TEXTUAL ANALYSISOPENING SEQUENCES

LIMITLESSThe opening sequence of Limitless, uses 4 areas of media language

◦Cinematography

◦Mise En Scene

◦Editing

◦Sound

These are used to engage the audience from the moment it starts. The beginning of the extract begins by confusing the audience, as it begins part way through the narrative, leaving the audience to wonder what has happened, encouraging them to continue watching.

During the extract, the director creates uncertainty for the audience. It does this is several ways. Firstly, he uses

cinematography – there is a lot of close ups of the characters, objects and places in the room. This suggests to the audience

that they are of importance, however they are being given little information to work with understand what has happened

therefore not knowing if by them being significant, is good or bad.

Whilst this is happening, the director again, uses cinematography – he uses zooms to slow down the pace of the

editing and make the audience feel perplexed. At the same time as this, sound is used. The director adds banging sound

effects, these are being used to connote that someone is trapped, or is trying to escape. This is a juxtaposition with the slow paced editing, as the knocking makes the extract seem

more upbeat.

Se7en

Se7en uses all areas of media language, and many conventions of the thriller genre during the opening

sequence.

The extract beings with a series of fast paced clips, formed into a montage. The montage is not in

chronological order.

The montage during the extract, is not in chronological order, creates the idea that the character is in the

middle of an investigation, this creates confusion for the audience. During the image, multiple images have

been blurred, this connotes as a sense of danger or unknown.

The sound during the opening extract is non diegetic, this creates and builds lots of atmosphere during the

first few minutes. As the sequence progresses the music gets more upbeat and louder. This creates an eery feel to the opening sequence. This creates a

sense of mystery for the audience. The audio has no lyrics, therefore there is no narrative during the

opening sequence, building suspense.

Flightplan

Once again, Flightplan uses all areas of media language. Aswell as fitting the conventions of the

thriller genre. However flightplan does infact have a different approach to the thriller genre, because of this it fitted to different types of conventions to the other

sequences I looked at.

The beginning of the extract starts in high key lighting.

During the extract the director uses Mise-En-Scene to show contrast. For example at the beginning of the extract, the director uses high key and low key lighting, to show the contrast between the two scenes that are being

crosscutted. High key lighting is used, whenever the woman is the morgue, this is an anti stereotype of thriller movies, as usually low key lighting is used to show distress, and sadness. Therefore, a place such as a morgue would not

be used with high key lighting.

Also during the extract the director uses cinematography to make the woman look weak. For example, a few high angle shots are used of the

woman. This makes her look really small and diminished in comparison with the other people in the scene with her. Linking with this, Mise-En-Scene is sued to connote the woman is weak, in a multiple of ways. We know this

because at the beginning she is sat at the train station, however train stations are stereotypically busy, therefore this suggests she is alone. This is a

convention of the thriller genre as during thriller films, when danger is about to happen, the victim is alone.

At the beginning of the extract the editing is very fast paces and non-continuous, imitating a train. The location, does then swiftly change to a

trainstation.