Conventions of an opening sequence

• An opening sequence needs to draw the the audience in, by not making things obvious and making the audienceask questionsand want to find out more and want to carry on watching to find out what's happening, close-upsare used, this is to not reveal to much to the audience and makethem want to carry on watching.

• Opening sequences need to give clues about what the film could overall be about. For example; showing a dead person might indicate a horroror thriller, showing a group of teenagers may indicate that the film will revolve around a school or the life of a young person, or showing a shot of a space ship would indicate that the film could be set in space and would be a Sci-Fi.
  
• Opening sequences also need to reveal the setting or location of the film. This creates an atmosphere for the audience, if you were to show adark forest it would have the audience scared and on edge whereas if you showed a sunny bright location it will make the audience feel normal and happy.

• Opening sequences need to include titles, with the name of the film, main actors, directors and other people that helped create the film. The way the titles are set out helps to create an atmosphere of a film, if you were to have a black background with writing in red with blood dripping it would indicate it's a horror film whereas if you were to have nice swirly writing it may indicate its a romance or romantic comedy.

• The music also helps to create the atmosphere that an opening sequence is trying to achieve, for evample in this opening sequence 'scouting for girls- she's so lovely' was playing in the background, this type of music is generally listened to by teenagers therefore it will indicate that this film is probably about teenagers.

Kiss Me Deadly (1955, Robert Aldrich, USA)

Title of Film:

Going down the screen, you see ' "kiss me ' first and then ' deadly" ' this makes the audience confused and could portray that the film could be

like a mystery and that everything comes clear at the end which will leave the audience in suspense throughout the film. Also it doesn't give anything away about the film which is good as it keeps the audience wanting to know more.

How Setting/ Location is Revealed:

The woman is running down a main road at night, the fact it's at night creates a mysterious atmosphere and makes the audience ask questions like; 'why is she out this late down a main road?' The setting is quite plane which doesn't

reveal anything to the audience which makes them question where the woman is.

Costumes and Props:

The woman has bare feet and is only wearing a trench coat, this is strange and makes the audience question what has happened to her or why she is dressed like this. The costume creates suspicion amongst the audience and they know that something bad has probably happened.

Interesting camera work/ editing:

Close-up of her bare feet running, brings it to the attention of the audience and shows the significance of her not wearing shoes, also shows that she's running and makes it more frantic causing the audience want to ask questions like; 'why is she running?'. It helps to create the atmosphere of a thriller as it shows the urgency of the woman and creates suspense.

Title and font style:

White, large capitals which stand out which make them look important, maybe like a warning and they are also really simple and don't give away too much information which keeps the audience interested and want to carry on watching to learn more.

Story - how the opening sets it up:

Very simple, gets the audience asking questions straight away, draws the audience in making sure they get hooked and want to carry on watching so their questions are answered and they know what happens. When the woman gets in the mans car the audience are waiting for him to ask her questions so we can find out what's going on but that doesn't happen until they see the police and they find out she escaped from a mental asylum.

Genre-how the opening suggests it:

Kiss Me Deadly is a thriller, the opening suggests this as it gets the audience asking questions. The woman running creates and intense atmospher

e and the audience want to know what's happening. When the police ask if the man if he has seen the woman the audience want to know why she was in an asylum and why the man is helping her and whether he is going to do something bad to her or if she will do something bad to him.

How characters are introduced:

The woman is introduced whilst running, this creates the atmosphere of a thriller as the audience know that something bad has happened or is about to. She looks vulnerable which makes the audience feel worried for her and on edge

waiting to see what happens. The man is seen as stern although nice as he let her in the car and didn't tell the police about her, he is kind of suspicious like he might have something to hide.

Sound:

The music whilst the woman is running is intense and creates an urgency with the running, this indicates to the audience that the woman needs to get away or get somewhere. It helps to create the atmosphere of a thriller as the audience are on edge waiting to see what happens.

