- Quentin Tarantino
The film starts with the Production company (Miramax films) right at the beginning and later a dictionary-like definition of the word ‘Pulp’ appears on the screen. After 5 minutes of entry it cuts to the production company again with non diegetic music playing with Quentin Tarantino's signature style where they show the rest of the production companies (Miramax films, a band apart and jersey film production). This instantly cuts to Quentin Tarantino's signature font and colour (orange) and shows the film's title along with all the actors in the same font.
The camera shots used are a series of closeups, mid shots, long shots of all the present characters. However there are also over the shoulder shots when he is talking to the woman and a tilt shot as the man stands up on top of the bench.
For editing there are eye line matches and cross-cutting when both characters had the conversation. Every transition is simple cuts and the scenes are long with a lot of dialogue. There is also a fade transition at the very beginning when the production company is followed by the dictionary meaning.
The Mise en scene here is interesting and really gives the audience an understanding of the film's genre. For the framing/blocking both characters occupy the same amount of the frame when they are talking to each other and facing each other and occupy the centre of the frame when they're the only person to be occupying the frame. The props that are present are plates, food and a gun which is a code and convention of the genre which is crime, action and thriller. The colours used are reds connoting danger (colour of the benches), warm colours, blues and greens contrasting the warm colours. The only lighting used is ambient lighting and the decor looks pretty symmetrical when they're facing each other and is just designed to look like a diner. For makeup and hair the woman's hair looks slightly messy which could connote the fact that she's a criminal. And finally for the costume they were wearing normal everyday clothes which could tell the time period where it was set which was the 90s.
All sounds present in the first 5 minutes of the film are diegetic sounds (on screen sounds) except when the production companies and actors names come up and there is the film score present which is non-diegetic.
Sound layering is present with ambient and background noises such as footsteps, talking in the background, the cups on the table, spoons, pouring coffee overlapped with the music in the background and the dialogue that both characters are having.
- Jordan Peele
At the beginning you have all the companies presented to the audience such as Universal studios, Blumhouse productions and OQ entertainment.
Right after the man puts the character inside the car the production companies also start appearing on the screen and a non diegetic film score starts playing in the background. There is later a cut to a point of view shot of a bus or a car going through lots of trees and a forest where the plot of the story happens while listing the entire cast in a blue font which stands out and suggests coldness.
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There are a variety of different camera shots only in the first 5 minutes of the film such as extreme long shots, medium shots, close ups, long shots of the two character at the beginning, push in when he gets kidnapped and dragged into the car, push out right at the beginning and finally an arc around the main character of the opening scene.
As for editing its pretty simple having the same scene all throughout the opening from the character talking on the phone to getting kidnapped and dragged into the car.
When it comes to the mise en scene it is slightly more elaborated and has clear codes and conventions of the psychological thriller genre. Framing/blocking is used when the man is barely in the centre of the frame and usually on the side meaning that this character has little importance foreshadowing his near kidnap. There is also a scene where the car is in the middle of the frame with the character on the right hand side drawing the audience's attention to the car and making it the main focus and giving it importance. Props used are simply a cell phone which he uses on a call at the beginning right before the car drives by and is still looking at the screen while the car is driving up to him.The colors used are blacks and greys which connote horror as this film is a psychological thriller, red car lights connoting danger. There is also a lot of dark green all throughout even in the cast names since the whole story takes place in a forest. And finally the blue letters mentioned earlier that stand out on the screen and connote coldness. Two types of lighting are being used such as low key lighting casting shadows and available lighting from the street lights. There is almost back lighting when the character is in front of the street light and creates more shadows. The decor right at the beginning street looks pretty symmetrical since we are placed right in the middle of it. Finally the costume that the kidnapper is wearing a dark costume which gives this mystery and fear.
From the very beginning all sounds are diegetic until the man slams the car door shut and creates a stab when the music changes into the film score while they start showing the directors name, production companies name along with the title and the cast names.
The diegetic sounds throughout the entire opening include ambient noises such as beatles, footsteps, dog barks, screaming… Dialogue when the man is talking on the phone and even talks to himself at this point. Finally there is contrapuntal sound coming from the car which get louder as the car is getting closer.
-Sam Mendes
Finally I chose a Bond movie to analyse since the openings to all the films are all so unique and carry the same Bond franchise style. There is action since the first moment of the film and the credits don't come out until 12 minutes into the film with their signature opening songs and montages
Right at the beginning you have the Metro Goldwyn Mayer conglomerate company along with Columbia which is owned by Sony. There is also a small james bond clip with character motif sound of the classical james bond shot. After this clip the screen goes black after this and only says ‘the dead are alive’ right before the first shot with is a montage in the streets of mexico where they are celebrating the day of the dead with a parade and costumes so those words initially were foreshadowing the later events of the film.
There are multiple camera shots used such as panning shot, long shot of James Bond at the beginning, arc around skeleton, mid shots, close ups, birds eye view, crane shot, push out...
The camera initially uses a tracking shot to follow Bond and everywhere he's going, essentially taking the audience with him everywhere he goes at the beginning.
With editing, the scene at the beginning is very long with no cuts at all simply showing the audience the entire setting of the street in Mexico with the parades to later showing us a suspicious man in a white costume and finally showing us James Bond with a woman who starts walking towards a building. During this long scene panning shots are used, an arc is used around the skeleton. The same scene continues without any cuts of them walking into the building and up the stairs and up the elevator into the room to Bond, getting dressed and leaving the room and walking down the buildings. This long scene doesn't cut until bond is pointing a gun at a room where eye-line match is used.
With mise en scene all factors are present. Such as framing/blocking where Bond is usually in the centre of the frame as he is the main character and is dominant in most situations and is the most important since the camera is always following him. With hair and makeup everyone is wearing day of the dead makeup and costumes to celebrate their tradition however bond seems to be wearing the skeleton mask to hide his identity from villains on the loose. For costume right at the beginning the camera concentrates on a man wearing an all white suit which contrasts to the rest of the people walking around which could signify importance to him being a villain. The colours used are very turned off such as beige, brown and sandy colors used in the background which are all immediately contrasted by the bright coloured costumes with colours such as red, yellow, blue… that everyone is wearing along with their black and white makeup which connote death. The man wearing the white costume which could symbolize innocence yet every bond villain is dressed in white breaking those black and white colours of heroes and villain stereotypes. Bond also dresses in all black which connotes elegance. The lightings used are ambient and available lighting and for props they used guns since it's a code and convention of the genre that is action and there are also hearing aids which add to the genre of spy. The decor all looks very luxurious and symmetrical and is set in a country everyone knows about and can maybe identify with
The opening scene is filled with character motifs right at the beginning of the film right after the production companies were shown which (this sound is non diegetic). During the entire opening scene there are also a lot of different ambient sounds such as footsteps, conversations and people talking, musical instruments playing such as maracas playing and diegetic music playing in the distance. The woman and bond also have a small conversation right before Bond leaves the room which could be considered as a dialogue. The moment Bond starts walking on top of the building there is non diegetic film score taking over the ambient background noises of the streets.
