Having done a lot of research on the thriller openings at the beginning of the project, we have gained a good understanding of the sort of props that feature in thriller films. The props used in a film are very important and help set the mood of the film and are also very good at evoking reaction out of an audience. The main problem we will have regarding props will be the fact that we will have to create 2 very convincing settings using our own props.To overcome this issue, we used our thriller opening research to help us decide what props would be best to use in our piece.
In order to create the impression of a evidence board we will create some mock newspaper cuttings and pictures that will help it to represent a real criminal investigation. We will also need to get ahold of clothing for 2 detectives and a mask for the murderer.
The opening two minutes will give a good indication to how the rest of the film will go. Basically the breakthrough made at the end of the sequence leads the two detectives on a wild chase in search of the unknown antagonist, with many twists and turns that will lead to an inevitable stand off.
(Opening long shot of an evidence board complete with happy go lucky pictures of dead people and newspaper cuttings) ((faded in after some sort of huge thud SFX))
(fade to black)
(second big thud SFX with the flash view of a hand, hanging down by someones side)
(fade to black)
(Third big thud thing, flash view of a tie being straightened)
(fade to black)
(shot from behind a detective, entering the room with the board in it)((shot continues until he stops in front of the board))
(flash to black with the biggest thud yet!)
(mid shot of police officer working at a desk in the corner)
Burns: (looks up) First case?
Gibbs: (extreme close up of his mouth) first case
(pause)
Burns: Well my name is Burns and I’ll be your desk jockey. Pleasure to meet you detective…?
Carter: (enters, nonchalantly and loudly, casual clothes, jacket, cocktail stick in his mouth) Sorry I’m late Gibbs, traffic. (throws jacket at Burns) get me a coffee would you.
Burns: Yes sir (looks surprised and affronted)
Carter: Actually make it a latte, i need sugar
Burns: I am more than just the coffee fetcher you know! (rises from chair with jacket draped over his shoulder)
Gibbs: We know that Burns, you’re a very valued person. (walks over and throws his jacket over Burns’ other shoulder) Instant black for me.
(Burns leaves looking exasperated)
(Gibbs opens file)
Carter: (Sniggers at Burns as he leaves and turns to look at the board) So what have we got?
Gibbs (reading): Several homicides, no connection other than a mask left at each scene with a number on it drawn in the respective victims blood.
(Several flashes of blank white masks with numbers going from 1-4 in their respective scenes)((Maybe a dubbed in echoed scream for each))
Gibbs: Each method appears to have been different in some way, first murder, Benjamin Rodwell, bludgeoned in the middle of the woods late teens and still in school, criminal record for cyber hacking
(flashback throughout explanation of murder, echoed and in short bursts, cant see the identity of killer as they are concealed by the white mask)
Gibbs: Second murder, Sheryl LeBlanc, a teen sensation in acting with a drugs history, strangled in the middle of a field, god knows how she got there
(Yet another flashback like the last one)
Gibbs: Third murder Joseph Summers, turned 22 last week shot in an alleyway somewhere in the suburbs.
(Yes you guessed it, another flashback!)
Gibbs: Fourth murder, Anne Birch, mid forties something of a business woman, found dead in her car with a broken neck.
(god, so many flashbacks!)
Carter: OK, any next of kin
Gibbs: Only one, brother of Sheryl LeBlanc, works in a funeral director, Carter, we’ll have to see her soon.
The opening of this sequence starts with an establishing shot of a small town which informs the audience instantly of the setting. This then fades into a closer birdseye view that pans over the town. The shot gives the impression that their is no life in this place and builds an eerie atmosphere which helps to give across the illusion of a thriller.
There is another birdseye shot of the children crowding around the little girl. This shows the viewer clearly that she is being surrounded and her isolation from the others.
When the girl is running away, a long shot is used to show her running across the road. This long shot gives the audience a clear view of how close she is to being hit by the cars and creates more suspense.
When the man is sitting in the talk, a lot of close ups are used to show his expression and display that he is not really focused on where he is.
The slow motion shots of non main characters allow the viewer to see how the situation in the film is affecting everyone and builds more gives more indication to the thriller nature of it.
Editing
The establishing shot and the overhead view of the children appearing to be dead help create a slow start to the film. This then drastically changes when the girl is running away as the cutting between shots becomes very quick and frantic, helping to create immediate suspense.
After the credits it starts with an extreme close up of a persons eye, it highlights fear and deep concentration.
There is then a close up on someone’s hand, then it zooms out to reveal the character. This works well as it gets the viewers attention when the hand appears, then you can identify the character.
The characters run past the camera, the camera doesn’t pan after them, it makes you want to know where they are running to. Then the next shot reveals where they are and how far up they are when it pans across all of the roofs. Showing how insignificant they are. But also shows that something is happening on that one roof and no where else.
It zooms out from the ground to show how far up he is, but also shows how close he is to falling at the same time.
There is a mid close up of the main character and then the police man to show their reactions to the situation, it shows the pain and effort it is to the police man.
Sound
With the hand shot there is music that builds up tension, this happens throughout the opening. It keeps the viewer on their feet and wanting to know what’s going to happen next.
