I have chosen to complete a textual analysis of the thriller film – The girl with the dragon tattoo because it is the similar genre of the film opening that we will be producing. Also it is a particular opening sequence that I like visually and audibly.

The Opening Sequence opens with the name of the production company in which it was Columbia Entertainment. The use of this is very significant because it displays the film making company and it also may show the success it may have as this production company is very well known and has many previous successes. These shots lasts for less than 3 seconds and is the first thing we see on the screen, this conveys the type of film it may be and represents a sense of attainment.

Shot 1 & 2 - The shot that was chosen to be displayed next was an extreme long shot of a setting, in which the setting that was displayed a very hazy, dark surrounding of what looks to be like a lake that has the viewings of trees and other types of greenery. This shot transitions at a slow pace in which during this point of the opening sequence there is non diegetic sounds which include the ringing of a phone. The effect of this is that it creates the sense of suspense as the setting looks very calming and content whereas the frantic sounds creates the idea that something is wrong and needs to be made aware to the audience. However there is a underlying use of music that has been presented in which is very reassuring and palliative. There is a use of juxtaposition during this point of the sequence as it is portraying two very opposing feelings. This is frequent in a thriller film, as they attempt to confuse the audience and make the expect the unexpected. After this shot, a second extreme long shot is exposed, which is a scene of houses which looks very customary however it shows that it is winter as snow is demonstrated in this part of the sequence, also the settings seem slightly desolate and dismal this also is additional to the atmosphere that is being created. The change of setting displays a change of location, character and possibly time, in which this setting may manipulate the audience by creating certain expectations, from these settings, it creates the expectation that is calm however as it is a thriller something is due to occur.

Shot 3 – The next shot is of a character in which is the first character that is introduced, who is answering the phone in which the sound of the phone before was exploited throughout the first few shots of the opening sequence. Mise En Scene: In relation to the mise en scene of the opening sequence of the film the setting of the shot is very dark and is set in a kitchen which would be conveyed as very conventional however it is displayed as being very eerie and slightly disturbing resulting in the audience being on edge. This is very common for a thriller as it creates the sense of something that is unnatural and peculiar. From the use of props, this is very important as builds on the setting to make it look believable to the audience. The typical type of props are used in a kitchen which include: a kettle, toaster, cutlery etc. This suggests that the character is rather customary. Due to the normal surroundings, but dark atmosphere this could submit the idea that the established character could be brought into something that isn’t his usual routine. An additional factor of the mise en scene is costume and make up, in which this is an indicator of the characters personality, status and job. In the opening sequence of the film, the character that is displayed shows to have a very normal appearance of what a typical older generational man would wear, the use of dark colours suggest that he may not spend a lot of time on his appearance and has other factors that are more important to him. The use of costume also indicates that the film is from this century and it isn't clothes that are demonstrating other periods of time for example: Tudor period. It is hard to visualise the facial expression of the character, however from the side view of his face, it expresses a very distressed emotion which can show the mood that is exploited throughout the whole film. The body language that the character is displaying is very minimal, the character has his hands in his pockets , this conveys that there is the subconscious mind, which thinks in a primitive way, believes that putting your hands in your pockets is a good way to hide and to avoid the situation. Putting the hands in pocket is sometimes associated with lying but beware not to consider someone a liar just because his hands is in his pocket. For the positioning of the character, he is central in the shot this is too make sure the audience pay complete attention to the character and the way he is being expressed. In relation to lighting and colour, there is the use of positive and negative in which the character is placed in the negative part of the shot, so the character is reflected as dark and mysterious. The type of lighting that is displayed in this shot was low key lighting, in which this produces sharp contrasts of light and dark areas. Deep and distinct silhouettes are formed, this gives the effect that something obscure and enigmatic is going to occur.

Camerawork – The camera angle that is used in this shot is a mid shot of the character that is viewed at a slight angle, this is showing that the character knows the audience isn't there. The use of creepiness and uncanniness builds upon the effect that may be explored throughout the rest of the film.

