Opening Sequence Analysis - 9 Shot Analysis

Mystery Thriller: The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo

Total running time for opening sequence: 2 min 34 secs

A particular character is not being introduced in this opening sequence however, there is an introduction to an unknown silhouette. We do not see detailed facial expressions, but an outline of the figure. This doesn't give much away about the characters however it gives us an idea of the narrative without giving too much away. The theme tune began fading in at 0.04 seconds, and gradually increased in intensity as the sequence developed. The music matches the images that appear on the screen, with the speed and sound increasing. We recognise the genre of music is rock which relates to the colour scheme used in the opening sequence. Dark, harsh, oily tones are created to mirror the intense music. We can see that the location is set in a studio or a dark room as there are many close-ups of objects and props within the room including liquid. The title 'The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo' doesn't give any clear indication of what the film is about, especially as this opening sequence doesn't show anything significant to the title. The cast and crew are kept a secret at this stage of the film. Reasons for this maybe to build suspension and mainly to create enigma. The enigma of this film gives the audience lack of knowledge, which keeps them interested and on the edge of their seats. The genre of the film is a Mystery Thriller which incorporated the main elements of suspension, tension and excitement. The Mystery Thriller gives the audience a high level of anticipation and ultra heightened expectations. 

The four micro areas included in this short sequence is important so the audience can be aware of the narrative. The dark lighting and reflective imagery is seductive and sets a powerful emotion, again mirroring the narrative. As the sequence in animated there is no costume present, what we see instead of this is glossy figures moving violently.

The movements we see are parallel to the music we hear, as it is loud and is upbeat. Non diegetic was added in the beginning of the clip at 0.03, its subtly added in as a fade which is unnoticeble to the audience as the volume and pace quickens. The tone and the pitch of the music adds excitement to the clip and gets the audience thinking about what is going to happen next (enigma code). 

The different camera techniques used in this clip make it clear what message they are trying to portray, this is a thought provoking mystery. The different close-ups of the objects and figures set a intense feeling of covertion. Throughout this clip the same colour tones are used apart from when there was a fire flame seen. The extreme close up of this gives the impression that the narrative is going to be dangerous - which is associated with dragons. The figures we see in a medium shot are a minimal introduction of the characters however, they are not recognisable as the main characters are properly introduced in the film. Their facial features resemble mannequins, suggesting they are skin deep and selfish.

The continuity that is recognised throughout this clip is short shot duration. The shots are changed quickly within a short space of time during editing to add fast pace which creates urgency. Each short lasts a few seconds with a cut between each one. Cuts are used to create meaning. The power and domination is being seen through the way we see the cuts so quickly.

The lack of information that is given poses questions as everything we see does not make sense to the audience. The identities of the figures play a large role in the enigma of the opening sequence - Who are they? What are they doing? What relevance do they hold? The sub genre is Mystery Thriller. This is apparent throughout the clip, in a variety of ways explained above.

Opening Sequence Analysis Timeline

Opening Sequence Analysis Timeline

Sub Genre Analysis of Action Thriller and Psychological Thriller

The two films 'Taken' and 'Limitless' both have different sub-genres. I will be analysing the different conventions in these films which make Action Thrillers and Mystery Thrillers so different.

The Action Thriller 'Taken' has a narrative mainly based on crime and abduction of the teenage daughter (Kim Mills) of retired CIA agent (Bryan Mills). The abduction occurs when Bryan Mills, played by Liam Neeson, lets Kim travel with best friend Amanda around France. They both get taken by human traffickers  In the 96 hour time limit, he had to race against time to find his daughter. The violent encounters with those involved on the abduction makes this film an Action Thriller. Throughout this film weapons such as guns and knives were used in almost every scene causing the physical conflict between the characters. The visual violence is a main convention of a Action Thriller. The title 'Taken' suits the narrative in a fairly obvious way as the narrative of the story revolves around abduction. The title emphasises the sudden taking of Kim Mills without telling too much.

Mystery Thrillers do not usually contain physical violence. They are most likely to involve a secret situation between the characters. The Mystery Thriller 'Limitless' is about write Eddie Morra (Bradley Cooper) who discovers a top secret pharmaceutical drug which bestows him with superhuman abilities. He has a sudden power over situations within his social and financial life. He gets a hold of this power and steers his success in  the direction he wants to head in. He soon discovers that the drug has lethal and lasting side effects including  a 'trip-switching' where time moves with a non stop motion quality. Before long, mysterious antagonists pursue him. The title 'Limitless' suggests he has no limits. Within the narrative of this film, no limits is what he has after he takes the drug. This is not obvious until towards the end of the film. This title has been cleverly thought of as it is not something you would associate with a drug. It allows the audience to wonder what the narrative is.

