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No Country For Old Men DVD Cover Analysis - Links with Poster Analysis

This is my DVD cover analysis for No Country For Old Men, mainly focusing on the thriller genre. Both the DVD cover and the poster have synergy between them. This synergy is created to allow the audience to easily associate the products.

No Country For Old Men Poster Analysis - Links with DVD cover Analysis

 

 

This is the poster analysis for No Country For Old Men looking mainly at the thriller genre. I have also analysed the DVD cover for the same film. Both the DVD cover and the Poster have synergy between them. The font styles for the title of the movie is exactly the same and the font style for the subtitle text is the same western type font. The figures used are mostly the same which allows the audience to easily connect and associate the two. Overall both the DVD cover and the poster convey the thriller genre with the stylised font, dramatic poses, recognisable thriller actors, enticing action and a subtle scariness.

Preliminary Task Script

This is the complete script for our preliminary task

Ed: "20 minutes late Megan"

Ed smacks his phone against his hand

Megan: "b-bu I was just"...

Ed:                                    "alright alright, I got the file that you sent me this morning"

Megan: "I was up all night, I put a lot of effort into it. What did you think?"

Ed: "Shall we play it?"

Ed clicks button on remote, music starts to play
Whilst music plays Megan dances slightly and Ed looks bored drinking from a bottle
Ed clicks button on remote, music stops

Megan: "So what'd 'you think?"

Ed: "I'm not angry Megan, It's just not what I asked for. I asked for a slow drop with a rising beat, not a rising beat with a slow drop"

Megan: "Yeah bu...."

Ed:                            " Sh Sh Sh Shh, You're fired. You see this contract"

Ed rips up contract

Ed: "Could you put this bottle in the bin on the way out"

Scene.

Preliminary Task Storyboard

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is our storyboard for out preliminary task, the scan has made it harder to see some of the pictures, but this helps us for next time so we do our storyboard for the actual film titles in colour.  

War of the Worlds Opening Titles Analysis

War of the worlds is an adaptation of the book and it is about an alien race taking over earth. One man is trying to save his family in the middle of an extra terrestrial invasion. It has the theme at the start of complacency amongst the human race and the inferiority of the human race compared to other life forms.

Camera Angles

The first shot is an extreme close up of a droplet on a leaf. This creates the idea of nature and how a small thing like a droplet can have a big impact, which makes us think that maybe this film is about one insignificant man having a big impact. Also is highlights the idea of insignificance, the droplet is so small on the leaf which mirrors the theme created at the start of patheticness.   

Another shot is a birds eye view of a city, which emphasises the idea of someone looking down upon earth, almost microscope like. It suggests that something is studying this city and the movement of the traffic makes it seem like everyday life continues but they are unaware of someone watching over them. This builds up tension as it makes it seem sinister and threatening that something is watching these people whilst they have no knowledge.

A mid shot of a child doing sports is included in the opening to show innocence. The child is not playing professionally he is having fun with his friends and the mid shot is used to show the child's innocent expression and the casual way he throws the ball. This adds more sinister levels and tension levels because this child is having fun innocently but he doesn't know that he is being watched and observed. This would intrigue the audience as they would want to know who is watching this city.

A long shot of this building in Paris is used to add range to the idea of something watching these characters. This structure is on the other side of the world to America but it is still being shown next to clips of microscope like spying on cities. This suggests that it is an entire world that is being studied which makes it more tense as it seems like the world is diminished. The long shot is used to show the extent of the tower and how powerful of a structure it is, but the sun is going out, perhaps the power of this structure won't last forever?

Editing

At the start special effects are used to show cell life forming and evolution. This connotes the idea that this world came from a small place and also brings in the idea of evolution. Because we already have a sinister vibe perhaps evolution could play an important factor in the movie, a more evolved species, a more adapted species? The special effects are used to show cell life in great detail which adds tension as the audience would want to know how evolution and cell life fits into the story.

An action match is used from SFX of the earth from a distance and edited into a traffic light colour and shape. This makes us think that the earth does not have a bright future because it turns red not green, perhaps a downfall of some sort. But red on traffic lights is not permanent so perhaps is suggests that the planet will recover.

