Section 2: Research into Examples of Thriller Opening Scenes

Analysis on Opening Thriller Sequences
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1. Red Eye

NARRATIVE STRUCTURE

Structure of film is based round a girl that you see pictures of in a wallet and photos on the table next to keys. Then you have the mysterious man that takes the wallet from the table. Further on the man removes the credit cards from the wallet and looks at the picture of the girl in thee photo. Might have domestic story in the film, signify identity theft and that the characters hide important things in fish crates.

THRILLER CODES AND CONVENTIONS

Codes are making us ask questions e.g. Who is the girl in the photos? Who are the woman and man in the photo? Who do those keys belong to? Then you start to ask if is this house where this girl lives? When the wallet gets taken you ask why someone has taken the wallet & who? The close up of the wallet shows use two initials, so what do they stand for? Why are we getting close up of fish in the oopening sequuence? We see photos of buildings with close ups on them, does that mean that these building are targets? Plus we see blueprints, so what are they for? Once we see the mysterious man remove the credit cards we wonder why? However he looks at a thumbnail photo of the girl in the wallet, why is this man interested in her? Box is shown near the end taken out of a fish crate, whats in the metal box?

CAMERAWORK

In this opening scene there are lots of close ups, which don't show certain characters faces to build suspense and too make sure we don't know who the character is yet. We have a forward tracking shot to the wallet showing that its important. Get given over the shoulder shots on the characters to make them mysterious because you can't see their faces. Again you have forward tracking shot heading in to henchman opening fish crate. At the end of the opening sequence there is a low angle shot looking up at a high rised building.

MISE-EN-SCENE

First thing that you can notice in the opening sequence is that all characters are acting suspicious, like they are hiding something or planning something. When we see the photos on the side table, we can see a picture of a girl in graduate clothes telling us she is successful as well as eduacated and pretty. Another photo of her playing sports implying that she can defend herself and that she is strong. Further on we get a mysterious third photo which could be her parents. In the home there is a normal domestic setting, in addition we see random hennchman immediatly and it showing their faces informing us that there isn't any important characters being shown in the sequence. Followed by props of photos of buildings and blueprints which is suspicious. After that a mysterious man force opens a letter which illustrates this character as an angry person. Also implying that he is savage and maybe in a rush. We can see the man in the setting of a hotel with him holding the prop of the wallet and the photo within the wallet. In addition the henchman all look frantic and in a rush to get the metal box out of the fish crate. The setting of the film we assume that its based on is on a plane because of the title RED EYE - meaning long plane travel.

SOUND

Music in the opening scene are very dramatic and kinda spooky, as it goes on in the scene the music gets louder. Red eye title, when we see it you can hear a plane leering on a run way while some sounds change in volume to give more impact. Henchman taking crate apart you can hear the ice being cleared away quickly making us know that they are in a rush. In addition to the music, it sounds really mysterious and its a really generic thriller sound track. Also the music turns kinda earie after titles (fading) to give a creepy feel. Diegetic sound is used when the man puts his keys and wallet on the table with incorporated non-diegetic sound which is music. When doors close they give us the traditional creeking door also with the shower being turned on with non-synchronous sound meaning that the sound you can hear but can't see the noise being made. Also the noise hits with the action of the music which leads to a cressendo - builds up and then suddenly stops. The music in the opening scene you can hear cerebral music that tells us that someone is thinking.

EDITING

Almost all the edit points were all cuts and we had one scene were it dissolved to give a different effect. That includes very long takes and slow editing, we had takes seconds between 6-12 secoonds with some less or more than that.

GRAPHICS

The graphics at the beginning can give off meanings depending on the fonts size and colour of the titles and texts. During the titles in this film you can see the bold lettering and simple text instead of fancy text as well the text moving into the distance building mytery, and the text colour black and white is showing binary opposition of good and evil. However the main titles colour is red giving us the sense and meaning of danger passion etc... Finally there was no background. Just plain and simple.

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2. State of Play

NARRATIVE STRUCTURE

Structure of this movie could be a political thriller because you get a scene showing Washington, with a unknown man being chased by a mystery chaser. Could have frantic chases and characters in the narrative because of the man being chased by a pursuer who in the end of the opening sequence gets killed.

