Usual Suspects opening
The usual suspects opening pays tribute to classic noir films of the 50s. It opens at night, both the characters smoke, there is an execution, an unseen main character and lots of mystery.
The opening shot is a pan across a black ocean with titles coming across the water. The white text is highlighted by the dark background of the water with streaks of white light across the water. The slow pan also creates a sense of brooding and suspense.
The film then opens with an extreme close up match on action shot of a match set being set a light. The match fire immediately signifies danger and leads into the high intensity of the next sequence.There is no establishing shot or opening monologue instead the viewer is thrust into the action with no context or explanation of the events taking place.
This abruptly cuts to a shot of a dimly lit character in blacks clothes in front of a burning fire. The already burning flame behind the character tells the audience that some or all of the action has already taken place and this man is sitting in the aftermath.
The man lights a line of running oil which burns in a line which is followed by a tracking shot leading past a corpse on the ground. The flame however is extinguished by an unidentified character urinating on it. The shot pans up to reveal a dark figure who's face cannot be seen by the audience. His position above the chaos seen earlier in the seen hints that he is responsible. The dark figures placement above the other character also symbolises power and authority.
The darkened out face of the mystery man fills the audience with intrigue and adds another layer of confusion to the cluster of debris in the previous shot. Not revealing a characters identity at the start of a film is a common technique used in neo noir film making. This technique keeps the audience guessing and helps add mystery to the scene.
The dark figure advances towards the injured man with tight framing and lighting being used to conceal his identity and lights a cigarette. 'how are you doing Kid?' the dark figure asks, the question undermines him talking down to him like a child. The downed man reveals the name of the mystery man ''Keyser''. In the next bit of dialogue the downed man asks the time and Keyser responds and shoots him afterwards. The man does not react as keyser pulls out the gun as if he knows he is defeated. The question he asks is another way of asking for a time of death as Keyser pulls out a gun, holds it execution style and fires twice.
When the gun is fired the camera cuts away to an exterior shot of the boat the characters were beside. This technique lets the viewers imagination do the work as to how the shot would look allowing them to imagine it to be as gruesome or as clean as they want to be as we never see were keyser chooses to shot the downed man. As its the first time we see the location the characters are in it serves as an establishing shot however it is at the end of the scene. This late reveal builds on the idea of shrouding the audience in mystery first before revealing the answer.
The usual suspects opening pays tribute to classic noir films of the 50s. It opens at night, both the characters smoke, there is an execution, an unseen main character and lots of mystery.
The opening shot is a pan across a black ocean with titles coming across the water. The white text is highlighted by the dark background of the water with streaks of white light across the water. The slow pan also creates a sense of brooding and suspense.
The man lights a line of running oil which burns in a line which is followed by a tracking shot leading past a corpse on the ground. The flame however is extinguished by an unidentified character urinating on it. The shot pans up to reveal a dark figure who's face cannot be seen by the audience. His position above the chaos seen earlier in the seen hints that he is responsible. The dark figures placement above the other character also symbolises power and authority.
The darkened out face of the mystery man fills the audience with intrigue and adds another layer of confusion to the cluster of debris in the previous shot. Not revealing a characters identity at the start of a film is a common technique used in neo noir film making. This technique keeps the audience guessing and helps add mystery to the scene.
The dark figure advances towards the injured man with tight framing and lighting being used to conceal his identity and lights a cigarette. 'how are you doing Kid?' the dark figure asks, the question undermines him talking down to him like a child. The downed man reveals the name of the mystery man ''Keyser''. In the next bit of dialogue the downed man asks the time and Keyser responds and shoots him afterwards. The man does not react as keyser pulls out the gun as if he knows he is defeated. The question he asks is another way of asking for a time of death as Keyser pulls out a gun, holds it execution style and fires twice.
There are a couple more exterior shots as the menacing music swells in the background creating dramatic tension before we cut back to Keyser dropping the match and igniting the trail of oil. We see the silhouette of keyser escape down a ladder as police sirens wail in the background.
