Mitchell Frost

Throughout the whole opening sequence, the only shot type used Is an extreme close up; this allows for the audience to pay close attention to small details, perhaps indicating already that the character is a bit of an OCD freak. The fact that only an extreme close up is used throughout is purposely used in order to frustrate the reader as they want to see who is behind the camera, however they do not have control of this. The low key lighting throughout the opening sequence creates suspense and is typical of the thriller/crime genre. The black and white colour scheme suggests that the character is traditional and old fashioned; this is backed by the use of the sewing needle. The flickering of the text disorientates the audience as it becomes a challenge to read, the flickering indicates a poor way of living as we associate the flickering with flickering of oil lamps in old fashioned times. The CGI used to create the text draws attention to the man made editing side of the film, which could also be representative of the unnatural ways of the character. The character in the scene writes in small font and also scans for information written in real small text, this emphasises the fact the character is a perfectionist as he must find as much information as he can. The amount of reading material throughout suggests the man is well educated. Code language is evident in the title sequence, this brings themes of supernatural about, it also encourages the audience to continue to watch (the idea of an opening sequence) as they want to find out who is involved in this secret code language and what it means. The code language also suggests something of high importance or secrecy. The use of props such as sewing needles and scissors with sharp edges indicates the character is experienced with weapons, the sewing needle sewing pieces of paper together could be a representation of what is to come later on in the film.

http://www.artofthetitle.com/title/se7en/

• The first shot evident is an establishing shot, this sets the scene and shows the vast exposed landscape. The low angle shot above the water causes the mountains to look powerful and large making the audience almost feel exposed and vulnerable. To create an authentic feel, a camera would have been placed on a track on a boat; a helicopter could have been used here to create the same effect however would have created ripples on the water. The shot on the boat creates a sense of freedom as it feels as if you are gliding. The Ariel tracking shot used to follow the car would have been created by using a helicopter, the ominous sound track instantly indicates that something bad is going to happen to the inhabitants of the car. The location firstly seems like a travel/holiday advert however the sound instantly changes this theme. The location is used to show just how small they are, this is achieved by the extreme long shot. The deep bellowing music of the obo and the tuba create suspense and indicate something bad is going to happen. The music sets the scene and is typical of the ‘horror/ thriller’ genre. The symbols excite the audience and create a sense of mystery. The use of camera to create a sense of vulnerability is clever, I want to use extreme long shots and establishing shots such as in the shining to create the same feel in my opening film. The birds eye chase of the car show themes of isolation. The shining opening credits act more as end credits and contain typical end credit features, for example the rolling credits are usually reserved for end credits. The wail of the sirens pierce the vast sky above and add to the uncanny mood. The shining contains themes typical of modern day horror films, such as, alienation and paranoia.

http://www.artofthetitle.com/title/the-shining/

• The opening credits begin with an aerial shot of James Bond (Daniel Craig) as he slowly sinks towards the bottom of the ocean, this allows the audience to understand the helpless nature of James Bond as we understand he is unconscious from his facial expressions. The aerial shot then fades in to black, this effect is usually used in film to indicate death or unconsciousness; the colour black connotes death and bad dangerous things. The extreme close up of the hands meeting indicates a sense of relief and support. From James Bonds clothing, a suit, we can instantly assume this man is used to being the dominant figure and is typical of the spy/crime genre. The long shot of the hand coming to grab James represents his vulnerability here, the fact the hand is giant sized and un natural brings the man made side of the scene to the audience, the director here is not trying to create a 100% realistic scene. The lighting structure here is important as we can see a strong light coming from above presumably the sun, however down below, the way James is heading is dark and low key lighting is evident suggesting he is in trouble. The CGI brings an artificial feel to the scene. The basic white font of the credits has a simplicity about it and connotes purity. The soundtrack- Adele- Skyfall is a big feature of the opening credits and creates a real depressed tone. The song is typical of something at a funeral. Skyfall follows the same concept of all James Bond film opening titles as a music video like structure is created, such as in ‘Diamonds are forever’ there is no real point to the opening and is not really aimed at getting the audience engaged and hooked. The colour red of the blood is really enhanced and the first colour which really stands out, indicating the blood will have a big part to play in the film. Similar to that of ‘Se7en’, Sky fall makes use of shadows, this links to the common codes of thriller/spy films which sometimes have an underlying meaning. The extreme close up of his eye has depth and meaning as we see the detail in his eye, the colour blue is enhanced, the fact his eyes are blue suggest the character is the protagonist. The fact the lady is naked and pale in colour suggests that she is the damsel in distress her pale colour represents her purity and elegance, her bare skin is evidence of her virginity. The directors have used CGI to create an almost fantasy underwater world.

