James Post -
Fast & Furious 5
Thriller opening on first 2 minutes




The first piece of dialogue we hear is the name of  one of the main characters, we hear this from  a serious and monotonous man who we soon find out is the judge which is sentencing the man to prison through a small diegetic dialogue. Although we never see the judge we get the sense that this will be final and there will be no possibility of the man being released. The music in the background is erie, suspenseful and dangerous as we hear sudden drops of bass and sounds to resemble a heart sinking. This is until we hear the roar of a V8 Dodge with enhanced engine notes and turbo noises. The music suddenly becomes intense and aggressive, as if something serious is about to happen, it also becomes quite upbeat and fast paced to match the cars. As we cameras focus in on individual cars and there movements, the engine notes and sounds become louder and the music slightly quieter to show of the incredible sounds.

As we can see from this screenshot as the female character grabs and pulls up the handbrake we hear the music and engine notes slightly die down and the clunk of the handbrake is very noticeable, to get the noise of this a foley would have been added. As she spins the car around to do a handbrake turn we hear the scream of burning rubber from the tyres and the sound of the engine quickly accelerating again.

In the screenshot to the right hand side we see that the bus carrying the prisoners has just crashed into one of the high performance vehicles (now behind it just in shot) and has started to roll over and the crashing at high speed. The music immediately stops as the collision occurs and from then on the sounds of the bus crashing are multiple foleys, things such as smashing glass, wheels/tyres bursting, the foleys are used because it is important sound as nothing else is being heard, there is no dialogue in the background, you cannot hear any other cars,
nothing. They used foleys to enhance the
 importance of the destruction and debris.

The opening sequence gives the visual style of a thriller because it includes things such as an enigma, for example when the character who is being detained and being driven off in the bus does he know that he is about to be illegally rescued?

Camera work is very important in the opening to a thriller, this is because they usually follow the same pattern and techniques but they also add unique twists. However at the start the first image we see is of male character 'one' at a medium shot as we can see in the screenshot below, we can tell this is a medium shot because the subject isn't completely in the frame but at the same time he's not so far out of the frame that would make it a long shot or a close up. It is taken at a POV (point of view) angle from what I guess to be the judge who is standing up and giving his verdict. We can also see from this image that they have added additional lighting to the subject, as well as given appropriate clothes which represent and show that he is being detained, he is also in hand cuffs which are shown out of shot.

In this short sequence the editing is slow and predictable with multiple fades which lead onto the two other main characters and then immediately after leading back to main male character one walking along in a line ready to get on the prison bus from a dolly which goes past the actors. There is also a voice over during the fades and other shots. The editing flow works extremely well with the pace of the sequence at the start and then gets progressively faster as the  action unfolds.


This shot is very clever because it gives us a perspective of where the bus is to where the convoy of the drivers are. We see the bus slightly blurred out but still clearly visible, the cars shooting past the camera to get to this place is a very good affect because we get the sense of speed and urgency of what the convoys about to do and theres no way the bus could get away. It is taken from a low angle to give us the sense that we are sitting in a car behind.

Rear Window - Thriller Opening - Harry's post

The first shot is an extreme long shot behind a wooden fence on a bend in the road with a car at night driving towards it.  It is a very simple shot with only diagetic sound in it. This shot is purely to set the scene.

This shot is followed by a cut to a women in a car on the phone...

This is a medium shot of her on the phone whilst driving, there is still only non diagetic sound and the lighting is quite low key focusing mainly on her upper half.

She is on the phone whilst driving which creates an instant threat which everyone notices

The characters costume looks like she is a business women, which is backed up by the conversation she is having on the phone (explaining that she is going to be late) maybe from work? 

As the women loses signal she tries to ring the person back, whilst doing so she edges onto the other side of the road and surprise surprise there's an on coming car. 

Using an extreme long shot allows the viewer to gain dramatic irony of whats about to happen as the women is not concentrating. Having this scene at night allows the lights of the oncoming car to add a much more dramatic effect to the whole shot.

 

Psycho - Thriller Opening - Harry's post

Excluding the lengthy opening sequence the first shot is an extreme long shot of a city; it pans around and then zooms in on a certain tower of flats, at different intervals of this shot it tells you which city it is, what the date is and what time of day it is.

The non-diagetic music that is being played is very dated suspense music, you would not expect it in a modern film, but as this was released in 1960 it would have worked very well back then.  

It then starts to zoom into a single room panning round yet again to a women lying on a bed, instantly it is obvious she is stereotypical eye candy; blond hair, slim figure and accentuated breasts to put it mildly. 

