Narrative Structure
The opening to Seven is non Linear. At the beginning you see a hidden person planning/investigating and it is suggested to the audience that this person is the villain of the film as his hands as his hands are dirty and look worn away. In the middle section you see him looking at disturbing images and drawing over the eyes on a picture which also suggests he may not have good intentions. The end of the sequence shows him completing his work and sewing it together into a book which seems unusual as not many people sew pages together to make a book, they usually put the work in a folder or staple it etc.
Codes and Conventions
The question & answer model is used as the audience are immediately presented with a lot of questions e.g. Who is it? What is he doing? Why? Where is he? Has he already carried out these plans or is he planning to do them? The concealment model is also used because we don't get to see who this person is. The Partial Vision model is used as we only see his hands. The Mazes and Labyrinths model is also used because the audience are presented with the puzzle of the person's plans.
Cinematography
There are a lot of extreme close ups of the person's hands filing/writing etc which builds up the panic of who this person is whilst maintaing the mystery of who he is. These also comply with the codes and conventions of a thriller because although they show us what he's doing in detail they hide his identity as well as other things like where he is.
Mise-En-Scene
There's not a lot i can say about the mise-en-scene because the tight camera angles hide most of the surroundings so we don't where it is and we don't get to see the character however the lighting is dark and the camera angles suggest it's in a tight space e.g. a cellar or a small room.
Sound
Only non-diagetic sound is used and it is strange music with a lot of screeching noises which builds tension amongst the audience and there is also a heartbeat like noise which makes it feel like something is going to happen. There are no words except for the very end of the scene where it mentions God which could be a hint at the religious aspects of the film.
Editing
The editing in this scene is very fast as you don't get to see an image for very long before it cuts to another shot. Strobing is used to disorientate the audience and suggest he's been there for a long time or may be using drugs. Fading and jump cuts are also used to show the passage of time.
Graphics
The titles are in a scruffy style and looks like they've been handwritten which relates to the work the person is doing. Rather than being in the center of the screen the seem to be randomly placed and aren't always straight which confuses the audience however basic colours are used (white font on a back background)but the way they keep flashing onto the screen disorientates the audince.
Narrative Structure
The intro to Jaws has a linear narrative. At the start we are introduced to an underwater creature which we follow through the water through a point of view shot from the creature. In the middle section you see a bunch of teenagers on the beach drinking smoking and having a good time. A girl and a boy see each other and run off together. They decide to go swimming and run towards the sea. In the last section the girl gets ahead of the boy and goes far out into the water. She is then attacked and killed by something from underneath the water.
Codes & Conventions
The concealment model is used because we can't see the creature swimming at the beginning. The partial vision model is used because we only see what's happening on the surface of the water. The transformed city model is used because the beach is seen as a safe place but it becomes dangerous. The protraction model is also used because it starts off following the creature but then returns to the normality of the beach. The Question and answer model is used because the audience are presented with a lot of questions e.g. what is the creature? Where has it come from? what is happening under the water?
Cinematography
There is a point of view shot from the creature which allows the audience to see through the creature's eyes and it also builds fear of it because you can't see it. There is a high angle shot of the boy and the girl running up the hill which makes them seem vulnerable. There is an extra long shot of the sea which shows how big it is and how much danger the girl in the distance is in. After this there is an extra long shot of the boy back on the beach to show how far out she is which has the same effect. In the shot of her being attacked by the shark the camera is static and the girl is being dragged in and out of the shot which makes the audience feel like she has less control. After she's been dragged under there is another extra long shot of the sea to show how calm it is like she was never even there which makes it seem much more sinister.
Mise-En-Scene
The whole scene is pretty dark in general which gives a feeling of danger however at the campfire there are a lot of warm colours which make the beach seem a lot more safe and comfortable. When they leave the campfire the warm colours are gone which makes it seem even more dangerous because they have left a warm and safe place for a dark empty one. There are also quite a few shots of the sea which show how big and seemingly empty it is.
Sound
The 'Jaws' theme tune is playing at the beginning of the scene non-diageticallly and builds tension. There is a lot of diagetic sound at the campfire with people talking and playing music which makes it seem like a much safer place. During the shark attack she rocks the buoy ringing the bell which signifies danger and adds to the panic in the scene.
Editing
The editing is very slow in 'Jaws' with slow cuts and long takes which build up a lot of tension and give a feeling that something is going to happen. There is a shot reverse shot between the boy and the girl which builds the relationship and lets the audience know something is going to happen.
Graphics
Most of the graphics are white on a black background in the center of the screen which makes them stand out. They are big and bold which lets the audience know they are important. The title 'Jaws' is super imposed over the point of view shot and it feels like it's giving you a clue to what the creature is and what the film is going to be about.
