Understanding Micro Elements in Film Openings

‘The Mummy’Akasha Corion

Mise en Scene

Settings

• The setting of the film is in Ancient Egypt (1290BC). The setting is in an orange colour which shows that they are somewhere hot.

• The statues in the screenshot look like they have just been elected showing how old the scene is meant to look.

• This is showing how far back in Egypt the film is for the audience.

Decor

• The décor in a scene is what sets it.

• The statues and hieroglyphics gold are what shows the Ancient Egypt.

Props

• Props are objects used on screen by actors to further the plot.

• This prop is a sword which is used to kill the pharaoh.

• The colour of all the props are gold giving it a expensive look and ancient look.

• This helps the audience get a grab on the plot and setting with props that go with that.

Costume/Make-up

• The costume/make up is one of the important parts of a film that represent what the setting is showing.

• The character is dressed in gold and has also got a long goatee like Pharaoh.

• As soon as the audience see they will know that is the Pharaoh.

Off Screen Space

• This part of the film you can hear the Pharaohs guards banging on the door in the background which is realistic .

• Off screen space is anything happening off screen that also helps set the scene for us as the audience.

Cinematography

Extreme Close up

An extreme close up is used to emphasis a part in an opening. In this opening the smudging of Anck Su Namun body paint is important as it sets off the story. This close up will show to the audience how important the smudge is because their eyes are completely drawn to this part.

Close up

The close up is a shot that gets emotion of the character on the screen and also some of the location. In this screenshot you are to see that the character is expecting something and that they are somewhere up high. This shows the audience how they are above everyone else. This will get the audience wondering what is important about the looking his face.

Medium Shot

A medium shot shows most of a characters body and more location. This shot also shows the costume worn in the opening sequence. Anck Su Namun is wearing body paint and a headdress which shows that she is part of ancient Egypt, which the location shows too. This helps the audience understand where and what is going on.

Extreme Long Shot

This shot shows the heat of the location and the buildings establishing that they are in ancient Egypt. This is an extreme long shot which are used to show landscape. This helps the audience get a great idea about scene location.

Long Shot

A long shot shows the full body of a character or object. In this screenshot you are able to see that Anck Su Namun is heading somewhere with determination. The determination in the walk will also invoke curiosity in the audience.

Track

This screenshot is where the camera tracks Anck Su Namun as she walked towards the priest. Tracking is when the camera follows the characters moves. This builds suspense on to whatever the character is doing and keeps the audience interested.

Zoom

Zoom shows the importance of a part of a film. This shot zooms into the priest when it started of showing him and location the shot zoomed into more of him. This will avert the audience to the centre where the priest is standing.

Editing

CutCut is when one frame is changed to another.

The cuts in the film opening is when they are changing setting; the director has made these cuts for the audience to understand

the whereabouts of each character.

PacePace is the speed at which this happens.

The pace of this film opening is quite slow and this shows the waiting time making it more realistic and also

builds suspension keeps the audience wondering what's about to happen.

Diegetic SoundSound generated from within the narrative of the text and that the

character can hear.

• In this opening sequence there is a lot of diegetic sound from the beginning, these sounds make the scene more realistic;

• The Pharaohs horses as he rides in.• The sound of workers shouting and beating.

• Another is a conversation between Anck Su Namun and the priest which is the conversation that tells us the story to the film.

• Other diegetic sound is when the Pharaoh is talking and that is helps us to understand what is going on in the scene.

• This opening sequence doesn’t have a lot of diegetic sound as it emphasis’ on the importance of the sound that is there.

Non Diegetic SoundSound generated from a source outside the world of

the narrative. That’s sound that the characters cannot hear.

• This film opening has a narrator in the background that is telling us the story that is being acted out. The narrator can only be heard by the audience too help them understand what is going on in the scene much better.

• The music in the background also helps set the scene of the opening for the audience as it sounds like music they have in Egypt. The music starts of low and slow giving the scene a calm feel and not having the audience worry about anything, when the Pharaoh comes in however the music gets louder and the sound of drums come in as soon as giving the scene an automatic dramatic feel.

Performance

The physical expression, vocal delivery and interaction between performers can tell us a lot about the character and their relationship

with others on screen.• Each of the three main characters portray their personalities and their

roles through their performance.• The audience can tell the chemistry between Anck Su Namun and the

priest by the way they touch each other and they way they look at each other.

• The audience is also able to that the The Pharaoh is a man with authority by the way he stands and the way he delivers demands to the

rest of the characters.