Opening Analysis: 'Oculus'

Opening Analysis: ‘Oculus’

(analysis begins at 1:20)

The opening begins with eerie music to set the scene. It brings the audience into a false sense of security and helps to build tension. Using spooky music is a typical convention of the horror genre. The credits are appearing on the screen during this time and the black colour as the background for them connotes death and other negative emotions. As soon as the screen cuts to the opening shot, the music cuts out. This mixture of non-diegetic sound and visual help to make the audience aware of some sort of action which is about to take place. There is an extreme close up of a door opening and revealing a child’s face behind it. The choice of using a child as a victim shows how, firstly they are already weak and vulnerable so are easier to exploit and secondly, they are commonly used in the horror genre so helps to establish the film. She has blood on her face which is, yet again, another typical convention of horror. Blood connotes death and danger, and the colour red also links to anger, which may be relevant within the film.

There is then a shot from inside the room where the girl is and we can see the view that she is looking at. By restricting the audiences view to what the girl can see, it puts us in the shoes of the character, making us feel uneasy and also leaving us with an enigma code due to the unknown. The shot captures a man walking along with a gun, which is a typical weapon to see in a horror genre as it has a clear link to death, blood and gore. There is low key lighting (typical in horror) which creates a sense of fear for the audience as darkness always links to the unknown, in which many believe anything can happen. There is then a cutting on action shot as the camera focus back onto the girl behind the door, looking out. This then links to a medium close up of the gun with a shallow focus. This suggests to the audience that it is a key element of the film and holds some sort of significance. It makes the audience feel on edge as you can predict what is going to happen, but suspense is built as we don’t know when, so puts the audience on the edge of their seats. The shot slowly pans after the man carrying the gun until it is out of view and focus. The benefit of using a man as the criminal is that he already appears to hold power due to his gender, and already has a larger build physically, so appears superior and in higher authority, whilst appearing threatening.

The shot then cuts back to the girl behind the door and we hear the first diegetic sound of her taking a breath. This contradicts the result of the scene as it begins with a common notation to life, and is predicted to end with death. The audience can also relate to the character as she takes a sharp intake of breath due to it being common for someone who is in shock or scared. The shot cuts back again to match on action as we see the man with the gun walking away again into darkness. Again, the use of ‘fear of the unknown’ created by low key lighting puts the audience into the shoes of the character behind the door. The girl then emerges from behind the door and the shallow focus on her then switches to deep focus of her younger brother in the background. This makes the audience feel empathy as they see that now two people are in danger. When a young person is put in danger, the audience are naturally more upset due to such a young life potentially being lost. They run out holding hands, which shows their close relationship and also that the boy is so young, he can’t take control of the situation himself and isn’t trusted to know what he is doing. Their costumes look like pyjamas which again shows it is night time and adds more information to the scene, producing more understanding for the audience.

The shot tracks them and keeps at the same pace running with them. The use of a tracking shot makes the audience feel more involved with the scene and that they might actually be present there running with them. This sudden action shows that there is some sort of desperation for the characters survival. There is then a cut on action shot as they hit the door simultaneously to realise its locked. They turn around which shows to the audience that something might be chasing them and there is a medium shot of the characters facial expressions which demonstrates fear and hopelessness. The younger brother steps back away from the door and a medium shot is used to capture his expression as he is looking longingly in fear at something. There is then a wide angle shot of a creepy girl standing in the centre of the image. She appears possessed by the use of her typical to horror genre flowy dress and messy hair. The boy then exclaims his sister’s name loudly and she leaps on him, wrapping her hand around his mouth. This sudden movement shocks the audience and makes them jump. Furthermore, it shows the fear that he is in as he is willing to put their lives in danger for the sake of making her aware of the spooking girl in the room.

There is then a medium shot of the pair as she holds her brother, hiding his facial expression but his wandering eyes show that he is in fear. Her face is screwed up as they realise they have drawn attention to themselves. The setting to this scene is significant as the door is right behind them and they are so close to freedom but they just can’t achieve it. There is then a medium shot put from the waist down, which is uncommon, to capture the movement of the gun swinging in his hand and reflecting the light. There is then another medium shot of the girl stepping in front of the younger brother and putting her hands out, demonstrating dominance and protection. Her facial expressions and clear panting shows that she is in fear through a medium close up. This is followed by a match on action shot of a gun being raised in front of the girls face. The focus is moving which shows confusion for the audience that the character may be experiencing. The focus then shifts towards the holder of the gun, and for the first time, his identity is revealed. This is when the enigma code is solved. The shots continue switching from one point of view to another, capturing their facial expressions and fear within the girl. The focus is shallow on the tip of the gun, representing its significance and importance. The trigger is pulled and the sudden increase in lighting and sound all work together to make the scene clear to the audience. A single moment later and the shot converts to one of the murderer in what looks like a hospital room. This dramatic change from dark colours to light colours, and low key lighting to high key lighting and a real gun to a fake gun made out of his hand juxtapose one another to show how he may be mentally effected by the experience. The significance of his clothing being white suggests innocence which leaves the audience questioning – did he have a choice in killing those children? Was it forced upon him? Was he possessed? Questions that will inevitably be answered within the rest of the film. 

