Evaluation Part 1

First part of my thriller opening evaluation

Evaluation Part 2

Evaluation for my Thriller Opening

Evaluation - (Document Form)

Media Studies Evaluation: Thriller Opening

The plot of the opening revolves very much around the two main characters who essentially hold the roles of the 'buddy cops' in the traditional, generic police, action thriller film, e.g. Seven, In The Line of Fire – where the main character interacts with a partner. The audience is also introduced to the love interest of one of the main characters, and they play a major role in the enigma at the end of the opening as another pre-cursor is shown, suggesting that the end of the film may effect their relationship.

For previous films I have worked with a number of friends that act and assist in the productions. This plot was originally written with certain friends in mind to play the main roles, and therefore, I was fortunate that I already had a cast in place. Despite not being drama students, they were enthusiastic and I think that that aspect came across in their performance.

The location that the audience sees in the opening is actually the second location that I used. The first was a small wood that I found a long time before I started writing the story. However, I encountered many problems when working at this location, primarily with the weather that restricted filming. Therefore, I was very lucky when I stumbled across this location, used by one of the cast members. I think it was much mire suitable for a thriller, whereas the woods were perhaps more suitable for a horror film. I managed to shoot pretty much all of the sequence in one visit, without seeing the location first, which meant that I had to change the storyline. It was also really fortunate that we had good weather that enabled us to shoot inside as well as outside.

There were certain shots that I had direct inspiration from. These include the shot in which the audience is introduced to the main character as he steps slowly from the car and stands behind the door, which is a trade mark shot of the director Michael Bay and has been used in films like Transformers, and The Rock. As I was concentrating on using conventions of action films as well as thriller films, I decided to try and replicate this shot whilst at the same time putting my own individual style into it. This shot also acts as signposting for the audience to show them that this is the main character. Other inspiration came from J.J Abrams use of flare in Star Trek. Due to the lack of light inside the barn I had to increase the level of exposure on the camera in order to enable the audience to see more of what was going on. However, this led to the light outside to be so bright nothing was visible out of the barn. This was actually a good thing as it created mystery and produced a strong contrast between the events inside the barn and outside up till the point of the standoff between the characters. One other shot was the shot from inside the boot as the lid is lifted. This was a sort of homage to Quentin Tarantino and Pulp Fiction, it also shows the importance of the main characters as well as suggesting the victimisation of the character in the boot of the car.

The inspiration for the soundtrack came from a song entitled Dead Reckoning composed by Clint Mansell for the film Smokin' Aces. I liked the way that different layers were brought in that built up the levels of suspense in the music. I therefore, tried to incorporate some of that technique into my own soundtrack which was then scored to the film so that in did not have to be cut to fit.

The second part of the opening that is set in the house of the main character and his girlfriend was used to show the time difference between the storylines. It was also used to introduced to present an enigma in the story as the audience is not fully aware of the link between the two parts. The changes with the photo frame at the end enabled me to suggest to the audience that the end of the film involves the relationship between the male and female characters.

In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

• The way in which the plot is constructed. The first part of the opening acts as a pre-cursor to what will happen towards the end. The story will eventually get to this part and then proceed to show the audience the conclusion to the film.
• This narrative arc is therefore, presented in a complicated and different way compared to other Thriller films.

How does your media product represent particular social groups?

• The use of young men as the main characters in the role of police officers, represent the lives of young men in these jobs. This also represents the interest that audience have regarding these conventions, which are present action/thriller films.
• The opening also focuses on the relationship between the main character and his girlfriend, and represents the effect that these jobs have on relationships.

What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?

• As a short opening to a film, it is much more likely that this would be distributed online for viral marketing rather than by a film company into a cinema.
• This is due to the fact that it is not cost effective to distribute a short film physically on screen, it is better to show it online for people to watch for free and whenever they want to.
• It could also be used as a viral advertisement.

Who would be the audience for your media product?

• Mainly people between the ages of 16-35 and probably mostly male
• But, in general, those who are interested in thriller films that lean more towards the action genre

How did you attract/address your audience?

• I worked with a group of friends that acted in the film and as they were all either 18 or 19 I was able to bounce ideas off them and use their influences and attitudes towards certain conventions in the production of the storyline.
• I attracted the audience using characters and plotlines that I enjoy watching.
• I posted the video on Youtube and linked the video from Facebook and Myspace. This enabled a number of people to see the post and watch the video.

What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?