We then cut to a shot of the explosion caused by the fire with the music increasing in intensity, the scene then fades out to a man being questioned.
Overall this opening scene does well in establishing the tone/mood of the film. The themes of crime,murder and mystery are all cemented. The tone is dark, one of violence shrouded in uncertainty.
We then cut to a shot of the explosion caused by the fire with the music increasing in intensity, the scene then fades out to a man being questioned.
Overall this opening scene does well in establishing the tone/mood of the film. The themes of crime,murder and mystery are all cemented. The tone is dark, one of violence shrouded in uncertainty.
Drive opening sequence
The cinematography in Drive in this opening is reminiscent of many noir films. The opening is a night, there is dramatic shadows and low light and even a run in with the police.
The cinematography in Drive in this opening is reminiscent of many noir films. The opening is a night, there is dramatic shadows and low light and even a run in with the police.
The first dilema presented to the audience in the opening chase scene is will the driver escape? The driver makes his way to the scene of the crime while pulsating music plays in the background heightening the vigour of this scene. There is a match on action shot as the driver straps his watch to the steering wheel and starts the five minutes for the robbers to make the heist.
At the same time he switches on the police radio and cranks up the radio playing a basketball game. The basket commentary is significant in this scene as it runs in parallel to the heist and getaway at times mirroring the actions of the driver and the robbers. While the driver sits in the car anxiously awaiting the robbers return the commentary says''in the 4th quarter with 6 minutes on the clock, there will be excitement and celebration if they can pull off this win tonight''. The addition of the commentary is a clever narration device. The drivers demeanour and facial expressions remain calm make it hard to reflect the intensity of the escape. To juxtapose our main character's calmness is the audio from the radio which is able to reflect the moments of build up and tension of the scene.The robbers panicked reaction in the backseat add another layer of intensity to the scene.
The first robber enters the car with loot in hand and the sirens are heard in the background with the police chatter on the radio saying they are approaching. However the other robber is nowhere to be seen. The ticking noise of the clock slightly heightens as seconds go by until the 2nd robber appears and gets in the car. The tension is increased as the drivers car is identified on the police radio. The camera shifts to a first person view of the car as a police is spot patrolling just up ahead. The driver turns off his headlights and veers into an empty parking space. The camera cuts to a reaction shot of the driver as the police drives past.
The first robber enters the car with loot in hand and the sirens are heard in the background with the police chatter on the radio saying they are approaching. However the other robber is nowhere to be seen. The ticking noise of the clock slightly heightens as seconds go by until the 2nd robber appears and gets in the car. The tension is increased as the drivers car is identified on the police radio. The camera shifts to a first person view of the car as a police is spot patrolling just up ahead. The driver turns off his headlights and veers into an empty parking space. The camera cuts to a reaction shot of the driver as the police drives past.
The driver trails the police car and the shot switches to an over the shoulder shot of the driver soft focusing his reflection in the car mirror and deep focusing the police car in front.
Deep depth of field gives the image of everything going outside clarity so the audience does not get confused. The car heads onto a bridge while a police helicopter is seen overhead through an over shoulder shot. The driver remains undetected for a couple of seconds before a visual on his car is confirmed on the police radio and through the light shining on his car. The dark lighting in the car is now switched to a harsh white light illuminating everyone inside. This lighting transition shows how his cover is blown and the switch in stealth manoeuvres to evade the police now switches to a high speed chase.
Deep depth of field gives the image of everything going outside clarity so the audience does not get confused. The car heads onto a bridge while a police helicopter is seen overhead through an over shoulder shot. The driver remains undetected for a couple of seconds before a visual on his car is confirmed on the police radio and through the light shining on his car. The dark lighting in the car is now switched to a harsh white light illuminating everyone inside. This lighting transition shows how his cover is blown and the switch in stealth manoeuvres to evade the police now switches to a high speed chase.