Opening Analysis: 'Breakfast at Tiffany's'

Opening Analysis: ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s’

To begin, there is a wide angle establishing shot which captures a quiet street. It then pans towards the taxi that is driving as it comes to a stop. The use of a taxi is a typical convention. There is non-diegetic music playing softly in the background on a violin or other peaceful instrument. The shot captures who we suspect to be the main character getting out of the taxi. The shot then changes to a low angle shot to demonstrate how large the building is which the character is looking up at. This also emphasises to the audience how great it is in size. The shot then pans down to capture the character beginning to walk away towards the window of the building. The choice of all black clothing shows sophistication. The use of sunglasses also shows that she is trying to hide her identity so must have some sort of importance. She is looking inside at expensive jewellery. The use of this prop helps the audience to establish the character as she appears to be able to afford it as she has multiple strings of pearls (which are known to be very expensive) hanging around her neck. She then opens a white paper bag that she has in her hands and takes out an item of food to eat. The fact that she has brought it from a shop shows that she must have wealth, because she is able to purchase something as simple as a cup of tea which could be made at home.

She walks away and a panning shot follows her. This allows the audience to feel like they are present in the scene. She is walking slowly which demonstrates the usual slow pace of romance films. There is then another shot into a shop window which captures the reflection of the character walking elegantly towards the window before looking in again at a piece of artwork. This is followed by a shot from inside the shop directly at the main character. She is directly in the centre of the shot which shows that she has importance. It allows the audience to become aware of the authority of the character and her position in society. The shot then cuts to a wide shot of her walking down the pavement. The continued movement of her eating makes the cut seem less jerky and a more natural movement as we follow the scene exactly. The music acting as a sound bridge also has this same effect. It is important in a romance genre that everything seems realistic as the audience like to relate to the situation.

The shot continues to pan and capture the character around a corner then stays zoomed out to ensure the full wide angle shot of the street looking down towards the sunset is captured. A sunset is a typical convention of the romance genre as it links to a feeling of awe. The shot continues until it dissolves (the last shot is still visible in the next shot) into a wide angle shot of her holding her scarf whilst walking along. The focus is on the character. The colour white used is contrasting the black of her costume so stands out and makes the audience feel it must have so some sort of significance. 

Romance Genre: Codes, Conventions and Target Audience

Romance Genre: Codes, Conventions and Target Audience

• Normally a strong female lead who is pursuing an attractive male
• Includes sexuality, romance and kissing
• Frequently, a voiceover can be used to introduce the theme of love
• Set somewhere with a realistic chance of romance occurring (eg the beach, school, on holiday)
• It is common for wide angled shots to be used to establish the setting
• A bride or groom getting left at the alter
• A gay bestfriend who can tell the female lead exactly what to do
• Dance can normally save a romance
• An emotional scene in an airport where a flight is cancelled, or someone is chasing their partner to stop them getting on a flight
• Love triangles
• Props: flowers, umbrellas in the rain, picnic blankets

Target audience is commonly a female from age 12 upwards due to the certificate being either 12 or 15 to maximise the audience. Women are attracted to the films due to a strong, attractive male role and also the fact that they like romance films as they like to compare their life to it.

Opening Analysis: 'Amazing spider-man 2'

Opening Analysis: ‘Amazing Spider-Man 2’

The beginning of the opening starts with a non-diegetic effect of what sounds like a church bell. This then speeds up to turn into non-diegetic music to add tension. The screen is black which has the effect of the unknown on the viewer to build suspense.  The spider man logo then appears on the screen, it then begins to shake which creates an enigma code as the audience want to know why and for what purpose. The tracking shot then reveals spider man flying towards earth using a shallow focus so we know that he is more important than his surrounding setting. The effect of him starting high above the city and the high camera angle shows the power that he has. This conforms to the typical codes and conventions of a superhero action film as power is something that is explored regularly. It is also useful that the setting is introduced during this shot as well as the character, and the way we see it from an abstract view from above, rather than ground level, also helps to make the audience feel more engaged and special.

The diegetic sounds of New York, such as car horns, are then heard but are enhanced to make it more prominent. A low angle is used again to show the power and superiority that he has. There are sounds of air swooshing which are obviously unnatural and wouldn’t be heard as obviously in real life, but the effect of enhancing them makes the audience more aware of this fast movement and the action within the scene. These enhance sounds of movement, and more commonly violence, are a typical effect used in the action genre. The diegetic sounds of his laughter make the audience aware more obviously that he is enjoying himself, rather than being in some sort of chase with a villain. It also makes the audience aware that he is innocent as his laugh doesn’t sound sinister at all.

