Media as level 1 opening sequence analysis
- 1. MEDIA AS LEVEL: OPENING SEQUENCE ANALYSIS 1 By Christine Lane
- 2. The American Horror Story The American horror story opens with a gruesome house which looks abandoned with blood in medical equipment also the house is dirty. The low key lighting conveys to the audience that this is an dark mysterious place, which is filled with danger. The sound affects in the back ground are static interference this produces a imagery of darkness however not alone that something is wrong. The continuous cut shot throughout the opening sequence gives a dramatic feel suggesting thing don’t flow the way they should. The bold big writing jumps up onto the screen with no transition. There is continuous low key lighting and pan shots throughout the opening sequence also there are a lot flickering transitions between each shot this creates tension for the viewer, there is also fire flickering between the end shots this is like the flicker of the flame. The music starts off with just radio interference then there is a deep slow beat added then an increasing scale of a mid pitch tone (Mid pitch to high pitch) throughout the opening sequence however the music comes to a cut as there is no fading out and the title ‘American Horror Story’ is a jump shot. http://www.artofthetitle.com/title/american-horror-story/
- 3. Cirque Du Freak: The Vampires assistant The sequence is highly animated showing some important events which have taken place throughout the film. The Opening sequence starts off, with Darren (The main character) in a coffin and it’s silent. Then the camera zooms out to reveal a DNA strand attached to the coffin resembling the change from human to vampire. The music becomes up beat however in a low key suggesting mystery and darkness. The camera then zooms out again to reveal a lot of coffins on a spider web while stating the production company. There is continuous zooming out from the camera thought the opening sequence leading onto the next image. Each image before its changed to the next there is a black liquid (suggesting its blood) what chase the writing. The word vampire turns into a face of a vampire. Each letter is either hanging off a spiders web or on a spider’s web. There are two stick men of boys which are tied to string which they are trying to run away from. This is resembling the boys in the film and then at the end of the opening sequence Mr Tiny, one of the main characters eats them. This shows he has a power over them in the film. The music suddenly speeds up at the end, however it finishes on one loud violin high note. http://www.artofthetitle.com/title/cirque-du-freak-the-vampires-assistant/
- 4. Sherlock Holmes The music of the Sherlock Holmes is a slow beat from a piano and gradually starts to pick up pace to create tension. Its very effective how the company and producers have their names and logos carved into the pavement. The low key lighting and the over a head camera shot which paths onto a next shot creates a mysterious atmosphere. The sudden entrance of a distressed horse catches the viewer’s attention as the music is cut by a horse neighing after the camera zooms in following the horse and carriage and the music becomes a lower beat. The camera continuously follows the horse and carriage until it has zoomed into the carriage to fine two men loading shot guns. The pleonastic sound of the guns shows the
- 5. Lord of war The opening sequence starts off with happy joyful music with the employees chatting in the back ground also noise of metal crashing and being bent. The low key lighting suggests a dirty factory and that they are working very hard. The camera travels through how the machine works eg: cutting metal into round circles. The noises of crashing mental and then the title pops up in a cut shot on a bullet, the title looks like it has been made from metal this keeps in the theme of war. The lyrics pick up pace as the path of the bullets comes to end on the conveyor belt. The lyrics stop and only pick up pace once the workers are handling them. One of the employees pick up the bullet we have be following, this make the viewer feel small and vulnerable. The soundtrack is "For What it's Worth" by Buffalo Springfield. The bullet finally travels to Libya where there is a war commencing the bullet has been mainly on high angles making the bullet superior but when it turns up to Libya its suddenly small and insignificant explaining how big the war is.
- 6. The opening sequence starts off with Daniel Craig grabbing someone's hand (this hand is symbolic for life which he is trapped in) and being pulled down into the ocean. The music is “Skyfall” by Adele. As the title comes up he is dragged into a hole in the ocean bed, suggesting life has swallowed him up. A floating cardboard shot guide of James Bond (the main character) has a shot thought his shoulder which is bleeding in the ocean, with loads of broken cardboard men around him. The camera goes to the bottom of the ocean bed and the sand has been swirling up blocking the view. The cut shot to knives and guns fall from above. The camera zooms, in around sea weed, graveyards and ruined building then the camera shows a mans eyes coming clearer, the camera zooms into his eye to show building and a man with a gun shooting his own shadows and the blood of the shadows turns into a skull. The camera following into a tunnel and then comes out with a high angle on fire pit that may resemble hell, the camera zooms in close onto the flames to show the characters of the film and then the flames turn into Chinese dragons. The camera then shows a symmetrical line of clips and important objects from the film.