The driver slips under a bridge and the helicopter loses visual. The basketball commentary plays in the background ''its out of bounds, and now its clippers ball'' The clippers representing the driver meaning the police fumbled their chance at catching him and now its the drivers move. The commentary continues ''The clippers are grabbing all the rebounds and have a chance to take the lead'' this dialogue again reinforces the drivers upper hand in the situation.
The driver comes to a junction adjacent from a police car on the other side. An eyeline match is used as we see what he is looking at. The police radio informs us that ''a possible suspect is sighted'', the basketball commentary continues ''pressure on the clippers''. The driver accelerates past the police car and speeds away with the commentary saying ''clippers take the lead''.
The driver speeds towards a sport stadium and intense orchestral music swells in the background. The driver heads into the parking lot of the stadium and the radio commentary informs us that the clippers have won the game.
The driver speeds towards a sport stadium and intense orchestral music swells in the background. The driver heads into the parking lot of the stadium and the radio commentary informs us that the clippers have won the game.
The escalation of the basketball game and the chase scene leads to their intersection. The driver is able to escape into the flow of fans leaving the game while the police arrive.
The whole scene is filmed from inside the car bringing the audience closer to the main character and his reactions. There are many eyeline matches which makes us feel more connected to the driver and his reactions to the events as they unfold. Overall this scene is filled with tension and engages the audience in a clever way as the radio commentary servers as a narration of the events in the chase. The chase is a tense cat and mouse game between the police and driver. It is a great opening to engage audiences and learn about the cunningness of the main character.
This is one example of a movie where the opening titles appear after the opening scene. This is probably to keep the audience focused on the action and not distract their attention as they try to read the names. The titles are in pink and cursive font giving them a retro 80s feel and they contrast the dark city they are imposed after.
Below is the audience demographic for this movie as you can see males are more interested in this than females and males aged 18-29 are the main demographic.
This is one example of a movie where the opening titles appear after the opening scene. This is probably to keep the audience focused on the action and not distract their attention as they try to read the names. The titles are in pink and cursive font giving them a retro 80s feel and they contrast the dark city they are imposed after.
Below is the audience demographic for this movie as you can see males are more interested in this than females and males aged 18-29 are the main demographic.
Collateral
The film Collateral is a good example of modern neo noir film making. Its opening contains mystery and also has subtle elements that help build the characters before any real interaction is had with them. It heavily mirrors the noir films of the 50s/60s era were the characters were introduced through their actions instead of loads of exposition and dialogue.
The film Collateral is a good example of modern neo noir film making. Its opening contains mystery and also has subtle elements that help build the characters before any real interaction is had with them. It heavily mirrors the noir films of the 50s/60s era were the characters were introduced through their actions instead of loads of exposition and dialogue.
The scene starts in a crowded airport. The camera focuses on a man with sunglasses pacing towards us. He is on the right side of the scene.The depth of field is used to isolate the subject here with shallow focus. Everyone else is blurred out so we are immediately drawn to him.
The mans walk is in slow motion before the camera cuts away to another man walking towards us at normal speed except he is framed on the right side of the scene. Both are white males, aged around 30, and both are smartly dressed in suits; one is wearing sunglasses. Both are carrying a briefcase that look identical.The camera cuts back to a close shot of the first man walking towards us. The two men then bump into each other. They drop their case and then apologise and as they are leaving retrieve each others case. We get a hand held over the shoulder shot of the man quickly walking through the airport Non diegetic sound is used as pulsating, slick music starts playing as there is an abrupt jump cut to the next scene.This walk creates momentum which carrys over to the next scene and the music is used as a sound bridge to tie the two scenes together.