There is then a style of tracking shot where it seems that the camera is strapped to his feet and follows his movement around. This makes the audience feel like they are there at the scene and adds an abstract take as you fly through the air with the character. There is then a voiceover in the style of a typical American news report which follows the common narrative of action genre that a busy city full of people has been put in danger due to some sort of baddie doing something. There is then diegetic dialogue of spider-man exclaiming to himself that it’s ‘time to get to work’. This is quite comical as he says it so relaxed. It is also an action code as it is a significant event which changes the narrative of the story and the way that it was potentially leading. The beginnings of the plot are also introduced here. The next cut juxtaposes this and shocks the audience as several very quick medium shots are cut between one another of a truck that has been hijacked recklessly driving through the streets. The pace of editing being at the same speed of the beat in the music creates a dramatic effect for the audience and captures the attention, while still feeling realistic at the same time.

There is then a medium close up of the driver of the vehicle who takes on the stereotype of an uneducated person as he is wearing an Adidas jacket, a gold chain around his neck and tattoos. He is shouting and laughing to himself as we see his single hand on the steering wheel. There is constant diegetic, off-screen sounds of police sirens going over the top to make the audience known that they are in some sort of police chase. The sound of sirens could also have a psychological effect on the viewer as we connect this sound with danger or criminals. The fast paced non-diegetic sounds build tension to the scene. The shaky movement of the camera off-puts the audience and makes them feel uncomfortable, and occasionally panicky.

There is then 3 cuts of low angle shots but all from different locations pointing at men wearing all black with large guns in their hands. The shot from below looking up at them makes them appear powerful to the audience. The choice of black clothing also makes them appear like they may be baddies or guilty. The use of guns and weapons is also typical to the action genre. There is then a panning shot which turns into a wide angle as it captures the multiple police cars in chase. This enables the audience to understand the surroundings of the scene. The use of motor vehicles is common in an action genre. Again, the enhanced sounds of sirens build tension.

The camera then cuts to a close up shot of someone tying rope on the back of the lorry, you can see the background moving speedily behind them which adds a sense of danger to the audience. There is then a medium shot of the driver to capture his facial expressions as he screams and is thrown forwards. This creates an enigma code as the audience want to know what has happened. They're questions enabling the audience to get intrigued with the film and wanting to find out the answers to these questions, therefore watching more of it. It then cuts back to a wide angle shot so the audience can see the lorry driving over a police car. There is a close-up shot to capture the smashed glass which has been created. It then cuts to a low angle shot pointing diagonally upwards which captures the lorry driving forwards as it then knocks a police car directly towards the camera. This makes the audience feel like they are part of the scene as they feel like they are put in danger.

There is then a tracking shot of spider man flying through the air and it helps to establish the scene. It is also slowed down to build tension and drama. There are then a series of wide angle shots of him flying through the city before a close up shot of him flying directly towards the camera. This makes the audience feel like they are no longer watching what is taking place, but are present at the scene. The storyline then continues to be established as we see the men in black clothes burning a whole threw the top of the lorry with some sort of gadget (typical action genre convention.) It is still unknown whether they are good or bad.

There is a constant overlap of two scenes, one of spider man and one of the baddies. This is a common convention of action films as it builds tension for the audience as you don’t quite know how far away the two scenes are from meeting. There is then a tracking shot of spider man moving towards the lorry. This now makes the audience aware of the combination of the two points of view and the action is now all taking place together in the same shot. The unknown has been solved for the audience of when the two characters will intervene with one another. The camera angle then switches to inside the lorry looking out. The sound has decreased in volume and sounds of sirens are almost inaudible. Spiderman’s hand then appears as he knocks on the window. When the window is rolled down the volume increases inside the lorry again which makes the scene realistic. Some comedic dialogue is said to lighten the mood for the audience, but clearly not for the driver as he produces a large gun.