The four micro areas involved in the film are important as they should be suitable for the sub genre conventions. The music is one of the main ways in which the audience recognises the sub genre. In 'Taken' the fast pace music reflects the narrative as the protagonist is in a rush to get his daughter, Kim, back. It adds panic and realism to a dramatic scene. The diegetic sounds the audience hears also adds to the realism. These include sounds of footsteps and the ringing of phones. In the abduction scene, all these sounds are heard which make the action more thrilling. The camera shots that are used in this scene are also very effective. The close-ups of the human traffickers feet creates enigma, and poses the question... 'who are they? what do they want?'. When the camera shows the reaction shot of Kim, it shows the audience the extent of her fear making them scared for her. The mis-en scene is very important for films to have so it creates the right atmosphere and emotions to portray. The costume stays the same throughout the film for the protagonist. However, it is usual clothing that a male character would wear. This is because he does not want give too much away about his identity. This created enigma for the audience as they wonder what his job. The lighting used at the start of the film is bright. When Kim gets abducted in France suddenly the lighting changes to a negative tone. Doing this reflects on the mood of the sequence. With the editing, there was a slow motion used to give a lasting glance of the two girls, suggesting that something bad is going to arise. Also, a split screen was used between Bryan and his daughter Kim. This shows the audience both of their facial expressions and body language so they are aware of how they are feeling in that present time. It also contrasts the panic and paranoia of the protection from the dad and the fear from the daughter.

The close ups used in 'Limitless' are usually key aspects of the film, which the audience will need to remember for the sequence to make sense. For example, a close up of the drug is used which plays a large important role in the narrative of the film. This creates enigma. After the drug was consumed by the protagonist, Eddie Morra, there is a pan of the room filled with smartly dressed, wealthy people which suggests his social life could change if he continued to take this drug. In clip there is a change in mood when he takes the drug. The non-diegetic music that is heard is much more relaxing which tells the audience the experience of the drug is relaxing too. This soothing music is meant to be parallel with how Eddie is now feeling. The cigarette prop for this character and the setting of his house with excessive amount of props insinuates that he is lazy and he doesn't look after himself. Between each clip, it changes very rapidly which is called short shot duration. This creates a dramatic, tense atmosphere and shows the audience his rapid change, reflecting his lifestyle. After Eddie has taken the drug, we see a fish eye effect on the camera lens. This changes the way we visually experience the clip, as we see it from his perspective.

These two sub genres are clearly very different in terms of conventions and techniques used for the film. However, what is similar about these to films are that they both use protagonists and antagonists. They both use the main male character as the protagonist and have more than one antagonist. The protagonist from each film leads the story through the audience from their own perspective. They both experience a number of life threatening situations which helps the audience and relate and feel sorry for the protagonist. 'Taken' has many antagonist who were involved with the abduction whereas 'Limitless' has only two antagonists. Both sets of these antagonists are stopping the main male character (the protagonist) from getting what they want or need.



Sub Genre Analysis of Action Thriller and Psychological Thriller

The two films that we are going to analyse in terms of sub genre conventions are the psychological thriller 'The Black Swan' and the action thriller 'The Hunger Games'.

The common conventions found in psychological thrillers are often two or more characters preying upon each others minds. This is sometimes done by one character playing games or trying to negatively effect the others mental state of mind. Another convention is that most psychological thriller films begin with a realistic situation which then turns into extraordinary circumstances.

However, action thriller films have different conventions. Examples of these are that they often feature a time limit in which they have to complete something and their motives might consist of money, secrets or identity mission. They also usually contain explosives, weapons or/and violence.

The psycho melodrama 'The Black Swan' is about a ballerina 'Nina Sayers' played by Natalie Portman. We learn that the beautiful Nina's vulnerable personality makes her susceptible to mental illness as she explores her dark side while trying to compete for her dream ballet role. As she progresses with her rehearsals we see her hallucinations and anxiety attacks escalate. As her rivalry with 'Lily' played by Mila Kunis gets more intense, the stereotypical psychological conventions of game playing becomes more prominent. Throughout the film we see that the conflict between the main characters is mental and emotional rather than physical like action thrillers.

