Research and Planning

Main task

For my main task I had to produce the opening of my very own thriller movie. I had do all the planning and research that would go in to making an actual movie. This included finding out the audience my movie would be targeted at, writing a working script for my opening and producing a storyboard for it. 

First of all I had to find out what type of people would go see the movie I was planning on making. To find this out I used the combination of pearl and dean and questionaires to find out this infomation

Props, Actors and Locations

The next thing to consider after making my script and storyboard was what props I would use,

who would star in my opening and where I would shoot it. 

Props

As far as props go there are very used in the opening of my film, the only main prop used was the car at the end where the character was pushed into the boot.

Actors

The actors in my piece are all people from my college, the people who are in detention are Lucy Jefferys and Jacob Redfern, the teacher is played by Sam Fowler. I chose not to appear in my own opening as I took on the roles of director. This gave me the chance to have more of an effect on how it would finish up overall rather than if I had starred in it.

Script for Main task

INT. SCENE - DESCRIPTION
Typical school classroom

SHOT - DESCRIPTION
P.o.v shot.

(Starts zooming out from a clock, camera changes to show a man walking in carrying books.)


Teacher: Right Phones away.


Student 1: Sorry Sir.


Teacher: You put the Pepsi and the bloody chocolate bar away.


INT. SCENE - DESCRIPTION
Same room as last scene


SHOT - DESCRIPTION
High angel shot


(High angel shot of the two students.)


Teacher: Your in here for an hour


INT. SCENE - DESCRIPTION
Same as previous scene


Student 1: Anything in particular you want us to revise sir?


Teacher:Yeah page 300 you know you have that test coming up tomorrow. That reminds me i have got to get my teaching plan. Ill as the teacher next door to keep an ear out.


Student 1: No need sir you can trust us!


Teacher: As if i can trust you. Funniest thing I have heard all day. 


SHOT - DESCRIPTION
High angle .

(Shows the two students having a conversation)


Student 1: are you going to that party on the weekend?


Student 2: dunno yet what bout you?


Student 1: I might do, could be a bit awkward though with molly there.


(lights turn off and on, camera changes to a shot of the door locking.)


Student 2: what was that?




INT.SCENE - DESCRIPTION
seen through a window, a dull grey paved area


SHOT - DESCRIPTION
Mid angle shot


(Shot of Student 1 lights flicker on and off again and the door locks.)


Student 1: What the fuck was that?!?!


(Student gets up and runs towards the door.)




INT. SCENE - DESCRIPTION
Red Door


SHOT - DESCRIPTION
Close up.


(Shows the door struggling to be opened but it wont budge.)


INT. SCENE - DESCRIPTION


Student 1 struggling to open door.


Student 1: come on!!!


( he fails to open the door and turns around with a look of shock upon his face.)


INT. SCENE - DESCRIPTION


Student 2 laying dead on the table with post-its notes stuck to her saying 'Detention' Atmospheric music kicks in and the camera zooms in on one of the post it notes.

Storyboard for Main task

Pre-lim task

My pre-lim task was to create a short piece, that includes certain shots, creating a storyboard and working script for my piece. It had to include match on action, shot / reverse shot and the 180-degree rule.


The idea you have to convey is someone walking down a corridor. He then opens a door and enters the room. In the room a person is already sitting down. Character one then pulls up a chair and sits opposite character two. A short conversation happens then a package is exchanged. The sequence then ends.


In the making of Pre-lim task, the equipment I used were:




 A digital video camera                               and a                                               A tripod





 

After establishing what equipment I needed to shoot my Pre-lim task I then went about making my storyboard and working script for my pre-lim task. 

After doing my prep pre-lim task I learnt the basic conventions of a working script which made it much easier to write my actual Pre-lim task script and preparing the storyboard for it.

Script for Pre-Lim task

Int. scene - description

Empty corridor, steps at the end.

shot - description

Eye level, dolly shot.

(Detective walks down corridor, looking through paper work)

INT. SCENE - DESCRIPTION

SHOT - DESCRIPTION

Dolly shot and Match On Action

Corridor, red door with a room on the other side of it.

