Thriller Opening 4 - Alien

Film Title: Alien
Director: Ridley Scott
Title Designer:

Technique
Effect (Analysis)
Camera – distance, angle, movement…
Camera zooms out very slowly from a direct point, but is blurred so that the audience do not know the surroundings in which this is taking place, connects to the theme of the unknown.
The suspense used by the camera is clever, audience wants to know what is going on, therefore wanting to see the bigger picture, for things to come into focus, but instead the zoom is slowly taking it’s time to zoom out, but stays blurred so that the audience will have a certain feeling of uncertainty – creating a weird atmosphere.
Editing – speed, style…
There is no editing used, this is so that the audience know that the starting point in which this is filmed hasn’t changed, to keep this feeling of uncertainty there.
Using no editing lets the camera and mise en scene take control, and as both categories have already created a certain type of suspense this keeps this suspense going, building up the suspense to keep the viewers watching.
Sound – effects, musical score…
Eery music is used to create a spooky atmosphere – again adding to the atmosphere of being in the unknown, also using sounds of a irregular heartbeat and opening of doors, without showing what’s going on to the audience, emphasises the creepy atmosphere.
Sound really connects to use of mise en scene and camera to create an uncertain build up of suspence on not knowing what is going on – signifying that this same uncertainty will carry on throughout the film.
Mise-en-scene – props, costume, setting, lighting, colour…
Anything in the scene is blurred, uses low key lighting, so there are no objects in which you can see, other than what looks like a chair, which must have significance, again to give the feeling of the unknown, as aliens are not known to exist.
Creating an atmosphere in which the audience doesn’t know what is there and what is going on helps to create a feeling of curiosity in which should keep the viewer watching to find out more – there is a certain horror characteristic that comes with not knowing what is going on, as its most likely to be something unpredictable and will take you by complete surprise, this build up is typical in horror films as it wants to make you scared and connecting with the sci-fi genre as well, creates an even more scary situation as the viewer won’t know what is going to scare them.

Titles – font, colour, placement, over black / over clip…
People’s names appear straight away, as soon as the camera starts to zoom out, written in white to stand out further in a very blurred and black background. The name of the film Alien takes time to appear, as so does the music gradually get louder, signifying it will take time in the film for the characters to realise the full picture – what’s going on – that the aliens really exist.
Using white text for the people’s names is almost trying to create a boundary, making them stand out further so that the viewer will look at them instead of what’s behind the text, making the viewer more suspicious, also connects to alien life form as stereotypically in sci-fi films if aliens are tested on it’s behind a white sheet, in white room, with bright white lights, to show them off to the world, to show they exist.