The font used is bright and shining for the credits and the title of the film. This makes the text stand out and because it is a shining silver it connotes the idea of modernisation and of sleekness, which we haven't seen in the opening so the audience would be intrigued as to where that fits in. The title appears quickly that shrinks back into nothing, this could reflect the sinister theme created and the idea that nothing lasts forever. It also matches the evolution feel as life is fleeting like the title.

For a number of the scenes of cities and people going out everyday busy business Fades In and Out and Fade to Blacks are used to merge the scenes into one flowing take. This shows the mundaneness of peoples lives and the normality and business side of life. Because a great number of scenes fade into each other it suggests there being a great deal of people unaware of the sinister forces at work, which creates a great deal of tension as the audience wants to know who is studying the human race.

Sound

The soundtrack used in this opening has an eerie feel to it, with the sounds being long and drawn out high pitched notes, this then picks up pace and becomes more dramatic throughout the opening. Because the pace increases and the volume as well the audience will be more excited and the idea of a thriller genre is being created because the music is building up tension. There is also a sound motif over the title of dramatic trumpets and drums which emphasises the gravitas of the title and makes it seem more dramatic which makes the title more memorable.

The dialogue is done narrator style like and has an outsider looking in quality to it. The narrator is speaking in the past tense and in a reflective tone which suggests that some disaster happens that this narrator remembers but because he has lived through it this suggests that everything will be alright in the end, giving the audience a sense of cathartic release.

The diegetic sound on screen is silent, we cannot hear the cars or the people walking around, this makes us feel like an outsider, looking in on a world which matches the idea of something watching and monitoring these people adding to the sinister sense.

Mise-en-scene

Lighting

The light shining over the title at the end of the opening titles eventually fades away and disappears. The light is very bright at the start which has the idea of a spontaneous event happening but because the light fades away it seems like this event doesn't last or has negative consequences because the light fades to darkness. This would intrigue the audience because they would want to know what event happens.

The sun going out in Paris is an example of ambient lighting and how it is used to show negative actions. Because the sun is going out is suggests that the good of the world is dying out, and darkness will be taking over. The sun is setting to darkness and it is a red light, perhaps suggesting the idea of a bloody conflict. This makes the audience want to watch because it symbolises a disaster, and they will want to know what that is.

Props

The props used are not significant, they are just the everyday items that people are carrying in the streets, bags, briefcases and phones. This means that there is no specific person drawn attention to and no important prop which brings in the idea of mundaneness and the insignificance of all these people.

Costumes

The costumes have the same connotations as the props, because they are not individual and regular clothes they make everyone look the same and not draw the eye. This makes it seem like organisms under a microscope which matches with the cell SFX at the start and the sinister idea of someone watching over theses people.

Kill Bill Volume 1 Opening Titles Analysis

Kill Bill is the fourth film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino. Its main theme is revenge as a bride attempts to kill the people who attempted to murder her at her wedding day. In the opening tension is built up through dialogue and a soundtrack to give the sense of an intriguing thriller.

Camera

The first shot of the opening titles is a close up of the brides bloody face.
A close up is used so the audience can see the damage done to her and the injuries she has sustained, because she is still able to speak and function after taking a vicious beating it suggests the idea of her being a tough character. The close up allows us to see that she is a bride and it also connotes that she is a main character, as she fills up the entire screen. The CU adds tension because you are intrigued as to how she got into that situation and you want to know more information about her.

Another close up is used of someone's boots clumping across the wooden floor. The close up allows us to see in detail this characters clothing, the ornate boots and the crisp suit trouser. This connotes the idea of a professional well kept character who cares about his appearance. The close up shows the boots pacing towards something suggesting the idea of power and control, the previous close up was a woman covered in blood on the floor whereas here it is a clean polished boot pacing across the floor, which makes us think that the boot wearer is in control. This adds tension because the audience would want to know who he is and why he has so much power.

