Opening of Source Code (By Duncan Jones)

In class we watched an action thriller film named source code and analysed the opening. The opening 5 minutes of this film gives an idea of how the pace of the film is going to be and what it will consist of. The opening shot is a long shot which shows the whole city and this is accompanied by fast paced, tension music to build up suspense. We then see the train from an aerial view most probably filmed by a cameraman in a helicopter in the air. The shots switch back and forth from the train to the city, as it gets closer in to the train. The film then switches swiftly to the next scene which is when we see the first character.
   The first person we see in the film is a man on a train slowly awaking; he seems to look lost as if he doesn't know where he is. This shot is quite a long shot in duration and lasts for about 13 seconds which allows the audience to establish that this will be the main character. However after this the pace of the shots speeds up quite quickly as there are a series of different events that happen in quick succession, such as a lady spilling her coffee, a man opening his can of drink and a man complaining about the time these all followed shot after shot and made the main character question where he was and what he was doing there.
   The camera swiftly moves from shot to shot as it allows the audience to see the mans surroundings as he is seeing it. As he moves around the train to get a better idea of his location he is moving quite frantically and looks out of place due to the fact he isn't in his version of reality. Also when the man looks in the mirror he sees a different man to himself which builds more suspicion and confusion. The opening ends with the man and a woman who seemed to know him, facing each other and talking, when the train suddenly blows up and the scene ends.

I think this is an effective opening as it allows the audience to establish where most of the film will take place and also allows them to establish who the main characters are. The director has thought about this thoroughly and made sure every detail is correct and links with the next.

Casino Royale beginning - 'Mise En Scene' analysis

In this opening scene the director uses 'Mise En Scene' to show bond's characteristics by the setting, lighting and expressions and body language. The body language in the first scene shows the old man looking around frantically, looking slightly paranoid as if he feels something is not right. However bond's body language shows he is calm and collected and has got every aspect of the task at hand already planned out. The lighting in the first scene is dark and shows hardly anything which conceals what bond may be hiding. the facial expressions in the second scene are more angry and frantic to show the intense and violent atmosphere between bond and the person he is fighting. The body language from both of them shows the struggle to gain control of the situation but at the end bond is breathing heavy as a sense of relief and also tiredness from the fight.

Film Language: Lighting

Lighting is used in various ways in films. It helps to portray a setting or mood in each scene we are watching. The lighting in a scene can help to steer the audience to feel a certain way or look at a specific area on the screen whilst keeping the other details in the background still visible but not in full focus.

In the film studio the lighting is usually provided by three main sources:

1. The key Light: this is usually the brightest light in the studio and the one that has the most effect.
2. The Back Light  this is the light that contradicts the key light therefore making the character or object on screen appear more 'rounded'.
3. The Filter Light: this light is used to soften the strong shadows created by the other two lights used. There may be multiple filter lights on the set. 

The key lighting can be moved from one angle to another to try and create the various effects in the set.

• Under lighting: this is when the lighting is provided from below the subject. This can have a distorting effect on the character or object on screen that the light is being used for, this is most commonly used in films such as horror.
• Top Lighting: this is when the main source of lighting is supplied from above, this helps to bring out the features of the character - it can be used to make the character look glamorous.
• Back Lighting: this lighting is used behind the subject of focus. if there is not much other lighting used then this light will create a silhouette.

Welcome to my AS media studies blog ! This is where I'll post all the work I have done and track my progress.