When the characters jump over one of the roofs, the music goes quieter, so then the viewer can focus more on what is happening. Then they can understand the plot better.
Then the music gets louder when the main character falls and quickly grabs onto the ledge, this highlights fear.
Credits
The credits go on for a long time, and takes up half of the opening.
They’re rather basic and don’t really have any relevance to what happens next. This could confuse the viewer and make then want to understand the storyline.
The music gets louder during the credits which builds up to the first shot you see of the eye.
Mise en Scene
There’s low key lighting, it’s very hard to see what exactly is happening at some points, which again makes the viewer have to look harder at what is happening.
The police outfit makes it easy to tell the difference between the types of people within the opening.
The police silhouette makes him look like the bad one, as dark usually represents evil. So when he goes back to help the main character you are almost shocked. His face is then highlighted slightly, which then makes you realise that he isn’t the bad one.
There are a lot of tilts that happen within this opening. One of them tilts up towards a case, there is a shadow, it looks like the camera is following the shadow to find the suitcase.
Another shot is when it zooms out from the TV and then tilts diagonally to a photo album. This is an effective way that shows objects that have more meaning later on. The TV for when the woman is thrown on it, without thinking you already know its there, so it doesn’t just look like a TV has appeared out of no where.
When the man is hit and falls against the glass there is a tilt down as he falls. This shows how far he has fallen, this shows the viewer how much pain he must be in, to not be able to stop himself falling.
There are close ups and also mid close ups of the two characters to show the relationship they have to one another.
The point of view shot of the people running after the two main characters makes it feel as if you are running after them, it also brings speed to the opening, as you get a clear idea of how fast they are running. As the walls get closer to you fast.
A high angle shot is used when the man is punched in the face, this makes him look small and weak and not able to protect himself. It also gives you more reasons as to why he may not be fighting back.
Sound
When the man is rubbing the ice cube on the woman the music changes, it makes you think that he is going to hurt the woman somehow. But then you get the two people bursting into the room, so it makes you more shocked as you expected something else.
The music also makes it obvious what the man and woman are doing, so you can easily figure out what their relationship is.
The sound and the slow movement of the shadows of the blinds gives off a dreamy feeling, this may reflect to their lust for one another.
There is no music when the man is being punched, so you focus more on what is happening rather than what the music is like.
The music starts again once the men leave, it’s still music that is discomforting, so you know that it’s not all over.
Mise en Scene
Mostly low key lighting is used, this gives a spooky feeling throughout and puts the audience on edge. This could have an effect on them by making them easier to jump.
There are a lot of shadows throughout, which add to the peculiar feeling. It adds to the mood of the opening. That something dark is going to happen.
The props used hold a certain significance to what happens, such as the bed, this is the first place that we see the main characters. Most of the opening scene is on the bed, so it is the main prop.
The photographs are shown before the fight and also after, before it looks like he has forgotten about them. That they have been thrown on the floor, and after the fight, it’s as if it has opened his eyes. And he realises how important they are.
He’s dressed smart in a suit, looks like he has a professional job. Looks like an everyday man, nothing unusual about him.
He doesn’t look like there is anything wrong with him.
He looks very worried and confused when he is rubbing his eyes, you can tell that there is something wrong with him.
The main character comes across as a nice respectable man.
Camera work
It starts off with an extreme close up of a traffic light, at first you cannot see what it is and it confuses you. Then gradually the shot gets further away into a mid close up and then you can definitely tell what the subject is.
The cars going by at eye level starts to help you understand where the location is. The two extreme long shots, show you exactly where the location is also shows how busy it is. Also helps you understand exactly what the significance of the traffic lights were. It is as if they are in a rush to turn on and off just like the people in the cars are in a rush to get where they need to be.
There is a long shot which shows the amount of people that are concerned with what is happening to the man, this helps you realise that something like this hasn’t happened before as people stop to see what is going on.
When the two men are in the car, the camerawork is bumpy this gives the motion that they are in the car.
Sound
There was no music at all, the cars were the main sounds. They helped the viewer understand how fast that they were in a manic situation.
They also keep the viewer wanting to find out what is going to happen, as its as if a car crash could happen with the speed of them.
There is a sound of when the lights are changing, this helps you understand that they are lights when you can’t see what they are because of the extreme close up shot.
It is very noisy before they sit in the car, when they sit in the car, it goes almost silent. This works really well as it makes the viewer focus in more from the big volume change. This also keeps the viewer interested, as the noise from all the cars doesn’t get their focus throughout.
Mise en Scene
Normal clothing, some are quite formal, this indicates that it is a normal day. No big events are happening.
The lighting is high key, which shows a lot of contrast, this makes you focus on the people rather than the setting.
The main character is wearing darker clothing when the man helping his is in lighter clothing, so then you easily focus in on the main character and can see what he is going through.
When they are both in the car and the main character is explaining how his blindness is like, ‘There’s movement to it, like shining through a sea of white’. There is extremely bright light coming across the window screen on the car, which also has a movement when it glides off the window, this allows the viewer to experience what his blindness is like.
