1) Batman -The Dark Knight
Genre:Thriller/Film Noir
The movie starts out with a bang…literally. An aerial attack begins when a window shatters on a skyscraper, allowing two robbers to glide across a zip wire on to a bank’s roof. On the street-level, a car screeches to a stop to pick up the last member of the ground attack. This opening clip creates an automatic suspense and interest towards the audience, capturing their attention right from the beginning.
The use of camera in the film in the build up to the robbery is slow with lots of pan and zooming to really capture the scene of which this is set. The zooming of the building they’re about to capture makes something seem suspicious. By using a helicopter, the film crew was able to do this, giving this great affect of elevation to the audience. In addition, another example of when the camera has zoomed in on a particular object is of the clip shown in picture form above. The camera zooms in on the mask held in the characters left hand, portraying that the mask may play an important part to the film and scene; once again making the audience think. By placing the camera directly behind the character, it makes you focus on him, engaging the audience’s attention.
This camera shot, zooming in on the building, gives hints to the audience that something may happen involving the building. We know that suspense is being created due to the slow, dramatic music. After that clip of the building, we next see two bank robbers flying down a zip wire rope leading to another building, with the rope starting at the building that the camera was zooming in on, in the starting clip. This proves that the camera was being used to create suspicion towards the audience to make them think why the building is being zoomed in on.
Another different type of camera used in this opening scene, is where the camera is stationary, and instead of moving towards the characters, the characters are moving towards the camera as the characters slide further along the zip-wire rope. This low angle shot makes the villains seem like the more dominant characters in the scene due to the camera being below them. Being close to the camera makes it more interesting for a viewer as you get a better idea of what the robbers look like. And for the first time, you see the clown painted masks more clearly and up close. However, as it is still at an early stage of the film, the audience is still unaware of why the clown masks are being used. This suspense technique is all part of creating this great action fulfilled opening scene. There are various different camera shots and angles shown in the opening scene of the film, however the ones I have given examples for are the ones that cropped up the most amounts of times due to the suspicious affect and dramatic affect they give.
The music and sound used in this clip is very basic, and is what you’d expect to hear in the background when watching an action movie or film. In the build up to the robbery, the sound is very soft, however still dramatic. The slow tone gives a suspicious vibe to an audience. However, once the bank robbers start to attack the building, the music dramatically changes with a faster tempo beat with drums and quick changing dramatic notes. Although the music in this particular scene of the film is very basic and simple, it still works due to the affect it gives, making the audience more engaged when they break in to the building due to the music being played louder and the tempo of the beat being faster. This only works well though if the music matches the film clip.
Editing in the opening scene of Dark Knight, a film written and directed by Christopher Nolan, is used to create a build up to the robbery, giving the whole opening scene once again a dramatic affect for the watcher. By using short clips, we know as an audience, that there is a build up to something and the utilization of short clips lead us to what the build up is in a more interesting, engaging and imaginative way. In addition, this is more purposeful for something dramatic (like a bank robbery). The dark colours of the opening scene create the film noir setting. Leaving the opening scene on a cliff hanger, ending with a loud explosion due to a bus crashing into the side of the bank, the opening scene is left on a cliff hanger. This makes the audience engaged within the film, wanting to watch on further to see what happens next.
2) James Bond – Casino Royale
Genre:Classic Action
An opening scene which can be found at the beginning of a James Bond movie which really caught my eye the first time I watched it was the opening scene in the film, ‘Casino Royale’. After this opening scene involving the free running chase to an embassy, Bond then kills his target and blows up a part of the building in order to escape. This chase was an excellent opening and build up for an action packed film. Starting off with this fast paced run through a town with flexible stunts, gets the audience ready and engaged to
There are many different camera techniques used in this particular scene. One of which being the technique of birds eye view, capturing the parkour (free running) chase from above giving the audience a clear image of how far away they are from one another and the speed at which they’re travelling. Especially in this particular clip where Bond is using a truck to ram the building down at which the runner is running on top off is clever due to the clear image it gives us of the situation. The quick pace and impressive skill of the free runner really shows off special effects towards an audience perspective to make the film and scene that bit more impressive and engaging for an audience. Another camera shot used is a very low shot to capture the feet of the free runner.