Sound – the sound that is used during this point of the opening sequence changes from the use of non diegetic sounds to diegetic sounds of the character speaking on the phone. The sound of the character speaking displays the type of person it is and as the dialogue is deep and resonant this may also hint to the theme of the film.

Editing – The shot selection and order that the film maker made, of putting this shot before any others may be to show the character that might have a lot of screen time throughout the remaining parts of the film. During this part of the opening sequence it exploits continuity editing, as this shows realism and can make a connect with the characters that are exploited. An establishing shot is used to show the space in which action is happening. The duration of the shot was around 5 seconds, typically the long duration shots creates a slower pace and conveys intensity and intimacy within the narrative, it allows us to focus upon facial expressions and other factors of mise en scene which would otherwise be missed.

Shot 4 – The next shot is of the second character that is having a conversation with the previous character on the phone.Mise En Scene: The setting of this shot appears to be an office of possibly a detective, the reason for this is the use of props, as there is a magnifying glass which typically represents mystery and the use of searching which may be exploited throughout the rest of the film. Another prop that is used to express this theme is the use of the lamp in which conveys dim light, this could suggest that someone is leaving in which may the character that is being shown. In relation to the costume and make up of the character, he conveys clothing that may be seen as very smart and insolent as he is very opposite to the previous character that was displayed. In addition to this, the clothing he is wearing conveys the status he might have which would be very important. His occupation appears to be more official as he is in a more certified setting. The costumes that the characters are wearing are showing a clear difference between them both which may be very important throughout the process of the film. Through the use of body language, the character is showing that his head is facing down, this could suggest that having your head down it is a defensive posture as you are covering your neck and chin that can occur as a result of any perceived threat. We aren't shown the character’s facial expression in which this makes the audience question slightly of what the character is thinking. The character is positioned as the main focus of the shot, as the camera is facing down onto the character it is also very close to the camera in which could suggest that the character is very imperative during this part of the sequence. In relation to the lighting and colour of this shot, the dim lighting draws the attention to the lamp in which this could suggest that the setting maybe the setting the character is in it is important during this time of the opening sequence as it displays hints of the characters status. As the surroundings are dark, this may reflect the characters emotions which could be : disturbed, concerned and possibly troubled.

Camera Work – This shot is of a over the shoulder shot, in which it is used to view the setting that the character is in. On the other hand the shot is also displaying the camera looking down at the character, this gives the effect that the character is belittled and not significant and that another character has more power over them. From the transition of the previous shot to this current one it shows the difference between the two characters and the different levels of power they express.

Sound – During this shot, it displays the dialogue from the other character that was introduced during the first few shots. The effect of this shows that the two characters have a connection and are linked during the process of the film. The character that is shown in the shot also has a deep and sonorous voice which may indicate some hidden power that the character has.

Editing – The shots are connected together this is to show the conversation between the two characters and to show the intensity of the dialogue they are expressing. In relation to the shot selection, from the previous character we see him as being more central than the current character because we hear him talking during the shot which displays a sense of influence and authority. The two shots are cut together to tell a story and make the narrative more clear. It helps the viewer make sense of the action by implying spatial relationships and ensuring the shots continue smoothly. This creates realism and ensures the edit is invisible. This is done by using parallel editing, which is the cross cutting between different locations so that they can convey the different events simultaneously, in which this often builds tension between the characters that are being displayed. The transition of the two shots were just shown through a simple cut, this could display the sense of strain and apprehension.

For this shot, this is displayed after the dialogue between the two characters, the close up of the object gives the audience a clearer and well defined idea of the meaning the object has. The surroundings around the object have a particular theme to it showing that the film may be set in a different time period as some objects look antique. The use of props is very significant during this part of the opening sequence as it displays one very important symbol that creates meaning for the rest of the film. In relation to camera work, the shot is an angle shot, this shows the object from an un natural point of view giving the suggestion that something abnormal and twisted will happen.

At the end of the duration of the shot, a use of transition is displayed. In which a fade out is used slowly this contributes massively in the effect of creating tension, it also displays a sense of change in scene, location or character.

