Lost highway opening credits analysis

The lost highway opening credits are unique as it shows the dark road ahead, which could show that the character can't see the future of his life, further depicting the nature of the film; a psychological thriller. The end scene also contains titles but this is a also a continuation of that endless journey so would be considered as the closing scene. The concept of this movie is in that unstoppable, repetitious journey the main character cannot escape. Furthermore, the car is shaking and the driver's view is limited due to the darkness, showing that he isn't in control.

Usual Suspects opening scene

Camera - In terms of camera, there is a frequent tilt involved to reveal an identity or a situation. For example when the fire is lit there is a slow tilt to establish the character on the boat urinating to prevent the fire from spreading any further. This presents a sense of mystery to the scene as the camera slowly reveals the body of the man but the tilt is cut just before the character's identity is shown.  Between cuts there is a zoom in on the ropes which gives a sense of voyeurism as to the audience, it feels as though the scene is being watched. 
Mise en Scene - Mise-en-scene is used to portray the thriller conventions into the opening of The Usual Suspects by creating tension and mystery. The location of this opening scene is firstly shown by the camera by using a pan, it is the sea and the pan of the camera that shows the wide range of emptiness which establishes the setting. After the credits you are introduced to the scene by matches being lit for a cigarette in a line which was then dropped into some fuel, this creates a sense of danger for the audience as fire may be hard to control, we are then shown another fire source later on in the scene which is a gold lighter. The wealth of this character is shown by the used of camera showing a close up of a gold watch. A eye-catching prop used to create apprehension is the leaking oil barrel, after seeing the fire being created by the small matches makes the audience realize the possibility and danger that there may be a fire. In the scene you are shown various dead bodies firstly by the fire passing one man and the wealthy man walking past another with a gun indicating he is the antagonist, this constructs the sub-genre for this Thriller that it is crime and violence which are main conventions of a thriller.The lighting of the scene is very dark but the characters are shown through a reaction shot when the lighting up of a cigarette from the gold lighter is used revealing the face; again fire being a hazard.The lightening at the end of the scene is brighter to show the character and his importance when he is speaking to the investigators. 
Editing - In the first 5 minutes of Usual Suspects, editing is used to emphasize the slow motion and detail in the scene. A slow cutting rate is identified to show the slow motion of the cigarette dropping to provide a tense feeling to the audience as they know it won't be a wise action to do. The slow motion is supported by the build up of sound which is known as a crescendo. This helps the audience to build up excitement for what's to come in the film as sound plays a big part in making people tense and eager. This is also supported with the slow cutting rate.
Near the end of the first 5 minutes, a zoom in on an area of ropes is shown to portray the sense to the audience that someone is watching the scene which is called voyeurism, commonly used in thrillers. After the camera zooms in on the ropes, editing is used to use the effect of dissolving to help hint to the audience that the next scene where the first character that speaks was the person watching through the ropes.
Sound - This thriller has the non diegetic sound of an orchestra playing over the petrol lighting. This gives the effect of tension because the orchestra playing feels like something big is going to happen with the sound bridge building up to something. At the very start the lighting of a match the diegetic sound is over emphasized to add more drama to the scene this builds the effect of that he will use that light to do something important. Also you can hear the diegetic sound of pouring before you see what he's pouring or what/who hes pouring on, this adds the effect of mystery it gets the audience asking themselves questions of why and who so builds the thriller effect of mystery. The non diegetic sound of footsteps does the same you only hear them first so they also build this effect. Also the loud volume of the explosion shows how epic the explosion was giving the effect nothing will be left.

Thriller Sub-genres

• Action Thriller: These contain lots of action, and usually one predominant antagonist. Most thrillers of this sub genre follow a narrative which is like a race against the clock. They contain lots of weapons and explosions and use elaborate settings to film.

• Crime Thriller: This is an amalgamation of both crime and thriller genre films. These types of film usually take the view point of the criminal(s) rather than the hero. Narratives are usually based around a murder, chases a robbery etc.
  
• Disaster Thriller: In this genre the main conflict is caused because of a natural disaster, like hurricanes, earthquakes, floods, nuclear disasters etc. They usually follow a group of regular people (who the audience can relate to) trying to escape the disaster.
  
• Drama Thriller: Combines both conventions of a drama film and a thriller. These tend to be a lot slower paced and introduce the characters in a lot more depth and explores their background. Lots of twists are used in drama thrillers to engage the audience and build up tension.
  
• Political Thriller: the hero/heroine faces some kind of political struggle and has to save him and the government from disaster. They can include both national and international political scenarios.
  
