Quantum of Solace
The latest film in the James Bond franchise - Quantum of Solace - opens the way James Bond films have traditionally opened...with an action sequence. Starting a film with an action sequence immediately draws in the audience, and sets up the film as an action film from the outset. If done well this is an almost foolproof way to draw in audiences, as it is exciting and shows the film to be fast paced.
The first thing that sets up the opening scene is the music. The music is very low-pitched and tense, creating suspence and letting the audience know that something is about to happen. There is an establishing shot of a mountain tunnel road by a lake, with the camera panning towards the road, probably taken using a helicopter. This shot keeps reoccuring for the first thirty seconds, intercutting with shots of cars in the tunnel. The cinematography is in a very dark style, using the light from the tunnel windows to reveal only the parts of the shot which the cinematographer wanted to show, and the lights travel across the shot to reflect the movement of the vehicles. The lighting also allows the subjects to fade in and out of shot naturally, without the use of cheap fade effects. By only revealing only small parts of the action at a time more and more suspense is built up, as the audience wants to see the scene as a whole. There is a shot of a magazine being loaded into a rifle, building the suspence even more by showing there is an element of danger and violence.There is also a shot of James Bond's eyes, revealing the main character to be in the danger, and we know he is not the one holding the gun as James Bond traditionally uses a Walther PPK.
Finally the establishing shot gets close to the tunnel, and the music suddenly stops, to expose the viceral, hardened sound of the cars engines and machine gun fire, and the fast paced action sequence.
The editing is fast paced, shots lasting only a fraction of a second to reflect the pace of the sequence.
The sound design is very prominent over the next twenty seconds, as the sound is in place of a soundtrack, and has to hold the audiences interest. To do this every sound is boosted up, especially the sound of the cars engines and the machine gun fire, to bring out the main elements of the scene. An interesting part of the sound editing is when the lorry hits the wall of the tunnel, and instead of having the expected screeching of metal on concrete, the editor has put in a deep thudding noise to increase the proportions of the scene and give it a more 'epic' feel. If the sound of screeching had been added then it would have been unpleasant to the ear, as well as would have made the lorry seem lighter, and less of a danger. On top of this he added the obvious glass shattering sound effect to the end of it to show the destruction that the crash had caused. Another triumph in the sound editing department is the way it makes the audience feel like it is in the scene. This is achieved through having the sound effect of the cars driving past at a fast pace, not just as they pass other cars, but as they pass the camera as well. Presuming this sound was recorded by a foley artist in post, it is probably intentional. Through this the audience is made to feel as if they are standing where the camera is positioned and they can hear the car driving past them. An example of this is at 1:26. This design is used to its full potential when heard through a surround sound system, as the sound of the car passing would go across the speakers in relation to the action, involving the audience to a new level.
Overall, 'Quantum of Solace' drags its audience in through a fast paced action scene, and by trying to get the audience as close to the action as possible. The close proximity camera work makes you feel closer to the action and more on edge, while the sound design heightens the proportions and helps to place the viewer in the scene.
Sherlock Holmes (2009)
Sherlock Holmes, as with Quantum of Solace, opens with an action sequence. It also begins by bringing the audience in through suspense and intrigue, through tense music, and darkened shots.
One of the parts of this opening that stands out are the institution logos at the beginning. These are done very stylistically, as they are designed to look like part of the pavement which the camera pans along. This is an excellent technique, as in many films the mood can be spoilt by the numerous company logos at the beginning, which detracts from the artistry and points towards the money. However in this case, the logos are presented as a part of the film, and are built into both the scene and the mood, to set the scene from the outset. By starting the music on the first logo, the audience is made aware that the film is starting at that point, and not after the logos, as if the logos were something that demanded attention as much as the rest of the film. The companies also benefit from this arrangement, as the audience would actually take notice of the logos if they were done in an interesting way, so it helps both the company and the film.
These logos are made in post-production, and through careful analysis a viewer can see the CG pavement mould into the live action pavement at 0:24, as at this moment you can see a distinct difference in the pavement, and the camera is steady. The pavement which had the logos on moulds into the live action pavement very neatly, and with a slight camera disturbance at the beginning of the live action sequence, the effect is sold. This shot is then held on right up to 0:51, giving the impression that the shot is in fact 51 seconds long, and the logos are part of it. Shots this long can be very rare in films, and are only used for particular effects. In this case, the camera follows the audiences curiosity, by catching up with the carriage, and revealing the people inside. The desired effect is to arouse the audience's intrigue, and make them start to think about who the people are, and why they are so important that the camera chooses to focus on them. This train of thought is stemmed from the mysterious music that is playing in the background, which enhances the scene, and automatically tells the viewer that what they're watching is unusual and mysterious. The camera then cuts to a shots of the two characters in the carriage loading their guns, foreshadowing violence.
After this a parrelel timeline comes into play, with Sherlock Holmes running through the streets of London. The two scenes inter-cut with one another to create a feeling of a lot going on, and as if the film is really comign alive. The cinematographer employs some creative techniques to heighten the drama of it, such as using dutch tilts to give it a very rushed look. An important shot in this opening sequence is at 1:22, when Shelock Holmes does a forward roll which ends with his face in a close up, to establish his character.
As with Quantum of Solace, sound design is very important in creating the effect of mystery and intrigue. At 1:12 there is a crow sound effect, which is typical of the horror genre. Despite it not being a horror film, the crow still adds intrigue to the scene, and makes the audience sense an impending danger. At 0:24 there is also a sound of a horse whinnying, and matched with the crow at 1:24 creates a feeling of danger through the natural sounds of animals sensing the danger. Sound design is used differently than in Quantum of Solace, as in Sherlock Holmes it is used for mystery, whereas in Quantum of Solace it is relied on a lot more as there isn't music.
Overall, Sherlock Holmes's opening pulls in the audience through the mystery of it, whereas Quantum of Solace pulls in the audence through a fast paced, high budget action sequence.
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