Research - Opening Sequence Analysis

Introduction: 

In this entry I will be researching two opening sequences of films from the psychological thriller genre. Making sure to pay attention to details in the first 2 minutes to get an insight, and be able to identify similarities that relate to the conventions I previously research, while building an understanding of how to actually execute these techniques in a way that looks professional and improves the films quality rather than hindering it and that is effective in having an impact on audiences.

Pearl:

Pearl is a 2022 film directed by Ti West about a woman by the name of Pearl being isolated in a farm and spiraling into madness as she longs for the glamorous lifestyle and fame she sees in movies.

Pearl begins with a dark shot of barn doors which open to show the audience the farm Pearl lives on it is accompanied by the names of production companies in a font that resembles old light hearted films, this stylistic choice is used as a way to throw the audience off. The shot is accompanied by an orchestral score that has an upbeat and triumphant feeling to it, which is a contrast to the themes of the film. 

Shot then cuts inside the house to continuous shot panning to show family portraits and to a corner with darker lighting and off putting dolls that are not specifically supposed to be unsettling but provides a sense of discomfort as it is the first sign that strays away from the lighthearted front the film begins with. the pan ends with a slow push in towards a mirror showing Pearl for the first time, the music begins to quiet down as she stands ups.

The room then goes dark, and the soundtrack goes silent as the sound of stage lights turning off is heard. This is an asynchronous sound that hints to the character's longing to being on stage as the sound would do not match what lights in a farm would sound like. The lights going out also do not make sense as the light from outside is seen going dark indicating that she is imagining this. This scene also builds tension as the soundtrack goes quiet, and the room goes dark, all without cuts building a sense of anticipation. 

Next, a spotlight is focused on Pearl as a majestic soundtrack plays, and she dances around her room enforcing the theme of her wanting to be a performer. 

The scene is abruptly ended by Pearl's mother barging in her room and bereding her for wearing her old clothes. This gives motive to the beginning of Pearl's mental descent as her mother is shown to be cold, and unloving towards her. 

Blackwater Lane:

Blackwater Lane is a 2024 film directed by Jeff Celentano about a woman named Cass who drives past a stranded motorist on a country road. When the motorist is revealed to have been murdered, Cass begins to question her sanity and becomes paranoid believing she will be the next victim.

 

The film opens with a long crane shot of the estate where the film is set and a soft mysterious score plays while the shot moves through the sky, it then fades into a low angle still shot of the house across the pond covered by a tree, fades into a truck shot revealing the house from behind the tree. This whole sequence serves as establishing shots to introduce the setting. 

The shot then fades into a still shot of a dark tree while a voiceover narration begins talking about the changing seasons while a sequence of shots of the forest plays. The narration speaks in a past tense about an unknown event that changed her and speaks about constant change and trusting the journey, through the subject of the narration and the female voice we can infer that the narrator is Cass the main character, this is building anticipation for the reveal of the incident that changed her.

Then it cuts to a shot of tombstones which builds a sense of mystery and makes the audience begin to think of what the meaning of the showing the tombstone is and intrigues the audience.

The cuts to the front of the house where the camera pushes into the front door which is a dark contrast to the rest of the shot, then cuts to a long unbroken shot that tracks throughout the house showing the corridors while the mysterious soundtrack intensifies, moving up the stairs leading to a dark corridor at the end of the hall the way the camera moves and the lowkey lighting create tension and anticipation due to the unsettling stillness.

The camera then turns into the bedroom where Cass's husband is sleeping, then goes through the bathroom to an open room with Cass siting in the middle doing a tarot card reading. The tarot card reading adds a superstitious aspect to the scene which hints at a supernatural force which is then emphasized when Cass notices a mysterious sound and looks out of an open window then a crow crashes into the window startling audiences and breaking tension.

Reflection:

This research was very helpful as it gave me real world examples of the conventions I researched and by being able to identify them in a real film, it would make it easier to replicate and add onto those conventions in my product. Additionally, the pacing and plot points the openings of these films cover help me to begin planning my own plot and begin mapping out scenes and creating characters inspired by the protagonists from these 2 films.