Pace
Trainspotting
Pace is hugely important as it can give an indication of the genre of a movie, especially at the beginning as, if the editing and pace of the scene is very quick, it is usually an action scene or a thriller. Fast pacing is used so that we see a lot in a short amount of time, sometimes so that we see every punch in a fight, sometimes so we can see every person in a chase scene. However, slower scenes create tension and suspense. This is mostly used in horror movies as they need to build the audience up so that it might scare them. Trainspotting is an example of a faster paced opening which features cross-cutting between a chase scene and one of the characters taking drugs, then a bit later on, a football match seemingly between friends. This straight away tells several different stories at once, and while this is all going on, we are introduced to characters via freeze frames and their names appearing beside them. To create excitement for the audience, the film goes straight into the chase scene, upbeat music playing as soon as we see a character's feet touch the ground, the camera being at a worms eye view. Then there is a close up on two of the characters' faces. We see that one of them has something obviously hidden in his shirt and the next shot, we see all of these things dropping. This gives a impression of these characters, that they probably often break the law, but they don't really care much for what they have stolen. Additionally, the voiceover advising the audience to choose a better, more normal life suggests that the characters do not have one. |
Track
Lord Of War
The opening of Lord of War is pretty unconventional as we follow the life of a bullet from manufacturing to when it is used. Straight away we get a feel of what the film is about as a bullet connotes death, danger and war which we already get an idea of through the title. Also, this tracking shot that is used makes the bullet seem like the most important thing as we are forced to follow it. The soundtrack is also quite interesting as it is quite upbeat which contrasts to the themes of the movie as it almost gives the making process of the bullet seem fun. The lyrics 'everybody look what's going down' make this process seem normal as well, due to it telling everybody to look a what is going on, all these bullets are being made and everybody is ignoring it as though it is a day to day thing, it's normal to these people. Normal people may never see a bullet never mind millions of them and yet these people, those in the factory, those that they are sold to and so on, are not fazed despite what a bullet connotes. This links to the dialoge at the beginning when a character says 'that's 1 firearm for every 12 people on the planet.... how do we arm the other 11?' Its quite a shocking statistic, but with the added comment of arming everyone else in the world, it makes it seem as though no one is safe from guns/ bullets, further emphasised by where the bullet ends up - shot into an innocent child. Even if people are not armed, they can be affected by guns whether they choose to put themselves in the firing line or not. Additionally, from a low angle and when the bullet (and subsiquently we are also) in the box, we see that it has been shiped to Russia which is interesting if we assume that America made the bullet. Russia has always been seen as America's main enemy, conventional in many films, due to the cold war and yet the are seen in this movie supplying Russia with bullets. It seems ironic given their history, And at the end of the opening, shock tatics are used very effectively to show just how dangerous and destructive these bullets could be, it is shot at a child and kills him. As we have been tracking the bullet, we feel as though we are a part of it, like it is the most important thing and or perhaps that we are it, we feel a sense of guilt when we see where it is being shot at, saying something else to the audience, making a bold statement that perhaps we allow this sort of thing by not 'seeing' it as the song suggests. |
Voiceover
No Country For Old men
No country for old men is a sort of western, neo-noir thriller about a game of cat and mouse between a Sheriff and a murderer who uses a captive bolt pistol to kill people. The opening uses a voiceover to effectively set the scene for the movie and give a lot of backstory. Seen as the backstory giving is a lot about the person who is taling, we can assume that he will be the main character and this is effective as the audience straight away gets an idea of what kind of person he is. He is a Sheriff, his father and grandfather were both law men, as he puts it, meaning he is a law abiding typical person and would know quite a lot about law. He is also religous as he talks about heaven and hell, which further makes him seem like a 'good guy.' The settings that we are shown during this voiceover are all calm and peaceful and there is no soundtrack what so ever. This contrasts to what the sheriff is talking about; death, murder, guns and law-keeping and sets the tone for the movie as, in these calm, quiet areas, there will be murders that seems unlikely for the type of place. However, he also talks about how the 'old timers' never used to carry guns. He means the old sheriffs, which gives the impression that times have changed, making this place more dangerous. The voiceover contrasts what we are seeing, even at the end when we see the main character handcuffing someone and putting them into his car as the setting is one of these plains that go on forever, peaceful and calm and yet someone is being arrested. |