Narrative Structure
The beginning of this scene there are a lot of extra long shots of the forest (establishing shots) which give the audience a feeling of being in the middle of nowhere where there wouldn't be many people which builds tension. It also allows the audience to know the location. The middle section starts with a mysterious figure emerging from the mist and starts running. At this point the audience don't know anything about the character and you get the feeling she's running from something. It then becomes apparent that she is doing an obstacle course so she seems a lot less vulnerable and a lot more strong. The end of this section is when an FBI officer stops her and tells her someone wants to see her. THe audience now now she's a member of the FBI and she seems a lot more dominant and in control. She goes into the headquarters, waits in the office and then sees something.
Codes & Conventions
The question and answer model is used because the audience are presented with questions like who is she?, why is she running?, why is she in the woods?, why does the boss want to talk to her? etc. The romantic hero model is also used because she is a regular FBI officer who has to train like everyone else to stay fit etc. The concealment model is used because for the first half of the scene we have no idea who she is or why she's running. The partial vision model is also used at the beginning when she is hidden by the mist.
Cinematography
There is a big establishing shot at the beginning to show the audience how big the forest is and make it seem more dangerous. There is a close up of her feet when she's running which draws the audience's attention to the fact that she's running and builds tension. The FBI agent has his back to the camera at first then he turns towards the camera to reveal FBI on his hat. This gives a brief moment where the audience wonder who he his.
Mise-En-Scene
The mist at the beginning creates suspense and makes her seem lost or in trouble. Throughout the scene she is being followed however towards the end she starts to get away which in a way lets the audience realise the scene is ending. In the lift she is the only woman and all of the men are wearing red which makes her stand out and seem isolated.
Sound
You hear before you can see which builds tension among the audience. The music is very sombre but builds up as she picks up speed which gives a feeling that something is going to happen.
Editing
The piece opens with a fade in which ties in with hearing before you see and builds tension. There is very slow editing and long takes which gives a feeling that smething is going to happen.
Narrative Structure
The wallet is shown being stolen at the beginning and it shows that it is being sent over a distance. There is then an ordinary scene at work where we are introduced to the main character who helps out over the phone and is almost like a saviour. This shows the audience that she is very intelligent. She has a conversation with her dad over the phone and the wallet is mentioned which reminds the audience of it's significance. The other main character is introduced helping the air hostess in a similar way to how the women helped her colleage which lets us know he is significant.
Codes & Conventions
The romantic hero model is used because she's an ordinary woman with ordinary problems like the death of her grandmother and problems at work etc. The question and answer model is used because the audience are presented with questions such as why have they stole the wallet? who are they? what do they want etc. Concealment is used because it hides the character of the man in the airport. The partial vision model is also used because you can't see who took the wallet. The transformed city model is used because it takes place in an urban environment with taxis and an airport etc.
Cinematography
The wallet is thrown into the shot which draws the audience's attention to it and it zooms into it to make it seem even more significant
Mise-En-Scene
A lot of emphasis is placed on the wallet e.g. zooming in, the mention in the conversation. The first image shows her graduation which lets the audience know she's intelligent/successful. The wallet says JR on it so it's easy to recognise. There is a picture of the father and the daughter next to the wallet so you know it's about them. The fact that most of her conversations take place on the phone suggests she's not very close to people and may have lost closeness with her father.
Sound
You can hear the sound of a plane over the music which gets louder and builds suspense. There is also a heartbeat noise which get faster and louder which builds tension. The noises finish dead which is almost like an exclamation mark at the end. The sound builds up as it zooms into the wallet which leads into more music over the next few clips.
Editing
There is a lot of fast pace editing at the begging which builds excitement amongst the audience and it it shows different clips eg. the seafood place and plans of the building. The editing slows down after though which gives a much calmer feeling.
Graphics
Official looking font is used on a black background which draws attention to it and it moves away from the audience and fades out which gives the audience more time to read it and understand it's importance. The words Red Eye are in big bold red letter which suggest danger.
Narrative Structure
The narrative is linear. It begins with a woman walking out onto a balcony and a man following her. They talk and the man says she's everything a man could want. He also says he knows she's running from something but doesn't want to face it alone. In the end he tells her he loves her and will protect her. They kiss before he shoots her. The titles that follow are not relative to the story as they are ust drawings of the characters from the graphic novel.
Codes & Conventions
The transformed city model is used as they are in an urban environment outside of a party however this becomes a dangerous place when the women is killed by the assassin. The question and answer model is used because the audience are presented with a lot of questions e.g. Who is she? what is she running from? who is he? how does he know so much about her. Concealment is used because almost everything about the characters is hidden from us. We don't even know their names. The partial vision model is used because when the man is holding the woman we don't see that he is holding a gun.