THRILLER CODES AND CONVENTIONS

Codes we get looking at this beginning sequence is who is this man who is running and why is he running as well as who from? Then when the runner is shot dead the question arises that why did the black coated man shoot the runner guy, plus who iis he and what has he got in that metal breifcase that he is holding? Before all that why was the runner so frantiic and scared?

CAMERAWORK

At the start of the sequence you are given an arial shot to show us the audience where this film it set. Then we just have still shots of the area until we see a man running from someone. Also we have pan shots of the running man crossing the road irresponsibly as well as in the alley way with the pizz man getting shot and a pan of him coming past the killer. Also steady can is used. Through out the sequecne you can see a point of view shot (POV) from what looks like the chaser looking from a bit of the distance of the man who is running from the chaser. Plus we have low angle and high angle shots of the runner jumping off great height obstacles just to get away from the chaser, desparation. Finall y we have a close up of the runners face to show his emotions and teeth and then we can label him on our opinion of the type of person he might be, e.g. drug addict, slum etc. Near the very end of the opening scene you have a still shot at the end that doesn't follow the killer to build up mystery and to tell us that we are not going to be folowing his side of the story in this film. Then a forward tracking shot to the pizza man who ahs been shot to sygnify he is still alive.

MISE-EN-SCENE

Setting of the film is Washington annd it suggests that this thriller is going to be a political thriller. Then we get the setting of the busy street telling us that the city is always very busy and crowded. We have the composition of pedestrians in the streets and then we get an old couple which shows a fragile people in the city and then they get hit into by the man who is running and he knocks them over. Where the man runs into a shop with fragile antiques and then breaks them while he runs through them. That makes the setting erratic and anxious. After the man finishs going through the alleys, he hise in a bigger alley behind rubbish and barrel tanks, in a dark and griity setting. Once the man is hidden you can see his yellow teeth which can imply to us, the audience that he might be a drug dealer or user or even part of a gang. The chaser is then revealed in black dark clothing signifying that he doesn't want to be notice especially since his gun (prop) has a silencer attached to it. The composition of the chaser shooting the chaser makes him out as an executioner. Then we get a guy in pizza delivery clothing so we obviously know that the man on the bicycle is a pizza boy. When the pizz boy sees whaats haapened he speeds up on his bike. Then the chaser has to run away so he can't get caught by anyone else so he has to remain secret to characters that are in the film.

SOUND

In this pening sequence we have a lot of diegetic sound being used to set the scene. The diegetic sounds through the scene are from the old people getting hit into and you can see them be bumped into. Then we can see the runner get hit by the motoor scooter and since we can see and hear what has happened that makes us feel his pain. We can then also see the antiques smashing with the smashing noises as well as the runner running and skidding across the floor and banging into barrels he hides behind. All those components build up suspense to a asynchronous bullet sound hitting the runner, then it becomes synchronous once we see the shooter firing the bullet from the gun. To the noises start off erratic and then come to a sudden stop to end the struggle. That struggle comes from the runner from us hearing him grunting and makes sounds of pin, but they come to a stop once he is killed, which signifies he is now silent and even relieve of his fear. Back to the sounds creating the scene, we can hear helicopter sounds and police sirens which can connote the city is a danger zone and has a lot of crime. Throughout the sound we have non-diegetic sound which is like music because it doens't come from the natural world. The music in the sequence sounds mysterious and anonymous to make characters seem secretive. The music sounds like a thriller type music.

EDITING

You have in the editing of this sequence, long takes and this helps build up the scene at this is at the beginning of the opening sequence of the movie. But when we see the man running across the round you have very short takes and this helps build up speed of the scene and sets the pace.

GRAPHICS

Universal titles as well as other working titles and logos to show us who has created the movie. The setting of the movie is the background for the titles when they pop out. Then later the title "State Of Play" appears in a black and white background and falshes 'red' and 'blue'. The colour 'blue' can signify a sense of calm and the 'red' can give us a sense of danger. Also they both could represent the 'American Flag'.