The mans walk is in slow motion before the camera cuts away to another man walking towards us at normal speed except he is framed on the right side of the scene. Both are white males, aged around 30, and both are smartly dressed in suits; one is wearing sunglasses. Both are carrying a briefcase that look identical.The camera cuts back to a close shot of the first man walking towards us. The two men then bump into each other. They drop their case and then apologise and as they are leaving retrieve each others case. We get a hand held over the shoulder shot of the man quickly walking through the airport Non diegetic sound is used as pulsating, slick music starts playing as there is an abrupt jump cut to the next scene.This walk creates momentum which carrys over to the next scene and the music is used as a sound bridge to tie the two scenes together.
The next scene is in a taxi depot. The shots are quick and fast faced. They focus on a couple of people eating, on the phone and doing crossword puzzles. Like the airport this is a busy environment. The editing becomes choppy and fast paced as it cuts between people repairing and in the taxi workshop. After all these cutaways the camera finally focusing on the main character of the film.
Unlike the other scene where the first thing we see is the man in sunglasses pacing towards the camera we don't see this character until many other shots. This shows how this character to many people is unimportant and mostly ignored. His life is uninteresting, he wears a plain t shirt and plain glasses unlike the suited men with shades at the beginning he is not very fancy. We see him clean his taxi and start it up. The camera cuts to the lights being switched on outside the taxi and he shuts the door. The busy and chaotic world outside becomes silent. The noisy ambient sound outside which quickly cuts to silence helps this sudden shift. He sticks up a picture of a holiday resort before driving off. These few subtle things this man does give us an insight into his character. He likes the calmness of his taxi and likes everything to be neat and in place. The photo he puts up shows us he is unsatisfied with his career and looks to better things to escape his life. There is a match on action shot as he puts the key in the ignition and the indicators flash. The camera stays in the depot as he drives out.
Unlike the other scene where the first thing we see is the man in sunglasses pacing towards the camera we don't see this character until many other shots. This shows how this character to many people is unimportant and mostly ignored. His life is uninteresting, he wears a plain t shirt and plain glasses unlike the suited men with shades at the beginning he is not very fancy. We see him clean his taxi and start it up. The camera cuts to the lights being switched on outside the taxi and he shuts the door. The busy and chaotic world outside becomes silent. The noisy ambient sound outside which quickly cuts to silence helps this sudden shift. He sticks up a picture of a holiday resort before driving off. These few subtle things this man does give us an insight into his character. He likes the calmness of his taxi and likes everything to be neat and in place. The photo he puts up shows us he is unsatisfied with his career and looks to better things to escape his life. There is a match on action shot as he puts the key in the ignition and the indicators flash. The camera stays in the depot as he drives out.
The shot cuts to when the taxi driver has picked up a couple. Although we don't see them we can here a snippet of their argument in the back. We see the main character catch glimpse of passers by in his rearview mirror as he eaves drops on the couples argument. The scene ends with an over the shoulder shot of the driver listening to the couple bickering as he drives to his next fare. There is no opening titles in this film which are saved for the end credits which adds to the realism the film is trying to create. The film was shot on digital and most of the shots are hand held and the action scenes are shaking which makes it seem like a documentary with dynamic camera work.
Overall this is an unusual opening sequence for a thriller in that it is calm and not much exposition takes place. Their is no opening action scene. The main hero is shown to be quite underwhelming unlike many thrillers that establish the heroes strength and cunning in the first 5 minutes of the film. Instead the scene chooses to establish character and set in motion the actions which will cause the two mens worlds to collide.
The audience demographic is shown below.
The audience demographic is shown below.
Godfather
The title image before the film is the word Godfather in white text behind a black background. There is a hand with stringes coming down on the word godfather representing how the godfather is like a puppeteer controlling everyone. The text then fades in with just one man speaking, with dim lighting. There is no music playing making the scene quiet as we listen to the man's every word. With the light only shown on the man’s face, the background is almost completely black, at this moment as an audience we are meant to look at this man and no one else. The lighting gives the scene a sense of mystery and intrigue.The slow reverse zoom out builds anticipation as we wait to see what is going to be revealed. The dark shadows on Don Corleone reinforce the mysterious nature of his character.