The final shot used in the opening is a wide lens mid shot of a silhouetted woman lying down on something. This could suggest that she is sleeping or dead, if we connect this woman to the one shown in the close up earlier. The mid shot allows to see the side profile of this character and to show us that it is a female body because of the feminine shape of the head. The mid shot makes this character appear as if they were dead on some kind of plinth which makes it more interesting and sudden if this character were to not be dead. This shot builds tension because it intrigues the audience further, who is this character?

Editing

This quote is used at the start of the opening and is in the same style text as the rest of the font, creating a house style. This quote is about revenge which sets the genre and theme of the film from the off, the audience know that revenge will play an important role in the film, which makes it more of a thriller and enhances tension as we would want to know who is getting revenge on who and why. It says "best served cold" which is a phrase synonymous will ruthless and bloodthirstiness. This suggests that violence and cruelty would need to be used to get revenge which adds tension because it makes it more exciting.

The style of the text is the same font throughout but different font sizes are used for actors and the roles they pay. A larger font is given to the 'bride' and the members of the deadly viper assassination squad which suggests that these are the main characters. Because the bride gets the largest font (Uma Thurman) it would suggest that she is the main character and because of the theme of revenge established we could assume the viper squad to be her enemies. The style of the font is bold and thick, which makes it stand out. This boldness could reflect the themes of the film which are quite dramatic.


Editing is also used cleverly in this opening to omit certain aspects. The character Bill, who the bride is talking to, is never shown even though his voice is heard. This suggests that he is a very secret character but also someone the bride knows well which adds questions in to the mix as to how does she know him. There is no eyeline match of the bride looking at Bill, which could suggest that he is too powerful for her, he has a higher status. But also it could suggest that he is a bad character, because he is not shown.

Sound

The enhanced breathing of the bride can be heard over the titles at the start of the opening. This creates a great deal of tension because the breathing is quick and laboured with hints of desperation which suggests someone in pain. This instantly grabs the audiences attention because it is loud and boosts tension as we would want to know why she is breathing so heavily.

Whist the shot of the boots is shown there is another enhanced sound of the boots walking across the wooden floor towards the bride. It has more volume and drowns out the brides breathing which suggests the idea of power, even these characters footsteps can drown out a crying woman.

The gunshot is so sudden and loud that it shocks the audience, the dialogue suggested an air of friendliness, the two characters knew each other so when the gunshot is heard very loudly it is very striking. This sound starts the theme of violence and could be the climax to the tension in this scene as it is so shocking, it would make the audience want to know why he shot at her.

The soundtrack is Bang Bang by Nancy Sinatra and has a western style to it. It has a slow pace which matches the slow pace of the shots previously. The lyrics of the song talk about a sister who is oppressed by her brother then who takes revenge which matches the revenge theme established at the start and could suggest that the woman might take revenge against the man who shot her.

Mise-en-scene

Lighting

The camera shots are black and white throughout the opening, which gives it an old fashioned style, but this juxtaposes to the extreme violence creating an interesting contrast that could appeal to cult audiences.

In the final shot there is sunlight streaming through a window which does not hit the woman lying down, it casts her in shadow. This could suggest that she is not a morally good character and that she has a secret/ a dark personality. This is intriguing to the audience as they would want to know what kind of person she is.

Props

The handkerchief with 'Bill' stitched into it that soaks up some of the brides blood suggests that the owner is an arrogant man, who has his own name stitched into things. It also suggests that he cares about his appearance as he buys embroider handkerchiefs.  

The bracelet the man wears is thick and chunky but looks to be ornate which could make it expensive connoting that this man is rich. This makes him more interesting to the audience as they would want to know how he acquired wealth.

Costume

The bridal wear on the bride like the veil covered in blood is a striking image, it is splattered in blood which contrasts the idea of a bridal dress. It is supposed to connote purity and a happy occasion yet here it is ruined and tainted with blood. The audience would be appalled that someone would do that to a bride and also intrigued as to why they would do it.

Heat Opening Titles Analysis

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MqRyngrXlXw - Link to the Heat Opening titles (unable to embed).