Own Opening Choice
Rush
Rush is a biopic/sports drama about the racing drivers Niki Lauda and James Hunt. The opening introduces us to Niki Lauda and the danger of the sport that he competes in. It also creates the enigma (if you were not aware of the real events) of what happened to Niki on the day that he mentions. It begins by setting up the Nurburgring race, an important race for the characters, showing the audience what kind of day it was. The sky is cloudy and grey, the track wet with puddles everywhere and team members in raincoats. Even if you do not follow formula 1 or know anything about it, everyone knows that the danger of driving (even a normal car) in the rain is far more dangerous than on a drier day. Then there is a medium shot of Niki Lauda sitting in his car, looking up at the sky. Here begins a voice over, giving a bit of information about the craziness of formula 1 at the time; '25 drivers start every year in formula 1 and each year, two of us die.' As he continues, the camera cuts between different drivers getting ready to race. As we near the race, the editing picks up, being quite slow as we see the sky and Niki in his car and what is going on around him, compared to now when it is a little faster. We see these drivers, some with girls having pictures taken, some getting into their cars and some having their cars tested. This coupled with the voiceover sets some background information on the time and the sport. We also get an idea about one of the other characters. We hear Niki talking about James, his rival, and looking over at a one of the drivers with his arms around two girls. Already, we can assume that James is a bit of a playboy and that he does not take much seriously. The bit of dialog gives an idea, as well, of the rivalry between the characters, that they will do anything to beat each other, but want to be on equal ground to prove the talent they have, hence the line 'then we go on wets too.' After this, the sound and editing picks up. We hear the cars revving, ready to race, and the soundtrack kicks in as it cuts between the different parts of the cars quite quickly. It does this to build excitement for the actual race and gives an indication of the action element of the sport. Finally, as there is an establishing shot of all the cars lined up to race, Niki says, 'the other thing I'm remembered for was what happened to me on 1st august, 1976.' Just before it cuts to black, we see the start of the race, but this all creates an enigma as to what happened to Niki that was so significant on this date and how his rivalry, which we see in play by the two cars side by side fighting to get in front, plays into it. |
Analysis of Horror/Thriller Openings
Gone Girl
Gone Girl is a thriller centering around Nick Dunne, an ex-magazine writer and his wife, Amy, who goes missing on the day of their fifth anniversary. Its introduction creates a suspenseful, eerie atmosphere which assists in making the audience feel uneasy. One example of a way it does this is by beginning with a black screen and very quiet, slow music. This creates tension as it’s building up to the actual movie, at the moment it is only showing credits. Then we hear a voiceover of a man that we can assume is the main character, talking about his wife. Straight away we get an idea of who the titular ‘gone girl’ might be as his wife is the first woman we hear about and then see. When the narrator says ‘I always think of her head’ it fades in to a close up on the wife’s head with someone stroking her hair. This action alone would demonstrate the relationship of the husband and wife , that they are loving and close, but coupled with the eerie soundtrack and the blue colour palette making the place look cold, we presume that all is not well in their relationship. This atmosphere is important to have in the thriller genre as it has to build up or else the audience would not be scared/ feel uncomfortable. Additionally, what the narrator is saying is quite disturbing and gory, ‘I picture cracking her skull, unspooling her brains, trying to get answers’ indicating that there is something not right, perhaps with the two characters, hence why the narrator would have such disconcerting thoughts about someone he should love. As he says ‘trying to get answers’ Amy looks up. The camera does not move, keeping at a close up of her face as she places her head down. Her facial expression is quite sinister, as though she is hiding something, creating an enigma for the movie. |
The Woman in Black Introduction