(Detective opens door and walk through it.

Camera swaps to inside of room as Detective opens door)

INT. SCENE - DESCRIPTION

Room full of tables and chairs with a table set up in the middle with a chair either side. Person sitting either side

SHOT - DESCRIPTION

Over The Shoulder shot

Detective walks in slams down paperwork in table sits opposite the other person

Detective

We know you have taken her!

Criminal

Taken who?

Detective

Who do you think? Portugal. Four years ago.

(Camera changes 180% to over the 

Criminals shoulder)

CRIMINAL

I weren’t in Portugal four years ago! (Shouting) I’ve told you who took her!

DETECTIVE

Refresh my memory.

INT. SCENE - DESCRIPTION

Same as previous scene

SHOT - DESCRIPTION

Over The Shoulder Shot

CRIMINAL

I’ve told you once i am not telling you again (Stands up in anger and throws chair)

(Camera changes 180% to over the criminals shoulder)

DETECTIVE

Sit down, take your hood off and sit down

Storyboard for Pre-Lim task

Preparation for Pre-lim task

Before undergoing my Pre-lim task we were given a short story called 'The Open Window'. We were given the task to turn this story into a Working script . This was to help us prepare for the script writing and the storyboard we would have to make for both our Pre-lim task and Main task.

The Open Window Script

Scene 1.

Ext. Aerial shot of a train station in the countryside. A man is walking from a stationary train towards a parked car. As he walks over you see him drop his suitcase, and pick up the contents and stuff back into his case. Bridging shot of car wheels.

Scene 2.

Ext. Through a fish eye lens you see Frampton Nuttel approaching up a pathway surrounded by bushes on either side. Frampton comes to a stop and knocks on door. A few seconds delay and the door swings open.

(A young girl around 15 is at the door. Frampton nuttel jumps with shock)

Frampton: 

O-Oh sorry you surprised my I didn’t expect anyone to answer that quickly.

Francesca: 

Sorry to scare you, you must be Mr. Nuttel. My Aunt has just gone to the market to pick up some food she will be arriving shortly.

Frampton: 

O-ok Is there anywhere I-I can put my coat and suitcase?

Francesca: 

Yes of course follow me through to the living room.

(Frampton and Francesca go through the house towards the living room)

Francesca: 

You can hang your coat up on the rack, would you mind hanging on to your suitcase till my aunt returns for im unsure what room you will be staying in.

Frampton: 

Y-yes that’s fine, I hear that this is a n-nice town ive never been here before you see. M-my sister recommend I come to here to get over to get over my accident.

Francesca: 

Oh I am sorry to hear about your accident. So am I right to assume that you know nothing of my aunt or of the local people of this town?

Frampton: 

I-I know only her name and address and a-as for the local townspeople only the names of the people my sister met here on her visit.

Francesca: 

Then before my aunt arrives I must inform you of her great tragedy. 

Frampton: 

H-her tragedy? This does not seem like the t-type of place for a t-tragedy.

Francesca: 

You must be wondering why that window is open at such a time of the year, with winter fast approaching and all.

Frampton: 

W-well it’s n-not as cold as one would expect for this time of year. B-but does that window h-have anything to do with her t-tragedy by chance?

Scene 3.

(The camera zooms through the open window and stops in a deep part woods. Rainfall has made puddles and other marshes appear on the forest floor. The camera stops in a small clearing. Sound of footsteps approaching.)

Ext. Deep woodland with birds singing. The floor has been turned into marshland from heavy rainfall. You can still hear the sound of water falling of nearby leaves into puddles.

Francesca:

 3 years ago to the day my aunt’s husband and 2 brothers went shooting in the woodlands, this was their favorite pass time you see. It was that dreadfully wet autumn you remember?

(Three men and a dog come into view idly walking through the woods with guns over their shoulders. The dog runs ahead and gets stuck in a muddy patch of grass)

Francesca: 

They knew the woodlands well and what parts were unsafe to walk through, but the heavy rain must of made parts of the floor that were previously safe give way.

