Opening Sequence Analysis - Miss Georgiou

Opening Sequence Analysis

An opening sequence is needed for every film that is made. It's purpose is to set the scene and introduce the narrative - fundamentally give it somewhere to start from. Without an opening sequence a film would not be able to be gone through with as it simply wouldn't make sense and would be difficult to follow. Opening sequences can be expected to contain all of the conventions of that particular genre - in this case, thriller. 

From analysing 'Halloween''s opening sequence, it was clear that many thriller conventions were evident throughout:

Cinematography
There was a shallow focus in the opening sequence when the iconography of the knife is out of the drawer. From the use of shallow focus here it emphasises the knife's presence and the value of it in this scene. Having the knife in such focus creates a sense of foreboding, as it is likely then that it is going to be handled with. It also creates tension as the audience are weary of the capabilities of a knife and in which ways it can be used. Furthermore, the audience are made to feel suspicious as it makes them question the antagonist's reasons or purpose for getting the knife out of the draw. The shot leads the knife being quite central so it portrays the knife's domination and relevance to this part of the sequence. This shot is a convention of the thriller genre as, in thrillers a high use of violent iconography is used throughout. By using a shallow focus shot, it creates emphasis on these uses of iconography  which are significant objects in thrillers and need to be illustrated to stand out. With the use of this shot, the film is able to accentuate these vital uses of iconography. 

Furthermore, a high angle shot is used showing the house. The use of the high angle gives the illusion that the house looks smaller than what it actually is. This is complemented with the situation that is occurring in the house at that current time and so makes the audience seem like they are looking down slightly on the house. Audiences are made to feel like they are better off than the house and its surroundings at that time as they are away from the danger and not shown to be on the same level. From knowing this, it creates tension as the audience feel sorry for the people in the house knowing that something bad is going to happen from what they are able to see but the characters cannot. This is conventional to the thriller genre because often different characters have different statuses and some sort of hierarchy and this needs to be shown. The use of high angle causes something to appear smaller and therefore shows a lack of dominance on their side. This is the same with low angle but the other way round so the audience are made to feel small and the character or whatever is shown is shown to have a high level of dominance. 

Throughout the whole of the sequence there is a point of view shot used and this is from the perspective of the antagonist. This allows the audience to feel empathetic towards the antagonist as they are able to witness the surroundings through their eyes. The perspective of the antagonist is then reflected onto the audience and this creates suspicion as the antagonist's identity is not revealed until the end. Therefore, this builds up tension throughout as suspense is felt by the audience as they are left wondering who this character is. This is a conventional shot of the thriller genre as it is a great way to create suspense and shock which are two key elements of a successful thriller. As well as this, it gives the audience the perspective of a particular character and as in various thrillers there are some characters that may be slightly mental or deluded and difficult to understand their feelings, this shot gives them an insight as to what it is like to be this character. It also involves the audience in the scene so that they feel apart of the scene itself and can relate to the character.

Editing
A wipe is used at the beginning of the sequence to introduce the house and it's surroundings as well as the general setting. The use of a wipe creates a clear and definite marking to the beginning of the sequence. A wipe is quite a harsh movement as it's very sudden and quick which can be a reflective of the stabbing of the girl shown in the sequence. HAving this mirroring movement creates a sense of foreboding and a worried feel for the characters from the audience. This is conventional to the thriller genre as it is often used when starting, ending or changing a scene. It creates a definite start for what's about to happen and in many thrillers there is lots going on that the audience need to keep an eye on. The insert of a wipe ensures that the audience know of the new scene that is about to begin (or end in some cases). Also, there is a lot of quick movement in thrillers so this reflects this movement and compliments the other movements perfectly. 

Also in the sequence, there is the use of slow editing. This is evident when the antagonist is looking through the windows from outside of the house. This creates suspense as it is as though it is prolonging the shot in order for a shocking or surprising moment to follow. Additionally, it allows the audience to 'take in' more of the surroundings noticing intricate details such as the couple inside and what they are doing and listening to. Therefore, they are able to feel more apart of the scene as they are aware and have some knowledge of what is exactly in the setting. Slow editing is conventional tot the thriller genre as it is an easy way to build suspense. As it prolongs a movement or action taking place in the scene, the audience know that something is going to 'jump' out or create a sense of shock. This causes them to look away as they don't want to feel this 'jump' only to look back and find that because the shot was so prolonged they have to end up seeing what 'jumps' out at the climax of the shot. This is often used in thrillers as it engages the audience more and keeps them wanting to watch the film. 