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3. Strangers on a Train

NARRATIVE STRUCTURE

The beginning of the sequence in this thriller gives us the narrative that maybe to men who have just met are going to help eachother kill someone. So you've got a successful sports man who maybe wants to kill his wife. Then we have a in your face man who wants to kill his dad. Then we a led to think that the narrative might be the two men swapping eachothers murder victims. Two characters are a man and Bruno who is telling the man about his plan of murder. Emphasizes that the murder will be a murder with the man humoring Bruno about his "great" plan! So we all know that Bruno then thinks the man is on board with the idea. Plus fame and celebrity commentary - civilians have power over famous people because they can know more about you than you know yourself because of papparazzi etc...

THRILLER CODES AND CONVENTIONS

So now we ask questions on why did Bruno just tell a complete stranger about his murder and why did he choose him? Plus how long has he been planning this type of crime for? Why does't bruno like his Dad, what happened between them when he lived with his father? Once the beginning sequence ends we ask whats going to happen next? Conventions - we get the music change in the sequence then it sounds more like a thriller tune from a happy and humorous tune. When we are put in the train we get a creepy sensual guy suddenly having a meeting on the train. Further more the sounf was non-conventional and the sequence relied on the dialogue.

CAMERAWORK

The camera at the beggining of opening sequence you get are wide shot of an arch building into train station implying that something big is going to happen. Then we get given a low level shot of Bruno's bright white shoes showing he is anonynous at this time, same with the other low level shot of the other man with the black shoes. Since they used the same shot on both of them could show that both their lives are going to intwine with eachother. Once they are on the train you get a point of view (POV) shot from Bruno's perspective and now his plan has come into action. Then we see both characters that are now not anonynous anymore with a two shot, showing a connection between them and that the fates have now collided.

MISE-EN-SCENE

The start of scene we have a setting showing an arch building of the grand train station which is then showing a grand concept in the narrative plot. Just by the setting of the area we can tell this movie is set in America. Soon after we get the american cabs that are also anonymous so shows mystery in the film. Then we get Brunos outrageous shoes that a bright white which reflects his personality of wild, creepy and in your face. The other man we get a prop of a tennis racket telling the ausience that he plays tennis and he had plain shoes reflecting that he is more bland, normal and straight forward than Bruno is. In the scene when every one is going through to get on the train we get slightly confused because we can see Bruno with his shoes but we can't see the other man meaning he blends in with the crowd and Bruno is like a light in the dark. The setting of the train shows the composition of every one on the trains and they are all strangers to eachother. That setting of every one being strangers to eachother highlights that humanity goes on with life with strangers. Further on we get the view of the train tracks, this is a metaphor to tell us that these two mens paths are going to intwine and cross into eachother. Adding on to that we have the train turning probably showing what the men are going to do is going to turn for the worst. Then we have Bruno with his stupid to weare for his Mum letting audience know he's a mummies boy. Also just before they start to talk to eachother they met buy their feet touching, was this accidental or fate, we can only guess and thats when their identities are finally revealed as well.

SOUND

For starters the music is epic and grand and not at all scary and creepy as well as a bit of romance which is strange because its supposed to be a thriller. So its not typically thriller music. However the music changes when shoes come out the cabs - gives off a "Tom & Jerry" feel. So this music implies that Bruno is probably and excitable person since the music came on when he got out of the cab first which could also mean that his character could be very annoying also. Both characters are moving with music and that builds up tension. Again since they are moving together with music their lives are connected somehow. Finally the music starts to turn more triller like when Bruno gets onto the train and now its mysterious. Then the dialogue of Bruno, "I do admire people who do things" signifying that he like people who seize the moment rather than leave it. So it basically means that he wishes that he could have gone through with murdering his dad. Before that Bruno said that "I don't talk much" but its a lie because he does nothing but talk that signifies him as an outgoing person and a bit of a nutter.

EDITING

Quick cut editing of both characters walking into the same station signifying that both Bruno's life and the mans life are going to intwine. Also reverse shot editing to show a conversation between the two characters.

GRAPHICS

The titles are big, bold and obviously whire becaue its a Black and White movie. The lettering is squared and has drop shadows and old fashioned text since its an old film. Plus there is a mixture of bold title text and hand writing title text.

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4. The Dark Knight

NARRATIVE STRUCTURE

The narrative structire you get from the opening scene of The Dark Knight is that the city is full of crime and that the main villain in the film that the narrative is based on is a guy who calls himself the Joker who seems to be a very disturbed and crazy man.

