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Opening sequence analysis
- 2. For this task,I will be looking into thriller film’s opening sequences and analysing them to pick out features that are conventional to the thriller genre. This will help me and my group with our opening sequence to make it more recognisable as a thriller genre opening.
- 3. The first sequenceI have chosen to study is Psycho from 1960, directed by Alfred Hitchcock. On IMDB, this movie is described as a hybrid of a horror, thriller and mystery. Due to its sudden nature and inclusion of erotic scenes, I can say that this film is not targeted for children. I have chosen to analyse the famous shower scene from the movie because although it’s not an opening sequence, it should provide many themes that are common to the thriller genre.
- 4. We learn thatthe character is enjoying her shower and is oblivious to any potential threat. The scene begins with a mid shot of the character in the shower. Apart from giving her privacy, the shot clearly shows the audience her facial expression, whom can clearly see she is happy. We learn the dominance of the killer. By using a low angle shot, this clearly connotes to the audience that the killer is much stronger than the character in the shower, and is controlling the situation.
- 5. The audience learnsthe main character is in trouble With this high angle and two shot, the audience learns that the main character cannot do anything as the killer is in control. The two shot also emphasises the killer grabbing the main character. As soon as the killer comes into clear view, a shrill sound is played alongside an audible scream from the main character. This music tells the audience that the main character must be feeling scared. There is a silhouette on the killer when he appears, so the audience does not know his identity. This creates a sense of mystery to the film and a lot of tension, which is conventional to the thriller genre.
- 6. The second openingsequence I have chosen to analyse would be the opening titles for the Italian Job from 1969, directed by Peter Collinson. IMDB describes this film as a hybrid between a thriller, action and a crime. Action and crime are both key ingredients for a thriller film, but the crime means that it probably won’t suit children. I have chosen to analyse the opening sequence of this movie because it provides a lot of camera shots and editing techniques that say a lot about the movie straight from the start.
- 7. A point ofview shot is used and the audience can see that an exotic car is being driven enthusiastically. This camera shot emphasises to the audience what the driver can see, and the fact that they are driving very briskly. This adds good drama. A wide angle shot is used to show the car and its surroundings. The wide angle is good for an opening sequence as it allows the audience to learn about the location. Here, we can see it is being set on mountain roads featuring exotic cars.
- 8. Here we seea close-up of the character’s face. This close up conveys to the audience straight from the beginning of the film that this is one cool character, emphasising his chilled expression and cigarette. While the point of view shot was being played, there was a clear ambient sound of the car and no background music. This draws the audience’s attention to the car and it teaches them what this film is about – important for an opening sequence. The lighting in the opening sequence is fully natural. This could connote to the audience about the purity of ‘man and machine’ when driving. It also links well with the song during the credits, e.g. “when skies are blue and fields are green”.
- 9. The third andlast opening sequence I have decided to analyse is The Dark Knight, a 2008 film directed by Chris Nolan. According to IMDB, this movie is not listed as a Thriller, but since this movie contains so many aspects that you’ll typically find in a thriller genre film, it is still an ideal opening sequence to analyse. Once again, this is a good opening sequence to analyse because it features a variety of camera shots and plenty of action mixed with suspense to draw the audience into the film.
- 10. The movie begins with an establishing shot of the city. The establishing shot immediately tells the audience the setting straight from the beginning of the movie. This allows them to feel more comfortable about what’s going on. A low angle is used here facing the robber. This conveys to the audience that the bank robber is an antagonist and must be viewed with caution for the rest of the movie.
- 11. Here we have an over the shoulder shot of the bank worker held at gunpoint. The over the shoulder shot is strategically used to show the robber’s action, but also the genuine fear on the worker’s face. Having both characters in the same shot makes the situation look more realistic. We can see here that the lighting here is dark and gloomy, using cool and dark colours. This could represent the bad deed that is robbing the bank. During the raid, a fairly subtle non-diegetic sound was played. The strong bass and sinister chords put a dark mood to the whole situation. The music therefore goes well with the bank robbery and adds to the effect and overall thrill.
- 12. After studying threefilms for three minute segments, it has become very apparent that there is a goal that they all try to achieve: attract the audience. They do this by showcasing the fundamental parts of the films within the first few minutes of it even starting. For example, in The Italian Job we see beautiful scenery, lots of fast-paced car action and several close ups of a cool looking character. This paints a clear image into the audience’s head after a short time, and they would hopefully then be gripped by the film and wonder what happens next. This research will help me towards the production of my group’s opening sequence title. From conducting this research, I have learnt that the few minutes we have must include key parts of the film, and include plenty of action right from the very start. Therefore, we would be able to attract an audience and keep them interested in our video.