The sound that is featured during this point of the title sequence is gentle music that comes across as giving a considerable amount of tension. This continues for a short period of time, as it grabs the attention of the audience and makes them feel on edge. In relation to editing, it looks as if some special effects are used to make the setting appear more deep rooted and hoary.

During this point of the title sequence, this is where titles are shown including the production names, actors, actresses, directors, producers etc. The name of the production company is introduced first, in which this is shown generally in most films. The shot is very simple using the monochrome effect. The use of monochrome gives the effect of juxtaposition as they are very opposite colours. It also reflects positive and negative in which may suggest these are particular themes in the film. The music that is featured during this part of the sequence is of a fast pace, in which echoes the possible thriller and action that is contained in the production.

During this period of time in the title sequence the use of credits are displayed on screen. However in the background a series of close ups are highlighted in which they are all very dark and low spirited. All of which they feature the use of ‘water’ this could suggest that this is an element that is used frequently during the production. The use of water could suggest danger, purity and possibly hazardous. These may be themes that are exploited within the production.

The name of the film is shown in the middle of the title sequence in which this is commonly used. The reason for this is that it isn’t a trailer where the name is featured at the end. The font that is displayed is very unnerving and suggests a certain amount of paranormal atmosphere. It is silver, which associates with sleekness, high tech, modern as well as ornate, sophisticated and elegant. In which may all be features in the film. The use of editing is featured during this shot because the text is displayed in slow motion this creates tension and hysteria over the film.

This is one of the first scenes that is featured in which you can see that it contains a small part of keyboard, this suggests that technology is part of the film, this is backed up by another scene that is included in the sequence of the use of a USB cable. In the shot is features the word ‘enter’ this signifies that you have to make a decision about whether you want to ‘enter’ and watch the rest of the film or not.

This shot is included of someone being chained up and gagged, this is very significant because it shows that the film has some hidden messages of action and violence. However it could be an example of one of the main characters’ sexuality. This is because she is a lesbian and her sexuality may be used against her to ‘chain’ her up and make her stop achieving what she needs. The use of black liquid features in many of the following shots, The colour black may signify evil and suffering, it may suggest that the characters in the film are overwhelmed by the plot and that they are being drowned in sorrow and fear.

At the conclusion of the opening sequence, a use of colour is expressed this could be show that the film is beginning. In which a series of metallic effect shots are displayed that show a sense of capture. These are portrayed in a very fast duration, In which this indicates that the film is action packed and full of positive and negative aspects. The titles throughout the sequence are all of similar size and font, however for the production company and directors they are of a larger scale which could imply that they are more important and have a higher status. The sequence has more non continuity techniques used throughout this area of the sequence, in which makes it have the idea that it has a montage of shots put together. This gives information in a compressed form. The music also intensifies suggesting that the action intensifies throughout the process of the film. In which as the sequence finishes it goes back to normal, where it has returned to high intensity lighting, this shows a sense of change in time and location and character in which it shows a clear difference between the beginning of the film to the end.

In conclusion on the overall effect of the opening sequence of ‘The girl with the dragon tattoo’, the sequence was very eerie and had a lot of hidden aspects of it in which gave the audience an idea of what the rest of the film may be about. The use of going from reality to a less genuine representation of life makes the opening sequence very effective as it shows that the film may include unrealistic elements in which exploits this information to the audience. The meaning created in relation to the genre this was effectively developed during the process of the opening sequence because it introduced different aspects of a thriller that is traditionally used throughout the thriller genre. The meaning that is created contains the idea that there is a significant amount of action, possible violence, emotion and suspicion. Two characters were shown in the realistic part of the sequence in which had shown a very suspicious and disbelieving persona, this makes the audience question their role within the film, in which then gets the audience thinking which is what the film is attempting to achieve. In conclusion to the choice of setting, this creates a cold and dark atmosphere which plays an important function in building the effect of tension. In terms of narrative, the opening sequence doesn’t reveal a huge amount about the plot of the film, however this is effective because it keeps the audience on edge and continue watching the production in order to reveal more of the film.