THRILLER CODES AND CONVENTIONS

There are lots of questions in this opening scene, you want to know who is the Joker? Why are all the mob theives killing eachother while they are robbing a bank? Why does the villain put a fake grenade in the bankers mouth? Why do they need the money from the bank? What have they set out to acheive from robbing the bank? Why is Gotham City in such a state of criminal actions?

CAMERAWORK

The opening scene of The Dark Knight Starts off with an ariel shot of tall buildings in the city with the ariel shot getting closer to the windows of a certain building. This ariel shot is leading the audience to where the action is. You see a tracking shot being used with the camera tilting slowly down to a man in a siut with a clown mask in his hands. The camera gets closer to the mask signifying that this man might be a bit of a clown and since its a mask that he could be getting ready to commit a crime. We have got another ariel shot of two criminals zip lining from one building to another with wide shot looking down at them which is showing how high they are up in the air and what lengths they are going to just to commit a crime. Camera in car to watch the criminals have a conversation - 3 shot & Close ups. You have pan shots to keep up with the criminals quickly heading into the bank. You have fast tracking shots moving back from the front of the criminals to emphasize how quickly they have taken over the bank. Close ups of grenades to signify danger. Wide shots to see the area they are in which is a bank. We have close ups and medium shots to see movements and reactions e.g. the banker. High angle shots to look down at the money to show they have stolen a lot of it. High angle shot looking doown at banker signifying he is weak and vulnerable. Close up and high angle of jokers face signifying he's in control.

MISE-EN-SCENE

Setting of a city area so its going to be a highly populated place. Criminals have masks to hide their identity telling us they are going to do a crime. They have equipment thats going to help them rob the bank and get on the roof of the bank. Clothes are not bright in colour and they are wearing gloves so they don't want to be noticed or caught. Guy with a clown mask at the side of his leg, clowns are funny but the clown mask looks sad. So it can describe this man as a humerous person but in the wrong kind of way. He also has a bag which could contain stuff that is going to help him rob the bank. Pedestrians walking every where like normal day in the city life - busy. A van he gets into which looks old and worn out tells us they are not really reach maybe want low profile and that this is their get away car. Guns so they are criminals and they need fire power to help them to complete their crime. More equipment to hack into bank security systems which tells us they came prepared and that this crime was planned. Setting looks like what you expect a bank to loo, clean, organized and little tables and pens and main desks to sort out your banking life. Technical wiring for the banks security and the man hacking into the systems implies that these criminals are smart. Props of grenades which is an immediate sign of danger. Big metal vault telling us that this is where the money is and it needs to be protected and kept safe. Prop of a vault opener that the criminal has showing that he has come prepared. Banker wearing suit showing that he is a well paid man and that he is very proffesional. Bags ready so we immediately know they are going to take something from the vault. See props of lots of money and deposit boxes so we know that the criminal is inside the vault. Plus the vault looks very organized. School bus crashes into bank and only the last criminal standing knows about it telling us that he is deceiving everyone. Joker with face paints on tells us that he is a bit wweird and strange because he is a grown man and kids are the ones usually getting the faces painted for fun. All the school busses coming at the same time shows that he planned this crime to start and end ay specific times.

SOUND

First of all you have gun shots that are synchronous sounds. Music starts of mysterious. Then the music gets a faster beat and thats letting us know some action is going to take place. That is mixed with mysterious earie noise to let mystery build. Now the action starts because the beat kicks in. Then it builds up as if the tension in staring to build. With the music you have diegetic sound incorporated like the guy zip lining, cars skidding, doors closing, smashing windows smashing and buildings smashing.

EDITING

The whole opening of the scene its just cut editing that has some fast cut editing to build up suspense and some long takes to show whats happening in the area. But thats pretty much everything on editing.

GRAPHICS

The only graphics that are on the opening sequence is the company logos which seem to be tinted blue like the bat symbol that is formed from smoke which is the title without using text. The tint blue can mean neutral and you can link that to the movie that everyone in the world innocent and guilty people are all the same.

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5. Vancancy

NARRATIVE STRUCTURE

The narrative we get is a couple are travelling and they need to rest after a long trip and they are on a road he took as a short cut which we the audience immediately think is going to lead into danger. E.g. empty motel that no one goes to and the owners might be psychopathes.

