Opening Sequence Analysis of Hostel 2

Camera Shot/Angle/Movement

The camera shots in the opening sequence of Hostel 2 are very weird as all we can see is someone emptying someone’s bag and it feels you with suspicion onto their recent activities.

The shots are also all low angle shots as all we see is the hand and also the movement of the camera varies at it is mostly still and focusing on one object.

There was also a first person view when the character is looking at the wallet  

Sound

The sound in Hostel 2 is very strange as all the way through the opening sequence there is the sound of raindrops in the background and also other very realistic sounds such as when the character unzipped the bag, puts the objects on the table and also when the fire is burning. 

Editing

The editing in Hostel 2 is very simple as most of the shots follow on after the other e.g. the objects he removes from the bag as the camera cuts from the objects on the table to the wallet in his hand.

 

Mise en Scene

The mise en scene in Hostel 2 is basically just based around the series of objects that the character removes from the bag such as a bottle containing an unknown liquid, a watch, other pieces of jewellery and a wallet containing someone’s personal things such as their id, credit cards and money.

Characters

There is a character in opening sequence but we never get to see his face so we can’t establish if he is the main character or not.

There are also other clues to other clues to other characters in the movie such as the person on the id picture in the wallet.

Locations

The location of Hostel 2 seems to be a room with a fair amount of lighting.

Although the ID card we see says California it is quite obvious that the location isn’t the same as the character seems to be wearing quite old fashioned dirty clothes.

Which suggest that the character is poor and probably stole the bag from a tourist visiting a foreign country.

Narrative/Plot

The storyline of Hostel 2 isn’t so clear but from what we see the character doing we can gather that he obviously stole the bag of someone as the Identification Card doesn’t belong to him and also that they are probably going to come and look for it.

Themes

The themes of Hostel 2 are death and mystery as the character that we see on the screen may have just killed the person that owns the bag.

Visual Style

The visual style used in Hostel 2 is very specific as the opening sequence start with a character opening a bag and as he removes the objects from the bag, the camera also positions in a way that we can see what he his doing.

 

Genre

Hostel 2 is a thriller/horror as it has some of the conventions that a film containing death and graphic scene has.

The fact the he burnt the picture at the end of the opening sequence the death of that character.

Opening Sequence Analysis of Final Destination 3

Camera Shot/Angle/Movement

The camera in Final Destination 3 is very strange as it shows us various shots around a circus but the ways the visual effects are displayed suggest that something bad is going to happen e.g. death, murder.

The camera also goes through an object and then follows a metal ball through something that looks like a metal maze, and as it goes through the maze the camera tracks the ball as it roll past three holes with a word written on them.

The first one says luck, the second one says fate and the third says death which is the one that the ball falls into, and as the camera falls it fades to show three characters on a ride.

Sound

The sound in Final Destination 3 is very disturbing as we hear non-diegetic sound that matches everything on the screen such as the ball movement, but at the same time there is a very distressing background music that is played all the way through the opening sequence.

Editing

The editing in Final Destination 3 is very technological/ frightening as each shot is done in such a way that it scares us and impresses us at the same time.

The shots are very in sync as when the ball starts to roll down the metal maze the camera constantly cuts to the shots of the things around the circus such as the ferrous wheel and then it cuts back to the maze.

Mise en Scene

The mise en scene in Final Destination 3 is mostly the same kinds of things such as rides and random pictures and objects from around the circus.

There is a lot of strange things shown in the shots such as at the beginning a fortune teller machine is shown with a fake women and a collection of cards.

Then after that there is a picture of a cartoon character in red that looks like it’s meant to symbolise the devil.

Characters

There are no characters in Final Destination 3 until the end of the opening sequence and all we see is their heads as they go down on a ride in the circus.

We can’t really establish whether or not they are the main characters and who they are as all we see and hear is them having fun on the ride.

Locations

The location for Final Destination 3 isn’t really obvious as there is not really any clues to what state it is but from what we see I can say that it is set in an American town which is considerable wealthy that why there is a circus in their town.

Narrative/Plot

The plot of Final Destination 3 isn’t that obvious from what we see in the opening sequence but from what we see such as the strange scenes of the circus I can say that all we see suggest the murder of people like a massacre.

 

Themes

The themes of Final Destination 3 are death, horror or murder as the strange scenes suggest the death of someone.

The metal ball in the maze also suggest it series of horrible things happening as in the maze the words luck, faith and death are printed.

Visual Style

 The visual style in Final Destination 3 is good as the when the camera was focuses on the horse ride there was an effect that looked like a glitch or quick flash of light.

Genre

Final Destination 3 is a horror/thriller as it as the normal conventions such as death and the use of the colour.

Opening Sequence Comparing of Panic Room & Se7en

Camera Shot/Angle/Movement

The camera shots in panic room are quite long as all the shots are high angle shots of big building. The camera also takes a while to cut between shots compared to the style of the camera in Se7en which is very quick and constant between shots.

As they are mostly extreme close shots and the fast pace is needed to emphasize the activities of the character.

Sound

The sound in Se7en is very organized as in all the shots where the character is either stitching something or cutting paper etc the sound also matches what the character is doing.

But in Panic Room the sound is very different as it is the same all the way through the opening sequence and builds in pace slowly.

Editing

 The editing in Panic Room isn’t much as the shots are long and there are hardly any cuts between shots compared to Se7en which cuts from shot to shot about every five second.

Mise en Scene

The mise en scene in Panic Room is very natural with shots of the big building and the skyline of New York/California.

The time of day featured in Panic Room suggest a bit that something sinister is going to happen compared to Se7en which doesn’t really have much lighting and has odd colours such as white, beige, grey and black.