• I have developed my knowledge of editing through using Final Cut Express which allowed me to experiment with the footage and therefore help to extend my knowledge.
• I feel that my camerawork has also greatly improved by using a variety of still, handheld, and tracking shots in the film. In order to improve the fluidity of my tracking shots I constructed a set of tracks with a trolley that would house the tripod and enable me to move the camera along the floor creating smoother tracking shots.

Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?

• I have learnt that you need patience and persistence in order to obtain what you want/need.
• Luck plays a part – especially with the weather.
• I think ambition is good but you also need to accept that you probably will not get all of what you hope achieve.
• But I think one of the most important things is time management, and planning. One of the main problems in the production of this film was that at most of the time we did not have enough time and were rushed. Fortunately the plot was well storyboarded and planned so even though I was restricted in terms of time, I managed to obtain the majority of the footage required.

Anamnesis

This is the complete final edit of my Thriller Opening

Director Profile: Paul Greengrass

Born: 13th August, 1955, Surrey, England

Paul Greengrass started his filmmaking career with a super 8 camera he found in his art room in secondary school. Those short movies were animation horror films he made using old dolls, artist dummies, and the general art room clutter.

After studying in Cambridge University he got into Granada Television School and spent the first ten years of his career roving global hot spots for the hard-hitting documentary series, World in Action. By this time he became very interested in the Northern Ireland conflict. At the same time he co-authored the infamous book Spycatcher with Peter Wright, former assistant director of MI5, which contained enough sensitive information for the British Government to ban it during the mid-1980s.

He then moved into drama, directing made-for-television films such as The One That Got Away, based on Chris Ryan's book about SAS actions in the Gulf War, and The Fix, based on the story of the betting scandal which shook British football in 1964.

In 1989, he directed his first fiction movie, Resurrected, that won an award in Berlin. He continued his career as a fiction filmmaker with a serial of TV movies dealing with social and political issues including Open Fire (about a police scandal about a policeman accused of murder).

His documentary style became more dynamic and intense with each movie. In 2002, Bloody Sunday achieved international acclamation and won the first prize in the Berlin Festival. After that he has continued his career in the United States with The Bourne Supremacy starring Matt Damon.

In 2006, Greengrass directed United 93, a film based on the September 11th hijacking of United Airlines Flight 93. The film received immense critical acclaim, particularly for Greengrass' again quasi-documentary-style directing. After receiving many Best Director awards and nominations from critics circles (including the Broadcast Film Critics Association), Greengrass won the BAFTA award for Best Director at the 60th British Academy Film Awards and received an Oscar nomination for Achievement in Directing at the 79th Academy Awards. For his role in writing the film, he earned Writers Guild of America Award and BAFTA nominations for Best Original Screenplay.

He followed this with a return to the Bourne franchise. The Bourne Ultimatum, released in 2007, was an even bigger success than the previous two films and provided him with yet another BAFTA nomination for Best Director at the 61st British Academy Film Awards.

Greengrass' future plans include directing They Marched into Sunlight, a book by David Maraniss which revolves around the controversy surrounding the Vietnam conflict, focusing on one day, when a major battle was occurring in Vietnam and a major protest was simultaneously happening in the US.

Trade Mark Techniques:
Usage of the handheld camera to provoke realism

Quotes:
“By the time I'd done Bloody Sunday I felt I reached the end of a chapter. I could feel it. I wanted to try something new, something different. Then, to my amazement, Bloody Sunday won lots of theatrical prizes, the audience award at Sundance, and then, to my even greater amazement, I had the opportunity to make a film in Hollywood. I mean, you wouldn't think, looking at my films, oh, there's a guy who's going to make films in Hollywood.”

“It was huge to have a director who was putting you first and saying, "Be as natural and real and honest as you can and it's our job to capture it, rather than yours to adjust for the sake of the shot." That's the thing an actor wants to hear.” Matt Damon

Filmography:
World in Action (2 episodes, 1985-86)
Resurrected (1989)
When the Lies Run Out (1993) (TV)
Open Fire (1994) (TV)
The One That Got Away (1996) (TV)
The Fix (1997) (TV)
The Theory of Flight (1998)
The Murder of Stephen Lawrence (1999) (TV)
Bloody Sunday (2002)
The Bourne Supremacy (2004)

United 93 (2006)
The Bourne Ultimatum (2007)
Green Zone (2010)
They Marched Into Sunlight (2013) (pre-production)

Final Edit of Thriller Opening

This is my final edit. Please comment, any feedback would be appreciated, as I can then amend any mistakes, and evaluate my film. I have added a second part to the opening to create the meaning that the first part is a precursor to the events at the end of the film, and therefore, the film's narrative would go back to the beginning and move forward until it reaches this event and then reveal the conclusion. I have also added a secondary soundtrack to this part of film and it would be good to get any feedback about it as I still have not made up my mind whether or not to keep it.