Heat is a thriller movie centred around a detective trying to catch a group of armed robbers who stole some bonds. It is set in 1980s Los Angeles and the opening titles uses a great deal of conventional media functions to create a sense of intrigue and to build tension.

Camera Angles

An establishing shot is used of a train on tracks approaching towards the viewer, this creates a sense of intrigue as the audience would want to know what the setting is and where the train is going. Because the train starts a long distance away and comes towards the camera this connotes a sense of power and modernisation. It also creates a threatening atmosphere which helps to initially build tension

The next shot is a wide lens long shot of the train going towards the station. The train goes past with a great deal of speed again adding to the menacing feel of the opening. A long shot is used to establish the setting, as the long shot is able to capture the text on the train saying Los Angeles, which gives us a sense of setting. Using the rule of thirds the station is in the centre, this makes it seem like a beacon in the darkness and suggests that there is light at the end of the tunnel, which could be a theme of the film.

A close up of De Niro is used as he steps off the train and walks towards the camera. A close up is used to highlight the importance of the character and show that he is a central figure. We are also able to see the characters emotions giving us insight into the type of character he is, clearly his emotions are stern and serious, suggesting a more professional lifestyle and a mundane personality.
Because the character walks towards the character it gives him a great deal of power because the camera stays locked in a close up on him even when he moves in. This builds a sense of thrill as the audience would want to know who this character is and why he is so important.

Finally and Over the shoulder shot is used which tracks the character down the escalator. The character walks into the shot suggesting that the shot was prepared for him and all ready for him to walk into suggesting a sense of power and control. It is an over the shoulder shot as we get to see the characters perspective for a brief second before he descends down the escalator, this immerses the audience greatly. The tracking shot again adds intrigue as it follows the character showing his power, and the audience would want to find out more information about him.




Editing

The film titles and the names of the actors are an important part of the appeal of the film. Big name actors are placed side by side, De Niro and Pacino. This would add a great sense of excitement as the audience would know that these famous actors bring a sense of quality. The names of both these actors are on the same text slate, this could suggest an idea of the characters they play working together, being equally important or being involved in a combat with each other. The text used for the actors names and the title of the film is the same font and it has the same in/out animation. This creates a house style and makes the audience feel comfortable because it conforms to media conventions. The style of text is blurry which could suggest that the issues and morals discussed in the movie are not clear, or can be seen from multiple perspectives making them 'blurry'.

A match on action is used here, the previous shot showed the train coming towards the camera and this shot flips around and shows us the train going away. This adds a sense of continuity and makes the narrative easy to follow. Because the narrative is easy to follow it makes it easier to build tension slowly as the audience will be thrilled to see what happened next, and also in a linear narrative a juxtaposition would stand out even more.
Also long takes are used in the train scenes, in this opening the long takes are used to build tension. The long takes make the audience intrigued as to what will happen next and creates a slow pace. But when something fast paced happens it will seem more dramatic as the introduction was more languid.

Sound

The soundtrack is quite orchestral at the start. It has slow drawn out violins and is a slow tempo. This builds up tension slowly as it seems calm at the start but as the orchestra picks up the pace it gets more dramatic. The volume of the orchestra increases towards the end of the extract which continues to add drama, giving the sound a sense of gravitas.

The sound of the train is very quite at the start even though it is not that far away from the camera, this makes it more impacting and dramatic when the train comes past the shot and the volume increases dramatically as we hear the train thunder past. This could suggest the idea of a hidden threat in the movie, something quiet at the start that suddenly surprises us with a dramatic action.

The main characters footsteps are enhanced diegetically when he steps off the train and walks to the escalator. This adds to the sense that he is very powerful and an important character as we can hear his steps clearly. This allows to know the pace of where he is going and it drowns out the other footsteps of the surrounding characters. Because it is his footsteps it makes him seem in control and even to the extent that he is dictating what the audience see and hear.