The colours and the surrounding of the character which contains things like photographs, books etc suggest things like crime, blood and death.

Characters

The main characters in Panic Room are not quite clear until the end of the opening sequence where we see two people talking but they still might not be the main characters they might just be two people talking that have nothing to do with the movie but that is only found out by watching further on into the movie.

In Se7en although we don’t see any characters faces we can establish who the main character is by all the several activities we see on the screen and from that we might conclude he/she must be of significant important to the film.

The differences are that we see some part of the character in Se7en whereas in Panic Room we don’t see anyone till the end.

Locations

The location of Panic Room is quite obvious as the shots were of the big buildings in the skyline of New York/ California compared to Se7en where the location is not so clear the only thing we can gather is that it is set in a dark secluded room.

Narrative/Plot

In Se7en as there is no speech it isn’t easy for us to establish what it is about but from what the character is doing on the screen we can gather that he/she his putting together something that the film will base around.

In Panic Room the plot isn’t so clear so as well but as all the shots contain buildings it hints at the title.

Themes

In Se7en there is various clues to the theme of the movie as many shots contain razors, blade, needles, odd pictures which suggest the theme about crime and murder compared to Panic Room which as not clues at all to the theme but we guess that it is about crime.

Visual Style

The visual style of Panic Room is very calm and slow as each shots ends with slow building music.

Se7en has really fast cutting shots that is very different from most films

Genre

Panic Room doesn’t really have any of the stereotypical conventions as the scenes don’t have blood or anything that suggest violence.

Se7en has a lot of common conventions as it features sharp objects such as razor blades etc which suggest that it’s a thriller.

Opening sequence Analysis of Panic Room

Camera Shot/Angle/Movement

The camera shots in Panic room are mostly high angle shots with the first couple of shots of buildings in New York/California and then a couple of panning shots of the buildings.

In between each high angle shot the credits of all the cast and characters appear in a way like they are part of the buildings in the background and it almost looks 3d (three dimensions).

Sound

The sound in Panic Room builds from the very first shots and it carries on through out the opening sequence of the movie.

The sound is almost feels you anticipation as it get a little bit more intense.

The pitch of the sound also fits perfectly with the high angle shots e.g as the camera panned up a big building the pitch also rose and as it was zooming in to the corner of another building.

There were several instruments used in the opening sequence of panic room but there were a few that stood out e.g piano,violin.

Editing

The editing in panic room is very simple at there are not really any characters in the opening sequence so it just cuts from shot to shot.

Mise en Scene

The Mise-en-scene in Panic Room is the same all the way through the opening sequence.

All the shots contain bird eye view of a city e.g cars, pedestrians, houses, shops etc

Characters

There are no characters until the ending opening sequence.

Locations

The location of the opening sequence of panic room is set in an urban city with an attractive skyline e.g new york,california.

Narrative/Plot

There isn’t really any clues to the narrative plot of panic room as there isn’t any speech till the the end of the opening sequence between to ladies and all that suggest is that something mysterious and unexpected is going to happen.

Themes

The theme of the panic room would be like crime or death or mystery as there is no obvious clues in the opening sequence.

Visual Style

The visual style of panic is very  organized as the pace and speed builds through out the sequence first starting slow and then the music and the camera build momentum 

Genre

Panic room is your typical type of thriller as the opening sequence contains various conventions that you would expect an interesting thriller to contain.

Opening Sequence Analysis of Se7en

Camera Shot/Angle/Movement

The camera shots in seven are mostly extreme close up shots (e.g finger nails) and in all the shots you don’t see any characters faces.

The angle of the camera is very low as it needs to be for the director to achieve the low angle shots that are shown.

The movement of the camera is very still with a shaky effect every time it cuts to the next shot or the next name in the opening credit. 

Sound

The sound in seven is non-diagethic and is the same all the way through the opening credits.

The is some use of minor sound effects the build up in pace and at the end there is a rock like sound that ends the opening credits.

Editing

The editing is very fast pace and specific as all the shots are similar to the last couple of shots.

The editor was trying to create an effect of disorientation as they have a series of scene that cut really quick to the next one on a constant pace.

Mise en Scene

The mise en scene in the opening credits of seven is generalized with the same type of things in every shot.

The shot contains things like paper, metal, writing, pictures,  needles, thread etc

I think he trying to create a ransom note to maybe try and blackmail someone by using other peoples words.

Characters

From all the scenes in the opening credits i can come to a conclusion that there is an character but he/ she is not shown so we can’t really establish who it is.

However,the kind of violent things that the character is shown with in the scenes (e.g. the needles and razor blade that he uses to scrape his fingers with.) suggest that  the character is the antagonist in the movie. 

Locations

The location is very secluded  and varied as it only show us someone constructing something on a table using several household material.

Narrative/Plot

The narrative plot of se7en is unknown because all you hear through out the sequence is the same type of music which suggest bad things such as death to the audience.

Themes

The theme of the opening credits is a man or women constructing something like a folder or a journal containing pictures and a lot of writing.

I can we can tell that the character is very disturbed as he /she cuts them self with a razor blade and sows paper together using a thread. 

Visual Style

The visual style of the opening credits to seven is simple but at the same very captivating as the things that the character are simple sometimes and then he/she shocks us e.g when the character is writing with a pen and he cuts himself with a razor blade which is very unexpected and disturbing. 

Genre

I think that se7en is a psychological horror / thriller because it contains scenes of brutality and rape and even though most people would classify it as only a horror because of the graphic scenes.

But I conclude se7en as a cross genre movie.