Laura's five chosen Thriller Openings

The Beach

Camera Work -

• A extreme long shot is used to open the film, with a male by a busy road, this makes the audience show that he must be off importance to the film. Due to the extreme long shot, it's much more harder to see his face and identity, making the audience wonder who he is.

Editing - 

• Speeding up the cars represented time passing by whilst he was waiting, this makes us wonder as an audience who he may be waiting for for such a long time. 

Mis en Scene - 

• He is wearing a big rucksack, this makes the audience think he is travelling as he is abroad and we wonder where he’s travelling too and why.

Sound - 

• A voice over of the main male character is used to introduce himself, this makes the audience trust and like the character, and we see everything from his point of perspective. 

Inception

Camera Work -

• The slow tracking used helps let the audience see the location of the beach, making the audience wonder how he ended up there in the first place.
• The over the shoulder shot hides the male in Black’s face, hiding his identity making the audience wonder who he is and what his part is in the story.

Editing -

• The dis-orientation of the camera angles represents the main male’s confusion to when he wakes up, this makes the audience wonder where he came from to get to this beach.

Mis en Scene -

• The guards that spot the male on the beach are armed with guns, showing high authority and power.
• Low key lighting is used inside the castle, this gives a sincere effect, making the audience wonder what the purpose of this building really is. 

Sound - 

• The parallel soundtrack creates tension as its unexpected what was going to happen next.  

Themes and Atmosphere created -

• The themes created are mystery and and violence.
• The atmosphere created was a hostile one.

Leon

Camera Work -

• The use of a tracking shot makes the audience view the setting and surroundings of where the beginning takes place
• The extreme close ups of the males in the shop hides their identity, making the audience want to know who they are and what they are up too.

Editing -

• The use of parallel cutting with the extreme close ups of the faces shows a link between the characters, the audience wants to know who these characters are and how they are linked.
• The use of the fade cut going into the shop adds mystery to the surroundings in the shop and what type of shop it is, as the only thing the audience can see is the close up of the two males expressions.

Mis en Scene -

• The use of the sunglasses on one of the male’s faces  hides his  character, the audience would wonder who he is as they are restricted to seeing only half his face.
• The photograph put on the table was in black and white, this makes the audience feel he is being watched upon them as he is in mid motion down the street, probably unaware of the photo being taken. This also asks the question to the audience why they are discussing that man in the photo.

Sound - 

• The dialogue between the two men start off in a different language, this gives the sense that they are doing something in secret, and the audience gets a feeling that they work well together. 
• A contrapuntal soundtrack used in the beginning is a contrast with the busy city life, the audience may be given a clue here that the protagonist is not generally around this area.

Themes and Atmosphere created -

• The atmosphere created is a calm one with the music being slow and wind instrumental
• The themes raised are violence.

No Country For Old Men

Camera Work -

• The use of extreme long shots help show the location of the film, the sense of isolation makes the audience wonder who would be in this location and why.

Editing - 

• Parallel editing, the sets all link into a semantic views of isolation, giving the audience a ‘goose bump’ feel.

Mis en Scene - 

• The setting is in a desert landscape, with no houses or towns, giving the isolated feel to the audience, making them ask questions what is important to this location and what is happening here.
• The protagonist costume is a sheriff, who has a high status due to his role in society, and you can tell that by his uniform.
• Low key lighting is used in some extreme long shots of the dessert, so the audience only have the restricted view of the mountains, making them ask questions where the location is.

Sound -

•  A voice over of the main male character is used to introduce himself, this makes the audience trust and like the character, and we see everything from his point of perspective.
• The foley effect of the wind reinforces the isolation of the setting, and makes us wonder if there is any life surrounding at all.

Themes and Atmosphere created -

• The theme is crime
• The atmosphere felt is isolation, and being trapped.

For my thriller opening, i would like to use a different language if dialogue is included, to give that sense of mystery and secrecy to the audience, like they did in Leon. I also like the voice over narration like in No Country For Old Men and The Beach, and also the isolated feel with the setting like No For Old Men. For most of the Thrillers i watched, the theme violence was involved, which is one to create tension and mystery, so i would like to base my team's thriller on a story related with violence.