Double Indemnity (1944, USA, Billy Wilder)

The title of the film:

The title comes up at the beginning when you can see the whole f the mans silhouette, the fact the title comes up the same time as the mans silhouette shows that he is important to the film and that he is probably the main character, it gets the audience wanting to know who he is.
How the setting/ location is revealed:
It is night time in a city, you can see street lights on and that it's dark. This is a good setting for a thriller as night and dark places are mysterious and are stereo-typed as dangerous so it has the audience on edge.

Costumes and props:

The man is wearing a coat and hat which covers him up, the audience don't get to see him properly until he is in the office, this makes him seem mysterious and has the audience asking questions.

Interesting camera work:
There is interesting editing of the transition from the opening titles to the opening of the film. The mans silhouette has filled up most of the screen and then it fades into the film, this is affective as it makes the man seem important so the audience want to find out who he is and why he is an important character.

Title and font style:

The titles go up over a silhouette of a man on crutches coming towards the screen and the font is very similar, this is affective as it doesn't reveal to much and is very mysterious which is what you would want from a thriller, the audience start asking questions.

Story - how the opening sets it up:

The scene when the man records what he has done, sets up the story as he reveals that he has killed a man which is important as it's letting the audience know information about the character and gets the audience on edge and asking questions like; 'why did he kill someone?', 'who did he kill?'

Genre-how the opening suggests it:
It doesn't give away too much information which keeps the audience interested and wanting to know more, there are lots of shots from behind the main character which make the audience question who he is and why we are following this character, as he must be important.How characters are introduced:

The man is driving really fast which shows he is urgently trying to get somewhere, we find out it's a man when he gets out of his care and follow him into a building,waiting to find out what he is doing there and who he is, he is presented as very mysterious y his costume covering him and the camera following hi from behind.Sound:
Frantic music playing whilst the car is driving fast makes it seem urgent that the person gets to where they are going as it goes with what we are seeing on the screen. It helps show the genre of the thriller as it makes the audience more interested wanting to know what is going to happen when the person gets to the destination and why it's so important.

Wallander (Firewall, MacCormick, 2008, UK)

The Title of the film:

The colours used are black and yellow which are associated with danger signs and represents the danger in the thriller as before the audience just saw a seriously injured man and two girls walking away from him, this indicates that the girls are dangerous and the audience want to know what happened.How the setting/ location is revealed:

The establishing shot pans over the sea onto land and shows the car and the two girls walking, this is typical of a thriller as it gets the audience asking questions such as; 'whats just happened?' and 'why are they in the middle of nowhere?' This shot also reveals to the audience that the characters are in quite a deserted place and when they see the next shot of the injured man and then the girls walking away it indicates that the man will quite possibly die as it would be a very small chance that he will be found quickly.

Costume and props:

The costume of the older looking girl with the red hair extensions is affective as it makes her look quite rebellious and maybe even dangerous which makes the audience know straight away that she has injured the man in the car. An important prop is the taxi drivers license in the car as this gives away information and clues to the audience which is typical of a thriller, it lets the audience know who the man is and what his job is and that he was probably just driving the girls somewhere which gets the audience asking questions such as; 'what has he done to make the girls do this to him?'

Interesting camera work/ editing:

Lot's of close-ups are used throughout as they build up suspense and doesn't give too much away to the audience which makes the audience ask questions and want to know what happens next, this is typical of a thriller as they draw the audience in and make them want to watch and find out more. Close-ups are also affective as they give clues to the audience such as the close-up of the girls hand with the knife in it, this informs the audience of the weapon used to harm the man and it makes the audience wonder why the girl had this weapon and whether she planned what she was doing.

Title and font style:
The yellow background of the titles is bright and, like a warning sign, captures the attention of the audience and make them know that there is going to be a lot of danger throughout, also the font is bold and black which catches the audiences attention and again like a warning sign indicates danger.

Story-how the opening sets it up:The opening is that of a typical thriller it shows the man seriously injured which straight away has the audience asking questions and hooked, waiting to find out what happened and how. Also it gives clues throughout the opening sequence which gets the audience thinking and trying to work out what happened.

Genre-How the opening suggests it:Straight away you know this film is a thriller, someone is seriously injured and is probably going to die, you start asking questions and want to know what happened and you know that it will slowly unfold the story giving small clues and hints along the way.