Soundtrack for Thriller Opening

This is Dead Reckoning by Clint Mansell which was used in the film Smokin' Aces (Carnahan, 2006), 
and it was my primary influence when  creating the soundtrack for my Thriller Opening. 
I liked the way it kept building until the end - similar to the way suspense/tension builds up in a thriller. 
In order to try to replicate this, I increased the number of different layers/instrument loops in the 
soundtrack to increase the sense of drama and suspense. 
Due to the limit of available loops, I went for a more action-based soundtrack focusing on the use of 
rock-styled guitar bass and drum loops. 
This suits the film quite well as it is more of an action-thriller than a suspense-thriller. 
I think the soundtrack turned out well as it tends to stick in your head after you have watched the film.

Thriller Opening - First Cut & Latest Cut

These videos include the first shoot that I did at the primary location along with the behind the scenes footage, and the latest cut of the film (though still unfinished). Through this, I can show the development between the different stages of my work. The second location worked much better as it had better access, an easier surface to work on, and I got luckier with the weather. Therefore, it was much more flexible.

Thriller Opening 1st Draft

This is a draft version of my thriller opening, I still need to finalise the music (the drums are a bit too loud and need to be more in the background) and I need to re-shoot the sequence that features the two main characters walking towards the shed. This is for 3 reasons: there are water droplets on the lens, my shadow is on the floor, and they both smile as they pass the camera. I will also need to film the final sequence that will join onto the end of this sequence. I have also spelt the title wrong, and therefore, this mistake will need to be sorted out. This video will also act as a reference for the actors so they know exactly what they were wearing so there are no continuity issues in costume.

Director Profile: J. J. Abrams

Born: 27 June 1966, New York City, New York, USA as Jeffrey Jacob Abrams

Inspiration for Thriller Opening – Over exposing light to create flaring effect (Star Trek, 2009)

Trade Marks:

• High-tech, action-packed entertainment
• [Cold opening] A suspenseful sequence prior to the opening credits used to pull the audience directly into the story (Mission: Impossible 3 2006, Star Trek 2009)
• Often uses music by Michael Giacchino

Biography:

Abrams' first job in the movie business started when he was 16 when he wrote music for Don Dohler's film Nightbeast. During his senior year at college, he teamed with a friend to write a feature film treatment. Purchased by Touchstone Pictures, the treatment was the basis for Taking Care of Business, Abrams' first produced film, which starred Charles Grodin and Jim Belushi. He followed that up with Regarding Henry, starring Harrison Ford, and Forever Young, starring Mel Gibson.

Abrams collaborated with producer Jerry Bruckheimer and director Michael Bay on the 1998 film, Armageddon. That same year, he made his first foray into television with Felicity, which ran for four seasons on The WB Network, serving as the show's co-creator (with Matt Reeves) and executive producer. Under his production company, Bad Robot, Abrams created and executive-produced ABC's Alias and is co-creator (with Damon Lindelof) and executive producer of Lost. He also served as executive producer of What About Brian and Six Degrees, also on ABC. Abrams directed and wrote the two-part pilot for Lost and remained active producer for the first half of the season before moving on to work on Mission: Impossible III. He later co-wrote the teleplay of the third season premiere A Tale of Two Cities and continues to participate in creative meetings with Damon Lindleof and Carlton Cuse about the direction and mythology of the show.

Abrams contributed in the writing process in Superman Flyby, and co-wrote and produced the 2001 film Joy Ride. He made his feature directorial debut in 2006 with Mission: Impossible III, starring Tom Cruise. He also directed the 2009 blockbuster film Star Trek. Abrams is also the producer of the 2008 monster movie, Cloverfield. His partnership with Lost co-creator Damon Lindelof has grown into the duo producing Star Trek together and while it was speculated that they would be writing and producing an adaptation of Stephen King's The Dark Tower series of novels, they have publicly stated in November 2009, that they were no longer looking at that right now.

He composed the opening theme music for Alias, Lost, Fringe, and co-wrote both of the opening theme songs for Felicity. Abrams signed deals with Warner Bros. for new television shows and Paramount Pictures for new films worth around $50 million.

