The 9 shot analysis of the opening credits of "The Poker Club" establishes that violence and death will be prominent themes in the film. Shot 1 sets the scene of a poker game. Shots 2-4 introduce an ominous eye symbol and a gun placed over playing cards, suggesting danger. Shots 5-6 depict a playing card transforming disturbingly. Shots 7-8 show the gun in more detail, implying violence will overtake the poker game. The final shot shows a bloody playing card, leaving it ambiguous which character will die but generating tension. The fade-to-black ending leaves viewers feeling uncertain and on edge.
3. Shot 1
This is the initial shot of the
opening credits and really sets the
tone for the rest of the film. This is
done through the various animated
images of a deck of playing cards
being scattered around. Obviously
suggesting the film is going to
contain some feature to do with
this.
The cards reveal the text ‘A Tim
McCann Film’ behind them. This is
then followed by the animation of a
maroon-coloured eye-shaped
figure around the text. This creates
tension as it adds an enigma that
the audience is being watched.
4. Shot 2
The text then changes to reveal
the title of the film ‘The Poker
Club.’ Again, an eye effect is used
which gives the impression the
audience is being
watched, creating tension. The
text then disappears beyond the
cards until it’s completely
hidden, leaving the audience on
edge.
The could suggest that the poker
club isn’t the only theme in the
story which leaves the rest of the
credits with an unpredictable feel
to them.
Unpredictably, being a common
feature in thriller films.
5. Shot 3
The animation begins to change
from 2D to 3D as we see three
poker chips fall down onto a
poker table from a high angle
shot.
As the border of cards around the
shot fades away, we are left with
just the poker table, a pair of
queens and the chips. This could
foreshadow that poker isn’t the
only theme of the film.
6. Shot 4
• This is the first shot that
reveals to the audience that
something precarious is going
on as the trigger-end of a gun
is revealed over a pair of
queens with the chips.
• This instantly reveals to the
audience that there will be
an element of danger in the
storyline. The fact that the
gun is on top of the cards
shows that the gun will take
priority of the poker game.
• The appearance of the gun
creates an enigma of
violence, possibly
foreshadowing one of the
poker players’ death.
7. Shot 5 and 6
• Shot 5 and 6 continue
with the theme of
animation being
displayed on the playing
cards. In this particular
shot of the Queen of
Spades, the Queen
disappears and a King
takes it’s place.
• This could propose that
something is not
“normal” in The Poker
Club or that violence is
a prominent feature in
the film as the King is
holding a sword.
8. Shot 7
• In shot 7, the audience are
then presented this shot of
the end of the gun on top
of the cards. This, again
suggests that the gun will
take priority over the game
of poker.
• The fact that the audience
are still not given a
complete shot of the gun in
full is very interesting. This
could be done by the
director to torment the
audience into not fully
knowing what is going to
happen in the film
9. Shot 8
• This high angle shot of the
gun is the first shot in
which the audience see the
gun in full view.
• The cards displayed around
the gun could suggest that
the poker game has some
order and the gun placed
on top, in no particular
position, could infer that
violence or death will
dominate and take
significance over the poker.
10. Shot 9
• Shot 9, the final shot, is a very
disturbing image. It exposes a Jack
of Hearts with drips of blood all
around.
• The audience are then of the
assumption that this foreshadows a
character who is playing the game
will die. However, it leaves it
ambiguous as to who in particular
dies which generates tension and
leaves the audience on edge which
is a common feature of thriller
films.
• A fade-to-black effect is then used
to signal the end of the credits. This
gives the audience a few seconds to
reflect on what they’ve just
seen, which produces an feeling of
uncertainty and unpredictability.