Opening Analysis: 'The Purge'

Opening Analysis: ‘The Purge’

The beginning of the opening starts with a close-up shot of an i-pod playing music. They have used shallow focus to show that it is a key part of the film. They then capture the song as it changes other into another song. This is then contradicted by a panning shot of blood covered scissors and knives so makes the audience feel unsafe. In the blurry background you can see the feet of three other people. This creates an enigma because we want to know what they are doing there, who they are etc. The use of low key lighting is a typical aspect of horror genre so maintains the codes and conventions. There is then a close up of someone and the shift of focus only allows us to see different parts of their blood covered person at once. It then cuts to a medium shot so we can see their facial expressions which show them crying to one another. They have stuck to the typical genre conventions through use of ropes to tie up victims. The use of a tilted camera demonstrates to the audience that this is something different as this is an unusual camera angle. It makes them feel on edge because it is an uncommon view. We then get another panning shot of the masked man and the environment he is sat in. It then cuts to a medium shot of one of the 3 people on the sofa crying, this allows their facial expressions to be seen. There is then dialogue coming from the masked man as he verbally tortures the victims. It is the first bit of dialogue the audience hears so we know it is important. There is then a shot to reveal 4 people sitting on a blood stained sofa all tied up together in a much damaged room. The shots then continue cutting between the masked man and the people sitting on the sofa. The music you can hear is contrapuntal to the situation. It is achieved well which is normally quite hard to do successfully. The focus continues to shift between focused and unfocused. This could demonstrate the confusion of the victims. The masked man then announces the ‘next game’ and the characters reaction to this is an on-screen diegetic scream.

Opening Analysis: 'Dawn of the Dead'

Analysis of the horror opening Dawn of the Dead

The opening begins with a calming pan shot of a mantle piece with family photos on it. This shot makes the audience feel safe and at home (leads them into a false sense of security) so that they are then more shocked when the action begins. There is then a zoom in shot heading towards the door which creates an enigma for the audience as we want to know its significance or what is behind it. Non-diegetic sound of violins then starts playing to build tension. A wide angle shot of the room is then taken as we see the door, which has been left ajar the whole time, suddenly begin to open. There is a slight sense of discomfort when you see a door left a jar open on the audience, it adds a sense of mystery. There is then a close up of the door as it then begins to open. Shallow focus is used so that we know this is a key moment but it also blurs the background so we only see an outline of what is left behind the door. There is then a wide angle of the two characters in bed (comfort) which juxtaposes the scary girl (discomfort) that we are about to see. There is a wide angle shot of the girl who is hidden by a shadow but a small amount of blood can be seen on her dress. This allows the audience to immediately know that she is either a victim or attacker. This continues for a few seconds to build tension and add suspense for the audience. She then steps forward into the light which reveals her blood covered mouth. We then hear diegetic sound, on-screen of the dad reacting to the sight of his daughter who assumes that she has been harmed so runs to hug her. A close-up shot then reveals the child biteing the dad in the neck which juxtaposes his exclamation 'call an ambulance' as there is then an enhanced diegetic sound of the father screaming. There is then a medium shot to capture the three characters and the mum (female so perceived as a victim) pulling the child off. There is then a shallow focus from the end of the corridor which represents the fear of the unknown. The child is pushed onto the floor towards the camera. Another shot then captures a birdseye view of the dad falling back onto the bed holding his wound on his blood stained shirt, which was once pristine white. This could be a visual representation of the exchange from innocence to corruption.

[analysed up until 1:36]

Opening Analysis: ‘Kidulthood’

Opening Analysis: ‘Kidulthood’

The scene begins with a close-up, slow motion shot of someone playing with a football. This immediately introduces the thought of a young male playing a game of football at a either school, or in the park, with his friends. It then speeds up and a long shot with deep focus is used to capture the facial expressions of a female teenager wearing school uniform. Due to the jump between shot we can tell that there must be a connection between these two characters. There is also non-diegetic music playing over the top which acts as a bridge for the different cuts in the scene. The camera then, whilst still in the same shot, jumps between different groups of people, which could be seen as introducing the stereotypical friendship groups at school. The non-diegetic music then begins to build tension by increasing in volume. There is then a close up of someone sorting out what appears to be an item of technology. We think that this must be something bad because of the music and creates an enigma code for the audience to see what is going to happen. Also, there is a medium shot of a girl on the phone (typical teenager) and we can see her confused facial expressions. Her costume of hoop earrings, messy hair and customised uniform creates the feeling that she may be a rebel in her environment. It then cuts to a shot of a group of boys talking about the parties that they are going to. This could be relatable for a teenage (target) audience. It then cuts back to the familiar shot of a football and then back to the person playing with an item of technology. They persist in using a close up shot so that the audience doesn’t fully understand what it is. We then discover through a close up shot of a drill spinning that he is in a DT lab. The character looks mischievous and is concentrating hard through a close up shot of his facial expressions using deep focus. It then cuts back to the girls talking to each other about kissing. They aren’t using proper English which suggests they come from a rundown area, or unstable background. They then start talking about a boy across the playground, and a shot from the girl’s perspective is put on him so the audience can see what they are talking about. The effect of using a shot from their perspective makes the audience seem like they are part of the action. They continue talking and the shot cuts to a shaky camera shot panning the playground (show setting) before finding its subject. The shots continue cutting between different friendship groups until we see a group of boys approach the two girls inviting them to their party. This may be relatable for a teenage audience.