The reverse zoom stops once Don Corleone enters the frame. The slow pan out which transitions the shot to an over the shoulder shot then cuts to reveal Don Corleone's face. This is a common trope in neo noir films as one of the main characters identity is concealed at the beginning in a scene he is in and then reveal him as the scene progresses. The Don massages his cat as Bonasera begs for help which hints at his soft nature which is taken advantage of by all the peoples request and later in the film by the more ruthless crime bosses. The light shining from the window behind the Don along with the low key lighting highlights him and draws attention to his importance in the scene. In addition, the characters are all facing towards him giving him their undivided attention. His position in the room and with all the characters facing him shows he is in charge and important.
Bonasera delivers his sad dialogue about how his daughter was beaten by her boyfriend and how he wept with pain.
He says how he believes in america and that it has gave him money but by raising his daughter in the america fashion and by allowing her an american(not italian) partner it has cost her greatly. This short speech helps establishes important themes seen later in the film. The italians in America are able to profit greatly from its capitalistic values but at the cost of family being harmed or being torn apart.
Bonasera begs for his help to bring the men to justice and says he will give him anything he wants. The Don tells Bonasera that he should have gone to him first instead of the courts. He says that it is disrespectful to ignore him and only come to him in times of need. Bonasera voices quivers but the Don remains calm telling him he how disrespectful it is to expect his help after his behaviour.
The Dons power is reinforced as Bonasera calls him Godfather like the Don said and kisses his hand. This is the how the Don usually expects to be treated which shows just how powerful he is and how big his reputation is. After this the Don puts his hand around Bonasera and tells him he is indebted to him and may call opon him for a favour. Another man comes into frame and the Don instructs him who to give the job to and explaining he doesnt want people who will get carried away when this job is done. This again shows the godfathers firm but fair nature as he does not want the men killed for what they have done, he believes in fair punishment. His character is one that demands respect but is also willing to help others. Overall this scene does a good job of establishing the character of Don corleone and hinting at themes later to come in the film.
The reverse zoom stops once Don Corleone enters the frame. The slow pan out which transitions the shot to an over the shoulder shot then cuts to reveal Don Corleone's face. This is a common trope in neo noir films as one of the main characters identity is concealed at the beginning in a scene he is in and then reveal him as the scene progresses. The Don massages his cat as Bonasera begs for help which hints at his soft nature which is taken advantage of by all the peoples request and later in the film by the more ruthless crime bosses. The light shining from the window behind the Don along with the low key lighting highlights him and draws attention to his importance in the scene. In addition, the characters are all facing towards him giving him their undivided attention. His position in the room and with all the characters facing him shows he is in charge and important.
Bonasera delivers his sad dialogue about how his daughter was beaten by her boyfriend and how he wept with pain.
He says how he believes in america and that it has gave him money but by raising his daughter in the america fashion and by allowing her an american(not italian) partner it has cost her greatly. This short speech helps establishes important themes seen later in the film. The italians in America are able to profit greatly from its capitalistic values but at the cost of family being harmed or being torn apart.
Bonasera begs for his help to bring the men to justice and says he will give him anything he wants. The Don tells Bonasera that he should have gone to him first instead of the courts. He says that it is disrespectful to ignore him and only come to him in times of need. Bonasera voices quivers but the Don remains calm telling him he how disrespectful it is to expect his help after his behaviour.
The Dons power is reinforced as Bonasera calls him Godfather like the Don said and kisses his hand. This is the how the Don usually expects to be treated which shows just how powerful he is and how big his reputation is. After this the Don puts his hand around Bonasera and tells him he is indebted to him and may call opon him for a favour. Another man comes into frame and the Don instructs him who to give the job to and explaining he doesnt want people who will get carried away when this job is done. This again shows the godfathers firm but fair nature as he does not want the men killed for what they have done, he believes in fair punishment. His character is one that demands respect but is also willing to help others. Overall this scene does a good job of establishing the character of Don corleone and hinting at themes later to come in the film.
