Task 12 – Opening Sequence Analysis

Conduct a textual analysis by looking at similar films you

are intending to produce.

The Different Films I Looked at

• Taken• The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo• Twilight• The Box

The 4 different films I looked at are all in the thriller genre, but have different storylines so I could explore the genre further.

Characters

In the film ‘Twilight’ the character ‘Bella’ is shown as an introverted person. This is portrayed through the fact that she doesn’t give to much away about herself in the opening sequence and she sort of keeps herself to herself. This also makes her seem independent, however this is contradicted in the rest of the film as she has to rely on other people a lot to save her life.

Characters 2

In the film ‘Taken’, he is shown as a strong man, this could be because he is an ex- CSI agent for the government. This makes him similar to the main character in Twilight, because it also makes him seem independent, especially as in the first scene he is sitting on his own in the dark. This could portray that he is also a lonely character.

Characters 3

The main Character in ‘The Box’, ‘Norma’ is shown as quite innocent, however she commits a strong action when pushing the button to kill someone. I think the main way this has been created is by her high pitch, soft voice giving her a sweet tone.

Character 4

In ‘The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo’ the woman is shown as strong, maybe a bit dangerous at first. This is displayed through her look because she is shown as tough and has a striking appearance made up of tattoo’s and piercings.

Setting

• Most of the films opening sequence started in a homely setting.

• In ‘The Box’ it starts of with a married couple in bed, in there home giving a sense of security.

• In ‘Taken’ the films starts of Bryan dreaming of his little girl, this is him reflecting on happier times, as when he awakens he is on his own a dark room.

Camerawork

• Establishing shot – normally used in the beginning to show the setting of the scene

• Close ups – used to identify the main characters, and used on anything which is important and relevant in the film. For Example, in ‘The Box’ it is used on the number plate of a car.

Mise En Scene• Most things are taken into account when being placed onto the

set, and are only placed there when necessary.

• Weapons – In the film ‘Taken’ there are weapons used in almost every scene, this is normally a gun.

• Wooden Box – In the film ‘The Box’ the wooden box which is relevant to the entire film, and in the opening sequence is displayed in almost every scene.

• Forest – In the film ‘Twilight’ the forest is shown in almost every shot in the opening sequence, this could be because a lot of the film is based around and in a forest.

Lighting

• Dark lighting is used in all the films I looked at.

• I also found that a lot of scenes where set in the evening or at night. This creates a feeling of you never know what is going to be out there. This plays on fears of a lot of people, as a lot of people are afraid of what might be in the dark, creating tension for the audience.

Lighting 2

• Another lighting used a lot is low key lighting because this creates shadows. This gives the feeling of mystery because you never know what is going to be in the shadows.

• I thought this was played on a lot in the film ‘The Box’, making the audience feel scared.

Sound• Music was common over the top of all the films I looked at.

Non Diegetic music is used to build up tension. This sound is normally high pitched and gets faster as the action builds up.

• For example in ‘The Box’ music is constantly played in the background to build up tension to the action.

• The music is slightly different in ‘Taken’ though because generally fast paced throughout and doesn’t lead up to action.

• In ‘The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo’ I would say that music is not used and relied on as much compared to the other films.

Editing

• Continuity editing is commonality in most of the opening scenes of the films that I looked at. This is because there isn’t a lot of action in the beginning scenes. This helps the film flows nicely.

• Although they are not used in the opening scenes, jump cuts are used when action is in the film. These quick fast paced cuts help build up tension.

Audience

• All the films I looked at are all aimed at the same audience, which is teenagers and young adults. This is a similar audience to what I will be aiming my film at.

• These films reach there audience well because the storylines are action packed, interesting and easy to follow. They cater for both female and male, by following love stories, for example in Twilight but use violence to attract the male audience.