(The Three men continue to walk until the catch up with the dog when they are level the ground gives way and all three and the dog sink in the bog as if it were quick sand. Their screams for help eventually get muffled by the mud as they do the screen blanks out and reappear in the living room.)

(Framton is looking distressed his hand is jittering irately)

Frampton: 

W-were their b-bodies ever f-found?

Francesca: 

Alas no, that is the dreadful part of it. This has given my aunt the delusion that somewhere, somehow they are still alive and on this day every year she leaves that window open in the vague hope they will return. My dear aunt she has often told me how they went out, her husband with his white waterproof coat over his arm, and Ronnie, her youngest brother, singing 'Bertie, why do you bound?' as he always did to tease her, because she said it got on her nerves. Do you know, sometimes on still, quiet evenings like this, I almost get a creepy feeling that they will all walk in through that window

(There are two sharp knocks at the door)

Francesca: 

Ahh, that will be my aunt now I’ll go let her in now please make yourself at home.

Framton: I-I will try. 

(Mrs. Sappleton bursts in to room laden with bags of shopping followed by Francesca, Mrs. Sappleton puts the bags down on the sofa.)

Mrs. Sappleton:

 I am ever so sorry Mr. Nuttel, I didn’t realize you would be arriving this early, I hope my niece Francesca has been keeping you amused?

Framton: 

Y-yes she has been v-very ermm…. I-intersting

Mrs. Sappleton:

 I hope you don’t mind the window being open only my husband and two brothers have gone shooting the woodland. I don’t know what they will be catching though not many birds about this time of year. They will make such a mess over my carpets when they return I bet.

Framton: 

O-oh no its fine your niece had told me why the window is open

(As Frampton talks Mrs. Sappleton is staring past him through the open window)

Frampton:

 T-the doctors agree in ordering me complete rest, a-an absence of mental excitement, and avoidance of anything in the nature of violent physical exercise. On the m-matter of diet they are not so much in a-agreement! (Nervous chuckle)

Mrs.Sappleton: 

Oh really? (Yawn) Finally they are home and just in time for tea as well. Oh look at they covered in mud!

(Framton turns and looks at Francesca with a look of sympathy, but sees Francesca herself is looking out the window with a look of extreme horror on her face and is staring out the window. Frampton swings wildly and look out the window himself to see 3 figures carrying guns and accompanied by a little dog approaching from the misty twilight covered forest.)

Ronnie:

 Oh bertie, why do you bound. (Singing)

(Framton picks up his suitcase and bolts from the room in his haste leaves his coat.  The door slams and you hear footsteps down the gravel pathway as Frampton runs away. Mr. Sappleton and the brothers climb through the open window.)

Mr. Sappleton: 

Were back hunny and just in time for tea it seems! Who was that man who ran away as we came up?

Mrs. Sappleton: 

That was out guest Mr. Nuttel, a weird man talked about his illness then just ran off without so much as a goodbye when he saw you?! It was like he saw a ghost or something.

Francesca: 

I think it was the spaniel, before you arrived he told me how he got his illness. He was attacked by a pack of wild dogs on the bank of the Ganges and had to spend the night in a cave with the dogs snarling just outside. Enough to make anyone lose their nerve.

(the camera zooms out through the roof of the building and you see Framton running down the road from an aerial shot with his suitcase open and a trail of clothes of behind him, screen blanks out and credits start to run.)

Analysis and essay of Children of Men

After writing the analysis for the film I then wrote an essay about the film looking at the same areas of the film as I did in the analysis.

Film opening analysis - Children Of Men

In the opening of ‘Children Of Men’ the lighting is very dark and grey this gives the reader an effect of making the scene and film feel negative straight away this makes the audience feel that the film is negative and the directors outlook of the future is negative. 

The camera work is quite a simple idea but in practice hard to pull off, The main bit of the opening is all one shot where it tracks our protagonist through the crowd and until the explosion happens. This doesn’t conform to the traditional opening of a major film. The shot used is very different from most major film openings, i feel that the director has chosen to do this to engage the reader into the film and make them feel more involved in the film and bring it to a personal level. The editing used it simple cut and paste editing, this makes the story-line clear to the viewer it also makes the film flow as if it is real and the viewer is the person tracking the character.