Mise-en-scene

Lighting
The train scenes are very dark and the exterior of the city has very little ambient light. This suggests that the city is miserable, or rife with nefarious doings making it a dark place to live. Even all the lights in the shot cannot illuminate the area showing a sense of uselessness, and inability to stop the darkness. The train searchlight is the only thing that is bright in the first scene, which could show it as a beacon, searching for a goal or redemption. The station is the only other thing that has a sense of brightness and it mirrors the searchlight. It is the destination, the hope at the end of the tunnel. The idea of dark and light makes the audience wonder whether the themes discussed are that of good vs evil.
De Niro's character when he goes down the escalator is heavily in shadow, which suggests he either has a hidden secret, or is an evil character. Either way this builds tension because the character has depth and the audience would want to discover whether he is truly evil.

Props
The only props in the opening are the main characters tools. This suggests that he has a working profession and has to travel a lot to work. It also connotes the idea of poverty as the character has no bag to carry the tools in and carries them by hand. This intrigues the audience as to his profession.

Costume
The main character has a medics overalls on, and a medic is associated with the idea of helping others and selflessness. This juxtaposes the character we have seen so far as he has been cast in shadow and seems to have more power and importance than that of a medic. Everyone else in the scenes have mundane clothing which does not draw the eye, this adds to the sense of importance that the main character has as he stands out.

Snatch Opening Titles Analysis

 

Opening Titles Analysis – Snatch

“Unscrupulous boxing promoters, violent bookmakers, a Russian gangster, incompetent amateur robbers, and supposedly Jewish jewellers fight to track down a priceless stolen diamond.” – IMDB.

Snatch is directed by Guy Ritchie and produced by Matthew Vaughn. It incorporates various unique styles that are now synonymous with Ritchie and his company, Ska Films. I chose Snatch as an example of his style because it is a different form of introduction compared to his other opening titles. I will look at various aspects of the opening two minutes including: Camera Angles, Editing, Lighting, Sound and Mise-en-scene.  
 

Camera Angles

Shot 1 (Left image) - audience views is a Close up (CU) of the back of a balding head, which is completely in shadow. The CU is used to show this figure as a person of interest. It deliberately doesn’t show you the figure’s face to create anonymity, which adds a sense of intrigue and mystery and sparks the interest for audience gratification, and the audience wants to be informed.  Next in the same shot it tracks up and tilts slightly to show 2 visible characters sat in chairs opposite the mystery figure. When the camera ceases its movement it is a slight high angle position, which gives the sense of the 2 characters being not as important as the mystery figure.

The camera shows the figures clearly and we can see their faces and bodies, this is an introduction of the characters to the audience and allows access to another one of Blumler and Katz's Uses and Gratifications Theory (1974), Personal Identity. Now the audience have characters that are tangible and they will be able to relate to easier because they know significantly more about them than they do about the first mystery figure. It also tells the audience more about the characters because they can see their clothes.  

 

Shot 2, 3 and 4 (right) - These shots are all exactly the same type, a CU. The first shot is a close up of the head of the left character, and then shot 3 is a CU of the head of the right character, then shot 4 is back to a CU of the left character. This quick succession of CU's furthers the introduction to the characters, is allows the audience to see the characters clearly. The CU's also synergise with the voiceover (VO), which is the left character talking. The CU's allow us to clearly see the characters emotions, making them more human and more relatable. Also it can add a sense of comedy, one of the characters facial expressions could spark humour in the audience, entertaining them, fulfilling another audience gratification. Ritchie uses these CU's effectively which gives me inspiration to include more diverse shots but especially include shots that match the dialogue as it is easier to understand and more enjoyable to watch.  

 

Shot 5 (left) - Next a Mid Shot (MS) is used of the two characters at a level angle, this shows the power structure between them, there isn't one. Both of them are shot at the same level showing their equal status but also affirming to the audience the characters situation. We can clearly see they are partners/in the current situation together. This again matches with the VO backing it up with visible evidence that they are partners.

