In my thriller opening sequence we have used a very popular method of leading into a film, by using a heavy action sequence. This is a very popular way of grabbing an audiences attention because straight away something exciting is happening on screen. Many real media products do this because it keeps their audience interested, an example of a film that has done this is The Dark Knight. Although The Dark Knight is a superhero film the opening is very similar to our opening as they both involve organised crime.
A few shots from our opening sequence also are quite similar for example.
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| The Dark Knight |
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| Inheritance |
In both scenes they are preparing in a van to there destination which shows that our thriller shares some of the same narrative that The Dark Knight does. In both frames they also both have their mask on which is common if you are about to rob anyone but shows the similarities between the two scenes. Even though the the shot in The Dark Knight is a bit lighter both shots are quite dark inside the actual van, this creates mystery about the characters because you cannot not fully see
them and leaves the audience felling uncomfortable not being able to distinguish what they actually look like. Later on in the Dark Knight shot the guy in the back sits comes into frame which is also what happens in Inheritance, so not only do the shots look similar but even the actors are doing the same movements.
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| The Dark Knight |
The Similarities in these two shots are mainly to do with the action of what is going on because as you can see the lighting is quite different in each shot. But what is actually happening and the positioning of the camera are very similar, we both have the main protagonist in each scene aiming the gun at the enemy and looking much more empowering and threatening. There our other tiny differences like the framing and that the Joker has the gun in his left hand when the other has it in his right otherwise the action that is going on is the same.
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| Inheritance |
Not only were a few of the shots similar but mainly the characters and the plot line. Throughout both scenes more characters are revealed which helps build the tension, although there are a lot more criminals in The Dark Knight you can still see that the intensions are the same, to slowly reveal more and more characters. They also are all wearing masks and are wielding guns which both put them in a powerful position when it comes to what they are stealing but this is where there is a difference in the narrative. In The Dark Knight the main aim of the criminals is to rob a bank but in Inheritance we are thought to believe that they are trying to steal something but as the scene carries on we work out that they are saving a kid, the clear difference here is that the criminals in Inheritance have good intentions.
Another film that has very similar narrative and shots is Heat, but its not the opening that is similar its one specific scene which involves a group of criminals stopping an armoured van to rob it which is pretty much what our thriller is about but on a smaller scale.
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| Heat |
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| Inheritance |
In these two frames the shots are incredibly similar for example both characters are positioned in the centre of the frame and are both putting on their masks. The masks themselves are also very similar both being hockey masks, They are also both inside a van getting ready to rob a van. The lighting in both shots is also not that bright which has the same effect as the shot form The Dark Knight. The only difference really is that the shot from Heat is a tiny bit more of a close up.
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| Heat |
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| Inheritance |
These two shots are also very similar because we both have the masked men aiming the gun towards the camera but slightly to the left so we can clearly see their face, this helps but emphasis on the mask which is there to hide their identity but also inflict fear onto the enemy. The next big noticeable similarity is obviously the mask which is the same throughout the whole scene which helps create an eery tone because you can't see their facial expressions. The difference in this shot is mainly the positioning of the people inside the frame because in Heat they have him positioned to the right so they can also have the large green truck on the left side but instead we have him in the middle because we want all the focus on him and nothing else.
These two shot here aren't similar in the way of the positioning of the people inside the frame but the big similarity is that they both have the same effect on the audience. That being showing the amount of power the group criminals have at the time by having a wide shot with the members all at different depths inside the frame. It also shows the organisation and control they have over the situation. By also showing the whole team in the frame it allows the audience to see how each one works together and to see the dynamics of the group in one single shot. By also having the largest gun right up close to the front of the frame it helps emphasise the amount of power that they have other the situation.
The scene also plays out very similar to ours, we see them preparing in the van before they pull of the robbery and as soon as the action starts the pick up after they hit the armoured vehicle the cuts speed up to make the scene more hectic which is exactly what happens in our opening sequence. The main similarity is the hockey masks, although they were wearing mask in The Dark Knight they weren't hockey masks which is what they have used in Heat.
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