Soundtrack
There is a use of many non-diegetic sounds but one example is at the beginning when there is an eery sounding, quick, off-key piano playing. The fact that is is off-key makes it uncomfortable for the audience to listen to and so creates a sense of uneasiness and discomfort. This is then reflected onto the scene as the girl character is in discomfort after the presence of the antagonist. This eery sound creates a sense of foreboding as enigma is created making the scene a lot more effective. The off-key piano suggests that something isn't right and in order and so the audience can infer that something about the setting or the time is not normal. This is conventional to the thriller genre as it creates suspense and builds tension. These are two vital factors that need to be included in a thriller in order for it to be successful. Without this sort of non-diegetic sound, there is a lack of tension and build up within the scene and so certain actions and movements are not able to be emphasised as much as they could be. 

Moreover, diegetic sounds are also used throughout the sequence, for example, when the children are heard singing/trick or treating. This emphasises the time of year it is and the fact that this particular night is the night of Halloween. As this is a significant night that has many 'scary' tales made from it, it has more of a fearful impact on the audience. This is because this is seen as a scary and an arguably unlucky night so creates more of a build up of fear and tension. This is conventional to the thriller genre as having diegetic sounds such as this one keeps the normality flowing throughout. Therefore, this makes the film seem more realistic and relateable.

Codes and Conventions of a Thriller
One convention of a thriller shown in the sequence was the fact that the setting was isolated. Although it seemed to be in a fairly big, welcoming, family home, the different uses of cinematography portrayed the lack of surrounding of people. This means that if there is no one else around, it is unlikely that the victim will be heard (apart from by the family). This akes the audience feel scared for the victim and other characters as they feel that they wish they could help them from the knowing that the characters are alone. This is a convention of a thriller because audiences watching a thriller are aimed to feel sympathetic and worried for the characters that are existent in the film. With the use of an isolated setting, this creates this fear for the characters as to what will happen, how they will manage to cope with the situation and the way they are going to get help. Audiences then can relate to the characters as they start thinking about and questioning what they would do if they were in the situation that the characters are in. 


Representation of Characters
The antagonist shown in this sequence is very valid to the whole of the sequence because it's based mainly around them as a character. They are very much the focus point of the sequence as they are the perspective in which the audience are experiencing to feel. From the way the audience are able to see the antagonist pick up a mask and put it on to hide their identity creates more suspicion and says a lot about the character themselves. They are shown to be quite weak if they are unwilling to show their identity and face the consequences they may have to face. However, because of the actions they proceed with (stabbing the girl) they can be shown as quite fearless or maybe lost. Throughout the audience are engaged as they are eager to find out who the killer is. When the killer is finally identified, it is surprising as the little boy is the or one of the least expectations for the killer to be. This is conventional to the thriller genre because the surprise and shock element is created so clearly here leaving the audience wondering what will happen next. This leaves the audience wanting more and so they become fixed and want to carry on watching.

Narrative
The narrative here leaves the audience on a cliff hanger. Throughout the sequence you are lead to believe that some sort of murderer is walking about this family home on a mission to complete a murder. Only to find out that at the end, it's the little boy in the family of which who has stabbed his sister and this is the part where the element of surprise and shock occurs as it is not what the audience expect to find out. Furthermore, the narrative is based around Halloween. This creates elements of enigma from the reputation of this well-known day and leaves the audience feeling on edge as the narrative develops. This is conventional to the thriller genre to base the narrative around a theme such as 'Halloween' because this is a well-known day for it's scary aspects and is recognised and celebrated by many. Another time in the year which would be conventional is a 'Friday 13th' for example, as this is another day associated with fear and unluckiness. 

Overall, the sequence informs the audience of the conventions of a thriller from the way it illustrates everything in which they expect to see in a thriller. Because of the way the audience feel after watching the sequence, they are able to recognise what aspects and elements made them feel that way. These elements are most likely the conventions and so they are weary of the conventions from this. 

In Summary, this analysis will assist me in planning my own thriller because it has outlined the many different conventions that can be shown in such a short space of time. Just for the opening various different thriller conventions were clearly demonstrated and so this will influence my own thriller and what I will include in my opening sequence. In addition, I noticed that not too much is revealed in the opening sequence - the audience were still left feeling suspicious at the end of the sequence. This will influence my own as I believe that it is an effective way into making the audience want to see more. Therefore, in my own opening sequence I will include enough to grip the audience but not too much that will spoil and give away the rest of the narrative.