Inception is a film about new technology which allows people to enter the mind through dreams. As the film is being introduced, a black background is used with a white font to show the opening titles. This is very typical in a thriller film as it shows a dramatic contrast in colours which also help contribute to the storyline of the film. Very strong based music is also played whilst the credits I being show which not only helps increase the dramatic effect coming from the introduction of the film but also helps build tension for the audience as they do not know what to expect or what is coming next.
The opening titles then quickly cuts into establishing shots of a sea and we hear the digetic sound of a rough sea and a child’s voice (slights screams of joy as though he or she is playing). Compared to the opening titles, the lighting is very bright and natural which creates a calming effect and helps decrease the tension built by the opening titles. The next shot which is seen is a close up of a male characters face, while he’s lying on the beach. However the man face is in the sand and it almost looks as though he is unaware of his surroundings which may confuse the audience even more, as we also then get to see children playing in the sand and running off. In terms of mise-en-scene, the male character who we assume to be the protagonist is wearing very dull and basic clothes, compared to the children who are in bright colours. This could reflect his situation as he seems to look very confused about where he is and almost quite negative, where as the child we see is very happy and cheerful and happy of her location. The Protagonist is found by an unknown man in shoulder uniform, who uses a gun to poke at the protagonist as though he is checking to see if he is still conscious. A low angle shot is used when this happens, to show to the viewers that the soldier has a higher status than the protagonist.
All of this creates mystery for the viewers as from the opening they still don’t actually know who or what the protagonist is and what the potential storyline may be.
Black Swan is a psychological thriller film about a ballerina who lands the lead role in the ballet Swan Lake and is made to play both the White Swan and the darker Black Swan. The film follows and explores her mental and emotional struggles. Like Inception, the opening credits and opening titles are shown in a white font with a black background showing the dramatic contrast. The non-digetic sound of music is playing whilst the opening title and credits are shown. The music seems to be orchestra music which creates a quite calm atmosphere, however gradually different instruments are introduced such as the violins which builds up the tension.
A male character also wearing ballet attire is then introduced, however when he comes along and changes into a feathered creature the orchestra music which had been playing from the beginning starts to form a base and gradually picks up pace. We hear the digetic sound of the females breathing increasing and fast editing and different camera shots such as close ups, panning, medium shots, zoom in and zoom out are used to show this increase in pace. The effect which this has on the audience is it helps builds up tension and leaves them on edge because they don’t know what this dance means and what the intensity is meant to portray.
The scene then ends with the female dancing alone, whilst the camera is panning around her. From this type of camera movement we see different tones of dark and bright and at some points only the edges of the female dancer are visible through a white lighting. This helps create mystery for the viewer and gets them to think what’s happening next, however whilst they may be thinking, the camera then zooms out and the female dancer is gradually shadowed out of the shot until there is just complete darkness.
From the opening it is evident that the storyline is going to be an intense one about ballet dancing.
Seven is a horror thriller about two homicide detectives' on the hunt for a serial killer who justifies his crimes as absolution for the world's ignorance of the Seven Deadly Sins. Unlike the other 2 film openings which I have analysed, Seven does not have one main background and features many different props such as pen, scissors, book, photographs, razors and other crafts things as a background. However quick cuts are made in order to show all these items as the background as well as a plain black background from time to time. In many of the different background used a constant hand is always present. This already engages the audience because it gets them wondering what all these things are for and why are they needed. The lighting used is also very dim and shadowy which helps emphasise the shape of a particular object. The opening credits and opening titles like Inception and Dark Swan uses a white font.
The non-digetic music played is not a specific genre of music and is made up of various sounds; however there is a constant beat present. The sounds are very computerised which creates a very mysterious feeling for the audience as they are not sure what the sounds could be and so almost could be confused by this. When the music is first played it is very steady and gradually gets quicker in pace, which is also what, happens with the visuals (the background objects) and so creates tension.
This film opening uses special effects such as the credits appearing as though they are trembling. From this trembling the audience could take it that there may be a sense of fear that may come from this film as trembling is usually what happens when someone is scared. Lots of close up shots and mid shots are used of the objects so the audience get to see what it is.
From the opening of the film the audience can not really get much from the storyline other than this ‘scrapbook’ which is being created may become very useful as we see words being highlighted. No location or character identities are revealed which helps increase the mystery because as a viewer we do not know what to expect or who to expect.
