Josh Pyne

Film Opening Analysis

ELYSIUM

Shot types/angles/movements: at the start of the opening (50s), the camera pans across the city. This helps the audience better understand the mass poverty and grim living conditions of the people who live in the city. The shot is in a birds eye view and helps set up the next part, it gives a back story and a summary of what's happened and how bad the situation of the city is.

Sound: Non diegetic sound is used, in the form of orchestral music that helps set the mood by using slow tempo, low pitched instruments such as cello’s, double bass and deep drums. This helps dark the mood of the city. We can hear sirens, implicating crime is high in the city and it also tells us that the city is a dangerous place.

Visual Style – Lighting/colour: The lighting in this scene varies, for example at the top we have a dimmed horizon, but no visible sun. This could indicate that to the audience that this city is very dark and dodgy, not the kind of place you would visit for fun. The windows in the buildings are completely dark, and so are the lower level street areas. As for the visual style the style of the set is very slummy, and looks similar to a favela in Rio de Janeiro (poverty stricken make shift living).

Editing: The editing is fast, fast cut outs and also fast cut ins. The speed at which the camera is panning is relatively quick.

0:52

Visual Style – Lighting/colour: Still no sun we can just see a horizon and light, and the buildings still look grim and dark. The streets still look like a mugger/murders dream because they are un lit and look atrociously unsanitary. This helps give a very slum like look. Then we see a lot more light but a lot more destruction in the form of half eaten buildings with large chunks missing. Clearly this indicates something awful happened (as if the slums, sirens, smoke, dodgy ally ways, dark houses, dramatic depressing music and bad sanitary wasn’t already enough). Then cuts to a earth where the lighting is pleasant and appealing, like a glowy light. Although the space around earth is pitch black and a dark side of the earth can be observed to the top right hand corner. Note still no sun in sight. Then we see Elysium after the camera pan to the right. Elysium is much more brighter and seems much more pristine. Light reflects of both the top and bottom giving it a glowy effect and making it look new and clean (Visually attractive).

Shot types/angles/movements: The camera again pans across the city displaying havoc, with smoke around and a very messy set up of the city, also very crowded. Like a favela. Then it cuts to a panning shot upwards of a couple of destroyed buildings this is to show the destruction and help explain and show the narrative and past events. After that it cuts to a close up of earth, there is font discussing the narrative. And lastly it pans to the right where we see the main plot and narrative theme. Elysium.

12

3 4

Editing: Generally fast, all cuts are fast and so are all the pans, the only medium paced pan is when the camera pans from earth to Elysium. This creates suspense. Also there is text that fades in and out helping clear the narrative and inform the audience of the themes and plot, and pre plot of the movie.

Sound: Non diegetic sound is used, in the form of orchestral music that helps set the mood by using slow tempo, low pitched instruments such as cello’s, double bass and deep drums. This helps dark the mood of the city. We can hear sirens, implicating crime is high in the city and it also tells us that the city is a dangerous place.

1:031:05

1:18 1:28