COLLATERAL Opening Title Sequence Analysis Director-Michael Mann Release date- 17th September 2004 By Naomi Adams

Mise-En-Scene Again this man isn’t in the centre of the frame but is in focus, showing he’s someone to look out for and remember when watching the film. Even though this man isn’t in the centre of the frame, it’s still clear that he is a main character as he is in focus, whereas everyone else in the foreground are blurred out. He takes up the 1st third of the screen (rule of thirds). This character’s also wearing a very smart suit, which shows he is of a high status and has a profession. The colour of his hair and suit connotes that he’s almost shark-like. The fact he’s wearing dark glasses inside , suggest he’s hiding his identity, already causing us the viewers to question who his character is. As he appears to have an enigma. This characters also wearing a suit, which suggests these two characters may be of the same profession, and therefore also has a high status.

First sign of a prop being used, could relate to the job the character has. The camera focus’ on this man for a minute, suggesting he’s also a main character. As the camera stays focusing on the bag for a bit. It suggests that this prop could be significant to the narrative of the film. Making us the audience question what’s inside. It causes the audience to ask questions and hooks us in. His glasses, suggest he’s a clear thinker and is a rather clever man. The bag is the main focus of the screen as not only is it in focus, but also it’s positioned in the centre of the frame, suggesting it’s significant. His forehead is creased up, making him seem a bit confused. His facial expression as a whole, shows he’s wary of his surroundings, causing us the audience to question who he is. He’s wearing ordinary clothing, giving the impression that if he has a job it isn’t very important. The use of a television screen in the background and the fact tis mans wearing a head set, shows it’s set in modern day. As each image appears quickly it hooks us the audience in to want to know more about this setting and is visually interesting. Here we see him cleaning the interior of a car, almost suggests this is part of his daily routine before he drives. The fact we see him putting up this picture, suggests this is a ritual for him and has ambitions he wants to achieve in life. The montage of fast moving images, gives us a sense of the busy location the narrative is set in. All ordinary places but something extra-ordinary is occurring.

Cinematography At the beginning an establishing shot hasn’t been used, this is typical of the thriller genre as they use restricted narration and therefore don’t want to give away too much by showing the location of where the narrative is shot. This intrigues the audience making them active as they’re looking for more Interpretations. It then cuts to another wide shot image. This wide shot is very similar to the first wide shot as there’s only focus on one character and each character is positioned on the opposite sides of the screen (180 degree rule). This could suggest that not only are these main characters, but also they may have some sort of relationship. A wide shot is used again to blur out surrounding people, showing clearly who it is, the audience need to be focusing on. Instead, a wide shot it being used to show that it’s set in a busy place and can therefore blur out surrounding people to clearly show the main character. Here a medium close up shot is being used, when both characters first come into contact with one another. The purpose of using a medium close up shot is to still capture the location in which they are in but also to allow us the audience to focus on their facial expressions, to see if it gives us any more of an insight to who these people are. An extreme close up shot is then used to make us focus on every aspect of this man and to question who this character is.

A point of view shot is being used to see the location from the main character’s perspective. To join these two images together the panning technique is being used so, we can take in more of what is being shown and as it pans, it suggests that these two things are happening in the same room. Also make the images flow continuously after one another. As these images very quickly appear on the screen it causes the audience to keep focus on the images, drawing in our attention more. The use of a close up shot here, is to show the photo clearly, showing that this is an ambition of this characters, as he clearly wants to be elsewhere. Montage of these images use very short, quick cuts to show the different areas of the location, in which the narrative is taking place. Here a low angle shot is being used to look up a the driver, this it to make him look powerful, showing he’s also a main character to focus on.

Sound https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYB9ytA6weo At the beginning of this sequence, you can hear faint ambient sounds, of footsteps this is to portray how busy the location is. When the two main characters bump into each other and come in contact with one another for the first time diegetic sound-dialogue is used when they apologize. This diegetic sound is quite quiet to imply that the two characters don’t know each other and to cause the audience to feel a little suspicious when one of the men says to the other: ‘enjoy your life’. He says this quietly when the character he’s talking to is bending down so that he can’t hear him, already drawing in the attention of the audience and to make us want to find out more of each character and what that man meant, creating an enigma and drawing the audience in further to find out more. As the character walks away, non-diegetic sound is introduce to show this character is heading somewhere in particular. This music starts off entering the sequence gradually from rising from a low volume to a high volume suggesting something extra-ordinary is taking place in this ordinary location. There’s a very faint sound of a sharp note which is being played underneath the main high volume deep notes. It’s unclear of what instrument/device is being used to create these low notes as they all seem to merge into one high volume sound. When the montage of quick cuts are used to join up lots of individual images which give a slight insight to where this sequence is set more notes join causing a slight climax to build and the music begins to become a little fast paced, to match the action of the fast moving images. Also diegetic, ambient sound is still being played over the top of this non-diegetic sound so we still get a sense of the location. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYB9ytA6weo