Analysis of Previous Student Film Opening

This task was to choose a previous student film opening and analyse it in terms of camera, editing, sound and mise en scene. I went to the Hall of Fame and chose the film opening called The List.

Analysis of: The List

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Sound, camera, editing and mise en scene are demonstrated in a variety of ways throughout the clip of The List. The opening starts off with a cooker being lit with the diegetic sound of the ticker to create an intense feel and to hold the audiences focus on the situation. Non diegetic sound of music starts to play, which consists of string chords which creates and eerie feel throughout. You then see someone start to cook and do things in the kitchen like chopping onions and pounding and cutting meat and you can hear the sound effects of these. Blood is also on the chopping boards and on the persons hand. Mise en scene is used throughout the clip as the area is full of props like utensils, food and objects like the cooker and kettle for example. 

Chopping onions

The cooker

Slicing meat

Pounding meat

This shot is a match cut of when the person was pounding the meat, it was edited to show a close up of the pounding which emphasises danger as it is a forceful action.

As you can see the the opening credits also appear whilst the audience watch the film.. This shows that it is a narrative opening.

Another match cut was made with the butter in the frying pan at a high camera angle.

You then see a close up of a wine glass with water in it, then 'blood' being poured in it, making a swirling motion of the blood in the glass. Bits start to drop into the glass as well which could be suggesting something. Slow motion is used when blood dropped into the glass, to show emphasis. 

A close up of the main character.

A cross cut takes places as she drinks the blood and then the victim is shown. She is dead with blood coming from her, showing that these two shots are linked. This goes back and forth a few times to show a build of tension.

The title appears.

An extreme close up is the last shot of the opening. The audience is left with a dramatic take on the characters intentions and attitude toward the situation, as the extreme close up shows facial expressions and emotion.