http://www.artofthetitle.com/title/skyfall/#

• The opening shot of the memorial marble alongside the gloomy/sad chiming of bells creates a solemn mood. The high angled, over the shoulder extreme long shot makes us clear of the surroundings. The change in music, the high temp chiming to slow tempo bellowing indicates something bad is about to happen. Clint Eastwood is usually associated with the ‘western’ genre of films, the fact he is the main character indicates the film will be good. Clint Eastwood is clearly of higher authority than he policemen, this is due to the fact he is wearing a smart grey suit, unlike the uniform of the other police officers. He ignores other policeman, this is indicative of his professionalism. The point of view shot where the camera is looking down the killers gun at the woman is effective as we see that she is being used as a target; the audience feel helpless as they are unable to help her but know what’s coming. The fact the lady is good looking makes the audience feel more saddened. A woman being used as a target is typical of the ‘western’ genre. The fact the man behind the gun is blurred creates further mystery of the antagonist. The low angled shot of Clint Eastwood walking across the fan represents his dominance and power. The dark sunglasses he wears help to hide all facial expression and are typical of a character with high authority such as ‘James Bond.’ The fact Clint Eastwood sis chewing gum shows he is confident and shows the fact a lady has just been murdered does not phase him. The extreme close up of the bullet casing indicates that he pays attention to detail. The fact the bullet casing is the only focus of the shot suggests that it is going to pay a big part in the film. The low angled 180 degree shot looking up the chimney makes the audience almost feel vulnerable as if they are trapped. http://www.artofthetitle.com/title/dirty-harry/

• The opening sequence begins with a black screen and only audio, this audio being of a trigger of a gun being pulled and made ready to fire, this instantly creates a sense of suspicion due to the fact we can not see what is happening. The sound is one of which the audience are able to easily relate to and link with negative images. The extreme close up of the gun and the hands allow for the gun to be the main focus as they are the only objects in the shot. The extreme close up means the person behind the gun remains of a hidden identity this encourages the audience to continue to watch as they go on a quest in order to reveal the mans identity. The pleonastic sound of the gun shot exaggerates the effect the gun will have on the target and emphasises the power of the gun. Immediately after the shot is fired, we are taken to an establishing shot of the sun setting behind some hills, this creates setting. The palm trees are typical of an exotic location or in this case LA in America where the climate is hot and humid. The font used for the credits immediately indicates the film will be about the streets of LA, this is due to the fact they are in the style of graffiti. The bold green block capitals are typical of something you would see on an hip hop album 40 years a go. The droning soundtrack at the beginning adds suspension and also helps to set the scene; it also matches the theme of motionless displayed in the establishing shot. The change in tone and upbeat of music when the title ‘DIE’ is displayed is indicative of something bad happening at some point of the film. The high angled mid shot of the woman represents the woman as a damsel in distress, this is typical of action/thriller films of this era. The low key lighting are suggestive of her vulnerability. He low key lighting also adds a spooky feeling to the scene. Her curly hair and neutral colour clothing represent her femininity and her virginal ways. Her pale face- the colour white connotes purity. The change in tone of music, from low beat to higher up beat creates a vibrant feel, the non diegetic music is typical of the lively activities of the streets of LA. The extreme close up of the hand and money indicates its high significance. The first thing that springs to mind when I watch the opening sequence is low budget, the simple shots and location and basic fonts of titles suggest not much money or time was spent in the making of it. The two men in the stairwell are obviously of high status, this is evident by their dark shades and leather jackets, both of which have associations with spy films for example James Bond. The old maps and plans are typical of the crime/ action genre and suggest a quest is the main theme throughout.

To live and die in L.A