If you know much about movies you will know that Alfred Hitchcock went against the grain when making 'Psycho' in pretty much every way possible by things like; the bursts of violence and sexual explicitness. The sexual explicitness is already obvious here by the way Hitchcock has placed Vera Miles and what her costume is  like (pure white and quite slim fit). 


One of the next shots is a medium shot of Miles with John Gavin in the background lying topless on a bed. The setting is a small room with a dresser and chair in it.  We find out through the dialogue that it is a motel room and they are meeting in secret.

The fact Hitchcock decided to film this in black and white doesn't allow me to analyse the lighting. Hitchcock decided on this for two main reasons, one was that he thought filming it in colour would make it too gory for audiences to view, the other was that he wanted to keep the costs of the film as low as possible trying to keep it under $1,000,000.


 

Dark knight rises film analysis - Stephens post

The film 'The dark knight rises' Starts with a medium shot which immediately focuses on one of the main characters. You can tell by the characters costume that he is a well presented, potentially very important man. The beginning clip is a very short speech which uses on-screen diegetic sound along with non-diegetic background music which comes in just before he finishes his short speech. The speech refers to an event which was in the film prior to this one to show that it still has significance. Also, a sound bridge is used at the very start of the clip when fading from an computer edited background animation into when the character starts to talk.

• The background of the film setting is very formal. You can tell this by the stone pillars and the flags either side of the man.
• The pictures of the man being spoken about are very large and therefore must be of great significance.
• The clothing that he is wearing is extremely formal and he is well presented.
• The use of a low angle is used to support the fact that he is a man of power.

A fade to black is used between these two clips to show a change in location.  As you can see here, a tracking shot has been used to follow the vehicle which is travelling though the field. The mysterious empty open field could be seen as a good setting to symbolise a thriller opening along with some non-diegetic background music which has been put into the clip. After this tracking shot a cut transition is used.

• A cut can be used to add suspense
• Using a cut transition is a good representation of a thriller film. These are also often used during action films to give that notion of a thriller.

Shortly after the tracking shot takes place, you see a group of hostages in the car. This causes a sudden enigma in the audiences mind.

• Who are these people?
• What have they done wrong?

As you can see here, more characters have been introduced. The man in the blue shirt being the leader, and his men behind him. A two shot has been used to capture the men engaging in conversation. The fact that the white men have guns is a symbol of power and is a really good way of representing this thriller theme. After this the hostages are taken onto the plane shown in the background. 

Once the plane is in flight, the subjects are threatened and being forced to give answers to the superior man in the blue shirt. The man uses a bluff of throwing the men off of the plane to make the others more likely to talk. This is almost certainly going to create an enigma in the characters mind of what has just happened and are they going to be next?

An extreme Long shot and birds-eye view of the plane is used so that you can see the height and intensity of the situation. This is a contributing factor to giving more suspense to the situation.

• Throughout this whole section of film on the plane there is non-diegetic background music being  played in the background which continuously picks up tempo as the situation gets more serious.
• When the gun is shot a folly is used to put emphasis on the sound.

 

This is a very important part of the film. The antagonist is suddenly revealed (Who is a very powerful man). As he has the bad taken off his face, it is done very slowly and cautiously to increase the suspense of the situation. A very intense non-diegetic sound appears as soon as the bag is taken off, as if to cause surprise to the audience and other characters on the plane.

• After this, the main action takes place as the attempt to crash the plane begins. The powerful ' Bane' gets his men on the outside to help him crash the plane and leave no survivors as he puts his plan to dispose of the protagonists into action. 
• A variety of different camera angles are used while the action is taking place, using cut transitions to emphasise the fact that it is an action thriller. 

Shutter Island - opening analysis Rosie

The opening extreme long shot begins with a very foggy cast which causes enigma to the scene as the viewer is intrigued and wonder what is this boat and where is it going. It suggests a sense of mystery as the audience isn’t given any kind of location which could create more anxiety. The boat appears to be in the middle of the ocean which makes it appear vulnerable.  

• The prop of the boat itself is not particularly modern looking (run down) and doesn't look very clean which builds more mystery and an eerie atmosphere.  
• The colours within the shot are very mundane which links it to the thriller genre. 
• Additionally, the sound included in the opening uses very low tones (which are either the sound of boat horns or orchestral music) which creates quite an unsettling atmosphere and could perhaps signify a bad place. 

The interior of the boat also appears to be worn and the items such as the swinging chain and open wires suggest that the boat may be slightly dodgy/shifty.

This next shot uses an over the shoulder shot to show the character glaring at himself in the mirror. We are able to see the characters expression and also see what he sees. This could perhaps signify that this man has two dual personalities. We can only see the reflection of the man as he himself is shown just as a silhouette; this could suggest a mystery or even illusion about this protagonist.

