SA - Analysing an opening sequence - 'Pulse'

Genre:
- The film belongs to the genre of thriller (technological thriller), and to some extent audience generic expectations are fulfilled because the opening title sequence has lots of clues, like the computer related images and text, which all helps to set up the enigma of the film before we see any characters or acting, it is just a montage of iconistic images that are a visual signifier to the audience of some sort of illegal use of computers and how everyone has one and uses it constantly.
- The text does slightly conform to the characteristics of a thriller as the titles build up to a crescendo of overlapped sound and speech until it goes black and the title of the film appears.

Film Language:
- The mise-en-scene in the sequence conveys a sense of loneliness and depression, as the main character walks through the crowds of people all grouped up together, they look very normal with their costumes whereas he doesn't quite fit in which shows he is a bit of an outcast or loner.
- The POV shots show the main character looking at everyone else showing he isn't involved with them and is a bit of a loner, also the establishing shot of the building helps to set the scene for the audience and conveys them meaning that the setting is quite normal, but the other parts seem slightly weird.
- In the montage sequence at the start, the sound is an aural signifier to the audience to show there is technology involved, also the overlapping layers of speech and computer sounds, like a keyboard tapping and beeping, help to set up the enigma of he film, as it isn't really clear what is going on.
- Through NVL and dialogue we learn that the main character is quite lonely and also weary of an unknown thing, which we get a glimpse of in the mirror of the car. He is very secretive with himself and doesn't speak too much apart from answering a question that the security guard asked him, and that was "Are u OK?" and he replies "yeah, I'm fine" although it is clear he is not fine, which just helps to set up the enigma.
- Other techniques used are pull back focus, which helps to identify who the main character is and focuses the attention of the audience onto him, also there is a very cold, washed out tint on the camera which shows there is no warmth or love in the sequence.

Narrative:
- The narrative is linear, although it starts with a montage and then goes into the story.
- The audience is positioned with the main character who looks at everyone, who are using computers and mobile phones, connoting that this is the main theme of the film.
- The techniques used to identify the characters are pull back focus and POV shots, these help to identify the main characters.
- The major themes in the narrative are of loneliness, and technology, everyone seems to be using technology is some way.
- Tension is created by the use of the glimpses of shadows and figures in mirrors and windows, there is little information about what these are and how they relate to he story and this helps to maintain the tension created by the figures and shadows in the first place.

Representation and Ideology:
- The social groups represented in this sequence are loners and the youthful generation, the young people that use the new technology and resources that can be found on the internet, with it not always being good, as some of the images in the montage sequence show, for example there is a quick glimpse of the US map having red circles expanding at different points, this connotes bombs and terrorist attacks. Some of the things that connote this representation of him being a loner and isolated are that his body language is quite secretive and 'closed' to everyone else, his clothes are quite dark and dont make him stand out. Another factor could be that he is quite paranoid and this makes the audience instantly see him as an outcast/loner.
- The framework is constructed through semiotics by there being lots of denotational images in the montage sequence, these all connote different things, not all of them being good.
- The main character is male which shows that the male gender is the focus of the film, although it doesnt necessarily show them as powerful and dominating which would be the dominant ideology about men. In this area therefore the opening sequence of this film is quite challenging of ideologies.

Media Audiences:
- I think the target audience for this film is 16 - 45 year old males and females who understand the latest technology an it's incredible power.
- The audience readings that could be identified from this sequence are that there is some kind of terrorist activity going against the USA, because of the images in the montage, also there could be readings which relate to people relying too much on technology and that way of communicating,
- Being British teenager from the text I read that there is some connotations of the internet and technology being used too much and it will eventually lead to a bad circumstance. Which I sightly agree with, but not in the circumstances.

Institutional Context:
- The main character isn't that well known and I think this helps to improve the film as the audience isn't judging their performance on previous roles, the actor has the free run to create a name for himself.
- The film was made by 'Dimension Films' and 'Distant Horizon'. 'Dimension Films' are part of the Disney-owned 'Miramax Films' so that part of is quite industrial, whereas 'Distant Horizon' are focused on distributing more independent films, so this film is a mix of the two film types, industrial and independent.
- I think the institutional context is evident in the production values of the opening as there are a lot of clever shots used which help to set up the enigma, also there is the shadows and figures which would be put in during editing, but they show that a small amount of money wasn't used on this film.