Opening Sequence Analysis 1
For a part of my research and pre production I will be analysing two opening sequences of the same genre as my film, which is thriller. I will be using the four main technical aspects in analysing a clip; mise-en-scene, editing, sound and cinematography to show how they convey enigma, genre, setting, character, mood and the plot of the story.
The first opening sequence I will be exploring is the mystery thriller ‘Seven’. Mise-en-scene is used in the opening sequence to establish the genre and to give the audience a little insight to one of the central characters successfully. Enigma is established through the use of props, throughout the two minute clip different pictures are shown of unknown people’s faces, this leaves the audience wondering who they are, also rows of books and pages of books are shown more than several times. This leaves the audience also wondering what the unknown character is researching; this gives a little insight into the character as it shows he is very interested in something he is researching.
Certain aspects of editing are used in the opening sequence to particularly convey enigma, the characters, mood and story plot of the film. A montage editing technique is used to show loads of different clips placed together. This allows the audience to see what the character is looking at, a range of different texts, pictures of people and different things, also the characters hands are shown using different appliances, and these clips together create an uneasy atmosphere. The pace of the editing starts of slow then gets faster and faster, a connotation for this could be that the character is eager to get something completed. A red dissolve is used to show one clip changing to another, the clip which the editor has chosen to place this other is a picture of a young boy who previously had his eyes and then whole faces scribbled out. As red symbolises death this could mean that the young boy is now dead.
The unstableness of the character is established through the use of cinematography, several extreme close-ups are used to show the character cutting slices of skin off his fingers and pushing needles into his fingers. This shows the audience that the character is most likely to not be mentally healthy as he is repeatedly hurting himself. A POV shot of the character picking up a book is shown, his fingers are wrapped in bandages, this creates a gloomy atmosphere as it is evident the character is making himself bleed, this also helps to establish the thriller genre. A close up on a tea bag entering a cup of hot water is shown, this is put next to a picture of what looks like a daemon, these two shots together show to the audience that the things the character is looking at and the things he is doing is an everyday occurrence for him.
The sound the director chose to use over the opening sequence is unknown digetic score music. The start of the track starts of slow paced with a slow beat, which matches the action of the clip, through the beginning there is a constant ticking, which may symbolize a time restrain or lack of time to complete something. Some of the sounds over the top of the music sound like electrical appliances which set an enigma for the audience as what those sounds are. As the clips get faster so does the beat of the music and also the strange noises become more frequent. The music altogether creates a gloomy atmosphere; a big factor of this is the screeching noise in the background.
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