JR - Analysing an Opening Sequence

Final Destination 3 ( Wong, 2006)

Film Language

The Mise-en-scene of the conveys the meaning of the scene by the use of the location, the scene is set in a fairground in which there are scary/spooky this is created through several images of normal fairground rides to which are then changed to create tension and fear. The costumes of the characters are normal teenage outfits, but each character has their own style just like in society.

The use of props is seen by mainly the girls use of the camera, she seems to be the protagonist as we are set with her at the very start. The use of fairground rides can convey this fun exciting scene but the twist is conveyed in unusual things occurring like blurred images and backwards story plots.

The large use of medium close up allows the audience to locate the characters in the plot. The camera follows the girl with the camera through out the scene showing a point of view shot to which we can see what is happening through her eyes.

The sound in this opening fits perfectly as it in strings played in a minor tone, it adds to the creepy disordered scene. The sound really anchors the scene as being a thriller.
Through the dialogue the audience learn about each persons character. This is seen by the close ups on each person. the conversation that the characters have also allows for the audience to connect with them making it easier to build the relationship.

Media Audiences

The target audience would be 16-25, both male and females as all the characters are teenagers therefore the teenagers can relate. Also as the plot is mystery and the audience have to work out what is happening a younger audience would find it difficult to keep up with all the different story lines put into one plot.

The possible audience readings of this text would be that everyone is going to die in the end or their will be a twist and a hero will save the day, but as it is a physiological thriller the probable audience reading would be that in the end the protagonist will find the reason behind the deaths and find a way to put a stop to everything, therefore becoming the hero of the plot.

As a British teenager my readings of the text are that from the opening scene we can tell that something is wrong with the situation, with the music and the acting we can clearly see that something is about to happen which is not good. I evaluate the text as being very giving with the plot, the story is laid out very clearly in the open scene with the images of the pictures, this ruins the impact of the opening as we are able to piece the story together from the start giving away the ending.