 

Shot 6 and 7 - Mostly the same as shots 2, 3 and 4. CU's of the two characters again, first the right character for shot 6, then the left character for shot 7. These CU's are used by Ritchie to further back up the dialogue, and see the characters reactions to the situation described by the VO. The right character shows incredulation, allowing the audience to subtly further understand his character, clearly out of his depth. The character on the left shows annoyed exasperation with a sigh, as if waiting for a verdict, but clearly is more level headed. As with the earlier CU's these shots are typical of opening titles for a film, they are introducing the characters to the audience clearly. Ritchie is demonstrating his knowledge of classic film techniques which I should definitely incorporate in my final product.

 

Shot 8 (left) - This is the final shot in the opening 2 minutes but Ritchie employs the use of CCTV monitors in this scene which I will look at next. In this CU shot it shows a CCTV monitor that shows the main action in the scene, it stays on this monitor for 28 seconds then tracks left to another CU of the monitor next to the first one, where it stays until the end of the 2 minutes. By utilising these CU Ritchie is setting the scene of the movie, a typical opening titles technique, the audience can now see that this scene is in a secure building as they can see the state of the art security at the time, this allows the audience to speculate where it is, fuelling the audience gratification for information, which intrigues them to continue watching, they want to know what's going on and where.

 

CCTV - As aforementioned Ritchie uses CCTV like footage to create the secure environment effect. If we analyse the shots used in the CCTV footage the audience can see that they are High Angle (HA) shots. This presents the characters on screen as being lower, less superior and not a threat. The characters are being looked down upon, lulling the audience into assumptions about the characters before later on showing the characters true intentions. This is a classic Guy Ritchie ideal, the character of Soap in Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels is assumed to be an innocent chef but turns out to be a knife wielding maniac. Toying with audience perception is a good technique to incorporate into my final product because it allows me to add surprise and entertainment, to bolster my audience gratification.

 Editing

The editing in Snatch is crucial to the structure and style of the overall film, some of the style comes through in the first 2 minutes but it is mainly simple edits, straight cuts or fade to blacks (FTB). This doesn't mean to say that the opening two minutes is boring in the editing department, Ritchie uses the simple edits in tandem with the VO and the dialogue, creating a perfect synergy. The fact that the edits are not noticeable is good, it makes the opening seamless. I will go through the first 2 minutes and analyse each edit because I think that each one is noteworthy and of a subtle importance to the overall effect.

 

1st Piece of Editing - initially the movie starts with a black screen, this edit is used to create a subtle tone for the movie, the audience realise it won't be happy and joyful with a black screen intro. It also creates the sense of a blank canvas that something will form upon it, the idea of creation. Next "Columbia Pictures presents"(left) in medium sized white font fades in, and after 3 seconds FTB's. Then "In association with SKA films" fades in and after 3 seconds FTB's. This text informs the audience of the institutions behind the project, and the average cinema goer would recognise Columbia Pictures and assume that this film is of high quality, and the media centric audience would recognise SKA films, and immediately roughly understand the tone and style of the movie, Ritchie's style.

 

2nd Piece of Editing - Now the video fades in from black, the blank canvas is being painted on. Next some more post production credits appear, first "A Matthew Vaughn production"(right) then after that "A film by Guy Ritchie". Both pieces of text stay on screen for 3 seconds. The duration of these opening credits suggests something about the film, they are all 3 seconds long, this suggest a sense of structure and uniformity to the movie, rather than it being wacky credits suggesting chaos.

 

3rd Piece of Editing - For this next sequence of editing Ritchie uses straight cuts, to go between the characters. First a simple cut to the first CU, the left character, then a simple cut to the right character, then another simple cut back the left character. Throughout these 3 edits the left character gets 15 seconds of screen time, compared to the right characters 4 seconds. Immediately we know who has the visual topic management, and who the leader of the two is clearly. Even though this set of edits is simple, it is cleverly used. When the VO is talking about himself, the left character, the camera is on him. When the VO talks about the right character it cuts to the right character. This provides a visual aid for the audience allowing them to clearly understand who the VO is talking about. These edits also immerse the audience a bit more, when the left character turns to look at the right character (left image) that is when it cuts to the right character. The audience are 'seeing' through the eyes of the characters, immersing them more.

