Research Task by Megan.

Devil

• Sound
• Soundtrack creates the thriller mood at this point - fast paced and a beat which reoccurs, building tension
• Voiceover which mentions death and carries on from quote shown; fits in with thriller mood - also most likely foreshadows the events of the film
• Mise en Scene
• Initial setting appears to be in some sort of office building - we can tell from the tiled floors, huge windows and metallic-looking walls.
• We are only introduced visibly to one character: 

• appears to be a cleaner of some description, his overalls and actions would suggest this
• I don't think we are supposed to assume that he is the person giving us the voiceover as otherwise we would most likely see a clear connection between the two 
• The setting is an everyday scene which creates a sense of normality with the viewer, until we see a second character who has presumably jumped, land on the top of the truck in the background. This is almost humorous as the cleaner appears to have no idea what is going on, but if you listened to the voiceover at the start this is quite a chilling moment as you understand that this is probably the suicide which would lead to the appearance of the devil.
• Editing
• Right at the very beginning, there is a quote which fades in and out. This quote is supposed to give the viewer some indication of what they are about to see in the rest of the film, and as this quote mentions the devil - this is certainly the case.
• One long take from the end of the credits where we start to track across the floor - no cuts, creates suspense and restricts our knowledge of the setting.
• Camera Work

• The film starts with the credits panning over the whole of Philadelphia from upside-down
• confusing & disorientating for the viewer - sets thriller mood
• We start by being taken inside a building - tracking across the floor, panning upwards with a voiceover. The panning is quite slow which adds to the disorientation we feel having tracked across the floor.

Inception

• Inception is very different to Devil in that it doesn't start out being immediately obvious that it is a thriller film. 

Watch the Opening Here

• Sound
• In the opening sequence, the sound is mainly diegetic - sound of the waves, children playing
• There is also non-diegetic sound with a subtle soundtrack 

• Mise en Scene
• Cobb's facial expression tells us that he appears to be somewhat dazed; suggests there is something not quite right in the scene
• Children appear suitably dressed for the beach, with the young girl wearing a dress and the boy in casual shorts and a t-shirt, however the man appears to be wearing a heavy jacket - suggests to us that he is perhaps not as prepared for this setting
• These screen grabs show the difference in costume between the three characters we have been introduced to at this point:

• When the setting changes, we get a sort of establishing shot to show us the new setting.
• Once inside:

• we see the backs of three men - almost silhouetted, adds to the suspense of the new location 
• lanterns on the ceiling and subtitles on screen - action/adventure connotations but builds the suspense we would expect from a thriller

• Camera Work
• Many close ups used, particularly on man's face, this suggests that we're not getting the whole picture: restricted narrative. (see above screen grab)
• Children are also shown using close up shots, screen grab above shows the furthest point we see them from

• distorting for viewer - don't fully understand the scene
• Point of View shot - first hint that we are watching a thriller, low angle shot with a downward tilt showing a gun
• helps further our understanding of the situation - the man is in danger
• A lot of the camera work looks as if it has been filmed on a handheld camera rather than using a tripod. This adds to the sense of confusion we feel during the scene.
• Close up of the gun and the spinning top - latter will become prominent in the film, used as foreshadowing

• Editing

• When we see the boy for the fist time, he starts off in focus and then goes out of focus before returning to focus again. This could suggest to us that the man is dreaming, or that the boy isn't actually real
• Upon entering the new room and location - track slowly forwards as if we are walking through the doors. Speed creates tension.

The Da Vinci Code

• Sound
• Non-diegetic
• The soundtrack is soft and slow but has a menacing quality about it, implying something bad is going to happen to the male character we see
• Diegetic
• We hear his footsteps as he's running away
• His heavy breathing
• Dialogue between two characters
• Never hear any diegetic sound from the cloaked man except from his dialogue. Suggests he is moving in a stealthy nature, adding to the threat of his character - contrasts with the other man as he is incredibly loud in comparison 
• Soundtrack becomes silent at the confrontation - only dialogue.
• Mise en Scene