Inside man
The opening scene of inside man begins with a tight close up shot of a man in prison. The tight framing helps create a claustrophobic and isolated feeling.
The man maintains eye contact with the viewer and asks rhetoric questions, almost breaking the fourth wall as we aren't show what he is staring at.
''Pay strict attention to what I say because I choose my words carefully and I never repeat myself'' here the fourth wall is broken and the audience feels tense as this mans speech continues.
His eye contact and sharp tone reinforce the mans dominant/alpha male and confident persona. The setting of a prison also immediately tells us this is dangerous and his speech about planning a heist reinforces this.
The shot briefly cuts away to the man doing exercises in his cramped cell. The cut is fast to keep with the pace of his dialogue. The background is black and becomes more lit as the scene progresses and he asks and answers more questions. The dark lighting shows the mans grim conditions in the prison as he is forced into isolation and darkness. The light represents the audience who are in the dark but then slowly allowed more and more information. (This technique is heavily used later in the film).
Some of his dialogue is also in foreshadowing how his character will act in certain situations. He says 'i never repeat myself'. This attitude comes into play later when he negotiates with police in the heist.
The soundtrack helps build suspense in this scene as we wait to hear if he will reveal how he perform his heist.
the scene dissolves into a low wide shot of a roller-coaster slowing moving to the left perhaps. The roller coaster foreshadows the thrilling heist which is about to begin. Normally in noir films shadows keep the main character hidden from viewing but here it is the oppostise as a lens flare from the sunlight prevents us from seeing the man who gets in the van.
The prison scene transitions to an outdoor establish shot. The wide shots of the urban city help establish the location change. A van in the shot drives away and the camera pans up (mimicking the roller coaster) to the title of the film while loud oriental music plays which helps establish an urban setting. The van drives off and we cut to a shot of a sign which says Manhattan Trust Bank. This shows the viewer the van's desination, making it clear where the heist will be. The vans journey has parallel cuts to features of the exterior to the bank. There are more shots of the Bank as the van passes under a bridge and moves through the city.
After analysing the openings of these films, I learnt features of the noir genre that help establish an effective noir opening.
Some of the common tropes seen in these films are as follow:
Concealing the main characters identity and revealing it later
Use of shadows to help this concealment and also to establish the tone/mood of the film
Common themes explored such as crime, stealth and violence
Characters often featured are criminals
Low key lighting and shots that that don't show a characters face
Settings include night time empty streets, docks, abandoned buildings and urban settings.
Film planning
One sentence Brief: A modern adaptation of the opening of 'Elegy for April' by Benjamin Black
Due to our opening's concise nature it is set in one location for this we had looked at various areas which we believed would fit our concept for our opening we looked at locations in Crumlin, county Antrim and Dunmurry within Belfast, county Antrim. However due to practical reasons we decided to shoot in Dunmurry as it offered a more modern and public setting. The location also offered more opportunities for establishing shots and was in many ways the more cinematic location.
(The tunnel we wished to have for our opening)
(The isolated meeting spot with bench)
As for our cast due to the intimate nature and short time frame of our opening we only need to have two actors. Our protagonist must be female in her early twenties in order to stay in line with the source material. Our second character must be a male who is closer to early thirties but must also have a presence and power on screen.
Due to the demands of our story in terms of props we need the following items: A phone and earphones A handbag Casual but slightly disheveled dress for our female protagonist *A hoodie for our male supporting character* (this has been changed to a suit following target audience feedback). We also need a note for our male character to give to our female character.
Animation of Opening
Below is a rough storyboard animation of the opening scene which was used for audience feedback. It will also assist us when it comes to filming the opening.
Shooting Schedule
Re-drafts and changes from our original storyboard
