Thriller openings - Jamie Parrett

Seven

Camerawork: Jumpy/lots of cuts to keep the audience on edge. Uses shadow depth of field to make certain objects more significant but shows alot of random objects to make the audience wonder why they have bothered to show them and are they going to be used for. Close Ups of pages of writing to confuse the audience. Only shows the characters hand, restricting the identity of characters to make the audience wait and find out what the character is like.

Sound: Eerie non digetic soundtrack to build tension within the audience. Upbeat soundtrack to worry the audience and put them on edge as they don't know what will happen next. No digetic/dialogue to hide the character’s identity and makes the audience carry on asking questions about the characteristics and personality of the characters.

Editing: Music links into the cuts made. The cross cutting used helps to build suspense within the opening. Uses lots of fades to smoothly exit and enter each clip either through text added to the film or objects filmed by the camera. The text is either cut into the clip or faded into show a sense of confusion within the opening.

Mise en scene: Dark and sinister inferior setting to make the audience ask questions about storyline. Pens/equipment used by the hands creates enigma of the character. The camera shots are used in such a way to make the audience ask questions and potentially confuse them and make them watch the rest of the film.

Misery

Camerawork: Uses shallow depth of field to focus on the objects in front of the character typing. Uses an establishing shot showing the location of the main character. Shows the character relaxing in their own house enjoying the peace and doing something they enjoy, this makes the audience ask questions to why they have got in the car and driven off, where is he going? and why are this document he wrote so important?

Sound: Has typewriter working behind black screen to make the audience ask questions. Uses contrapuntal sound within a serious matter to confuse the audience and make them wonder why is the music so happy within a serious matter? SFX used to make the film more realistic and calm the audience down to make the more jumpy parts in the film more effective.

Editing: Sharp cuts at the beginning to emphasis the pace he is typing at and also shows some of the things that he enjoys when he is relaxing . Uses discontinuity editing to also show how fast he is working and to make the audience ask question to why he is working quickly.

Mise en scene: Lack of dialogue to hide the personality of the character and creates confusion around the character and in return makes the audience want to find out more about the character. The props emphasised by the camera add to the characteristics of the character and creates realism.

The Dark Knight

Camerawork: Establishing shot to set the scene. Quick cuts to emphasis the pace at which the operation was taking place. Every shot is still to build suspense. Some camera shots are shakey to create a sense of speed and rushing but also realism as because its a bank robbery, they want to go in and get the job done without any problems.

Sound: Silent at the beginning to build tension, when the music starts, it is in time with the pace of action. Use of SFX to exaggerate little sounds which are usually unheard. Lots of dialogue suggesting they’re relaxed and organised about what they’re doing.

Editing: Lots of cuts to build pace and tension into the clip. Uses parallel editing to follow the paths of the groups of robbers also showing they’re organised. By using parallel editing, the location of the bank robbery is hidden and therefore makes the audience wonder what they're doing and where there rushing to commit the crime.

Mise en scene: Characters wear masks to hide their identity/makes the robbery realistic. Use of weapons to make the audience hate the robbers. Organised crime also makes the film realistic. The props used in the clip also make the film realistic as the guns make the audience shocked but also associate this with a real life situation which may of happened. It also allowed the audience to like and dislike certain sets of characters.

 

The Reeds

Camerawork: Lots of cuts creates pace into the beginning, also builds tension as you don’t know what will happen next. Use of shallow depth of field on the shotgun to make the audience realise danger and ask questions about that character. Still camera shots to build suspense.

Sound: Quiet and then builds into a loud eerie atmosphere. Non digetic sound to put the audience on edge. Lack of dialogue to restrict the personality of characters being revealed.

Editing: Parallel editing used to show the paths of 2 sets of people, making the audience ask question about what will happen next.

Mise en scene: Dark/low key lighting used to build tension around a certain character. Lack of dialogue so the audience know nothing about the character until other characters realise the problem, not being omniscience.

Disappearance of Alice Creed

Camerawork: Establishing shot showing the setting. Builds tension before the men brake into the van. In the shop, uses shallow depth of field to focus on items which are important/significant in what they do next. Makes the audience ask questions about what the two men are up to.

Sound: Soundtrack builds tension as its quite eerie sounding. No dialogue builds more tension and shows that they’re concentrating on the job in hand. SFX exaggerated to emphasis how much/quickly they’re working.

Editing: Quick still shots to build tension and put the audience on edge as well as showing them how quickly they’re working. Longer stills on significant items and cuts quickly to something not as important that is being viewed.

Mise en scene: Dark room with no light suggests that something bad is going to happen there. Builds mystery around that room to what is being planned for its uses. Characters committing organised crime make the film seem realistic. The props and setting are building tension and making the audience ask questions.