The Woman in Black is a horror film about a lawyer, Arthur Kipps, who goes to sell the old house of a woman who committed suicide there. At Arthur's arrival, a lot of children start dying in the village close to the house that he is selling. As this is a horror movie, the introduction is very important to build up tension, but also to draw the audience in. The beginning of The Woman in Black shows three young girls playing with their dolls, pretending to have a tea party. Already, there is a convention of the horror genre having young children being the victims or the pawns, becoming possessed or persuaded by the villains. Additionally, the use of creepy dolls is also a convention of horror movies as we often find broken, old children's toys sinister due to the connection with innocence and harmlessness. The girls continue to play and we see their faces at mid-shots. They are all smiling, having fun, unaware of any danger that they might be in, adding to the idea of their innocence. Then there is a long shot at a high angle as though we are someone looking down at them. They all look up directly at the camera, making the audience wonder who's point of view we are seeing and why the girls have so abruptly stopped playing to look at us. Also, now the girls' movements are in sync and in slow motion, the way they all look up, then the way they look over to the window and as they all stand, suggesting that they are now possessed by something and hinting at the supernatural element of the plot. As they get up and walk towards the window, there are several close-ups on their feet as they step on their dolls, representing the loss of their innocence and that something is certainly not right. Then they all jump out of the windows, using this as a shock tactic to surprise the audience as well as creating an enigma. This whole scene utilities the shock factor of children being the victims in the movie and sets the rest of the movie up as this will be a theme throughout it. Tension is built up through the seemingly harmless games that the children are playing and then the way that they stop to stare at the camera, putting us in the place of the Woman in Black. |
Halloween
Similar to The Woman in Black, Halloween uses children to shock the audience, but whereas we see the children seemingly all innocent and sweet in the former film, Halloween's opening fools us into thinking that we are seeing the point of view of a far older character. First of all it sets the scene by showing the house and people inside it which will potentially be victims. There is no cutting until the end of the scene making it just one long shot from a point of view, which adds to the suspense as is all in real time and we must see everything as the character does, putting the audience in the shoes of the villain. With the lack of music at the very start, only atmospheric sounds we really are put in the place of a character, but as of yet, we don't know who it is. Then the soundtrack kicks in once the light in one of the rooms goes off. The loud, eerie sound makes the dark seem more scary, empasising that something bad is going to happen because of the two characters going into that room. From there, the soundtrack is slow and quiet like a continious, annoying sound low in the background that very slowly builds up until the actual killing in the scene. Still at the POV shot, we are taken into the house and the character whose point of view we are seeing opens a draw and takes out a knife. He takes it out of the frame as though to be poised ready to kill and the audience will be waiting until it appears back in frame. This is also the moment that signifies that we are in the position of the killer. As we are taken up the stairs, there is the sound of bell tolling, which connotes death and foreshadows what will happen to one of the characters. This is a convention of horror movies as it is often the promiscuous teenagers who are killed. Another convention of horror movies that is shown here is the playing into people's fear of clowns by having the character put on a clown mask. This also makes the character even more mysterious, baring in mind that we have yet to find out who exactly they are. This slow paced beginning is so effective as it builds up to the main killing and to the unveiling of who the killer is; a child called Michael. Utilizing the innocent child again, but making them lose that innocence instead of playing upon it makes the movie all that more creepy and the opening all the more effective. |
Director Research
Alfred Hitchcock
Alfred Hitchcock is a very famous english director having created many iconic movies like Psycho and the Birds. Known as 'The Master of Suspence' both his silent and sound movies are fantastically tence and cleverly made even in the early days of cinema. He was very good at putting the audence in the position of characters by making the camera mimic a person's gaze, forcing them to see in the eyes of a character. The themes of his movies usually include elements of Psychoanalysis- how childhood effects someone's future development, how mannerisms and attitude is usually rooted in the subconsicous, conflicts between subconsicous and consicous- and some strong sexual overtones. |
Steven Spielberg
Steven Spielberg is a Director, Producer and screenwriter. His early successes include Jaws, Raiders of the lost arch and E.T, but he has made so many famous, classic movies over the years in many different genres like Supernatural, True Stories(biopics) and Sci-fi. Themes explored in his movies are often very underlying, for example the tension between parent-child relationships often having either bad relationships or strong ones that are broken for one reason or another. In his more family friendly movies, one prominant theme is a sense of wonder and faith like in ET being all about an unlikely friendship between an alien and a young boy, the friendship becoming so faithful and close that they are almost telepathically connected. In fact aliens and the supernatural occor a lot in Spielberg's movies. He described himself as feeling like an alien during childhood which may have influcenced his films.
