Assignment 6: Opening Sequence Analysis

By Joanne Aroda

Opening Sequence Analysis

• I will be going over....

• Psycho• Se7en• Gattaca• Lord of War

Psycho• Horror/Mystery

• The defragmented missing parts of the title is similar to a person being cut

• Also the heading being in bold white capitals highlights its importance and gives you a big insight into what the movie is about

Psycho• There are a lack of camera

shots ,angles and movement this focuses the audience onto the screen

• There are variations on the fonts sizing again making the important points known

Psycho

• All of the sounds in the opening sequence is non-diagetic • The sounds are loud

and punchy which imitates a women's scream or the sharp stabs of a knife.• Its the same as with

special effects the cutting panels imitate the sharp stabbings of a knife

Psycho

• With Transitions Its mostly straight cuts making the scene more punchy and dramatic

• The editing and pace is fast as its meant to leave you on the edge of your seat and leave you uneasy meeting it genres conventions

Conventions

• The conventions of a Horror is to leave to uneasy, mostly guessing and scared sometimes sick and disgusted.

• From the opening sequence it meets conventions with leaving the audience guessing and uneasy through straight cuts and the high pitched loud sound.

• The way the sequence creates enigma is through not giving the audience everything about the movie but hits through sound and the special effects.

• Its Target audience is 15 and older as to the horror that teenagers and adults seem to love as it’s a rush of fear and excitement

Se7en• Thriller, Drama

• They are also sometimes blurred and defragmented with highlights that the character may be mentally disturbed

• The font/titles are small and mature yet childlike and are in a range of sizes

Se7en• The Camera shots consist of

close ups and extreme close ups • The extreme close up of the

characters finger tips highlights its importance

• The scene shows the cutting of the finger tips skin which implys the hiding of the characters identity which implys there act is not of good nature

Se7en

• The Sounds are all non-diagetic

• Its mostly high pitched nails on a white board scratching sound

• The sound blends with the cold metallic props used i.e razor blades

Se7en

• The special effects consists of ...• Echoing (ghost trail)• Overlapping• Flashing• Flash forward • blur • All of these factors

create confusion and leave the audience trying to piece together the short clips

Se7en

• Transitions are close cuts which creates suspense

• Editing /pace goes at a medium pace in the attempt for the audience to understand the information being given

Se7en

Denotation

• Image of hands

• Finger tips

• Writing

Connotation• Torture

• Hidden identity

• Plain, Educated

Mise-en-Scene

Props• Razor• Text book/ Scrap book• Needle

Lighting• The lighting in the sequence

was manipulated well as sometimes hit hid and unveiled certain things for the view to pay attention too.• Most of there's props

have a cold metallic nature which fits into its Genre well

Conventions

• The conventions of a thriller drama are that your meant to leave to guessing yet entertained by the drama that would unfold

• The opening sequence gives you small insights into what the movies about which is similar to the ‘Chain Saw Mascara’.

• Enigma is created as through the use of extreme close ups and close up as it only gives you small incite

• Also fact of which you never see the characters face which gives the audience the mystery element.

• This movies target audience is 18 and above due to the harsh nature of the movie again adults may watch this kind of movie to get a rush or thrill.

Gattaca

• Thriller/ sci-fi/ Drama• The Font/ Titles range

from small to medium capitals

• All the letters that are in the title are in bold in peoples names

Gattaca• For Camera shots there are mainly just

two which are extreme close ups and wide shot which are used to gives the audience specific information

• With Camera angles there are Low and High angles used

Gattaca• Camera movement

are tilts and pans • There are non-diagetic and diagetic sounds

• At the start of the sequence there is a loud drumming sound that slowly turns into a melodic soft sound usually associated with Romantic movies

• Diagetic sound could be heard through, shower, fridge, brushing of skin and when the character moves around the house

Gattaca

• Special effects were mostly fade in and outs and slow motion which creates a calm mood

• What are used for transitions are overlap which also makes a clam soft mood and movement

• This is also the same with editing and pace

Gattaca

Denotation• Finger

• Nail

• Letters

Connotation• Identity

• Stripping of identity

• Magnifying glass like in a lab( gives theme)

Mise-en-Scene

Props• Syringe• Blood• Urine

Lighting• Its not bright but its not

darks its in-between.• The blue and white blend

and is usually associated with something that is cold and the cold nature of science

• Later the lighting is sort of dim

• These props fit well this its theme of science as these are what are seen daily in a lab and gives the viewer a hit into its storyline

Conventions

• The conventions of a drama, thriller is to leave people to wonder and be on the edge of there seat trying to think out what’s going to happen from the drama

• Enigma is cause by the limited information that is given in the opening sequence leaving the audience with a taste of what the storyline is

• Its target audience is 15 and over as to the dramatic thrilling ride the audience would be taken on which need so sort of mature understanding.

Lord of War• Action-Drama Thriller

• The Font/Titles are block white capitals like military font strong and structured

• The is a contrast between font sizes at the highlight the importance of something or information

Lord of War

• With Camera Angle, at the start the camera starts at a high angle the drops down this give the audience a view of the environment which is machinery which is cold and heartless

• With the Camera Shots it taken you on a journey of a bullet which seems like a camera has been strapped to the bullet

Lord of War• Camera Movement is fast

but medium passed at some points of the bullets journey portraying the fast life of a bullet and its soul and primary use

• Sound Non-Diagetic sound such as the gun shot, machine, people talking

• Diagetic Low music but doesn’t quite match its surroundings

Lord of War

• Special Effects were used as such in the heavy machinery

• The bullets journey • The child being shot• Slow motion

• Transitions are mostly fast fade to make it look like there are no cuts

Lord of War

• Editing and pace are quite fast as the bullets journey starts and slows down for half a second as the bullet meets its end purpose

• Its sort of like the circle of life

Lord of War

Denotation• Bullet

• Child

Connotation

• Danger, death

• Man kind and what we do to each other

Mise-en-Scene

Props• guns

Costume• Costume fitted in with the

surrounding environment ie. Work man , African soldier

Conventions

• With an Action Drama movie you expect up tempo dramatic scene that keep your attention and entertain you through the movie

• The way the sequence created enigma is through the journey of the bullet and leave you thinking why? And what's next. It also shock people with the child being shot as its not what we see everyday

• Its Target audience is a 15 to the violence use and seems like its mostly aimed at the male audience due the action