• Long shot introducing male character to us - running

• low key lighting used throughout sequence, blue glow from the background where he begins to run from
• Shadow of a person - we understand that the man we have seen running is being chased by this character
• only seeing the cloaked shadow creates suspense, and makes us question who the person is, why he is cloaked.
• Close up of the man's face as he is running away, shows us his facial expression clearly - scared, makes us empathise with him as we want to help him escape from the cloaked figure.
• His body language is also important here as he is constantly looking around him trying to escape. Sense of enclosure, grabs the attention of the audience.
• Editing
• Quickly cut shots during the chase sequence, builds tension for the viewer.
• Each cut seems to show the characters from a different angle/distance, distorts the action slightly allowing us to empathise with the confusion of the male character
• Pace of cutting slows at the confrontation allowing focus to be put on the action.
• Camera Work
• Fast paced shots, close up of different paintings.

• Assume we are in an art gallery 
• Skim quickly over paintings - distortion, confusing for the viewer
• Close ups of paintings with faces - as if they are watching him run through the gallery
• Bird's Eye View shot shows the male character's vulnerability in his current situation. Makes him look tiny in comparison to the building around him. 
• Focus pulling is used to draw attention from the man to the gun. Makes his impending death seem more immediate to the viewer as it reinforces the danger of the gun

Black Swan

• Sound
• Starts as Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake quietly in the background
• No dialogue throughout the whole sequence
• As is common with dance, the music seems to increase in tempo as the more dramatic events start to take place, for example with the entrance of the man, the music becomes much more dramatic and quickens in pace
• Mise en Scene

• Low key lighting is very prominent in this scene. 
• We are supposed to understand that there is a spotlight on the dancer which is lighting the scene in this way. The effect is quite sinister as we can only see one side of her body highlighted, and we do not actually see her face properly for the whole of this beginning routine.

• The lighting here is extremely cleverly constructed. It allows us to see merely the outline of a figure walking towards the female character in a way that would suggest she is in danger due to the fact that we cannot see his face.
• Her costume, hair and makeup are typical for what we would expect of a ballet dancer, both on screen and off screen. This helps the audience establish what is going on in this scene.
• The setting is also somewhat what we would expect, with the couple appearing to be dancing on a stage, though much of the setting is too dark for us to properly see their surroundings.
• Editing

• There are only two cuts in this sequence, with quite long gaps in between each one. I think this creates fluidity in the dance and allows us to concentrate on the dancing without distraction.
• Camera Work
• Where the male enters, the camera seems to track their movement as the characters twirl around each other - the camera moves round them at the same time, adding drama to the scene as it makes it difficult to understand what is going on.
• Mostly long shots are used in this sequence, which allows us to fully watch the way the characters move around each other. Close ups are also used when showing the feet of the female character.

As far as this opening goes, the lighting and the dramatic dance would suggest that this could be a thriller film. The action is quite fast paced, and sets the scene for the rest of the film. 

Shutter Island

• Sound
• There is a mixture of diegetic and non-diegetic sound at the start of Shutter Island
• There is a soundtrack which is quite slow in tempo and seems to suggest something threatening because of this
• This threatening music carries on throughout most of the first two minutes of the film, which builds tension for the viewer
• There is also the sound of waves, which we assume is diegetic sound as a boat emerges from the fog during the scene
• Mise en Scene



• The setting appears to be a boat, as this is what the establishing shot suggests. We then cut to a man standing in a dull blue room with a circular window, typically like what we would connote with boat interiors. The room appears to be quite dirty, and the walls rusty which further supports the idea that he is on a boat.
• The man himself is wearing a suit and tie, which contrasts with his surroundings as he looks out of place in the dirty room.
• When we meet a second character, he is also similarly dressed and we understand from the dialogue combined with their costume that they are probably detectives of some kind.
• When we see the man exit the first room, he enters a similarly decorated room with handcuffs hanging from the ceiling. This location reflects the thriller mood as it comes across with quite a chilling mood & makes the audience think about what they are being presented with.
• Editing
• This sequence is mainly put together by cutting from shot to shot. The shots are quite evenly spaced out from each other, and seems to go with the speed of the soundtrack.
• Camera Work


• The first shot we see is an establishing shot, with a boat emerging from the fog. This is quite sinister as it appears out of nowhere.
• An over the shoulder style close up is used to introduce us to the lead character for the first time. This is interesting as we see how vulnerable he is having previously established he is seasick. This shot allows us to focus on his facial expression and body language.