AS Media Ashley Hamilton

Opening Sequence Analysis – The Terminator

Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAJr5cp01mI

This shot gives as an introduction to the setting of the film. It has text on screen telling us the location and the year. This means that the audience can understand the context of certain things as it is in the future, such as technology and how the location looks e.g. Los Angeles being mostly rubble.

Long shot: This gives us a long shot of a ship flying over the rubble. This fits with the theme of the future, and as the audience know it is set in the future they can understand why it is there. It also adds enigma as we don’t know what the ship is doing and who is in it.

This gives us a close up of a vehicle driving over skulls. This adds enigma as we don’t know why there a skulls on the ground and why the vehicle is driving over them. It gives the opening sequence a morbid feel, and imposes the idea that this is some sort of apocalypse. It encourages the audience to want to find out more and keep watching.

AS Media Ashley Hamilton

Long shot: Enigma is added through this as we don’t know who the person running is and why they are shooting at him. It grabs the audience’s attention, and encourages them to find out more about what is causing all of this.

This also appeals to its target audience as it keeps the theme of violence within in it. It also adds tension as the person comes close to getting hit multiple times. The camera pans quite fast with their running, matching the tension and pace of the opening sequence.

Text appears on the screen near the end of the opening sequence. It gives the audience some knowledge of what the film is about and gives them some context on the events they are seeing. At the same time it encourages them to watch more, as it doesn’t reveal anything about the plot, characters, events etc.