This particular shot for me shows off the different variation of different shots they have used to really capture the dramatic side to the chase. This is noticeable due to the ruble of the roof building in the background behind the runner where James Bond has just driven the truck into the building at a high speed to hopefully capture the runner to stop him. In my opinion, this is one of my favorite camera shots of this scene as the effect it gives really makes the action shot complete, especially for a running scene like this one.
Additionally, another shot which is used to highlight the runner, is a shot where the camera is placed behind the runner, and used to show what everything looks like from his perspective ( as if it were a first person shooter game). This also works well due to the affect it has in engaging audience members, whilst focusing on what the free runner is looking and aiming for.
The director has placed the camera well as it clearly makes the audience focus on the runner, whilst looking at what he’s aiming for, which highlights a good use of camera work. The noticeable different type of camera angles and shots really make the scene as dramatic as it is.
Finally, one last shot which again caught my attention the most was a particular shot which points the camera in a downward direction, showing the audience the height at which they’re doing certain stunts, whilst showing the expression of the runners face. This works well as it shows determination, and makes the scene feel more realistic and action packed.
The Director of Casino Royale, Martin Campbell used sound in this scene to add to the dramatic affect of the chase. The dialectic theme song of James Bond played by loud trumpets creates to the affect which director Campbell was trying to portray. This repetitive sound is played throughout due to the active impression it gives, which matches the fast tempo created within the chase.
Editing in Casino Royale, like The Dark Knight, uses short clips to emphasis the speed of the chase. However, the editing only slows down when James Bond is thinking, highlighting his intelligence to catch the free runner (villain). The Free runner is faster and more skillful than Bond and so the only way Bond will catch him is with intelligence and editing shows this by going inside bonds head, to see how he’s going to plan what he does next. This clever technique contrasts with the fact editing when running, and so when Bond stops to think and editing slows down, this stands out, therefore capturing the audience’s attention.
3) Saving Private Ryan
Genre: War/Drama
Saving Private Ryan is a famous war film, directed by Steven Spielberg. Steven Spielberg's master piece earned itself 5 academy awards, including the best director award in 1998. The all star cast starring Tom Hanks and Matt Damon brings to life the horror of war. The opening scene depicting the landing at Omaha beach contains some of the best film footage ever-made, of any subject. Steven Spielberg uses a number of camera skills to really put up the chaotic and live firing effect. Another reason Spielberg uses camera techniques is to capture the soldier’s emotions. This is portrayed by showing the nervous expressions on the soldiers face, or body language.
The close eye level shot of the camera here, clearly creates a focus on the face of the soldier for the audience. The scared face creates a tension and wait, as the soldiers are on the boat before battle, almost counting down the seconds before they die.
Furthermore, when they show the American soldiers finally storming the beach and taking cover from enemy fire after a long wait in a boat, Steven Spielberg uses handheld cameras moving along with the soldiers, this is called a panning view. Crouching when the soldiers crouch, running when the soldiers run, as if the viewers are watching the battle through a soldiers eye's, creating the documentary type effect, adding to the realism of the movie.
As shown above, this makes the audience feel like their part of the war, making it a more realistic experience, making the film more memorable. Another way Spielberg uses camera techniques to engage audiences in the opening scene is by planting the camera on the floor, and getting the battle from a ground perspective to add emphasis to explosions and gun shots. This is shown below from the screenshot of a man getting thrown into the air from the sheer force of a grenade explosion. It is not hard to tell why this films search for fame and popularity really succeeded.
There is very little music in the background of the clip, however many sounds of gun shots an explosions taking place to really emphasis the war situation, once again engaging the audience, making them feel like their at the historic battle of Omaha beach on D-Day in June 1944.