Filmography:

• Taking Care of Business (1990) (writer)
• Regarding Henry (1991) (writer, co-producer)
• Forever Young (1992) (writer, executive producer)
• The Pallbearer (1996) (producer)
• Gone Fishin' (1997) (co-writer)
• Armageddon (1998) (writer)
• The Suburbans (1999) (producer)
• Joy Ride (2001) (writer, producer)
• Mission: Impossible III (2006) (director, co-writer)
• Cloverfield (2008) (producer)
• Star Trek (2009) (director, producer)
• Morning Glory (2010) (producer)

Television:

• Felicity (1998-2002) (co-creator, writer, executive producer, director-2 episodes 1999)
• Alias (2001-2006) (creator, writer, executive producer, director-5 episodes 2001-05)
• Lost (2004-2010) (co-creator, writer, executive producer, director-2 episodes 2004 [pilots])
• What About Brian (2006-2007) (executive producer)
• Six Degrees (2006-2007) (executive producer)
• Jimmy Kimmel Live! (2006) (Guest director)
• The Office (2005-present) (guest director)
• Fringe (2008-present) (co-creator, writer, executive producer)
• Anatomy of Hope (2009) (director)
• Undercovers (2010) (co-creator, executive producer, writer, director)

Awards:

2005 – American Society of Composers, Authors & Publishers (ASCAP)

Won, Top TV Series for Lost

2006 – ASCAP Award

Won, Top TV Series for Lost

2007 – Academy of Science-Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films, USA

Nominated, Saturn Award for Best Director for Mission Impossible III

2007 – BAFTA

Nominated, Best International for Lost

2005 – Directors Guild of America

Nominated, Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Dramatic Series for Lost

2009 – Emmy Award

Nominated, Outstanding Drama Series for Lost

2008 Nominated, Outstanding Drama Series for Lost

2005 Won, Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series for Lost

2005 Nominated, Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series for Lost

2010 – PGA Award

Won, Motion Picture of the Year, Theatrical Motion Picture for Star Trek

2007 Nominated, TV Producer of the Year in Episodic, Drama – Lost

2006 Won, TV Producer of the Year in Episodic, Drama – Lost

2004 Nominated, TV Producer of the Year in Episodic, Drama – Alias

2009 – Writers Guild of America (TV)

Nominated, Long Form – Original for Fringe

Nominated, New Series for Fringe

2007 Nominated, Dramatic Series – Lost

2006 Won, Dramatic Series – Lost

2006 – Golden Globe Award

Winner, Best Television Series, Drama – Lost

2007 Nominated, Best Television Series, Drama – Lost

Relocation

After encountering many problems at the first location - primarily the weather, I decided to change the site of the project. This came with its own set of difficulties as I needed to find a suitable indoors location quickly and be able to use it more or less straightaway. However, one of my friends who was acting in the film mentioned that he had access to an old barn that he was building his car in. We all went, not sure of what we would find. I liked this location more than the other one, and as we hadn't got much time, we shot then and there. I had to make a few changes to the film but the overall plot remained very much the same.
The lack of light in the barn allowed me to experiment with the exposure levels on the camera which produced interesting effects in the film as you'll see in the pictures.

I think the random objects in the barn added to the feeling of mystery and the fan seen in the bottom right image contributes to the old, rustic appearance of the setting as well as being the only source of natural light in the building, which highlights the characters that are trying to save the girl, while the others are often in shadow.

Tracks

Here are the tracks in use at the location for the Thriller opening. The tracks allowed for steady tracking shots that are not possible through the use of handheld camerawork. I obtained some goods shots in the short time that I had.

Track Construction

After reviewing the footage from my first attempt at filming my thriller opening, I decided that in order to overcome the difficulty of the uneven ground surface I would construct a track that I could raise above the ground. I would then build a platform that would serve as a base for my tripod and camera. This platform would roll along the tracks giving me smooth tracking shots and the ability to film more complex shots.

The tracks and trolley are made out of wood (excluding the wheels) and the tracks are 8ft long which is long enough for the shots I wish to accomplish and long enough that it still fits in my car.

This is a diagram of what I was planning to build and it turned out more or less exactly the same.

This is the construction so far, all that is left to do is to fix the tripod to the platform and join the two lengths of track together.

Director Profile: Michael Bay

Michael Bay           Born 17th February 1965, LA, California

Bay made his first feature film, Bad Boys, in 1995, starring Will Smith and Martin Lawrence. The movie became a success with a total of almost $141million in ticket sales worldwide and generated a huge profit for producers Jerry Bruckheimer, Don Simpson and Columbia Pictures. His follow-up film, The Rock, 1996, starring Sean Connery, Nicolas Cage and Ed Harris won a number of minor awards including 'Best On-Screen Duo' for Connery and Cage at the MTV Movie Awards as well as an Academy Award nomination for Best Sound. 