• The character is presented quite formally by his dress code as he wears a clean buttoned shirt with tie and smart trousers and jacket with a belt.  

A close up shot is used to show the character looking out of the window. The close up allows us to see the look of fright on his face and also only enables us to see out of part of the window –as it is at an angle-  which can lead to suspense as the audience are unaware of location or what is outside. 

The scene then cuts to a room with chains and handcuffs hanging from the ceiling which create an unsettling atmosphere. In terms of camera work, as the protagonist begins to move towards his destination, the camera unsteadily zooms and pans his actions which could portray the characters feelings and perhaps be foreboding.

As the protagonist steps out from the inside of the boat, a medium shot is used to which clearly shows us the characters facial expression, which appears to be rather intrigued or puzzled and is looking out into the distance. 
This combined with the shot distance creates uncertainty as we are not yet aware of what is there.  

As the man talks to the other unknown acquaintance on the boat, we are able to see the condition of the boat:

• the rust and peeling of the paint near the stairs suggests that it is rundown
• fenced gates on the deck imply that it is not a boat used for pleasant journeys and again run down. 

When he is then asked if he 'has a girl' he doesn't look the man in the eye, and the camera does a focus pull to the main character showing his thought. As it goes into the flashback, non diegetic music that sounds very tense begins demonstrating that something went bad/wrong with his girlfriend he previously had, which creates enigma as the audience are intrigued and ask questions such as: what happened to her? 

The Bourne Ultimatum - opening analysis, Rosie

Bourne Ultimatum opens with a close up shot of an unknown characters feet stumbling across the ground. Mystery has already been created as the audience are wondering: 

• who is he? 
• and why is he injured?

The camera appears to be hand held, as though he is being followed, throughout many of the shots which helps to portray the genre of thriller as it builds more adventure and edginess to the scene. 

The diegetic sound of the mans panting suggests that he is worn out, meaning that he is probably on the run, common to the thriller genre. 

Non-diegetic sound is also present in the opening of the film - quick paced orchestral music has been used to create suspense to the sequence as it seems more dramatic. 
( http://filmsound.org/terminology/diegetic.htm )

The mans location is also revealed as it cuts to an extreme long shot of the man walking, it appears quite chaotic along with the sound of police sirens in the background. (these could have been created using a foley to emphasise them). 

The cut transitions are used rather quickly within the opening as it quickens the pace which makes it more suspenseful and the audience are kept on edge. 

The time of day that the opening is set in further connotes a more eerie atmosphere due to it being a dark lit scene with just street and vehicle lights to brighten it. The low key lighting restricts us from viewing everything fully which builds a more dramatic. 

As the character looks over his shoulder, we can connote that this man is on the run, but why? As of yet, nothing has given this away to the audience. 

The extreme long shot that is aimed down the stairway is effective as it presents the man to be very small which implies how he is hiding or is some sort of 'prey'. There is then a very quick cut to a medium close up(?) of a man getting rushing out of the car. The sirens on the car suggest the severity of the situation and how quick the shot lasts shows how manic the chase is. 

The constance of cross cutting between the man and the mob of people that are running after him, constructs fast pace action and creates a lot of suspense.  

A range of shot angles and distances are used on the main character to portray meaning:

1. The medium shot (also low angle) of him stammering up the stairs leads to more mystery as we are still not aware of who he really is but also a sense of control as he is prominent to the shot. 
2. The medium close up of the character is a good way of allowing us to interpret his feelings and emotions -  which look to be as if he's struggling. 
3. This close up of his face enables the viewer to see his expression and is also very intense.

This is a good example of the use of handheld filming.

The use of the hand held camera and over the shoulder shots is an effective technique because we are able to understand the characters point of view and it creates more tension.

The low key lighting continues on the train which continues the dramatic/mysterious atmosphere.

Another further factor that creates enigma is the foreign men that are chasing him. The language creates curiosity, and we are unsure of why exactly he is being chased. The tone of their voices is very low and are mostly shouting, which builds apprehension.

The mid close up of the man shot uses low key lighting to give a shadowy effect making it clear that he is hiding in an enclosed area and the next shot is over the shoulder shot which uses eyeline match, which allows the audience to know the characters thoughts and the next extreme long shot gives a clearer view of the location he intends to go. 

