Silence of the lambs film opening analysis.

An enigma code is a question that I posed by a film. 

For example one enigma code could be what’s the character’s name. An action code is the answer to the question. It’s what the film tells us. 

  It begins with a tracking shot and an establishing shot. This is to show the audience where the film is set and located. It gives us the bigger picture. We also get a glimpse of the main character within the first few minutes of the opening.

  

The showing of the female (the main character) tells an enigma code to the audience that she is just an everyday female. Doing ordinary things like exercise. As the female continues to run around the area that she is in, the audience then begins to learn more about her. She reveals an action code she isn't actually doing an everyday thing. This makes the audience become nervous about the character as they believed she was something

she wasn't.

There is then a long take of a female struggling over a net. This shows a characterization of her that she is strong and is determined to get over any obstacle in the way. 

There is a non-diegetic sound being played in the background. It is a calm soundtrack, but always slightly tenses up which makes the audience believe that she could possibly be in trouble. We are then greeted by a male wearing an ‘FBI’ hat.  He tells her that Agent Crawford wants to talk to her.

This then lets the audience learn more about her that she is actually training to be in the FBI and that all the exercise she previously done was just an everyday activity for a training FBI agent. While the female is running into the offices trying to find Agent Crawford we are greeted by another trainee FBI student. This is when we learn the female’s name. Her name is Clarice.

Clarice then reveals another action code. The fact that she has gone the same way as a sign saying ‘ behavioral science services’ tell us what Clarice is actually doing there. It no longer leaves us with an enigma code.The fact that Clarice is walking around offices while everyone else is dressed fancy is suits and dresses and she’s wearing basically gym uniform, gives off an action code that she isn't quite trained yet and there are more superior people then Clarice. 

 

There is then another establishing shot of Clarice going into an elevator with a group of men. This is juxtaposition to show how small Clarice really is, and how FBI is traditionally seen as a ‘male’ enrollment. So Clarice breaks the tradition. But also in the clip you see the Clarice is in front of the men which could also demonstrate that possibly she ends up with more power than they have. Also the men in this clip are wearing red clothing. The red clothing usually connotes a threat and normally blood. This could signify that males are the threat within this film and you should be wary of them.

There is then a close up of Clarice in his office. This scene shows off a characterization of her, the fact that she is nosy and always seems to be aware of the situation around her this is also shows that she has a serious interest in her job.

There are some enigma codes that comes to mind throughout this opening, they are:

Why is she running at the very beginning?

Who is Crawford?

Why doe she want to talk to her? Is she in trouble?

And who is Hannibal Lector?

While writing this essay I have learnt that in horror films they mainly use a close up shot off a character and this is to really identify the main expression of fear on their face.

Dawn Of The Dead - Sound Analysis

The first use of sound is a piece of non-diegetic sound. It's a high pitched screeching sound, it's used as the protagonist walks out to the ambulance. This creates a redherring because the audience expect something to happen when really it's just a paramedic doing his job.


Then once the protagonist leaves her work place and is on the way home, there is a diegetic sound of a song called ' have a nice day'. This is ironic because the opposite is about to happen. But there is a television in the background which tells the audience that they've got an ordinary lifestyle. While they are in the shower the television turns to a news bulletin which makes the audience feel anxious as of what's happened because the main characters don't realise what's going on around them. The audience think that the characters might be in danger as they don't know what's happened. When the alarm clock is shown it is all silent then suddenly the time flicks which could mean that the time is of some importance. Once again there is a non-diegetic sound that is tense and slow which makes the audience drawn in and creates anticipation when the camera changes it's angle it creates a loud bang which makes the audience jump a little. This continues as the camera tracks into their bedroom, there is then a diegetic sound of a door opening which tells the audience that they are not alone and that they are in danger. The music then changes to a fast up beat sound track which creates tension for the audience. There is then a diegetic sound of his neck ripping once they pull the little girl off him. It shows off the horror genre within the film. There's then a ticking noise in the back ground which shows that she's running out of time and fighting against the clock it makes the audience feel nervous for the protagonist. The soundtrack then stops when she realises that her partner is dead and then the soundtrack starts again when she realises her partner has come back from the dead. Once she runs into the bathroom it then goes quiet which shows she's a little bit safer there however it then creates tension as the music starts back up again. There is then a sting when the ambulance hits the man over, which makes the audience jump. There is police and ambulance sirens in the background which signifies danger. There is then the same soundtrack playing throughout the scene until the opening titles appear.


While writing this essay I have learnt that sound is an important code throughout a film as it helps the audience identify the way and which the film is progressing and moving on.

Layer Cake film opening analysis.

Layer Cake opening scene analysis. The opening scene begins with an establishing shot it reveals to us a shot of a black car door. It then turns itself into a medium close up. There is a lot of black associated with this scene. This is to promote to the audience that there is many mysterious danger in Layer Cake. Black is associated with violence and death. This means that its foreshadowing events in which are bound to happen in the film itself.

There are then non-diegetic sounds used. It’s a voice over. The voice over starts once the car doors are shown. This then continues throughout the rest of the opening scene. Daniel Craig is the lead character in Layer Cake. This suggests to the audience that he is the voice over. I think this allows the audience to feel connected to the character considering he is letting the audience know everything from his point of view. I think that this is a clever way to start Layer Cake because it makes the audience trust Daniel Craig more; it makes them feel more connected with him so that if anything band happens to him throughout the film it’ll play on the audiences heart strings. There is then an explosion in the car which blows the doors open. Although we don’t see the rest of the car. This is shot in a certain way. They’ve used Chiaroscuro lighting. This made the explosion look more threatening. The explosion was also clever as it’s a thriller crime film it connotes corruption. There is then an explosion, it cuts to a flash back. (Cross cutting) of an armed robbery outside some buildings. The lighting for this scene was a very milky non- ambient light. The scene is set in slow motion. This then states to the audience that that it’s a flash back. The milky lighting denotates a fire considering there was an explosion. The film has a circular narrative setting which constantly keeps the film moving smoothly and makes it just as interesting. There is then a tracking shot of a street which then turns into a medium shot/close up of a women’s face. It’s effective as it shows the fear in her face of a victim of crime. This is a very significant shot as women are always portrayed as insignificant and weak in a thriller films as they are ‘dominated’ by men. There is a transition from the women’s head to a man’s head which then leads to a flash back. It’s a bright scene which includes non-ambient lighting which suggests a happier period in someone’s life. There’s then a tracking shot that follows a girl walking through a hallway. There is then another transition shot of the women walking to a man walking in a grey hallway. They are holding a baton which shows men being dominant. The non-diegetic lighting in this shot makes the tone of the mise en scene change from happy to angry.



I have learnt while writing this essay that for crime based films it's a good idea to go back into a flashback so that the audience know how they got into prison and what happened to them.

The Hunger Games film opening analysis PowerPoint.

Film opening home work from courtneymedia