• Horror Thriller: These are different from normal thrillers as they include a lot more gore and also express the fear element within the film a lot more. The conflict between the antagonist and protagonist is mainly physical but can also be mental and emotional.
  
• Psychological Thriller: The conflict is predominantly related to the mind and not until the end does it get resolved in a physical manner. They usually incorporate additional conventions from both drama and mystery genre.
  
• Techno Thriller: This genre is usually a battle between humans and machines. Some kind of technology has become corrupt and you need to destroy it to survive. Sometimes the narrative is told where technology is essential to the plot and the audience understanding but is not the cause of the conflict.
  
• Mystery Thriller: Suspense is created when characters are involved in or have to solve a mystery.
  
• Supernatural Thriller: Conflict is usually between two main characters – one with some kind of supernatural powers, or between a person and a paranormal force.

Se7en opening scene analysis

Se7en opening scene analysis

It throws you right into the action with the title sequence. The titles themselves flash and twitch in and out of the screen and have a font type which makes them look handwritten. I think this effect has been used to make it look more childlike and reflect the simple mind of the unknown protagonist.

Camera angles are effectively used in this opening. They don’t use any wide shots or mid shots which could possibly reveal the killer – by keeping the mystery of who the person is, it intrigues the audience and makes them want to carry on watching. The use of both close up shots and extreme close up shots ensures we focus on the important and disturbing aspects of the scene. This builds up intrigue within the viewer. The editing of these clips is very fast-paced and uses lots of transitions and effects. This is to give the impression of chaos and that his state of mind is disjointed like the imagery shown.

Mise-en-scene is quite important in this opening scene as it gives you a real glimpse of how the plot line will progress. This is the first time we get to see the killer and gives us key clues as to what he is going to do, his type of personality and who he is. The opening credits shows the man carrying out actions like, writing, developing photos, reading etc. This suggests that he is planning something thoroughly and from the way it is presented it implies that it is something bad. These images are surrounded by lots of black, which darkens the whole atmosphere implying that it is sinister. The colours used in these clips are very bland and no vibrant colours have been used. It almost looks as though a sepia affect has been applied onto the clips. The only bright colour to be shown throughout the opening credits is red. This may be to represent blood and ultimately death. One of the more graphic scenes shows the man slicing off his fingertips. This suggests that he is going to commit a crime and doesn’t want to leave any evidence behind. It is not too much of a gory image, but it is very horrific which makes the audience feel much more tension. By cutting off his skin it indicates that he is very committed to what he does. He is willing to put himself through pain just to carry out these acts of crime. It also suggests that he is experienced as it is seems planned and that this is not just a one off killing. This keeps the viewers attention as they want to know what he is going to do next.

All the aspects throughout the short introduction illustrate it as very disturbing and horrific. This gets the audience right into the action and shows them immediately what the plotline and film is going to be like.

The music used is a remix by Nine Inch Nails called ‘Closer’. This sound has a gritty effect, and again sounds quite dysfunctional again to reflect the killer’s mindset. This builds up suspense and tension within the audience as the intensity of the music builds throughout the scene.

Preliminary Task Filming and editing

 Preliminary task filming and editing

For filming the sequence we did the scene with the desk first, and we worked efficiently, only needing to do a few takes for each scene. The actors performed well, putting a lot of emotion into the scene to create suspense and a tense atmosphere. Furthermore, we worked quickly as we didn't use a tripod, but we could have worked even quicker if we weren't being disturbed by other groups. Our planning worked well, and we finished in an hour and a half, and we were pleased with the outcome of the filming.

In the next lesson we did editing, and it took us a little while copying the film fromn the camera to the computer. When it uploaded, using Adobe Premiere Pro we put the clips in order and added a jump cut transition, adding to the tension. However,. it took us a while to find suitable transitions that would work in our sequence; in the end we went without as they wouldn't go with the sequence. I myself added the gun sound effects and the blood effect, and after that we uploaded it to YouT ube.

The Package - Media Preliminary Task

Se7en

Narrative of Se7en

Taking place in a nameless city, Se7en follows the story of two homicide detectives tracking down a sadistic serial killer who chooses his victims according to the seven deadly sins. Brad Pitt stars as Detective David Mills, a hopeful but naive rookie who finds himself partnered with veteran Detective William Somerset (Morgan Freeman). Together they trace the killers every step, witnessing the aftermath of his horrific crimes one by one as the victims pile up in rapid succession, all the while moving closer to a gruesome fate neither of them could have predicted. 

What is a thriller?

A thriller usually consists of a battle between the protagonist character and the antagonist, when there is a disruption in the equilibrium. Then the story shows a chain of bad events building tension and suspense for the climax. The aim of the protagonist is to restore justice, while the antagonist seeks to destroy it. 

