diagetic sounds such as a girl screaming. This makes the audience feel on edge as it builds tension and makes them feel move involved in the clip.