Thriller openings: Donnie Darko

Donnie Darko Thriller Opening

Camera angles/shots:

The first camera angle that we see in the opening of Donnie Darko is a close up, this shot doesn't focus very long on the object. The object which the close up focuses on is a tree however it then slowly zooms out moving into the next shot where the whole scene is then viewed by the audience.

The next camera angle used is a long shot, during this shot we see the scenery, I believe through this shot being used at the start showing the sunset as well as nature is that they are trying to emphasise how beautiful it is where they are. This long shot moves on from just viewing the scenery to the road/pathway where the audience then sees this man just lying there who looks unconscious, this makes the viewer’s wonder what’s happened as at a distance it makes them curious of the situation. We see this long shot progressing, it keeps zooming into the man lying down in the middle of nowhere on the road/pathway. Even though they shot is being zoomed in its still a long shot but as they begin to zoom in they start to move away from the scenery factor and then we see the man wake up which is where the next shot then begins.

The third shot we see used is an over the shoulder shot. At this point of the opening we see that the man is confused of where he currently is at this very moment. For an extremely short period of time we see from his perspective that he is stunned by how beautiful the location is of where he is at. Then in a circular motion it moves into the next shot.

The next shot that we see used is the medium which is where we see him sitting there just sitting there staring at what’s right in front of him which is the mountains, bushes, tree and just the beauty of nature then again it goes into a long shot emphasising the beauty of nature. They then use another over the shoulder shot again i believe that they are trying show how he sees the beauty of what’s right in front of him, they're trying to show his appreciation for nature. It then goes into a medium shot where we then see the man smiling as well as laughing and then moves out of the shot. Once he moves out of the shot it turns into a long shot where we then again see nature’s beauty.

Then we see a medium shot for maybe a second and then moves very quickly moves into a long shot we see him cycling on the road/pathway with a smile on his face it looks as if he's admiring the location of where he is. They then move into a point of view shot where we see from his perspective, we see the trees and the path in front of his it then moves back into a long shot where we see he has exited the scenery and into town. there is a constant switch between long shots and point of view shots at this point from when we see him riding his bike to his point of view where we see people walking on the pavement.

Transition/editing:

The transitions are shown right from the very beginning when they introduce the titles they all fade in this give a subtle affect to the beginning of the film.

The next transition is just a slow movement of them slowly moving the camera towards the left which constantly keeps moving until we start to the strange man on the floor in the middle of nowhere on the pathway/road. The movement through the scenery I believe that they are trying to emphasise how beautiful it is, how consistent the scenery is, its just everywhere you look you see the same beauty.

The next transition it where we see them zooming in onto the man. This transition makes the audience curious of why the man is just lying there, what happened to him, it makes the audience question what is going on.

Then there's this transition which I believe maybe be a dissolve/fade transition as when they show the title of the film 'Donnie Darko' it fades in to this ray of sunshine then all we see is white then fades out and we see the man on his bike riding away, This transition showed excitement making the next part even more exciting to know what it is.

Finally we see a cutaway transition used towards the end this transition is used many times towards the end. At this point this transition is used to show different perspectives of he man. It shows what he is seeing all directions and showing everything in its best light.

Sound:

The piece began in silence which was quite mysterious as it is silent. The silence makes the audience curious of what this will consist of. The silence creates an effect of suspense, the silence aspects is used quite a few times throughout this piece.

The first piece of sound we hear is the slight sound of wind this is when we see the scenery for the first time. This is a natural sound as they are outside just viewing the nature and it may have been created however the scene which we see it in makes it looks peaceful. It makes everything seem for realistic with small effects like these.

The next sound which we hear in this opening is the sounds of the birds which adds a sense of realism to the piece. As the sound of the birds in  a calm environment such as the scenery. The sound of the birds make it seem so beautiful and just a wonderful place.


Codes and Conventions:

The first convention that we see several times throughout this opening is the scenery. This convention makes the audience focus on just how beautiful the location is. The location will distract the audience from everything which is going on.

Another convention that we see when the opening starts is the strange man lying down in the middle of the road/pathway. This is a good convention as it makes the audience wonder what's happened to him. This makes the audience question things, makes them curious of the situation, this is a sign of a good convention.

The third convention which i saw through outs this opening was the bike in front of the man. At this point we saw the man which was supposed to be the main focus however we saw a glimpse of the bike, this made the audience curious of why the bike is there, and again they question the object.

The final convention which i saw in this opening was the 'Halloween carnival sign' the period of time we see this for isn't very long however it’s the first time we see it. This also makes us wonder if that’s the reason he came into the town because there's something there that he wants or just a carnival which he really enjoys. This is the sign of a good convention as it makes the audience question what’s happening and for a bit it’s a bigger focus than it should be.