Cinematography
The first shot is a shot of the city which the woman walks into which immediately draws the audience's attention to her. The man walks towards the camera soon after which has the same effect. There are also a lot of close up/mid close up shots of the characters faces which makes what they are saying seem more important. When the camera moves away from them to a shot of the city at the end it gives a feeling that this is just one of many terrible things that happen in this big city.
Mise-En-Scene
The mise-en-scene in Sin City is very unusual because most of the film is in black and white which makes the city and the characters in it seem very dark and sinister. The few colours in the film however seem so much more significant than they normally would. The woman's dress and lips are red which immediately draws focus. The red also gives a feeling of lust (especially from the lips) and danger because she seems like she is a target. Her eyes also glow green when he is describing them which makes her seem more mysterious and special.
Sound
Before you can see anything you hear the sound of traffic in particular sirens which lets us know it's in an urban environment whilst also suggesting danger. There is non-diagetic music and more importantly a narrator which we soon find out is the man. There is also a lot of dialogue which is unusual for an opening. Despite the silencer the audience hear the gunshot quite loud which makes it seem more shocking.
Editing
The editing is pretty basic using mostly shot reverse shot however there a lot of long takes which makes what the characters are saying seem more important as well as giving a feeling that something is going to happen.
Graphics
The shot turns into a silhouette when they kiss which draws attention to it and relates to the graphic novel. The screen flashes white when he fires the gun which adds to the shock and immediately lets us know what's happened. The opening credits are entirely made up of graphics from the graphic novel or over a black background in the same font as the graphic novel. The words Sin City are in bright red which draws attention and suggests danger.
Narrative structure
The opening has a linear narrative. It starts with a couple in a restaurant, the man says he's given up something but the women doesn't believe him. The discuss how robbing restaurant would be easier and more profitable than robbing liquor stores. They say they're going to do it now. They kiss and then start robbing the restaurant.
Codes & Conventions
The transformed city model is used because they are in a diner which becomes dangerous when they rob it. The question and answer model is used because the audience are given questions such as who are they? why does he want to stop? why do they rob in the first place? The partial vision model is used because we de ddon't see that they have guns until they start to rob the place.
Cinematography
For the first half of the scene it is just one shot which is a mid-long shot of the couple sat down. The camera is pretty still for most of the scene which gives the audience a false sense of relaxation. At the end there is close up of their kiss which draws attention to it followed by a long shot where they say the love each other before starting the robbery. The fact that the last part is all one shot shows that they are normal people whith emotion such as love but also can be dangerous criminals.
Mise-En-Scene
The couple are wearing ordinary clothes which lets us know they're ordinary people. The light is reduced by blinds which gives a feeling they might be hiding something. The diner and the cars outside let us know it's a fairly modern da setting (1980's onwards).
Sound
During the scene all of the sound is diagetic which draws attention to the dialogue however other noises such as cars and diner music give a relaxed sort of feel. In contrast the credits have fast exciting music.
Editing
The editing is very slow in this scene with the only real techniques being shot reverse shot and (very) long takes which gives the audience a false sense of relaxation and makes the ending seem more exciting.
Graphics
There are graphics just before the scene begins with the definition of pulp in white text on a black background. This makes the audience wonder what it has to do with the film. The graphics on the title credits of the film are very bright on a dark background with massive red and yellow letter for the title which gradually moves away whilst the other credits appear in front of it in white or yellow which keeps the audience's attention on the title all the way through it.
Codes & Conventions of a thriller
- Most have transformed City
- Most have Romantic Hero
- All have the question and answer model
- All have Concealment
- Most have Partial Vision
- Most build up tension
- Disequilibrium at the end of the opening scene
- Potraction is used
- Tracking shots are common
- Non diagetic sound to create tension
- Mazes and Labyrinths are common
- Point of view shots arre used
- Establinshing shots
- Close ups
- Quick cuts
- Some use non linear narratives
- Limited dialouge
- Graphics are super imposed
- Sounds effects to heaighten tension
- Dim & dark lighting
- Extra close up shots
- Some use linear narrative
- Diagetic sound can be limited to effects
- Slow zooms
- High angle shots
- Match on action
- Mise en scene hightens tension
- Dissolve may be used
- Unknown locations
- Long takes to build suspense
- Low camera angles
- Limited characters
- Graphics don't derait from onscreen action
- Use of non diagetic sounds usually doesn't have words or vocals
- Eyeline matches
- Cross cutting
- May use someone vulnerable in the opening
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