Main task: titles and opening sequence of new fiction film
Technology: digital video, non-linear editing
Theoretical understanding: the language of film and grammar of the edit,
making meaning through moving images, narrative and representation,
action and enigma, plot and story, establishing realism and verisimilitude,
mise en scene, genre, layers of interpretation.
Links with other units: key media concepts: representation, the film industry and audiences
Deconstruction Of Snatch Opening
After watching a short excerpt of the ‘Snatch’ opening I was asked to write a deconstruction to explain how camerawork, editing and sound help create a sense of enigma and mystery in the opening scenes. The excerpt begins with three white on black transitions. These represent the credits. This effect has a bold impact as it makes the credits stand out on the screen; therefore the contrast draws your attention to it. When in the room with the three men the camera is moving slowly showing each character except the man who’s head is always facing towards the front. The slow camera action and calm editing signifies the tense atmosphere between the three men and also is synchronous with the non-digetic voice over as the voice is calm and collected. When the Jewish men are in the lift the camera follows the action and direction of the lift. This gives a voyeuristic view of where they are going and them inside of the lift; it makes us feel we are following them. The slow cuts represent the speed of the lift and the music played is typically what we would apply to Jewish people. However when the men reveal the weapons the music changes to action and this establishes that the film follows a gangster, action type genre if we connect that to the connection of drugs that is in the beginning of the opening.The sound that is used while the credits begin is a voice over. A fade is used and this shows us three men in a room. However the fact it is a voice over leads us to the enigma of whose perspective are we listening to. Another factor that creates an enigma is the fact that we can see the back of one mans head and we assume that the voice over is his as a over the shoulder shot is used to show him sitting in front of two other men. This gives the stranger an instant authorities roll as it feels he is intimidating, and the mystery also establishes this point. Using medium shots the camera shows us an individual, and we then realise who is talking when the voice over stays on one of them and he gives himself a name identifying himself to the audience. He then introduces his partner and when he does this a two shot is used to represent the unity of them. Another enigma created is when he says, “ I was happy a week ago” and “what do I know about diamonds?” These two lines make us want to know more about his situation and what kind of trouble he is in. To add to the mystery of this tense part of the opening the lighting is low key. It is evident that this film is based on ‘Barthes’ enigma theory as it sets the audience up with many different questions; one of them is when the Jewish men are looking into it then when the camera pulls out it is another man looking into it then when the camera pulls out it is another man looking and this repeats it elf until the camera returns to the original man who stole them.