Armageddon, 1998, was nominated for 4 Oscars at the 71st Academy Awards including Best Sound, Best Visual Effects, Best Sound Editing and Best Original Song. It went on to gross over $550 million worldwide. Bay has collaborated with producer Jerry Bruckheimer for five feature films. 

Michael Bay is probably best known for making large-budget action films including the Transformers films which have grossed more than $1.5billion domestically and $3.5billion worldwide. As of 2009, Michael Bay's world wide box office totals make him the director with the 6th highest gross of all time. 

Genres:

Documentary
Thriller
Action
Short/Commercial

Filmography: (Director)

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009) & Executive Producer

Transformers (2007)                                   & Executive Producer

The Island (2005)                                       & Producer

Bad Boys II (2003)

Pearl Harbor (2001)                                   & Producer

Armageddon (1998)                                   & Producer

The Rock (1996)

Bad Boys (1995)

Awards:

1995 – Directors Guild of America, USA

            Won, Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Commercials

1999 – Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films, USA

            Won, Saturn Award – Best Director – Armageddon

Has received five MTV Movie Awards: Best Movie and Best Summer Movie You Haven't Seen Yet for Transformers, Best Action Scene for Pearl Harbor, Best Action Scene for Bad Boys 2, and Best Action Scene for The Rock. 

Trade Mark Techniques:

Intense slow motion shots of characters

Has the camera moving during most scenes. Very rarely uses static shots

Actors/characters in his films are almost uniformly shot in tight, emphatic close ups, framed under the hairline and above the chin.

Often has over-the-top visuals (i.e. key events taking place at sunset or dramatic events taking place behind actors doing routine activities).

Uses shots of aircraft against a setting sun, especially helicopters (The Rock (1996), Armageddon (1998), Pearl Harbor (2001), Transformers (2007))

Often features a slow-motion shot of an object crashing into, or tumbling towards the camera.

Uses a shot where the camera spins in a circle around characters. (Bad Boys II, Transformers).

Frenetic editing of action sequences.

Preliminary Task

Storyboard - Page 4b

Storyboard - Page 4a

Storyboard - Page 3

Storyboard - Page 2

Storyboard - Page 1

Images used for Storyboard

Plot Outline

Style:

• No diegetic sound (soundtrack?)
  
• Short scenes – jump cuts – dream sequence (haunting memories)
  
• Style – Flashbacks (slow motion in parts)
  

First Part:

• Car stops in front of camera (low angle)
  
• Passenger (Jake) gets out of car (camera moves up [1 take] from previous)
  
• Girl (Jenny) running through forest (low angle of feet, close up of looking over shoulder [profile])
  
• Passenger looks over at driver's side of the car (same angle as previous similar shots)
  
• Driver (Chris) exits the car in a rush and runs past the camera (low angle looking up)
  
• Jenny running through woods (tracking shot?) and stopping in front of the camera.
  
• Close up of Jenny as she looks around
  
• Camera switches to POV and continues to look around
  
• Jake and Chris entering woods, weapons drawn – cautious stance (tracking, low angle)
  
• Jenny held by [unknown male 1] and struggling
  
• Camera pans to the right to show [unknown male 2] walking forwards with and raising gun
  
• Close up of UM2's face (?)
  
• Jake is shot, (Chris is foregrounded in frame)
  
• Slow motion, Chris (face in profile) looks over in Jake's direction and then back forward
  
• Close up of Jenny screaming
  
• Mid shot of UM2, moves gun in direction of Chris
  
• Close up of Chris
  
• Flash of light/fade out to white
  

Second Part:

• Chris wakes up (suddenly) (high angle looking down)
  
• Looks and stretches to the other side of the bed but there's no one there. (camera pan)
  
• Looks up at ceiling
  
• Sits up in bed (Camera looks directly at him)
  
• Gets up and walks out of shot
  
• Camera pans in opposite direction to a bedside table, and shows a police badge, a gun and a photograph of Chris and Jenny on which the camera stops before fading out to white and displaying the title.
  

Or, alternatively:

• Chris wakes up (suddenly) (high angle looking down)
  
• Looks and stretches to the other side of the bed where Jenny is sleeping. (camera pan)
  
• Sits up in bed (Camera looks directly at him)
  
• Gets up and walks out of shot
  
• Camera pans in opposite direction to a bedside table, and shows a police badge, a gun and a photograph of Chris, Jenny, and Jake on which the camera stops before fading out to white and displaying the title.
  