THRILLER CODES AND CONVENTIONS

Questions on where are the couple going? Why are they driving so late? and gives us conventions that the movie is going to be dark and evil because of the dark setting and that it will be near a motel because they seem to want to stop and rest.

CAMERAWORK

You have close ups of characters face to show the expressions on there face and to watch them have a conversation. Long ariel shot too see the area and a car driving on the road. Low camera on the floor to see the car come round the corner of the road with a tracking shot going back to show the raccoon on the road which we don't realise is there until we see it and they nearly crash.

MISE-EN-SCENE

Got woodlands that indiicates that they are kind of in the midddle of knowhere and its also very dark so its dangerous to drive in and the dark is scary. You have the couple wearing plainclothes which just ells us that they are travelling and they don't have to wear anything special.

SOUND

The sound is of night time sounds such as crickets and the odd tree making noises and that helps the scenary that its late and that its time for bed. Plus the car skidding noise indicates us that they are in danger because we think they are going to get hurt from crashing the car. Then you have music that builds up tension and danger and then does a quick cresendo to when thee guy sees the raccoon onn the road and tries to dodge the raccoon.

EDITING

You have the graphics text fading into a video transition to the cars number plate. There are edit cuts to show a conversation (reverse editing) and the cuts go faster when they are about to crash.

GRAPHICS

The text is big and bold and use the colours of red yellow and white. The red can stand for blood and death and the white could give us the sign of her is the light to heaven because you might die. Since the text has a chaotic composition this could tell us that there might be characters in the film that a weird and very abnormal and crazy.

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6. The Shining

NARRATIVE STRUCTURE

From th opening scene from the shining we get a narrative that we get from the area is that its going to have a lot going on because of the connotations of the space there is in the camera shot. Since we see so many shots of the different areas like snow, grass, mountains etc. This can signify there is going to be a lot of changes and twist in the story. Since we can see such a large are that looks reaaly deserted, it connotes isolation. Since the opening scene is so long of the same thing that signifies that whatever is going to happen is going to seem like a long and traumatic time for the characters.

THRILLER CODES AND CONVENTIONS

The Shining has codes like why are we following that yellow car?, who is in the yellow car?, where are they? where are they going?, so those questions are building up anticipation on whats going to happen in the movie. The conventions of the movie show that this is going to be a very mysterious and maybe even scary film because we don't know what going to happen and people don't like that.

CAMERAWORK

The only camera work we get in the shining opening sequence is an ariel shot that if following a yellow car. So this could only connote that this narrative might have involved with the paranormal since the camera is so high in the sky where heaven is, and thats where ghostd are.

MISE-EN-SCENE

First of all the area is very big and this connotes freedom and also isolation from the population of the world. Adding to that we see a car on a round with lots of trees around the area and that again connotes isolation and also fear. Since its sunny the area looks warm and that can signify the people in the car to be warm and happy people. However when the scenery changes to the mountains that can present them as rigid and maybe tough people to get along with. Then we see a yellow car which connotes the people in the car are bright and happy people and I said about the sunny day. But soon after we get and area where snow is everywhere, this can signify that a massive change is going to happen to the peopel in the car in personality or even death (cold bodies). Then we see a big house which presents the people in the car as rich or that they are coming here for a holiday.

SOUND

The sound has a minor key and played by organs. This gives a ghost feel to the atmosphere because pipe organs a played in churches and the dead are buried and become spirits. So the music gives connotations of evil and fear, as the music carries on we can hear an eerie noise which can signify the paranormal might be following the car. Near the end we hear a strange noise maybe played by strings, it sounds kind of like a creepy scream, this give connotations of fear and danger. Music in non-diegetic sound.

EDITING

There is one dissolve cut to another area which could signify a disturbance to the car we end up following with the long takes that are being use which can also connotae the long drive the people are having to reach their destination. We also get cuts that show the same car but in different areas, this is showing the journey and since the areas change this can signify a lot is going to change to the whoever is in the car.

GRAPHICS

The text colour is blue, this colour has connotations of serenity and infinity however also can connote sadness. That can tell us that this movie might have a twist in emotions and change of the atmosphere mood. Also they use an effect that makes the text move up and out of the camera view. This can again connotes different personalities or area moods changing all the time that most likely keeps the audience on the edge of their seats.

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