The sound is this opening comes solely from the surroundings, the only time anyone makes a noise is the screaming after the explosion and when the main character asks for a coffee.I think the director chose to do this to keep us in suspense about what is going on and how people feel and how downtrodden the world that is being portrayed in the film is. I feel this is a very affective use of sound for an opening as it is a very unusual choice but in this instance works very well and gives us a clue, I feel to the main character that he could be an outcast or very secretive character at the start of the film but has a transformation later. 

The scene has been created By the use of actual london streets or in a studio. The location is clearly london and the date is shown at the start. The news reports make the situation feel hopeless and desperate. The reports show us that the world has gone in to turmoil, that there hasn’t been any newborn children for 18 years and all the boarders are being shut down. I feel the reason that the director has decided to give us the information this early on in the film is because he wants to engage the reader straight into the film and so he don’t have to waste time later on in the film explaining the information he has given us in the opening two minutes.

From what i have seen i would assume that this is a thriller/horror. The main reason for the guess is because there is great amount of suspense built up in a very short amount of time and the viewer is left asked a lot of questions. Also there is an explosion and sorrow and there is a lot of things happening in the opening scene, these aspects to me convey a horror/thriller

 It is very fast moving and there is a lot going on at once, the main point shown is the death of the child on the news broadcast. When the viewer sees this they are left asking allot of questions about why there is only an 18 year old person as the youngest in the world, and how did it happen. Then while they are thinking about this an explosion comes completely out of nowhere. I feel the director did this to shock the audience and hook them in.

 The opening of this film does fulfill my expectations of an opening. I do expect the action and the cliffhanger, also i feel the fact that the director uses a single tracking shot makes the film more like an opening for the viewer, this is because it gets the viewer engaged in the film and makes them think they are there and the events unfolding are happening to them. In effect this makes the opening a very effective one as the viewer will then be gripped by the film.

I feel that this film is Mostly targeted at male adult males and male teenagers.

There is an explosion and this appeals to the male audience. Also i feel the suspense of the opening would appeal to these groups more than any other. This is because stereotypically males prefer this genre of film more than females.

The opening to the film is set in London it gives a negative representation to London. This is portrayed by the fact the scene is dark and dreary and there is a lot of pollution in the air and coming from the old fashion looking cars. It is suggested that instead of the future being an advancement and improvement on the life we have now there has instead been a decline in the quality of life.

The first character we meet is our main character. We are not sure he is a hero but he is clearly the main character. He does not meet the traditional idea of what a hero is as he the only one not upset by the news broadcast, and when he stops he pours whisky in his coffee. Also he doesn’t move after the explosion happens. Women are represented as being equal with men but it does not seem as if there is any point in being equal as the world seems so dark. The future is show as being gray, barren and has no hope.

Analysis for 'Children Of Men'

Having compared the first for films, I then had to analyse the film Children of Men, but on different aspects of the film than I did in the other analyses.

Media Language

Lighting:

What is the lighting like? Very dark and grey

What is of the effect of this on the text?  Its makes it negative

What is the effect of this on the audience? It makes the audience realize the mood and feel of the film

Camera work:

What do you notice about the camera work? The idea of the director is simple but in practice it is hard to do.

Does it conform to your expectations of a major feature film? No it does not

Is there anything you think is done differently? The use of a tracking shot of the man leaving the coffee shop.

Why have the camera shots been chosen?  To bring it to a more personal level and to engage the viewer

Editing:

What type of editing can you recognise? Cut and paste editing

What does this do to the film? It makes the storyline clear to the viewer

Does it change the pace at all during the clip? Yes it makes the film flow easier

Sound:

What do you notice in particular about the way sound has been constructed in this clip? The sound comes solely from the surroundings, the only time anyone makes a noise it is screaming after the explosion

Why do you think these choices have been made by the director? To keep us in suspense about what is going on and how people feel.

