Key:
- camera work
* editing.
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Camera:
-Close up of main character's face
*continuous shot of character*
-Long shot of car in front of the hotel
-MCU of couple in bed
*slow motion as main character sees the couple*
*fade in of sea*
-Long shot of house surrounded by forest.
-Medium shot of house
-Medium shot of window
-MCU of laptop- indicates the main characters occupation-writer.
-Long continuous shot- the camera goes into the house- this creates an eeries, voyeuristic atmosphere.
-Medium shot of main character- introduction of main character on a sofa- suggests lazyness, tiredness, distress.
Lighting:
The lighting used through the first 2 minutes of the opening scene is dark which suggests the the main character is in a depressing state of mind, he also keeps on talking to himself which suggests that he is disturbed or trying to make himself do something that might change the course of his life. The fact that the light is dark for the first 2 minutes of the film suggests that something bad is ongoing to happen, it acts as a foreshadowing agent which makes the audience feel uneasy about the next few minutes. For the next two minutes of the opening sequence, natural light is used in order to mislead the audience into a false sense of security. The main of a psychological thriller is to play with the audience's mind, the director does this successfully in the first 4.20 minutes.
Costumes:
During the opening sequence, the main character is seen wearing a black hat, black coat, jeans and a grey scarf. From his clothing the audience can tell he is a simple man who is not fashionably gifted but knows how to dress himself. However, the colour "black" itself suggests distress which is then made apparent when he walks into the hotel room to find his wife sleeping with another man. Towards the end of the sequence, the main character is seen in his sleeping pajamas which suggests comfort and relaxation.
Characters:
In total, 3 significant characters are seen in the first 4 minutes and 20 seconds of the film. The opening shot of the film is of the main character. Later on, the audience are introduced to the main character's wife and her lover. The introduction of these 3 characters suggest that they are vital to the storyline and will probably play a significant part in the movie later on.
Location:
The opening sequence takes place in various locations. The first few shots are filmed inside a car and in a motel. This suggests that the locations play a key part in building the story of the movie. Then, the audience are introduced to a remote location in the middle of the forest which suggests isolation, restrictions and loneliness.
Sound:
Throughout the opening sequence, a mixture of diegetic and non-diegetic is sound to add to the atmosphere. The non-diegetic sound used in the sequence is eerie and foreboding which adds to the anticipation and sense of uneasiness.
The Butterfly Effect-Analysis of 4 minutes and 29 seconds. Genre: Psychological Thriller
Key:
- camera work
* editing.
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Camera:
-Continuous medium shot of a distorted image- character looking through window
-Medium shot of character crouching under desk
*Cut shot*
-MCU of character's upper body
*Cut shot*
Extreme close up of hand writing on paper
OPENING TITLE
*Fade in*
*Establishing shot of neighbourhood
-Continuous medium shot of boy with dog-introduction of main character
-Medium shot of son and mother talking
*Reverse shot between two characters*
Medium shot of calss room and two characters by the desk
*cut shot*
MCU of drawing, point of view shot
*Cut shot*
-Medium shot of woman crying in car
Lighting:
The lighting used in the first two minutes of the film is dark in order to emphasise the character's state of mind. The lighting also has a significant impact as it makes the audience confused and it doesn't reveal much about the location. The lighting could also foreshadow coming events in the movie. For the next two minutes, bright natural light is used in order to lead the audience into a false sense of security, the events get darker as the movie continues.
Costumes:
Again, in this movie the main character is first seen wearing a sleeping suit which suggests vulnerability. Then, the characters start wearing normal-everyday clothes such as jeans, jackets and uniforms in order to give the audience a sense of how their lives are like- a sense of normality. The change in sequence where it first starts off in an office and then in a normal neighbourhood suggests confusion and plays with the audience's mind. During the first few minutes of the movie, many characters are seen wearing uniforms which suggests a sense of confomity within this American society.
Characters:
Many characters are seen in the first 4 minutes and 29 seconds of this movie. The audience is introduced to the main character immediately which makes it clear that it is his story that we are following. After the opening title appears, the audience are introduced to the main character when he was a child and his mother. This tells us that scene is a flashback scene or it is re-telling the story from that point onwards. When the mother drops the son at school, the tacher comes out to meet the mother and they go to the classroom and talk about this drawing her son has made. The drawing is highly disturbing and the fact that the teacher shows this to the mother tells the audience that the teacher has probably played a huge part in the plot line as she introduces the main story of the movie, the main character's mental health problems.
Location:
The first 4 minutes and 29 seconds of this movie takes place in a mental hospital, outside a house and a classroom. The introduction of mental hospital in the opening seconds of the film suggests that it will play a huge part in the story and it also adds to the mysteriousness of the movie.
Also, the house and classroom suggest a sense of normality in contrast to the mental hospital.