'The Hunger Games' is an action fantasy thriller where each year two children aged from 12 to 18 are from each state are chosen to fight to the death until only one remains. This televised competition follows Katniss Everdeen, played by Jennifer Lawrence, and Peeta Mellark, played by Josh Hutcherson and many other young teens from different states also fighting for their lives. The use of weapons such as bow and arrows are a common convention of action thrillers. Another example of this is the physical rivalry between the competitors, as they are all in a life or death situation.

The four micro areas in the films are important to make them effective and suitable to their sub genre conventions. For example, in 'The Black Swan' the music used in the ballet performances are soft and classical. This is contrapuntal to the dark theme of the film. Classical music is also used in the disturbing scene of Nina's swan transformation which is similar to the contrast in the ballet performances.

However, 'The Hunger Games' consists of mainly ambient sounds and less non diegetic music. When Katniss is caught in the forest fire, the audience hear the natural sounds of the fire crackling and the wood burning, along with her out of breath running. This is a stereotypical convention of a Action Thriller. Nevertheless, if there is a tense scene like when 'The Hunger Games' begins, there is a non diegetic sound effect of a drum beating, highlighting the suspenseful scene.

Although the sub genres are different in various ways, one similarity that they share are that they both have an antagonist and a protagonist, even though there may be more than one of each. Within 'The Black Swan', Nina and Lily have a fight in the dressing room after Lily announces she will be taking Nina's place in the ballet performance. Nina stabs her rival in the stomach and kills her, which makes the audience believe that the enigma is revealed. However, as Nina returns to her dressing room, she is congratulated by Lily, showing that their fight was imaginary. The mirror however is still shattered and she removes a shard from her own body, realising that she has stabbed herself. This causes the audience to further understand Nina's severe psychological problems.

'The Hunger Games' works effectively with the Action Thriller as it is the name of the televised battle that the film is centered around.

Thriller Generic Conventions ‘The Sixth Sense’

The Sixth Sense is a psychological thriller set in the late 90’s. The narrative centres around a boy who realises that he can see dead people and an equally troubled child psychologist Malcolm Crowe (Bruce Willis) who tries to help him. Child psychiatrist Malcolm Crowe is confronted one night by his former patient Vincent Gray who he failed to help. After Vincent shoots Crowe in the stomach and kills himself, Crowe can't stop thinking about it. A few months later he is hired to help a troubled boy named Cole Sears, who has many of the same problems Vincent had. But can he? The boy is seen as the protagonist of the film because he is in danger of the dead people he sees. The small, 9 year old boy is a courageous character. However, he is bullied throughout school due to his sixth sense. We witness this bullying when Cole is called names by school peers such as a ‘freak’. The title of the film is ‘The sixth sense’. The title refers to this ability being an extra sense above the five ordinary. It grabs the attention of possible future viewers and leaves them curious as to why this is the title and what the film is about. The audience is placed in the ambiguous position of not knowing whether this boy will survive.

The micro areas combine effectively to build up suspense for the audience. For example, camerawork and mise-en-scene emphasises the enigma in the opening of the film by showing mysterious props. An example of this is the wine cellar in the basement where the first scene of the film is set. The dark lighting and cold air portrays an enigma which is later explained as the presence of a ghost. The sound within the film creates a tense atmosphere for the audience through its eerie quality. The first example the audience see of this is the music used to open the film. Without the music, the suspense and atmosphere would not be built up. Dialogue is mainly used throughout the film, however when an enigma is discovered dark and eerie music usually starts. This adds to the intense narrative to build the audience’s suspense. The theme of identity is evident within ‘The Sixth Sense’. Crowe assumes that the small boy Cole who sees dead people is merely mentally disturbed like his former patient Vincent who underwent the same experience. Themes of seeing, reflection and mirroring are common in thriller openings, and ‘The Sixth Sense’ is an example of this. Within the first five minutes of the opening sequence this theme is portrayed as a couple look into a reflective award. In conclusion, ‘The sixth sense’ conforms to many of the generic thriller conventions as mentioned above. Without these conventions, the film would not be classed as an effective thriller. For example, if the title was irrelevant, the audience might misunderstand the narrative of the film.

Generic Thriller Conventions 'The Pact'

The narrative of this film (The Pact) is about the suspense of a number of abductions and the unwanted presence that haunts the daughter of a dead woman.