Mise-en-scene:

How have the locations been created? By the use of actual london streets or in a studio

What does in them suggests time/location/situation to the audience? The location is clearly london and the date is shown at the start. The news reports make the situation feel hopeless and desperate.

Genre:

What type of film do you think this is, from the clip you have seen? From what i have seen i would assume that this is a thriller.

What is there in there film which you could use to support each of these assumptions of genre? There is an explosion and sorrow and there is a lot of things happening in the opening scene, these aspects to me convay a horror.

Narrative:

What do you notice about the narrative structure of this clip? It is very fast moving and there is a lot going on at once, the main point shown is the death of the child on the news broadcast

This is the opening of the film. What does it do which fulfils your expectations of what the opening of a film “should” be like? Does it do anything different in terms of narrative? The opening of this film both does and does not fulfil my expectations of an opening. I do expect the action and the cliffhanger. But the main action of the opening is right at the end and is too short.

Audience:

Which audience do you think are being targeted to what this film? Mostly male adult males and teenagers.

From this clip what is there to attract this audience? There is an explosion and this appeals to the male audience.

Representation:

Where is being represented? The opening to the film is set in london

Is it a positive or negative representation? Gives a negative representation to the london.

How is this created? The scene is dark and dreary there is a lot of pollution in the air and coming from the old fashion looking cars.

Who is being represented?

Do we have ‘hero’? In the traditional sense of the word hero we do not no.

How do we know he is a hero? We are not sure he is a hero but he is clearly the main character.

Does he fit all our established ideas of what a hero in a film should be? No he does not meet the traditional idea of what a hero is as he the only one not upset by the new broadcast, and when he stops he pours whisky in his coffee. Also he does move after the explosion happens.

How are women represented? Women are represented as being equal with men but it does not seem as if there is any point in being equal as the world seems so bleak.

How is the future represented? The future is show as being gray bleak and has no hope.

Analysis of 1408 and A Clockwork Orange.

After analysing the two movies our teacher set me, I then had to pick to films of my own choice to analyse. The two movies I chose were 1408, this film is a thriller/horror. The next film I chose was A Clockwork Orange which falls under the genre of Sci-fi/Drama. I analyzed them on the same aspects that I did for Se7en and Panic Room.

Camera shots

The camera shots used  in this film is an eye level shot that then zooms out from the main characters face to show the location and the other main characters.

Sound

The sound for this opening scene i feel fits perfectly with the film, it makes the viewer get a very clear picture of the main character and his state of mind.

Editing

There is very little editing using in the opening of this film as apart from the cut from the credits the action there is only one shot used

Mise en scene 

The mise-en-scene of this film is very futuristic, it depicts a ‘milk bar’ with a lot of strange people dressed in strange clothing. There are also a lot of statues of women in sexual positions . There is writing on the walls as well but it is not in english.

Characters 

The character shown is he main character. He narrates the opening scene telling about the viewer about where he is and what he is doing. The way the character speaks is very unusual, he uses strange words such as ‘droogs’ to describe friends. I feel this that this gives us the viewer a feel that that character is a weird person or from a different land. The last words he says gives us an insight in to his character, ‘This would sharpen you up and get you ready for a bit of the old ultraviolence.’ This shows us the character is either obsessed with violence or it is the norm to be violent where he is from. You also get from the look in his eyes that he has something wrong with him or is a bit mentally unsound.

Location

The location portrayed in this is a ‘Milk bar’ the setting is a very futuristic one where everyone wears white and there are naked women statues used for tables,  this shows that where ever this film is set their norms and values are very different from ours.

Narrative/plot

From the opening of this scene you don’t get a sense of what will happen at the end of the film but you do get an insight in to the characters mind and what the film will involve.

Themes

You get the clue at the very end of the opening that the film will be centered around violence as the last words spoken in the opening are ‘This would sharpen you up and get you ready for a bit of the old ultraviolence.’

Visual style

The visual style of this film is very unique in the sense of mise-en-scene as the place the opening scene is set and the way the characters act is very unique, there are not many other films that this environment is used. Also the characters depicted are not common place in cinema.

