The Bridge By Alec Hayes

The Bridge is a Scandinavain Crime Tv Drama. It is a series created and written by Hans Roeenfeldt. So far three seasons of the show

have been broadcasted. The episode I will analysis is series 3 Episode 1. The basic plot summary of Series 3 Episode 1 is that a

body is found murdered and posed on a construction site in Malmö, Sweden. Detectives are trying to figure out the cause of the death.

The opening shot is an establishing shot. It is a typical convention of crime TV drama to have the first shot as an establishing shot, an a establishing shot sets the scene and allows the audience to immerse themselves into the setting. It is clearly set at night time, it is typical for crimes to happen at night. We know instantly as the audience that the night time location could mean the storyline is about vulnerability and mystery. The unsettling un-harmonious non-diegetic sound creates a chilling atmosphere.

The camera shot is a wide angle shot with the location being at an industrial estate. The wide angle shot has been used to capture the key elements of the foreground, middle ground, background, and the sky. This allows the audience to gain a unique perspective of the location. Furthermore the rule of thirds haven been used to great effect. The focus when applying the rule of thirds to the photo is of the light and the large industrial building. It is clear that the building has a huge significant to the storyline. Furthermore it is a typical convention of a crime TV drama to have an abandoned setting which is poorly lit. It is typical for crime to happen at night. A narrative enigma has been created through out the sequence, as the audience we are unable to identify the relevance of the industrial estate to the story. The opening sequence aim is to capture the audiences feelings. There is a flashing light coming from the building. The flashing light comes apparent as the opening sequence goes on.

A Tracking shot has been used. As the audience we are getting closer to the light, we as the audience are unable to see where the light is coming from. The mystery and suspense created is a typicality of an opening sequence, we may use the idea of suspense and mystery for our final task. As the audience we can't see what is happening in the scene, the limitations of what the audience is able to see adds to the growing tension. The slow tracking shot juxtaposes future events in the opening sequence.

The camera shot is a canted angle. A canted angle has been used to portray unease and to disorientate the audience. The close up shot allows the audience to emerge themselves within the action, the foreground is blurred with the main focus on the lifeless arm. The Rack focus is used to keep the main subject in focus and the rest of the scene out of focus drawing the audience’s attention to the subject in focus. It is typically used when emphasising a object or a person. In the bride the use rack focus indicates what may happen later on in the opening sequence.

The camera shot used is a low angle shot. The low angle shot is used to indicate the importance of the warning signs. The low angle also indicates that people who enter are vulnerable and defenceless. The signs are in clear focus indicating that it is the important subject of the frame. The setting is well lit, this juxtaposes the warning signs suggestion of the area being dangerous. It is typical of a area with large amounts of crime to have CCTV signs and CCTVs dotted around the area . The foreground is out of focus, with the main focus on the highly positioned warning signs.

The camera shot is a high angle shot. It is supposedly shot from a CCTV camera, as the audience we understand it is a CCTV camera due to the low quality camera and the live time update. It appears to be real footage of a criminal.

The first time we see humans is off the two men in a car. The two men appear to be a typical detective duo. The well lit setting indicates that the two detectives are innocent. The eerie atmosphere and the hysterical faces of individuals adds to the ever growing tension. As the audience we assume the men are less suspicious because we can see their faces. The cuts to this shot indicate that time has past and that there has been a time elapse. The men are not currently under threat or in danger.

The two males detectives go into the building of which they're were looking at. It is clear that the director has chosen not to show everything that happens, leading from when they're in the car. The audience is behind the characters, as the audience we are able to immerse in the action. The lighting is low key, creating mystery and tension. Both the characters and audience are unable to guess on what will happen next.

The camera shot is an extreme long shot. The extreme long shot is used to show the defenceless and vulnerability of the family. As the audience we instantly know something isn't right, due to the family siting in the middle of abandoned building with lights staged onto them. We see the family first before the characters creating a slight dramatic irony. Furthermore we know as much as the actors do. The bizarrely staged family is unexpected and creates a narrative enigma.

The camera shot is a Tilt shot. The camera tilts down then pans across. The camera appears to a handheld camera, this indicates the realism of the scenario. As the camera title down then pan across there is a huge change in focus, it only become apparent that the girl is holding a doll when the camera becomes focused. This adds to the dramatic tension. The mise-en-scene is of a doll plying with another doll. Both are inhuman however the girl appears to the audience as being more "human like". The victim being a child is often created in horror films and not TV dramas. The close up of the toys conveys the typicality of what kids love to, play with toys. A Narrative enigma has been created, because the audience and the characters are unable identify why the doll is staged in a bizarre manner. The pace of editing get quicker the more we see of the doll family. This creates tensions and ultimately climax is approaching.

This is when we first see the mans reaction to the scenario. The male looks confused and nervous. Although the room is dark we are still able to see the face of the man. Both the audience and characters are now questioning the relevance of the family. As the audience we the characters reaction before the audience see what he is reaction to, this build suspense and mystery. For a brief moment the character knows more than the audience do.

Eventually the audience sees what the two men are looking at. The men are look at a real person who is covered with the same make up as the dolls. It is the first time as the audience we see the human doll. The women appears to be somebody dead however her eyes are wide open. The Close up shot emphasis her eyes and make up. The non-Diegetic sound mirrors how they want the audience to feel. The Long metal sound adds to the ever growing tension. The significant of the women is presented to the audience in a variety of ways. One of the was she is presented to the audience as being significant is that the women has the longest screen time out of all the dolls, indicating her strong presence and significance to the storyline.