How any characters are introduced:
The two girls are introduced when they are walking away from the car but you can only see the back of them, this already has the audience wanting to know what they look like and stuff about them.

Any particular shot i like:
In one shot of the two girls faces one is in focus and the others isn't this indicates that the girl with her face focused is in charge and more important than the other girl. It's really simple but affective as you know straight away that the older Goth girl is the dangerous one and she has control over the other girl.Sound:
There is a strong wind noise when the camera is panning over the sea, this creates an erie, mysterious atmosphere and already has the audience on edge. There is also a hyperbolic sound of footsteps which makes it seem more urgent that the girls are walking away and need to get away fast. Also the girls have heavy breathing and don't speak at all which builds up suspense with the audience waiting for them to speak and find out whats happened.

Brick (Rian Johnson, 2005, USA)

Title of film: The title of the film is simple but affective, it has a black background and has white writing in capitals with a simple font, this is good as it doesn't give anything away about the film which is a typical characteristic of a thriller as they only give little clues throughout the film until it all unfolds at the end.

How setting/ location is revealed:The setting is revealed in the opening when Brandon is crouching looking at Emily's body in the storm drain, this shows the audience what's going to happen at the end which is affective as it gets them asking questions like; 'how did this happen?', 'why did this happen?' which is what you want from a thriller. It draws them in and makes them want to wait for their questions to be answered.

Costumes and Props:Emily's braclettes are an important part of her costume, they are first shown in a close-up of her hand in the stream when shes dead and then another close-up she puts a note in Brandons locker. This tells the audience that it was Emily (the same person they just saw dead) that put the note in the locker, and that she was wearing the same things

two days before which informs them she could have been kidnapped and makes the audience ask more questions and want to know what happens in between Emily putting the note in Brandons locker and her dying.Interesting camera work/ editing: The establishing shot at the beginning is of Brandon crouching looking at Emily's dead body this is an affective establishing shot as it sets up lots of questions in the audiences mind and creates the atmosphere of a thriller. It gets the audience wanting to know whats going to happen next and ask all sorts of questions like; 'what happened?', 'who killed her?' and 'why did they kill her?'.

Story-how the opening sets the story up:he opening sets up the story as it draws the audience in by making them ask lots of questions and gets them into wanting to know, they start putting piecs of the story together using the clues that the story gives them. The cigarette is put as a close-up which makes the audience question why it's important and what it could be key to in the story. The shot of Emily dead also helps to set up the story as the audience know that the rest of the film is going to show the un-folding of Emily's death.

Genre (thriller)-and how the opening suggests it:Straight away the audience know that the genre is a thriller as they can see someone has died and they start to ask questions and want to know more.

How any characters are introduced:The way the characters are introduced helps to set up the atmosphere of a thriller as Emily is first seen as dead, so straight away the audience are asking questions. Brandon is just looking at her dead body which makes the audience want to know whether he killed her and what happened.

Any special effects/ particular shot i like:I really like the shot of a close-up of Emily's hand in the stream, just by looking at it you can tell that she's dead and that something specific has happened for this to happen, it's compsed really well and looks good.

Sound:Whilst Brandon is on the phone to Emily there is music playing in the background which makes the scene more intense and builds up suspence drawing the audience in and creating the atmosphere of a thriller.

The Sixth Sense (1999, M. Night shyamalan, USA)

Film Title:

The film title is affective as it is in spaced out capitals across the screen which makes it stand out and seem important. The font is also in blue which is a typical colour associated with thrillers. Also, when the Title comes up the music changes to suddenly which is quite jumpy and it also sounds quite urgent because the music that plays when the title comes up implies that the film could be scary. It really helps to give an atmosphere of the film.

Setting:

The setting if first revealed when the audience can see that the woman is in a cellar, hence, she is most probably in a house. This helps to create an erie atmosphere as cellars are dark and dingy which can be quite creep and make the audience feel on edge. This is a good setting to open the film as thrillers are usually set in quite bland, dark, mysterious places where something unknown could happen.

