Lighting
The lighting in the film opening is very low key, with a grey tint over the media text to connote the dramatic and tense atmosphere within the clip. This has an effect on the audience portraying perhaps the time and place of the setting. The low key lighting highlights the genre of the piece and shows the futuristic setting with a metallic feel.
This is an example of the low key lighting.
Camera Work
The first part of the clip shows the audience position so they are facing the camera, just without looking into the camera.
This involves the audience and makes the audience feel like they are part of the film which increases the verisimilitude of the film. The camera follows the main protagonist, making the audience feel like they are also following him. This shows his importance in the film and that he should be paid close attention to. When the male character leaves the shop the camera stops following him and pans the setting to show the audience where the film is set and the busy atmosphere of London. In particular the camera then follows a cart which is led by a motorbike.
This shows to the audience that although the year is 2027 there are something's that are old fashion, promoting a sense of deprivation or poverty. The camera then goes on to follow the male character, yet again enhancing the sense of him being important and a central character to the plot. After the explosion, there is a point of view shot, and the camera appears to be getting closer to the explosion, but not with a zoom. The camera getting closer to the action shows to the audience that a woman is walking out of the exploded building holding her own arm so we are shown the severity of the explosion but the cause for it is still unknown.
The use of handheld camera work throughout the clip adds to the verisimilitude of the clip because it increases the realism of the media text. This could be used in Children Of Men to suggest that the explosion is being filmed by a bystander.
Editing
The editing is very slow paced, which shows juxtaposition between that and the explosion at the end of the clip. The explosion is meant to surprise the audience the first time they watch it so the editing could be to create a calmer mood than expected with a scene with a explosion. This makes the text calmer and more relaxed, again, in conjunction with the explosion. The pace changes towards the end of the clip when the camera is moving faster. The contrast in the paces surprises the audiences and makes the clip more interesting.
Sound
The immediate sound that can be heard in the beginning of the clip is crucial to the storyline because it gives a description of the plot. "The world was stunned today" is just some of the emotive language used in the opening of the film which is matched with a blank black screen to imply to the audience that the words that are being said are very important. The main character then orders a "coffee, please, black." also having connotations of depression and darkness with the use of the word "black." The soft sad melody that then comes into the clip is non-diegetic sound, paired with the sobbing that can be heard, connotes a sense of sadness about the death of Diego. As the music begins to get louder the main character begins to go outside and the soft melody is drowned out by the noise of the road vehicles, people talking and horns being beeped. This highlights the manic life style and contrasts with the sad atmospheric music and quietness inside the coffee shop. Towards the end of the clip the noise becomes much quieter, perhaps to build anticipation and tension for the audience. This is then vastly changed by the noise of the explosion which in a way emulates the sound of gunfire, showing connotations of war, violence and conflict. The ringing sound which can be suggested is coming from an alarm system is distorted into a high pitch noise which connotes confusion and pain because of it's earsplitting sound. Screaming can also be heard which implies fear from the characters and tells the audience that some people have been hurt and it may not have been an accident. Another non-diegetic sound that can impressionistically affect the audience is the sound of shattering glass. Glass being smashed connotes destruction which could give the audience a theme or idea of the genre.
Mise-en-scene
The location is made clear with text on screen. This may be to make it clearer to the audience because the city scenery could promote any cities in the world. The date and year are also displayed on screen so the setting is made completely clear for the audience. Dull clothing on the main character and the extras goes with the lighting and the tint of the media text because nothing stands out as being too colourful.
This is usual to the genre of the piece because it shows depression and an unstable community. The flatscreen TV's in the coffees shop and the moving image billboards on the side of buildings convey the advance in technology in the year 2027. The old fashion people carts again promote the sense of a back in time world and how poverty and destruction has created a more deprived world within this film. The coffee that the main character has is important because the clip starts with him ordering it and getting it, then trying to find a place to stir it and just as he goes to drink it the explosion makes him throw it and it spills out over the floor. This connotes that it is hard to keep things and a lot of things are ruined in the world of the film, maybe due to the new rules and regulations.
Genre
The genre of the film could be multiple things. It could be seen as a thriller or a science fiction. It also has qualities of an action film. The eerie atmosphere within the film and the suspense that is built up are qualities shown in a thriller. It is quite dark and damp so I think it has attributes of a thriller which are paired with the science fiction of the piece because it is unrealistic that someone in the world could be the youngest person born for 18 years. The explosion itself is quite action-packed and could promote a sense of action and violence.
Narrative
The narrative of the piece is integrated into the essence of the film because the location, time and plot are all told by a 'news broadcaster'. This allows vital information, which may not be available to learn in the short space of the time of the opening, to be told to the audience, without decreasing the verisimilitude. The audience are aware of the male protagonists importance to the storyline because the camera appears to follow him throughout the opening, apart from when the camera pans across the street to display the buildings, cars and people inhabiting the city. This is again setting the scene for the audience.
Audience
The target audience for the film I believe is mainly males. It is an action-packed film which has some stereotypically masculine generic conventions. The audio conventions like the sad back story on the boy who's been murdered may encourage some females to watch the film but the main demographic I think the film appeals to is men.
Representation
London, in this film, is presented as a dark and gloomy area. We know there may be uproar because of the story of the youngest person in the world has died. This use of narrative being incorporated into the film informs the audience of the information needed to understand the storyline. Along with this there are titles appearing on the screen telling the audience of the location and year, to make sure the audience are fully aware.
Values and Ideologies
The message conveyed to the audience is that there is terrorism and violence happening because the "world is stunned" by the world's youngest person being killed. The explosion highlights the fact that people are angry and upset about this. The opening shows that the film will be centred around the main character resolving the issue of the terrorism and uproar.
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