Conventions of a thriller

• Low key lighting • Quick cuts • Shadows • Tension music • Changes in the angle of shots • Diegetic sound of breathing • Black and white shots • Montage of shots • Protagonist is in the mercy of the Antagonist

Conventions in Se7en

Conventions of a thriller

• Low key lighting • Quick cuts • Shadows • Tension music • Changes in the angle of shots • Diegetic sound of breathing • Black and white shots • Montage of shots • Protagonist is in the mercy of the Antagonist

The opening of Se7en, prior to the title sequence shows Somerset dressing in his flat. His possessions are neatly arranged and the scene shows him attempting to remove a piece of fluff from his jacket, emphasising his meticulous nature and attention to detail. However straight from this, there is a cut to the scene of the corpse which brings us straight into a horrific aspect of the film. This is particularly effective as it creates a large juxtaposition and contrast between Somerset humane appearance and the presence of death. This creates an unsettled feeling among the audience, which is almost required among a thriller as the intention is to keep the audience on the edge of their seats.

Throughout the film, the majority of scenes consist of a dreary low key lighting, as areas are explored through Somerset and Mill's flashlights. These distorted views as low lights are key conventions of a thriller that Seven adheres to.  In the scene where Somerset and Mills first explore the crime scene together, the film makes use of shadows, quick cuts , varying camera angles and tense music.

The setting of Seven also compliments the codes and conventions of a thriller through its uncomfortable use of rain. The endless rain creates a background noise throughout the city, that even in moments of silence, it can be heard. This use of environmental noise to build tension and frustration can similarly be seen in 12 Angry Men. Not only does the rain add to the dreary atmosphere, but it comes down in such a desperate way. The use of rain and water could link into the psychological themes of the film, and suggest an attempt to purify with water. As if to wash away the sins of the City. Interestingly enough, the rain stops when John Doe reveals himself and surrenders. It doesn’t rain again after this.
The film's use of the Seven sins, works well the thriller convention of often introducing disturbing elements from literature to add atmosphere. The film provides glimpses of Gustav Dore’s illustrations for Dante. This is similarly seen in films like The Exorcist and The Silence of the Lambs.

In conjunction with Propp's, Mills is the new kid, a typical protagonist of a thriller. He overestimates his youth and sees things from a younger perspectives of hope. Mills is ignorant to what he is about to be a part of. Somerset on the other hand, believes he has seen it all. He lives alone in what appears to be a rented apartment, this often being seen in thrillers. His outfit conveys the feel of a serious, but lost man. Neat, but faded. John Doe, is the clear antagonist. His character embodies evil, and while being addressed as a villain he also shows twisted psychological complexities. Smug, self-satisfied, intelligent and Analytical. Unlike most Thrillers, the film depends on the antagonists character to portray its psychological aspects in the film. His crimes are done in the intention 'to better mankind' with a motive to eradicate 'sinners'.

What is interesting about the character’s of Se7en, is that despite their contrasting viewpoints. They are all right in some aspects, and the audience may worryingly find themselves agreeing with the Ignorant Mills, the psychopathic Murderer, or the detached Somerset. Se7en becomes atypical in a sense when the story focuses less on the murders, mystery and action and turns into a character study. A wonderful psychological aspect of the film. In the case where the audience may find themselves agreeing with John Doe, Seven can be interpreted as a warning to them.
From Doe's death, the audience is not left with a feeling of satisfaction that Justice has been served. Instead they are left with a feeling of discontent, loss and anxiety. Killing Doe does not solve anything because evil still exists, although he dies - the antagonist still wins. He completes his masterpiece and achieved his goal of getting his message across, to both the characters and audience.

The film is seemingly about men who are unable to face reality, but then unveils itself to be about the monster within every person. Suggesting to the audience that they all have a 'John Doe' living within them, hoping for 'justice' to be served. The audience no longer fear the killer, but are scared of what they themselves would be capable of when morality is questioned. Similar to Noel Carroll's 'art horror', except we are not horrified by the on-screen monster, but what that monster represents. The movie focuses on what is considered punishable sins, and what is not in relation to Jon Doe.

Preliminary Task - Planning

Preliminary Task - Planning

We started off by brainstorming ideas about the storyline and thinking about the 4 lines of dialogue available. We then came up with the idea 'the package' and wrote down the camera shots we could use, the mise en scene, and the editing we could use, with the extra sound effects as well. When we were coming up with the techniques we could use, and we thought about how they could create suspense and have a tense effect on the audience, which is what a thriller does. Furthermore, we came up with the roles we could play, and I was going to be a main actor and when not acting, I would be helping with the camerawork.