 

4th Piece of Editing - This next set of editing mirrors the previous set, simple cuts that match what the VO is saying, creating synergy between the two. It cuts from the previous CU to the MS of both the characters, this shot lasts 5 seconds (right). As mentioned earlier this shows the audience that they are symbiotic. This edit allows the audience to establish a connection between the characters, coupled with the VO they know some of their story. Next it straight cuts to a CU of the right character for 5 seconds, then cuts to a CU of the left character for 18 seconds. This screen time again highlighting who the leader is in this scene. It then FTB and the black screen lasts for 2 seconds. This fade shows the audience that a change in situation/scene is coming. It also makes it very clear for the next shot that both scenes are happening at different locations and/or different times.

 

5th Piece of Editing - The opening 2 minutes end on a very long edit, 47 seconds (right). This scene fades in from black adding to the sense of location change. The dialogue in this section is supposed to be a conversation with different peoples train of thought, this edit reflects the dialogue by being long winded and not sharp cuts. The clear synergy between editing and sound is so very well demonstrated in Snatch, and it shows me that I need to take much greater care in the planning and construction of editing and sound in synergy.

 

Post Production Opening Credits - Throughout the Antwerp scene, the second half, of the opening titles the names of the actors in the movie are shown one after another. This greatly entices the audience to watch the rest of the movie to see their favourite actors and famous actors that they know are good. Brad Pitt (left), Jason Statham and Benicio Del Toro are huge stars and these will reel in audiences, and encourage them to want to watch the rest.


Lighting


1st Scene Overall - The lighting in the first scene is quite unusual, it soft white light but in an interrogation like scenario. Typically in an interrogation scenario which this scene is recreating the lighting is harsh bright line shining down inquisitively onto the person(s) in question. This suggest that this scene is perhaps less sinister than initially thought as it seems less interrogatory. The main characters are lit up so the audience can clearly see they are the protagonists, and the shadowed figure is set up to be the bad character. This gives the shadowed character a sense of mystery and intrigues the audience to watch on.

2nd Scene Overall - The CCTV monitors are clearly lit up in the second scene allowing the audience to clearly see the setting and understand the shift in scene location. In the actual monitors the lighting is saturated. Saturated lighting is tampered lighting, suggesting that reality has been tampered with, what your seeing on screen is a visage. This turns out to be true as the characters on screen are disguised thieves.

Individual Character Lighting -  The two main characters we are introduced to, Turkish and Tommy, and their different personalities are shown and highlighted through lighting. Turkish initially is lit up on one side of his face, casting the other side into shadow, this suggests that he has a good and bad personality, adding depth to the character. When Turkish turn to look at Tommy he face is now fully in the light, this suggests that Tommy is a good character, he is the thing that keeps Turkish good. Tommy would be fully lit up in the face except that he has a hat that shadows his eyes, this could suggest that he is blind to what is coming, as well as the audience. As he lifts his face up the shadow is lifted, possibly meaning a sense of enlightenment,  Tommy is starting to realise what is going on and the situation they are in. This now slightly alienates the audience as they do not know what is going on, but they will want to have that information.


Sound


There is very little sound in the opening two minutes, only dialogue and a Voiceover with a smattering of music. Turkish is speaking the VO again showing that he is the one who is in control, the main protagonist. The voiceover is used as the introduction to the film, it familiarises the audience with the tone of the movie, comedy with pieces of action. The VO introduces the characters, "My name is Turkish, funny name for an Englishman I know" , "and this is my partner Tommy, it doesn't mean we hold hands and take windy walks". It familiarises the audience with the characters, "I'm a boxing promoter" and explains a little bit of the current situation, "I was a happy boxing promoter until a week ago, and then what do I know about diamonds". The audience can now gather a great deal of information from these short sentences, they know Turkish's occupation which means they can make assumptions about his personality. They have a rough idea of the time scale, they know that something happened a week ago and the series of events that lead up to this scene took a week to bloom. All of this shows how important sound is in the opening titles as it is the only thing that engages with the audience and properly introduces them.