Location of my Thriller Opening

This is the Location of my Thriller Opening for AS Media Studies. It is a privately owned piece of land that includes a small woodland that I will utilise. In the woodland are a disused, covered up caravan, combine harvester, and truck that the owner has placed there. I think that these help to set the scene as it is unusual and slightly scary.
I found it slightly easier to write the plot of my opening after I had seen the location rather than writing an idea and then finding a suitable place to film it which it what I usually do.

The following images are photos from inside the woods the first time I visited the location.

They show the machines in the woods and also the space in between the trees where I will be able to film the main action of the opening. There is also pieces of metal scattered around this area which adds to the overall atmosphere of the location.

Analysis of Thriller Film Openings (up to 2 mins 50 secs)

Valkyrie (Singer, 2008)

How do the following elements create mood/atmosphere?

Camera-work:

Reveal – from a red background (danger) to showing the Nazi flag, which is an internationally recognised symbol and everyone knows what it represents
Vertical Track shows Cruise's uniform which shows the audience that he is a German officer
Close up of Cruise, his face is half-lit, the lamp casting a shadow on half of his face suggesting that he is a mysterious character and is perhaps hiding his true feelings
Close up as he closes his diary in order to keep it private – suggests that his views are not those that would be excepted by his peers
Close up of Hitler's portrait on a leaflet – film based on events that focus on Hitler

Sound:

German soldiers speaking an oath to Adolf Hitler – Audience know that this film is based at the time of the Second World War
Actual recordings of the oath - realism
Wind can be heard in North Africa – cold, hostile environment
Tom Cruise's monologue first in German, then gradually into English
The scratching of the pen on the paper – selected – emphasising the importance of Stauffenberg's views in the context of the film
His monologue outlines the plot of the film, “A change must be made” (regarding Hitler)

Mise-en-Scene:

The fact that it states that the film is based on a true story creates a sense of realism for the audience
The words of the oath chosen suggest that the plot is based around the loyalty of the soldiers to Germany and to Hitler
Red flag as background – shown to be the Nazi flag – a symbol for what the film focuses on
Desert colours – light browns, golden browns – emphasise that the location is a desert in North Africa

Editing & Lighting:

Low-key lighting – only source of light supposed to be the lamp
Low-key lighting (& choice of colours) similar to sepia tone – past events

How are the characters introduced?

Tom Cruise (Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg) is the main character and is introduced through a slow track in into a tent in North Africa during WW2, while he is writing his diary

How are the credits integrated?

Words are first in German – symbolising the location and focus of the film – before they are translated into English so that the target audience can understand
Speech (Cruise's monologue) is in German and is subtitled in English, until it is slowly changed by Cruise into English

Analysis of Thriller Film Openings (first 2 mins)

Layer Cake (Vaughn, 2004)

How do the following elements create mood/atmosphere?

Camera-work:

Reverse Tracking act as a slow reveal

Tracking movement as one scene moves to another

Tracking in every scene – progressing like a timeline (Craig's monologue – background info)

Close up of Daniel Craig in shop – introduction of main character

Tracking shot of Craig walking down a street - realism

Sound:

Monologue from main character – Daniel Craig – his personal story, speaks directly to the audience

The monologue talks about the events happening on screen – gives audience information – a backstory

Swearing and orders from criminals in first scene – dramatic

Music – in the background, repetitive tones, woman's voice, quiet – layers of song building up in sequence, building up tension

Mise-en-Scene:

All drug products under one name - “one day all this drug monkey business will be legal” - sense of realism – using FCUK as company – real company

Products change from drugs to ordinary everyday items found in chemists – shows audience realism and a link between real life and what Craig is talking about

Craig dressed in smart/casual clothes

Editing & Lighting:

Slow motion – in keeping with the slow reveal

Colours very unsaturated – appearing as almost black and white, links with the monologue talking about the past

Cold colours – crime (robbery, prison) all prisoners wearing same cold colours (blue tints)

Warm colours - “summer of love” (golden tints) eras and places clearly defined

Fade into each scene – using the camera tracking horizontally – sense of time passing

Chemists – Bright white, over-exposed – cleanliness, clinical

How are the characters introduced?

Daniel Craig – monologue, directly speaking with audience

Introduced to the audience personally in the shop

How are the credits integrated?

N/A