We will be answering the same questions as before, which I've outlined below:
What titles are displayed during the opening sequences?
During the opening sequence, multiple different titles, such as the name of the film studio, its production company, its director, its title, the names of its actors, its music composer and supervisor, its editors, its screenwriters, its photography director, its executive, and non-executive, producers, as well as its costume and production designers, are presented.
What images are prioritized in the opening sequence?
This film's title sequence begins by featuring the primary subject of the film in a very dark and dingy setting where he taunts his four victims. In the subsequent scene, the audience is placed outside of a laundromat where they are shown two unruly young adults as they harass and punch a man for "fun." In the same scene, a point of view shot is used, although the audience is aware that it is from the perspective of the camera that one of the subjects shown is holding. This, in turn, allowed the audience to understand the adrenaline rush they were feeling through the shakiness of the video camera. A shot of their escape through the subway station is also shown, likely to tell the audience where the events of the film are taking place, that being Philadelphia as indicated by the camera's focus on a sign listing the subways routes. After this, the reactions of the aforementioned subjects are shown as an intruder enters their home, showing how they remain arrogant even in the face of danger. The threatening figure is also captured in the opening sequence, but is hooded in a black cloak and stays hidden in the darkness, making them quite ambiguous and likely meaning that the revealing of their identity will hold some significance within the film. At the end of the opening, a shot of a man entering a home security agency is shown, leaving the audience to ponder what his connection to the plot might be and if he may have had something to do with the attack that had just been shown on-screen, or if he perhaps had some involvement with the kidnapping shown earlier in the sequence.
What connotations do these images carry?
Each of the images in the opening carried certain connotations, which I do believe varied on a personal basis for each of my teammates and I. We did come to a general consensus to agree that we felt unsettled by the fact that the man who had kidnapped the four cheerleaders at the beginning of the opening seemed to be dressed in such unconventional clothing and even offered them peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, a proposal that was very out of place given the situation at hand. When it came to the two young men attacking an unsuspecting passerby, we were all taken aback by the fact that they could commit such a horrible act and get away with it scotfree, despite being chased, of course, fleeing to the subway for a clean escape. With that being said, when the two men were later attacked in their homes, while we did feel afraid, as is characteristic of a thriller of any sort, we were also glad to see that justice had been served and that they had gotten what they deserved.
How does the film establish a feeling of the genre from the outset?
While it wasn't clear from the very beginning of the opening, I do believe that the film was able to establish the fact that it was part of the science fiction thriller genre pretty well. When the sequence begins, the audience hears loud footsteps approach through the damp, dark, and seemingly secluded location, which helps build up tension as the mysterious figure approaches, this tension comes to a head when the kidnapped cheerleaders are shown as the audience lies in anticipation of discovering why they were brought there. During the following scene when the two men assault a fellow pedestrian of theirs, we can hear the music quicken for a moment from its almost slow place, and begin to adopt a rapid ticking sound, resembling that of a clock, almost as though their time will soon be up, which we later come to learn it is when they are attacked in their home. Dramatic drumming is also used along with string instruments at this point in the opening, so it becomes apparent to the audience that music is an important aspect of this film when it comes to conveying the thematic elements of tension and suspense, as was further supported by the fact that there were two different music specialists in the titles alone. When the two men are shown in their house, the music remains quiet as the first man is attacked, but grows louder as the threatening figure begins to approach the second man through the dark. When it comes to the science fiction elements that I can pick out from the opening, I would honestly have to say that the hooded figure's seemingly superhuman strength is the only thing I could pick out.
What strategies are used to ensure the film appeals to its target audience?
To be able to provide a sufficient response to this question, we must first define the target audience of this film as being best suited for teenagers ages thirteen and older due to its incorporation of mild language and violence. In addition, individuals interested in viewing the struggle between a seemingly normal person, who is in an interminable pursuit of justice, and the threat he faces from someone who has superhuman abilities, are also likely to enjoy this film. Having said that, it makes sense as to why the film leads with predominantly young actors being used as well as some form of violence being showcased from the beginning. In addition, this also explains why there is so much obscurity during the opening as it keeps the audience wanting to learn more and see where exactly these aspects of inhuman and extraordinary abilities come into play, with a small "sneak-peek" being offered when the two young men square off with, or are rather badly beaten, by an intruder in their home.
How has technology been used effectively with regards to camera angles, transitions, and editing techniques?
When it came to this film's opening sequence, I believe that it used medium long shot framing effectively in the first scene to create an unnerving feeling as an unfamiliar figure approached the audience, ultimately confirming the audience's feelings of unease as a cutaway to a long shot of four tied up cheerleaders occurs, before returning back to focus on their captor. When the cut to black occurs with the film studio, production company, director, and film title being presented, the dramatic music is first introduced and begins to help set the overall mood of the rest of the introduction. In the following scene, a tracking shot occurs of a man which lags a bit behind him despite being at his side, so when the young attacker appears, the audience is just as startled as the man, especially with the pitch up in the music. As the camera switches to a medium shot, the audience can see the brashness of the two young men, which is reinforced once more by the use of a slow-motion close-up that follows them as they fight the flow of "traffic", walking the wrong way down a flight of stairs at the subways station to personify their rebellious nature.
A wide shot is then used to show them in their home, with a long shot being applied when they first hear their intruder enter to create a foreign perspective and show how unfamiliar the situation is to both the audience and the two men. A medium close-up is then used to focus on one of the young men's faces to highlight their fear, and whilst it is shared by the audience, they cannot really identify or sympathize with them because of the heinous act they committed earlier, which I thought was a very interesting choice for the director to make since we have yet to truly settle on who the protagonists of the film would be. A dolly shot is then used as the threat approaches one of them to create this feeling of inevitable, impending doom. After this scene, a tracking shot is used, with a tilt-up to the sign of the man's shop occurring, followed by a medium close-up shot as he looks around and surveys his surrounding before entering, which I believe effectively introduces a new character to the audience whilst simultaneously conveying his cautious nature.
All in all, breaking down this opening sequence was quite interesting because there was just so much information for me to dissect, just "...like a surgeon..." (Ciara 2009).