The voiceover also helps link the scenes together, because without the VO the audience would be disorientated without it, "What do I know about diamonds, don't they come from Antwerp". Then a chyron appears at the bottom of the screen of the next scene saying "Antwerp". This neatly ties the two scenes together.
It is the second scene that the dialogue comes into play, although it is not the focus point of the scene. It is quite nonsensical and Tarantino-ish, it is just a normal conversation everyday people would have. The 4 characters on screen talk about the story of the virgin Mary in the bible and if it is true or not, this lulls the viewer into a false sense of security into thinking these characters are normal people, which makes the shock much greater when they turnout to be armed robbers.

Music is subtly used in the second scene, it is the Hava Nagila, a stereotypical song used in conjunction with Jewish themes. This again makes it very clear to the audience in case they don't know that these characters in this scene are Jewish. It also helps to create a natural environment that the audience feels calm in, the music is upbeat but slow, it is in a major key which makes the score more positive. It subtly helps to build up tension as it slowly gets faster throughout the scene, adding to the subtle dramatic effect.  


Mise-en-scene

Props in 1st Scene - The only props present in the first scene are furniture, a small bland table and indistinguishable chairs. This could show that the characters have nothing to their name, their situation is desperate. Also it shows the setting is a impoverished place, with no luxuries. This helps set the tone of the movie as gritty, not a lavish costume drama.

Props in 2nd Scene - The props utilised in the second scene simply add to the immersive experience and reinforce the setting. The handheld metal detector is used so the audience can fully see that it is a secure setting that these character are in. Also various office items are shown again to establish setting, from these props the audience can guess the setting, a secure bank perhaps. This makes the audience want to find out the setting and that the characters are doing there encouraging tem to watch on.

Clothing in 1st Scene (left) - We only see the two characters clothing in this scene, as the mysterious figure is hidden. Turkish, the left character is wearing a shirt, a jacket and an overcoat. These clothes are lightly coloured suggesting that he is a protagonist and a good guy of the movie, but the black shirt is hidden under the light overcoat again perhaps suggesting a dark side to him. The outfit is smart but casual, showing that he is in a business environment but it is not too serious. The overcoat is typically associated with Bookies, the profession. This could show a gambling side to Turkish or synergise with the profession he is in. Turkish and Tommy both have gold wristwatches, showing a sense of wealth, or desire to be wealthy.

Tommy is also wearing a shirt and an overcoat that is lightly coloured, painting him as a good character. Tommy is sporting  a trilby, a hat more typically associated with professions on the lower end of the NRS social grade. This again shows who is in charge of the two because it could suggest that Tommy is of a lower intelligence because he is wearing lower NRS social class clothing.

Clothing in 2nd Scene - There is little variation in clothing in this scene, the two guards wear white shirts and black trousers, again highlighting to the audience that they are in a secure location. The 4 other characters are wearing stereotypical traditional Jewish outfits. This makes it clear to the audience that they are Jewish which adds to the stereotypical joke that Jewish people are always associated with diamonds. The traditional outfits are very dark outfits, which could suggest that they are the antagonists, the bad guys of the movie.


Overall


Overall the Snatch opening titles is an excellent example of how the perfect combination of sound, editing, lighting, mise-en-scene and camera work can come together to create a memorable and intriguing opening that will have audiences hooked from the get go. I can now apply this research and knowledge that I have learnt from Snatch in my opening titles to create a great end result.

 

The Martian Audience Profile

Also on top off the complete audience profile for The Martian I have done a profile using Hollywood Quadrants for the movie as seen below. Using animation in photoshop I have created a fun enjoyable GIF that is informative.
As you can see the biggest quadrant is the Male over 25, this is because it is an intellectual sci-fi film that is marketed towards the male gender more than the female gender. Male under 25 comes in a close second, younger people still a large target audience but more likely to not have read the book. Female over 25 is next, not many women in the movie, a lone man is the protagonist but still enjoyable to them. Finally women under 25 are the smallest quadrant as they again are not likely to have read the book and find the film less relatable as the women in the film are not heroes.