Analysing Opening Sequences

Panic Room Opening Sequence




Editing
The cuts from each title to the next give the audience a feel of how the film is going to be jumpy and sly from the start. By cutting slowly from one tiotle to another in a different place makes the audience understand that the film is going to carry a lot of suspense throughout.
Also the edits of different parts of NYC allow the audience to get different aspects of the city and show them exactly where the film is going to be based. These edits do not only include the buildings in the city but also the sidewalks and the traffic which allows the audience to really get the feel of the big busy city.
Also by editing the titles into big blocked fonts which stand out make it obvious to the audience that the film is not going to be a happy one and it is quite serious, catching the audience's attention.
Also the edit from the director's title to the trees in NYC make the audience want to read on as they have no idea where the camera and storyline is going.

Mise-en-scene
The only real location that can be scene throughout the opening sequence of panic room is New York and its buildings alongside its huge amount of traffic. This allows the audience to place in their mind where exactly the main location for the film will be. Which, in this case, is New York City.
We can also see when the camera is concentrated on the two women right at the end of the sequence that they are both wearing quite upper class clothing and their movement is quick and aggitated which allows the audience to realise that they must be in a rush and must also be quite well off. The coat one of the women is wearing has fur on it and therefore represents someone that could potentially have a lot of money or at least know someone else with a lot of money.

Camera
The camera pans on a few of the opening sequence titles creates quite a sly and eery atmosphere. By coming in from one side it makes the audience want to read the title even more as they can only see half of the words on the screen and therefore make them more interested.
Also when the opening titles are over, the camera goes straight into a shot of the trees which then tilts down to two women walking through the crowded streets of NYC. By tilting slowly downwards, it creates a tiny bit of suspense for the audience and grabs their attention as they want to see who is talking and what they are doing.

Sound
The sound is the biggest part in the opening sequence. Because the music is so slow and sinister, it seems like something is going to happen that will shock or surprise the audience. It also really keeps the audience's mind intact as it makes them want to know why the music is so slow and dark, what is going to happen that makes it that way?
Also after the last title sequence we hear a woman talking, yet the audience cannot see who she is or what she looks like. This then means the audience is inatct and wonders what they are talking about and what is going to happen next.

No Country for Old Men Opening Sequence



Editing
The only real editing that can be shown in the opening sequence of No Country for Old Men is from one scenic picture to another. The edits are fast after allowing the audience to look at the location for around 5 seconds. By doing so it allows the start of the film to grasp a slow yet twisted and slightly fast-paced feel.
The audience can also tell from the straight cut to the gas tank from the criminal that this must have something to do with the crime he has committed.

Mise-en-scene
As can be seen from the pictures of the location over and over again, the film is obviously going to be set in some sort of hot, desert country. This can be told by the balls of yarn and the yellow-ish sandy ground. The location also looks quite run down due to the barbwire fences and just one electricity source. Also when the road is seen and there is only one car (the police car) on the road, it allows the audience to see that there really is no people for miles around.
The costumes used in the first sequence also allows the audience to see that the man getting arrested is just a normal man, and leads us on to wonder why he is being arrested if he doesn't really look like a criminal.
The props used (being the gas tank) also confuses the audience into wanting to watch on as they want to know why that sort of prop would be being used and how it relates to the story.

Camera
Throughout the sequence the camera doesn't really move too much. It is obviously giving the audience a feel of a slow paced film in which the camera likes to concentrate on one thing at a time. From seeing the camera movements in the first sequence the audience can tell that the film is not going to be a fast-paced action film.
Yet, when the criminal is being placed into the car, a medium-shot is used so that the audience can tell the criminal is deemed to be a white male. This makes them wonder more why such an ordinary looking man would be in such trouble.
Also the close-up on the gas tank leans the audience more into wondering why the gas tank would be there and what it has to do with the rest of the storyline.

Sound
The only sound actually used throughout the sequence is the one of the male voice. Because the voice is so slow and deep it allows the audience to feel slightly vulnerable. The voice takes over the scenes and makes the audience feel much smaller as they cannot see who is actually talking and do not yet know the damage this voice could cause. By overlapping this voice with the scenic pictures, it makes the audience very confused to where exactly the film is going and why these two things are being merged together, hence making them want to watch on. Also the things the voice talks of are dark and misunderstood. Without having any background to why this person is saying these things, the audience want to know more about why, where and how.