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Production Compainies
Blumhouse Productions
Blumhouse productions is known for producing horror movies such as Insidious, Sinister, Paranormal Activity, The Purge. They only really produce movies in the horror genre and have been very successful with creating these mentioned movie franchises which are well known and popular despite being quite low budget. Lionsgate
With a way larger budget and a whole variety of genres of films that they produce, Lionsgate's films often do very well and their Horror films have been very successful in the past. Films creepy book adaptions like American Psycho have become classics and more modern movies like the Saw franchise have gained critical acclaim and huge followings. |
Vertigo Entertainment
Vertigo usually do a range of different movies, but recently have come out with the sequel to The Woman in Black, known as The Woman in Black: angel of death. They also produced the second Ring movie and The grudge. It's budgets are usually much higher than the likes of Blumhouse, but their films are often not as successful, showing that sometime, the more money you put into a project doesn't have as much of an affect over the quality and originality of the plot and making of the movie. |
Sub-Genres of Horror
Action/HorrorAction Horror combines the fearful and perhaps supernatural villains or themes of a Horror movie with the excitement, fights and adventure that you would find in an Action movie. This incorporates both the Fantasy and Zombie sub-genres. Some notable examples of Action Horror movies are; Aliens, Predator and The Terminator.
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Comedy/Horror
These films can be parodies of the Horror Genre or can just be funny Horror films, but either way, they mix the jokes and stupid antics of a comedy film with Horror. Examples include Shaun of the Dead and Scary Movie
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Body HorrorA genre based more around gore, Body Horror utilizes the shock factor of monsters created out of limbs or the degeneration of body parts. David Cronenberg is a famous director, known for his Body Horror films such as The Fly. Other films that fit into this genre include The Thing and Starry Eyes.
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Holiday HorrorSome horror films use turn the joy we'd expect from a holiday such as Christmas on it's head. Films like Krampus and Silent Night involve a psychopathic killer murdering several people around Christmas time. These killers are often dressed as the Holiday 'mascot' like Santa Claus or a snowman,
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Psychological HorrorPsychological Horror is all about playing on people's fears and using their own mind/ senses to scare them. Famous examples include The Shining and Rosemary's baby. This can also cross over with the Thriller genre.
SplatterIn contrast to movies that use your mind to scare you, Splatter movies show a huge amount of gore and torture to gross the audience out and scare them. Famous examples of these; Saw and The Human Centipede .
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Sci-Fi/HorrorSome films create horror in sci-fi settings like on different planets or in dystopian futures. This may include alien killers or futuristic experiments gone wrong. Alien, Apollo 18 and Resident Evil fit into this genre.
Gothic HorrorGothic horror movies are usually set in older times, in old rickety houses and have very gothic themes like these. Crimson Peak and Phantom of the Opera, the latter is a very famous example of this sub-genre.
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SlasherSlashers are some of the most famous horror movies, having a serial killer murdering people systematically in very bloody, violent ways. These include Freddy Krueger with his finger knives in Nightmare On Elm Street and Michael Myers killing every sexually promiscuous teen in his hometown in Halloween.
Natural HorrorNature Horror can include animals gone completely crazy or plants turned bad. Oversized monsters can come out of the most defenseless, harmless animals/parts of nature which can overlap in the sci-fi or fantasy sub-genres. Jaws, The Birds and Piranha are all notable examples.
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Supernatural HorrorSimilar to Sci-fi/Horror, Supernatural focuses more on ghosts and supernatural monsters to scare us, but they are set more in normal, modern settings while Sci-Fi could be on different planets, in space or in a dystopian future. There can also be a religious aspect, having the villains/monsters being related to the devil or having satanic themes. Examples would include The Grudge, The Ring and The Exorcist.
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