Vantage Point

Title sequencehttp://www.watchthetitles.com/articles/00104-Vantage_Point

The majority of the shot is black, with a section of the frame revealing an establishing shot of rooftops. The smaller section could represent the surroundings of the sniper and what the audience are allowed to see is what he can see. The sepia film covering the shot contrasts with the dark surroundings of the black. The connotations of the black lead the audience into believing the film contains darkness and death within the film, however the contradiction of the orangey/ gold colours suggest that there is hope to the narrative of the film. The use of an establishing shot leads the audience on a journey as the shot commences as they are introduced to the setting, it makes the audience question where the film is set and the relevance to the story.

From the previous screen shot the darkness has taken up less of the shot, to reveal more of the establishing shot. The audience is given more clues of the setting as more is visual, a city is seen. As more of the orange/gold section is visible it could be interpreted as ‘good’ conquering ‘evil’, yet the setting contradicts this idea as a city location is typically stereotyped for crime. This idea is supported by the red orb ‘scanning’ the credits as it could symbolise a spot laser attached to a gun. This could incline to the audience that there is gun fire and action, indicating towards an action-thriller sub genre.

The image sections has moved again, which could be construed as the enemy’s view point changing, they are following and watching the people in the cars. The same type of vehicle could indicate towards a high speed chase within the film, alternatively it could suggest a person of importance – that has a high level of security. The supper imposed images of two different car brands could imply a ‘good’ side and a ‘bad’ side, this idea is reinforced by the colours of white and black, the theory of binary opposites – Levi Strauss – is prominent here.

A group gathering or protest is apparent in this shot, this could be an insight into possibly the ‘enemies’ reasons behind their bad deeds, they have a strong hatred towards the USA, this could tell the audience that the genre of the film contains political features. The group gathering could be a cover for the ‘bad’ side to commit their bad deeds. The close-up on the USA sign post supports these ideas. As the images progress, less black is apparent in the shot, the images are more dominant, this could suggest the messages in the images are a larger part to the narrative.

The image of the gun is taking up most of the shot, this could suggest the enemy side is taking control, they have more power. This is supported by the dark colour scheme, as the connotations of dark colours are those of evil, destruction and criminal actions. The plot of the film is now revealed that it revolves around crime and shooting/murder, however the sniper isn’t revealed, this leaves an enigma around the shooting.

The image section is slightly lighter and the secret service agents are able to be seen, this could indicate towards a person of importance, as they need high security, it could also show that good triumphing. The framing of the shot could also be interpreted as a television report, the event is being covered by the mass media, seen by millions. This could represent multiple points of views commenting on the same event – which is what the films storyline is based around.

This shot reveals more defined lettering, which leads the audience to think about the past images – was the black section apart of the lettering? Although, the lettering isn’t clear so the audience are left guessing for a while longer. It could also indicate to the audience that the film is about to start as the letters are coming together, they have been given the fundamental points to the storyline and now they are left to draw their own conclusions as they aren’t given everything – this could suggest a possible twist in the storyline.

The sweeping motion of the black across the letters keeps the title hidden from the audience for a while longer, this could represent the killer, as the audience haven’t been shown who he is yet, they are left in suspense a while longer. The movement of the black could also represent the ominous darkness that is looming, the good side don’t know what’s coming just yet.

This frame reveals the title to the film, however its simplistic font and size could suggest that the film is a hybrid of the political/action and thriller genre as the font is ‘sans serif’, this could be interpreted that the theme to the film is one that is direct, its straight to the point and blunt – the narrative doesn’t ‘waste time’. This could suggest to the audience that there are time constraints or a pressing issue at hand.The striking bright yellow, orange and green spots could signify sirens, which indicates towards the emergency services. This could imply a high speed chase or a death.