Research Task 5 Thriller Openings - Lorna Wilson

Deadline one. bullet point textual analysis of at least 5 thriller openings, from film or TV. Consider the blog format - text, screen grabs, embedded video and hyper links. Clearly headed "Research Task".

1. "Seven" - Research task 1
The opening sequence of this Thriller film bases on introducing the protagonist, character construction and forming enigma codes enticing the audience into mystery and to question the film.

• Mise en scene provides information about the protagonist, his orderly and precise fashion of picking up objects, owning a metronome and questioning the other characters, build up a construction of his character. These enigma codes make the audience react and ask questions about the film, the characters and plot. Where are they? The city isn't named. Why's the murder significant? etc.
  
• The mood of the opening sequence provides a mystery set-up of death and crime.
  
• Sound - There's no music, just background noises of constant rain, radios and police sirens giving the impression that the neighbourhood isn't very safe. There's alot of silence when Sommerset is alone, giving suggesting he's an isolated character.
  

2. "Memento" - Research Task 2

• The first opening shot, the set up, is an ECU of the protagonists face, with added shadow to disclose identity. "awake. Where am I? Some anonymous hotel room" - restricted narration. The protagonist is asking and answering the questions, also prompting the audience to think and ask similar questions - Audience involvement, makes the audience think and work things out for themselves - part of a complex plot.,

• Sound - sound effect of camera taking a photograph. Voice over of the protagonist explaining the story to the audience.
  

3. "Gamer" - Research Task 3

• The opening sequence of Gamer is fast paced, and launches straight into action. Titling "Some years from this exact moment" appears on the screen followed by the Camerawork centering on a puddle with a outlined reflection of a male, then swoops up into action. Time passing is shown through a fast forward view of a city street and traffic, clouds etc. Within these locations there are visible drawings and recruiting posters of a mans face in each different location, in different medians - thus introducing the protagonist.
• Sound - throughout the opening sequence Marilyn Manson- Sweet Dreams is played, fitting into the action.
  The music dies down for a split second as we hear deep breathing and a somebody loading a gun, this sound is non diagetic. Followed by a police siren is an explosion into game play a whole different location. Constant noise of guns and explosions are played with frantic camera movement.
  
• The scene changes from real life to game play this is shown by the different point of view shots also used in game play as well as a gaming screen. (see below)

4. "District 9" - Research Task 4
The opening sequence to District 9 is in a documentary format with background non-diagetic sound as the screen remains black with titling.

• The documentary format has non edited cuts within the interviews, and the camerawork is that of a handheld camera, noticeable as it shakes and has recording times running at the bottom. The beginning sequence of the film continues using home video with a voice over, explaining the subjective narration of the story so far.
• Titling "alien affairs" introduces the idea of the abnormality, the disruption. This then cuts to a extreme long shot of the cityscape and an alien ship hovering over the top. The prompts questions to the audience, what is it? how did it get there? why is it there? - restricted narration.
  
• Sound - engaging tribal music emerges slowly into the background of the documentary and voice over, the music is unfitting to the scene yet helps to create the (contrasting sound) . In the final establishing shot the tribal music gets louder, prominent and more consistent, as if a warning of events to come.
  

5. "The Dark Knight" Research Task 5

The Dark Knight goes straight from the establishing shot to action, of a robbery scene, which subtly introduces the main antagonist, the joker through clever use of masks and opinions.

• Sound- Throughout the establishing shot there is a music bridge of intense music -played at a very low volume. This is shattered by diagetic sound effects of a window breaking and equipment being used, the music intensifies and becomes louder and continues for the duration of the sequence.
• The establishing shot zooms in on a building, followed by a window being smashed from the inside and cuts straight to a medium close up of a character masked as a clown, this transaction creates an illusion of the antagonist which is later to be revealed. The next shot reveals the hole in the window to show where the character is heading, their goal.
• The screen grab below of a man holding an identical clown mask suggests he is a bad guy foreshadowing character types and themes of the main antagonist. Whereas suggestions of the main protagonist are still unknown. The second screen grab shows two of the criminals turning on each other communicating that whilst each character is masked they continue to turn on each other, making it impossible for the audience to grow attached to any character.