Sound:
The opening sequence includes a mixture of diegetic and non-diegetic sound. The diegetic sound consists of dialogue and every-day sounds such as cars, birds chirping and kids laughing on the street. The non-diegetic sound is used in the beginning to add to the atmosphere and eeriness of the movie. Again, the opening sequence distinguishes between normality and confusion in order to play with the audience's mind.
Conventions of a "Psychological Thriller":
Mind- In the opening sequence of "The Secret Window" and "The Butterfly Effect", both characters are talking to themselves. In "The Secret Window" the main character is deliberating whether to turn back or move on and in "The Butterfly Effect" the main character is writing and talking about death.
Death- In the opening of "The Butterfly Effect" the main character speaks about death straightaway "I am already dead".
Location- In "The Secret Window", the audience are introduced to a remote location where the main character lives. The main character may view this location as his freedom however the audience might interpret this location as a place where the main character eventually loses his mind due to the secluded and isolated surroundings.
Sound- The non-diegetic sound used adds to the tension and eeriness of the movie. The opening of "The Butterfly Effect" uses non-diegetic sound in order to make the audience feel uneasy. "The Secret Window" opens with diegetic sound in order to allow the audience into the character's mind.
Overall, the Psychological Thriller genre plays with the audiences mind by allowing the audience to see things from the main character's perspective. This genre usually uses a first person narrator to allow the audience to get closer to the story.
-Continuous medium shot of a distorted image- character looking through window
-Medium shot of character crouching under desk
*Cut shot*
-MCU of character's upper body
*Cut shot*
Extreme close up of hand writing on paper
OPENING TITLE
*Fade in*
*Establishing shot of neighbourhood
-Continuous medium shot of boy with dog-introduction of main character
-Medium shot of son and mother talking
*Reverse shot between two characters*
Medium shot of calss room and two characters by the desk
*cut shot*
MCU of drawing, point of view shot
*Cut shot*
-Medium shot of woman crying in car
Lighting:
The lighting used in the first two minutes of the film is dark in order to emphasise the character's state of mind. The lighting also has a significant impact as it makes the audience confused and it doesn't reveal much about the location. The lighting could also foreshadow coming events in the movie. For the next two minutes, bright natural light is used in order to lead the audience into a false sense of security, the events get darker as the movie continues.
Costumes:
Again, in this movie the main character is first seen wearing a sleeping suit which suggests vulnerability. Then, the characters start wearing normal-everyday clothes such as jeans, jackets and uniforms in order to give the audience a sense of how their lives are like- a sense of normality. The change in sequence where it first starts off in an office and then in a normal neighbourhood suggests confusion and plays with the audience's mind. During the first few minutes of the movie, many characters are seen wearing uniforms which suggests a sense of confomity within this American society.
Characters:
Many characters are seen in the first 4 minutes and 29 seconds of this movie. The audience is introduced to the main character immediately which makes it clear that it is his story that we are following. After the opening title appears, the audience are introduced to the main character when he was a child and his mother. This tells us that scene is a flashback scene or it is re-telling the story from that point onwards. When the mother drops the son at school, the tacher comes out to meet the mother and they go to the classroom and talk about this drawing her son has made. The drawing is highly disturbing and the fact that the teacher shows this to the mother tells the audience that the teacher has probably played a huge part in the plot line as she introduces the main story of the movie, the main character's mental health problems.
Location:
The first 4 minutes and 29 seconds of this movie takes place in a mental hospital, outside a house and a classroom. The introduction of mental hospital in the opening seconds of the film suggests that it will play a huge part in the story and it also adds to the mysteriousness of the movie.
Also, the house and classroom suggest a sense of normality in contrast to the mental hospital.
Sound:
The opening sequence includes a mixture of diegetic and non-diegetic sound. The diegetic sound consists of dialogue and every-day sounds such as cars, birds chirping and kids laughing on the street. The non-diegetic sound is used in the beginning to add to the atmosphere and eeriness of the movie. Again, the opening sequence distinguishes between normality and confusion in order to play with the audience's mind.
Conventions of a "Psychological Thriller":
Mind- In the opening sequence of "The Secret Window" and "The Butterfly Effect", both characters are talking to themselves. In "The Secret Window" the main character is deliberating whether to turn back or move on and in "The Butterfly Effect" the main character is writing and talking about death.
Death- In the opening of "The Butterfly Effect" the main character speaks about death straightaway "I am already dead".
Location- In "The Secret Window", the audience are introduced to a remote location where the main character lives. The main character may view this location as his freedom however the audience might interpret this location as a place where the main character eventually loses his mind due to the secluded and isolated surroundings.
Sound- The non-diegetic sound used adds to the tension and eeriness of the movie. The opening of "The Butterfly Effect" uses non-diegetic sound in order to make the audience feel uneasy. "The Secret Window" opens with diegetic sound in order to allow the audience into the character's mind.
Overall, the Psychological Thriller genre plays with the audiences mind by allowing the audience to see things from the main character's perspective. This genre usually uses a first person narrator to allow the audience to get closer to the story.
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