I have chosen to analyse the first two minutes (0.00 - 2.00) of 'Saving Private Ryan' as it is an intense scene which brings the audience right into the film.

1. The first few Close Ups establish the characters to us and show us that they are preparing for something and are nervous about it. This is shown by the way they are praying and clinging onto religious artefacts. At this moment in time we feel like observers and not really connected to the characters. The camera is static, however the boat is rocking in the sea so therefore the characters are. The fact that nothing is still means that the scene is never peaceful and makes you feel on edge like the soldiers.

2. Next comes a couple of big/extreme close ups which show the wheel on the ramp open. This signifies the end of the static shots and frantic action ensues.

3. As the ramp is lowered the soldiers are revealed to us and they are immediately hit with several shots which come from behind the camera. This means the enemy is behind the audience and makes them feel slightly nervous. This is a MS taken from a low angle, this length is used so we can see the men's bodies and therefore see them fall. This camera is moving as if it is ducking out of the way of bullets.

4. We then move to the back of the boat and get to see the enemy for the first time which takes away some of the mystery. This MLS is subjective and makes the audience feel part of the action now instead of onlookers. We see the people at the front of the landing craft being picked off and see the bullets make their way to the back where we are. This makes the viewer nervous.

5. Next we are taken to the other side of the battle and are shown an Over the Shoulder Shot of a German gun emplacement which is firing on the boat we were just in. The Germans are shown as silhouettes and we do not see their faces. This may be because we are not supposed be on their side so we are not allowed to get too personal. The sideways track shows the length of the beach and the extent of the fighting. It acts as a belated, but useful establishing shot. The high angle shows the dominance that the Germans have over the beach.

6. In the next part of the sequence we are thrown into the sea in an attempt to avoid the onslaught. A crane may have been used in order to go vertically down here into the water. From our point of view now right in the midst of the action. The water acts as a break in the fact and pulse raising as the noise is muffled and the colour is a deep calming blue. This moment of peace is short lived, however, as we see bullets move through the water like mini torpedoes and the way the blood spills into the water. This part is a mixture of shots ranging between mid and long lengths. The disorientated and tilted angles make us feel like we are not in control and just floating and observing, but at the same time we feel very much as if we are there. The camera occasionally pans down and follows other soldiers as they fall into the sea.

7. Whilst still under the water we see a man fighting for his life. He seems to be begging the viewer for help and we want to help him but then we realise we are helpless. This really does make the viewer feel part of the story and is done very well. This is a MS at a dutch angle.

8. We next are taken in and out of the water in a series a subjective shots that could only have been produced with the assistance of a crane. While bobbing up and down the camera seems to slowly track to two men infront of us. This is a two shot at a mid distance.

9. As we continue to move out of the water the camera pans around so that we can see all the men around us. The camera is never still in this sequence and we presume it is done using a handheld camera as it is not smooth enough to involve a steadicam.

10. For the first time in a while we are taking out of our point of view position and are now looking at two men who we presume are main characters trying to get onto dry land. This is a MLS and the bodies and pieces of metal surrounding them act nicely as a frame within a frame. These objects that obscure our vision mean that we are not shown everything which adds to the mystery which is vital in a good thriller film.

I believe that this sequence of shots complement eachother well as we get to see both sides of the action and everything that is going on, but at the same time the narrative is kept alive with the point of view shots. These shots in particular make us feel like we are amongst the harrowing images and by the end of this opening sequence we feel exhausted and get only a small feeling of what is was really like to be there. It is important in the hriller genre that the viewer feels on edge as it is much more scarier than if the events were happening to someone else rather than us.

Ms B S7 Questions Homework

1. This is a MCU taken from a low angle. The aspects of this image that signify it is horror to us are as follows. The fact that the girl is seperated from the camera by the mesh suggests entrapment. The unnatural glow of the light and the lack of it adds to the eerie feeling of the image. The striking white of her eyes suggest purity and innocence which signifies that she is the victim in this situation. There is a tilted shadow behind the girl that could be her captor and suggests that she is trying to get out of the enclosed space to run away from the person or creature behind her. The fact that she is quite low down in the shot may be because she is on her knees and therefore we can infer from this that she is vunerable.

2. To create the lighting effects in the image we turned the lights off in the area we were in and and shone a light on the actor's face. This was not dark enough to create the desired effect. This is shown in the image on the right. To make the image darker we held a curtain to black out some excess light and changed the filter on our light to creater a dimmer spotlight effect. We then decided once we got the light right that the red sht did not really fit the profile of a horror victim so we asked the actor to wear her black cardigan back to front so that it created a more generic horror look to the shot.

3. I am pleased with how our shot turned out as i believe that the audience would be able to identify as a still from a horror/thriller film. I think that the lighting worked out well as it is light enough to be able to see what is going on but is still dark enough to leave that element of mystery to the narrative. I feel that the shadows that surround the girl on the ceiling and the rear wall act well as a aframe within a frame. This adds another dimension to the shot and therefore makes it more aesthetically pleasing.

4. With the benefit of hindsight if i were to recreate this shot i would have made the girl look more like a victim by giving her a more appropriate costume and applying some make-up. I would also have not left as much empty space for the viewer to look into as it distracts from the main image which is the victim. I may have also shone a slightly brighter light onto her face so that she stands out more. Finally I would have positioned the camera slightly better so that the girls facial features were not obscured by the bits of wire mesh such as her nose and right eye in the image at the top.