Genre

Sci-Fi, Drama

Camera shots

The opening scene of this film is shot from eye level mostly and shows the main character walking towards a hotel in the rain. This I feel makes the viewer anxious as they don’t know where the character is or where he is going. The next part shows the character and the two hotel owners/managers talking about the hotel. There is one high angle shot where 

Sound

There is no music to the opening of the film just dialogue, the dialogue shows that the film is about ghosts and the paranormal. There is also sound from the pouring rain outside the car as he drives, this could be see as a sign that the film is going to be downbeat.

Editing 

The editing of this film is very simple it mostly cuts between shots of the main character and the other people shown in the scene.

Mise en scene

The mise en scene of this film is a typical, small american hotel. The feel of the house is homely and warm, when the main character goes to his room, the room that is apparently ‘haunted’ seems like a typical hotel room albeit a bit small

Characters

We build up a very good image of the main character from the opening of this film as we are told his job and we are shown what his character is like. We know that he is a writer of paranormal books and although this is his job he obviously does not enjoy it and skeptical about the paranormal.

Location

The location for this opening is set in the middle of nowhere in a tiny ‘haunted’ hotel, although apparently haunted the hotel room he is in seems pretty normal, there is nothing out of the ordinary.

Narrative/plot

The opening of this film tells us that the main theme that will be explored is the paranormal and ghosts. We also see that the character is a skeptic but we don’t know whether he will remain one through out the film.

Themes

The opening credits portray a theme of the extraordinary as we know the main character goes to haunted houses as a job.

Visual style

The visual style of this film doesn’t really have much unique about it as it very mundane. 

 it basically just follows the protagonist from his car to the hotel and shows his conversation.

Genre

Horror.

Comparison of Panic Room and Se7en openings

After watching the two different openings I then compared the openings on the same aspects that I analsyed them on when I first looked at them.

Camera shots

The types of shots used in the two films are completely different. As where in Se7en the shots are all close ups and extreme close ups, Panic room’s opening only has establishing shots. These two different styles create two totally different openings.

The opening of Se7en makes the viewer tense as they find out details about the character while on the other hand the opening of Panic Room creates an air of mystery as the viewer is not let into any details about the film only that it is set in New York.

Sound

Both films use sound from outside the films in their opening in the form of mood music.

The music from Se7en is used to create tension as it is fast paced and uses noises to make the viewer on edge from the start of the film, on the other hand panic room uses slower music, it then starts a sound of a clock ticking this builds up suspense and gives the feel that time is running out for something.

Editing

The editing used in the two films is very different, in se7en the cuts between shots are very sharp whereas in panic room the cuts are gradual. 

Mise en scene 

In se7en there is a sense that the setting of the film will be in a bleak dark dreary place, compared to in panic room where there are all shots of wide open spaces. from what the director shows us in se7en the setting in the opening is dark with no form of natural light in comparison to Panic Room there is a huge difference in this respect as the only form of light in panic room is natural light. 

Characters 

In se7en we are given a lot of character information from many different sources such as the reading material and his actions. Whereas in Panic Room there is barely any information given to us about the character until the last two seconds where we find out they are looking for an apartment in new york.

Location

In the two films we get a very different sense of location, in Panic room we get a feel that the film will be set in a large location all of new york, however in Se7en we get a feel of the complete opposite. in the opening we are only shown

Narrative/plot

In terms of narrative and plot the two films are rather similar as you do not really get that good a sense of what will happen in either film,although you do get more clues as to what will happen in Se7en as you are given more clues to character that you are not given in Panic Room

Themes

Both films give a sense of mystery but in two very different ways. Se7en leaves the viewer wondering who the person in the opening is, what he is doing and why, whereas in Panic Room you are left wondering why the music is building up the air of mystery and why there is so many establishing shots of one city.

In Se7en there is also the theme of religion as you see the mystery character cutting out the part of a one dollar bill that says ‘ In God ‘ this is a clue to the viewer that religion will be a theme in this movie.

Visual style

Both visual styles from the openings are quite unique, the style of Panic room the transition between the shots are very gradual and create a sense of a long period of time passing, whereas in Se7en the cuts are very sharp and give a feel of misery

Genre 

Both films fall under the same genre bracket, this is thriller although Se7en has a few conventions of a horror aswell.

