Will-Thriller openings

First Movie
44 inch chest (in class)
Camerawork

Throughout the opening sequence there are a variety of shots, angles and movement that help to create a tense thriller opening. One camera shot used is a close up used, see right that is used to see the facial expression of the man; they want to do this because he is shutting his eyes and opening them, as if he is about to die, so this creates the question is he alive or not? Also just before this sequence above there is a camera movement that is a pan, this is used to set the scene, often known as an establishing shot, which is key to a thriller opening.

Editing

In the opening clip there is a number of editing techniques used that are common to a thriller opening. There are a lot of quick cuts, to show the room all smashed up, they do this because they want to get as much action as they can in the short amount of time they have to play with. They do this to keep us captured by; in this case, making us detectives at a crime scene to try and decide what happened here.

Mise en scene
In the clip there are different elements of mise en scene which have been used to create a tense thriller opening. So the props have been smashed to show destruction, also there is a dog in the scene that looks scared to show that a fight has just gone on.

Sound

Throughout this clip there is no dialogue until the credits, so this makes us ask questions because we can’t find out what has just gone on. Also with the use of the soundtrack, non diagetic sound, it helps to build up suspense and emotion.

Second Movie
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJmbvcYKXdI
Goodfellas
Camerawork

With the shot on the right there is a point-of-veiw zoom in, they here something in the trunk and go out to see what it is, this shot builds suspense because it’s the unknown and there cautiously approaching it and its making the audience ask what has happened?
Editing

As with 44 inch chest there are a lot of quick cuts, but this time it’s to see the characters reaction to the situation going on around them, this helps with making us ask questions because with the quick cuts it looks as if the characters are as clueless as the audience as to what’s going on.

Mise en scene
The props used, part of mise en scene, are murder weapons to illustrate the villain and the victim, to show who’s in control of the situation. If the audience know early on who the villain is and who victim then it helps them to build a relationship with the characters which helps them to understand the story more.
Sound
In the clip there is diegetic sound at the start, so the sound of the car and the noise at the back, this is done so because if there was background music we wouldn’t be able to hear why they stopped, so we would be left confused, meaning no tension building.

Third Film
Dark Knight
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GA4h-xqfrcw
Camerawork

The shot to the right is a from a birds eye view angle, and it’s a long shot. These are know as establishing shots and are used to show the location and surroundings, in this case to show the audacity of the task there doing, which builds tension because of the sheer scale of it.

Mise en scene
Again I am speaking about the props, but it’s only because I think that when used well they work very well in a thriller opening. The prop that hits hard in this scene is the use of masks, these are there to scare the audience and it works well because they actually do look quite scary.

Editing

In the clip there is use of continuity editing, which is used to make the story go smoothly but sequencing the narrative in chronological order, in this case, a technique used was diegetic sound.

Sound

As I mentioned before there was use of diegetic sound, the one that thrills the most is the smashing of the glass window on the skyscraper, and this tension was built up by the soundtrack, non diegetic sound, and then ended with diegetic sound, which worked well.

Fourth Film
Cape Fear
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=66m1KIHl1tA
Camerawork
There is limited camerawork in the opening of cape fear, there’s just a still shot the whole way through, but with the lack of camerawork it makes the audience ask the question what is cape fear? So this will make them want to watch more to see what the film is actually all about.
Editing

The editing that is done in this scene is, that they have edited in pictures into the water. So are attention is focused in on the water then we start to see pictures in the background, see right. This makes the audience confused as to what the pictures symbolize and again keep them watching.

Sound
The soundtrack is the main feature in this opening sequence, its non diegetic, and is tension building music, that provocts the audience into feeling uncertainty.

Fifth Film
Inception
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-VXkUzf1et4
Camerawork

There are a number of different camerawork techniques used in the opening scene, one of those was the close up shot at the start where the main character is just lying there washed up on the beach and he is lifeless, too the right. This shot makes the audience feel uneasy and confused because they don’t know what’s happened to him and how he got there.

Sound
There is allot of diegetic and no diegetic sound used to create suspense. Like the soundtrack at the start of the clip which is quite a powerful piece that builds tension and suspense.
Editing
As this piece goes on the cuts become more frequent, so they start of quite slowly on the beach and as the action builds there are some very quick cuts like at 1:08 on the clip.
Mise en scene
In the clip there are some major contrasts, like with the characters, one minute your seeing little children playing with sandcastles, a prop, and the next thing you you’re looking at an guard with a gun, witch is a prop.