The continued use of low key lighting once he is in the building connotes that he shouldn't be there... the props of the medicine bottles and medical equipment signify risks and possibly danger so could lead the viewer to wonder what is he going to do. 
Cut transitions are very effective in this sequence as it creates a fast pace and also suspense. The man's body language also contributes to the suspense; as the camera follows him through the door, he then turns to look over his shoulder which shows that he is aware he is being followed. 
As he puts the gun into the sink, we can denote from this that this could be the reason he is injured, or why the police are chasing him. The way that he opens the packaging with his mouth implies that he's been injured. The next over the shoulder shot of him looking in the mirror suggests that he has realised or remembered something followed by the longer time shot of him looking at himself. 

The close up shot of the tap dripping water suggests that this is something significant, as it is quite a long shot in comparison to previously and is almost the shot right before his flashback, implying that it has provoked him and perhaps the accident involved water.. Also as this shot enters, the fast music comes to a stop, further suggesting its importance.

As the flashback begins the music fades back in and the diegetic sound of his heavy breathing begins which indicates his realisation but also that he is fearful and panicked. 
The slightly fuzzy and saturated colour of the film suggests that it is a flashback but that it is also a blurred memory to him. 

Taken 2 opening analysis - Stephen's post

The first initial clip of the film Taken 2 is an Ariel View of an unknown old truck which has a large amount of significance for the events which are to follow. In the bottom right you can see that the location of the setting has been but in place. The reason for this is because the film producers want the audience to know from the beginning, where the location of the film (or this part of the film) is set. As you can see, the truck is in a very isolated area which leads the audience to believe that a situation is going to occur.

This clip shows another angle of the same truck shown which is in the picture above. This time an extreme long shot of the truck is used to give the notion that it is travelling a long distance to get to a specific location. A non-diegetic sound of background music has been used for this sequence of film clearly symbolises a thriller film theme due to its intensity which continuously rises. Between all the clips of the truck before is reaches its destination the only transition which is used is a 'cut'. A cut represents an immediate time gap with no delay involved. A cut is a brilliant example of contributing to a thriller theme because it really brings out the intensity in situations such as this one.

This clip is using a birds eye view to capture what is going on in this particular situation. The reason a birds eye view has been used is so that the audience can see a wider area of the graveyard so that can picture what it is. As you can see it is not a normal graveyard, it is clearly a more undisclosed area of which a number of bodies appear to be being buried.  An off-screen diegetic sound is used for when the preacher is saying the prayers to the dead bodies, you can tell immediately that the nationality of the people is not an English origin. This diegetic sound softens the background music to match the sad situation of the people being buried. 

The clip which is shown here is of great significance to the thriller opening. A low angle is used to match the mood of the scene and helps the audience to feel emotion and sympathy.

You can see immediately that there is a class division between men and women in this scene through the use of Mise en Scene and other techniques.. You can tell this because :

• The women are kneeling on the floor wearing head-dresses and a set code of clothing.
• The men are clearly the superior characters as they are standing up, separated from the woman and wearing a much more relaxed dress code. 
• The preacher is also a man showing another aspect of superiority to the men.
• The fact that the women have to kneel shows that they are beneath the men and are of an inferior meaning.

This clip is most probably one of the most significant clips of the opening of Taken 2. The ceremony has just finished and the unknown character is paying his respects to the dead but throwing mud onto the bodies. A Medium close up has been used to focus mainly on the tattoo on the mans hand. This has been done to cause an Enigma. This will unquestionably create a puzzle in their mind to think what could be the reason for the tattoo. Is it a symbol? does it have a purpose or meaning? The answer is most likely going to be a yes. The tattoo is the first representation of a religious sign, this could mean that these people are very extreme.

 A very clever piece of editing has been used to emulate a flashback of what has happened in the past to the men that have died. You can now picture what the situation of what has happened and what the people around the graveyard want in return for deaths of the people. Artificial lighting has clearly been used for effect on this clip of the flashback, A powerful light (Key light) has most likely been used from the right hand side of the room to give more of a memory/flashback effect. On top of this a filter has been applied within an editing program to bring out this effect even more. 

In addition, follies have been used to imitate the gun sounds and other sounds to make them stand out to emphasis the severity of the situation.

This is one of the final clips for the opening of the thriller. This is one of the main 'bad' characters who is seeking to avenge his sons. He makes an emotional speech to his fellow people exclaiming how he will kill the man who killed his sons and friends. This is a powerful speech and has a very low level of non-diegetic background music. The sound of the mans speech is on-screen diegetic and is is meant to have the purpose of power and inspiration with a strong sense of vengeance. 

• Different angles of him are taken throughout the speech to give different perspectives.
• The camera frequently changes focus and goes onto the people that he is addressing.
• Shallow depth of fields and a variety of shot sizes are used to give emphasis on certain characters or groups of characters that the camera is focusing on.