Analyse of 'Panic Room' Opening

The next film I had to analyse the opening of was 'Panic Room'. I had the analyze the same aspects as I did for Se7en. The opening for this film was very different to that of Se7en as it had a lot less action and reveled a lot less information, but still built up suspense.

Camera shots/Angle/Movement

The opening sequence of the film is made up mostly of establishing shots of new york. With the actors names appearing on the buildings. The angle of the shots are mostly eye level and high angle shots but they make it seem as if someone is looking down on someone else and following them

Sound

For this opening the director decided to use non-diegetic sound. The music used builds up suspense because it is very slow at first but then it speeds up, there is also a clock ticking which makes the viewer feel like time is running out but they don’t know what for.

Editing

The editing for this opening scene is quite simple, it just cuts from section of the city to another.

Mise en scene

The mise en scene of the opening is very basic, all you have is the setting of the location of the film.

Characters

You don’t get any sense of character from this opening scene as you only get introduced to them for about 2 seconds at the end. The only thing you know about them is they are looking for an apartment in new york.

Location

The film is clearly set in NYC as they show you the whole city in the opening, this gives the viewer the feel for the location and makes the viewer think that the location is going to vary a lot.

Narrative/Plot

From the opening of the film you don’t really get any sense of plot because you have no idea who is the film or any idea of their persona.

Themes

The opening credits portray a sense of mystery and openness, this is because you are shown a lot of city scape shots. You are shown as looking down on the city, when the shots change you have a feeling that you are following someone, this adds to the sense of mystery.

Genre

Thriller

Analyze of 'Se7en' Opening

One of the first tasks I did in AS Media this year was to analyze the opening of the film Se7en, I analyzed many aspects of the film such as Mise-en-scene, camera shots, editing, sound and many others.

Camera shots

All close up and extreme close ups, doesn't provide the viewer with any sense where the film is set or what the characters look like. It also disorientates the viewer as there are no clues as to what the film is about in the opening. The cameras shots do portray a sense of anxiety as they are only given a small amount of information

Angle

The angles are mostly from a high and low angle with a very limited amount of eye level shots. This stops the viewer from seeing the persons face but from his actions and reading material you can build of a pretty good picture of what he is like.

Sound

The sound in the opening sequence is non-diegetic, it creates an atmosphere of suspense and makes the viewer nervous. The typewriter sound I feel shows the brain of the person and shows their instability.

Editing

The editing of the opening I feel is brilliant as it makes the viewer nervous as it cuts quickly between the names of the actors and crew to scenes of the person.

Mise en scene 

There is a sense that the setting of the film will be in a bleak, dark, dreary place as from what the director shows us of the setting in the opening is dark with no form of natural light. The body language that we see shows the character has something to hide. There are many props used in this opening such as the books and cut outs the person shown in the opening is reading. There is no natural light used in the opening of this film all light comes from lights in the room.

Characters 

From the opening sequence you get a feel that the character shown in it is some sort of criminal possibly a serial killer. The fact he shaves the tips of his fingers of the remove his fingertips makes you feel as if he has something to hide. Also the sort of things the character is doing such as cutting clippings out of newspapers of deaths etc gives the viewer a feel that the character is and stalker or something of that description.

Location

This opening provides a very limited sense of location as all of the shots are assumably in the same room. This gives the feel of isolation to the viewer.

Narrative/plot

The opening of the film gives hints to what the film is about with out giving away the whole plot. We see the character shaving off his fingertips, this makes us think that he wants to keep his identity hidden, although we don’t know why he does this.

Themes

The opening credits portray that mystery or death are the themes as the character shown is reading material and doing things that show he has an unhealthy obsession with something. There is also a hint that religion will play a part in the film as there is a dollar bill with the close up of the slogan “In God we trust”.

Visual style

The visual style of this film is I feel very unique as i have not seen many other films that i have seen where the cuts between credits and character are very sharp and give a feel of anger, misery and death.

Genre

mystery/horror