Costumes and Props:
The costume of the women plays along with a women stereotype, she is made to look pretty and is in a long bright coloured dress, she looks as if she's come back from a party. This is affective as when she is in the cellar getting wine, she looks really vulnerable. The wine is an important prop as it helps to indicate that the characters are drinking, which also indicates that in effect of the drink the characters become more vulnerable and in a less alert state of mind which is important later on in the film when they encounter someone that has broken in. The man is also wearing a suit, this shows him and the woman had probably been out somewhere. the prop of the award is important as it indicates they had been to some sort of party or awards evening and they read it out so you get to know some of the background of the male character. This prop is important as it gives away information to the audience that the male character in that he is a Doctor of Psychology, therefore there might be encounters with psychiatric patients throughout the film. The costume of the man that has broken into the house is odd as he is only in underwear, this makes him seem strange and indicates to the audience that he is possibly mentally ill, even though he is a threat to the other main characters he seems vulnerable due to him having no clothes on and being exposed, this makes the the audience feel pathos towards him.

Camera work and Editing:

The close-up of the woman's feet running up the stairs is affective as it shows a matter of urgency and emphasises the fact that she is running which makes it seem like the cellar is dangerous. another technique is that it zooms into the characters faces when they realise someone is in the house, this is affective as it emphasises their emotion and shows they are worried and scared which is the atmosphere that needs creating in thrillers.

Titles and Font Style:
The title font is plain which is easy to read and doesn't matter as it has a good backing track which creates the atmosphere needed to draw the audience in. The titles get stretched across the screen with erie music playing in the background this creates a mysterious atmosphere and draws the audience in. The titles are also blue which is a typical thriller associated colour.

How the Opening Sets The Story Up:

The opening is good in how it sets the story up as it gets the audience ready on edge, waiting for the first exciting part to happen. Also the opening helps the audience to find out information about the characters, especially the man as you find out about his past his life now and about his career, this gives the audience some idea of how the film might go.

Genre:

The genre of this film is a Thriller, the opening of this film suggests this in many ways. The music whilst the titles are running creates a very erie, mysterious atmosphere which draws the audience in. The setting at the beginning in the cellar is creepy and makes the audience on edge which is what a thriller is meant to do, this is due to the audience knowing that cellars are dark places underground which makes it seem dangerous. Also after the man gets shot it is left on a cliffhanger and the scene changes keping the audience in suspence which is a key characteristic of a thriller.

How characters are introduced:

The woman is introduced first in the cellar, women are seen as vulnerable characters in thrillers so the fact that shes on her own in a dark place makes the audience feel anxious for her. The man is introduced as the womans partner when she goes back to the living room and he is sitting waiting for her, this shows that he might be a person that could protect the woman when something bad happens in the film. The mental person is introduced when the couple go upstairs and notice that someone has broken in and they find him in the bathroom.

Good shots:

I really like this shot of the cellar through the shelving as it looks like someones watching the woman when she walks it, it also is blocking the view therefore the audience are wanting to see more and want to know what is going to happen.

Analysis of Memento

Cinematography:
A lot of close-ups are used during the film, this is affective a it builds tension for the audience as they cant fully see what is happening so they are waiting for the camera shot to change so they can see whats going to happen.


Panning is used as it makes the audience feel more involved and it builds up tension as the audience want to know where the camera is going to stop.


Sound:
Music used during opening credits and throughout the film is quite anxious sounding which helps create the atmosphere that the thriller needs.




The main character does a voice over that is his thoughts, this makes the audience feel more involved in the film as they are being let into the main characters head



Editing:
When the film cuts back to going forward instead of backwards it's in black and white which informs the audience that the time in the film has changed.

During the opening sequence when the poloroid is rewiding being developed it is foreshowing the main characters condition in having short term memory, it shows his memory fading.


Mise en scene:

Props are important, at the begining there is a close up of a bullet and a pair of glasses splattered with blood which informs the audience that someone probably got shot.



The tattoo's on the main character are important as they reveal information to the audience before the character knows.