The protagonist is the main female character. This is a counter-typical positive representation as men are seen to be the more powerful sex. However, it is stereotypical for a male character to be the antagonist. In this film the antagonist is a male character therefore, he has been negatively portrayed.

The title 'The Pact' explains the agreement between the male antagonist character and a female antagonist character, to suppress the concealed room to where he had been living for many years, without the female protagonists character being aware.

The female protagonist character was in danger in many occasions before the resolution of the film. She was getting haunted by a female ghost whom she hadn't been acquainted with previously however, she discovers why the ghost is pursuing her and she no longer feels threatened by the spirit. The antagonist being the uncle has murdered his sister's best friend which continuously keeps the protagonist in peril.

Within the plot of the film, it is apparent that the narrative provides a prevailing situation for example a close relative passing away leaving the daughters to stay at their house to sort out the funeral plans. It gets turned into an astonishing turn of events when a unfriendly presence reveals it's inner resentment causing uproar. The audience then witness a sudden transformation in the way the film instructs itself and how the ordinary has changed to the extraordinary.

The non diegetic sound and music in the background is added to build up tension the audience is experiencing and creates a further parallel effect to this short extract. It also shadows the sinister feel which creates a vast impact on how the audience are feeling. The diegetic dialogue throughout this trailer makes the audience understand the narrative, with the voice over from the phone call adding suspense and enigma to the situation. The thrilling distorted effect added generates a cold negative mood, which becomes very apparent through their actions. There was a point of view shot as the camera was bought through a black doorway. This helped build tension and suspense, playing psychologically with the audience enabling them to connect with the character and feel corresponding emotions. A low angle shot is used when main female character is entering the house. As the shot is taken from this angle, it portrays her as the protagonist and gives her immediate power which is counter-typical for a female character. A high angle establishing shot was used as the protagonist runs from her house, showing her vulnerability. This also shows the protagonist being seen in peril in one of the scenes before the resolution. In this clip, the shots are very short. Having short shot duration quickens the pace of the action which results in the audience being enticed with the unexpected rush. Fade-in fade-out is a transition that is used when the shots become faster as it is a more effective way of changing from scene to scene. Match on action is used when the protagonist opens the door. The camera shows the door knob turning, and another shot of her walking in. This creates uncertainty and anticipation. It also leaves the audience thinking 'will expectations be met?' Disturbing lighting is used throughout this clip which reflects the mood the characters are feeling. The dark shading adds a negative effect and generates a cold atmosphere. The setting and costume make a difference on how the audience look at the characters. Having a ordinary setting and costume, in this thriller, makes the realistic qualities seem even more extraordinary.

There is a theme of identity between the antagonist and protagonist. They both have the identity of a hereditary green and blue eye. This represents the relation between the two characters solving the enigma and concludes that they are family. There is a theme of reflection, as the protagonist character has to reflect on what has happened with her mothers death and her sister's missing identity, in order for her to discover the main enigma of the plot. The opening sequence of the film starts with the sister talking to her daughter through a video call. It is a ordinary situation which gets disrupted by the mysterious shadow which lingers in the open space surrounding her. The enigmas that are produced in this scene leaves the audience wondering who this unfamiliar figure is, what does it want?

Preliminary Evaluation

Preliminary Evaluation

1.   How well do you think you created your preliminary?

We think that we met the criteria well while creating an enjoyable and entertaining preliminary clip. By doing this task, we became familiar with the equipment, and learnt the basics of the editing software. This will be useful in the near future. Although there were some small errors, mistakes like these will be rectified and learnt from during the production of our thriller project.

2.   Did you stick to the brief? How long was the preliminary?

We stuck to the criteria that were asked and we added extra shot types to help continuity in the clip. Overall, the preliminary lasted to approximately 30 seconds. We feel we used the time efficiently to produce a clip that is of a high standard.

3.   Did you find it difficult to use the technology? What technology did you use?

During the production of the preliminary clip, we first got given a canon video recorder and tripod. We worked well with these as a team. It gave us the opportunity to produce various shot types and angles steadily. During the editing stage, we used the ‘Final Cut’ software. After being shown the basic tools, we worked as a group to cut out any unnecessary footage and create a sequence we were all happy with.

4.   What did you learn from this task that you would use for your actual production?

This task enabled us to become familiar with the filming equipment and editing software. This means we can build upon the basic skills we have learnt from our preliminary task. We can also concentrate on putting more creativity into our thriller project as we will be more comfortable with the production process.

Preliminary Video

Preliminary Storyboard