Research Task by Jess Brayne

Thriller Opening 1: The disappearance of Alice Creed

Mise en Scene

• Setting: A car park, a hardware shop, a flat, the woods and a bed/furniture shop.
• Costume: Typical men's clothes, jeans, t-shit and a jacket/coat
• Props: Mainly DIY tools
• Facial Expressions: Not many
• Body Language: Normal, they know what they are doing

Editing

• Straight cuts

Camerawork

• Close-ups
• Extreme Close-ups
• Two Shots
• Panning Shots
• Tracking Shots

Sound:

• Diegetic: Exaggerated throughout, plane overhead, car moving, trolley wheel, DIY work. No talking
• Non-diegetic: Music - fast, sad, tense and builds over time

Evaluation:

This opening works well as a thriller because the audience is left with lots of unanswered questions like, out of all the cars why steal a van? Who are these people? Where is this film set? Why are they soundproofing a room? It also works well as there is no talking as it creates more mystery.

Thriller Opening 2: Along Came a Spider

Mise en Scene:

• Setting: An office, a flat, the street/road
• Costume: Smart work clothes
• Props: Food and drinks, computer/desk, a car
• Facial Expressions: Main character - Bored, fed up, maybe depressed. Others: Happy
• Body Language: The same as the facial expressions

Editing

• Straight cuts
• Maybe cross cutting

Camerawork

• Close-ups
• Over the Shoulder shots
• 2 shots
• Shots that just show setting

Sound

• Diegetic: Singing 'Happy Birthday', general chatter, feet tapping, typing on a keyboard
• Non-diegetic: Clunking as words appear on screen, music - gentle but fast and the main characters thoughts

Evaluation:

One reason this works so well as a thriller opening is because of the on screen writing that comes up first and then makes the audience wonder what this character has to do with the Fraternity. Also we wonder who the man getting out of the car is as the main character is talking about his dad as this other man come on screen so could that be his dad? Another reason this works well as a thriller is because it appears to be normal day so there must be a big twist as some point.

Thriller Opening 3: Donkey Punch

Mise en Scene

• Setting: City, a hot country, a hotel, bars
• Costume: Swimwear and dresses over the top, stereotypical summer clothes
• Props: Drinks
• Facial Expressions: Mostly happy, at one point concerned, maybe angry
• Body Language: Mostly happy and ready for a good time,

Editing:

• Straight cuts

Camerawork

• Panning
• Close-ups
• Multi person shots
• Over the Shoulder shots

Sound:

• Diegetic: Plane, chatting, water, phone
• Non-diegetic: Music - slow, acoustic

Evaluation

This opening makes the film seem very normal and that it is going to be about a group of girls who have a nice holiday, the only hint of something bad is when there is a close-up of a blood covered tissue in the sink. Although there is a little bit of speaking which is uncommon in thriller openings it helps give the impression that this will be a very happy film.

Thriller opening 4: Watchmen

Mise en Scene:

• Setting: A flat, Presidents office, a TV studio, outside the flat
• Costume: Pyjamas, dressing gown, smart/professional
• Props: Badge, cigar, kettle, TV
• Facial Expressions: Serious
• Body Language: Not a lot, mostly standing still or sitting down

Editing:

• Straight cuts
• One shot links to another, the character changes the channel and the setting changes as well

Camerawork:

• Close-ups
• Medium-long shots
• Pan-in

Sound:

• Diegetic: Kettle boiling, the TV, water
• Non-diegetic: None

Evaluation:

Although this is not a classic thriller opening, as they like to give the impression that everything is normal, I think it is still a very effective one because the audience still doesn't know this character is or why the news is so important to him/his character. The lighting in this opening is very low and this suggests that something bad is going to happen as usually bad things, like murders for example, don't happen in broad daylight. One reason this is very different to any other opening is that there is no non-deigetic sound, it is all in the film.

N.B. I am sorry for the lack of screen shots but I do not own the films on disc and when I paused them a 'play' button came up in the middle of the screen.