opening sequence analysis

1. Analysis to Opening
Sequence of a
Thriller.
Thriller Film:
Kingsman: The Secret Service
(2014)
Aidan Bradshaw

2. Information on ‘Kingsman: The Secret
Service’ (2014))
• Certificate age: 15
• Length: 2h 9min
• Release date: 29 January 2015 (UK)
• Plot: A spy organization recruits an unrefined, but promising street kid
into the agency's ultra-competitive training program, just as a global
threat emerges from a twisted tech genius.
• Director: Matthew Vaughn, he is an English film producer and director.
Born in March 7, 1971 (aged 45) in London, England, UK. He is known for
producing such films as Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998) and
Snatch. (2000) and for directing the crime thriller, Layer Cake (2004), the
fantasy epic, Stardust (2007), the superhero comedy, Kick-Ass (2010), and
the superhero film, X-Men: First Class (2011).
• Genre: Action, Adventure, Crime, Thriller

3. 0:19s
• The soundtrack played in the background is really
slow and peaceful, it is the kind of music which
would be expected to be played during meditation.
• The Music is essential in the opening sequence as
to understand the mood of the film. In a thriller it
adds suspense and tension. Also another key
convention is that the pace is started off at a slow
pace.
• The use of Low key lighting could also highlight a
convention of a thriller which immediately the
audience sees and the audience may feel on the
edge.
0.39
• The 3D editing effect used when the random
circles cover the blank black screen to reveal
one of the producers name is very
questionable, this is because it gives nothing to
what the film is about or even the general
theme. It both does and does not fit in with the
music overlay.
• It is a very mystical with what is happening
which fits in with the music however it can
make the audience feel the opposite way to
relaxed as they do not know what is going on.
• This is usually an intention of a director to make
the audience feel like within a thriller film

4. 0.57s
• The third scene is a complete contrast towards
the previous two scenes, it is not animated but in
real life, it zooms out of an extreme close up on
the stereo to revel a small snippet of the
background surrounding it.
• The background shows that this scene is set in a
dessert-like area like the middle east, the sand
bags suggest that it could be a war area. This can
make the audience feel more comfortable as they
are finally in a setting rather than the previous
scenes, however it can make them feel
uncomfortable and scared as the setting looks
dangerous.
• The subtitles at the bottom show the date and
location of the scene, this gives the viewer basic
information about the setting.
• 1minute 02seconds
• As the camera zooms out further two
characters are revealed, they look middle
eastern and wearing war-like clothes. The
both look relaxed, this is shown by both
characters by sitting down causally and with
one smoking a cigarette, this can make the
audience feel relaxed as it doesn’t look like
anything bad is going to happen.
• One of the characters is casually holding an
RPG, by seeing this can automatically make
the viewer on uncomfortable as it is not
normal to have an RPG and defiantly not by
just casually sitting down with one.
• In the far background there looks to be a
helicopter flying towards the two men, this
adds questions to what is happening/going
to happen in this scene.

5. • 1minute 5seconds
• When the helicopter fly's closer into the shot
there appears to be two people hanging down
from it, this makes the viewer feel on edge as they
know something bad is going to happen, when the
pervious two characters notice the helicopter
approaching them they jump up and attempt to
shoot it down, the helicopter people shoots one
bullet each and kills both characters.
• This shows the contrast between the characters
and can tell the viewer that they are the more
superior people and can also show that they will
be the main focus in the film
1minute 6 seconds
• The helicopter carries on flying over the scene
like nothing has happened, the music begins to
speed up and build up to the chorus which can
almost give a sigh of relieve to the viewer as they
find out that the helicopter features the “good
guys”.
• It can also make the audience feel tense about
what is going to happen as the music is building
up really fats compared to the slow relaxing
music previously played.

6. • 1minute 15seconds
• A high angle pan of the helicopter is swiftly
followed by an extreme long shot showing a
castle-like building, the music suddenly gets to the
fast beat chorus, as soon as this happens the
helicopter fires missiles at the building,
• It comes across as giving an comedy effect to what
is happening.
• The lack of information is purposely done to make
the audience more gripped as they question what
is happening.
The use of computer
generated imagery was used
when editing in the
production company's titles.

7. 1minuite 48seconds
• The Focus is placed on the central character who appears to be tied up. He is
represented in such a that it is clear to the audience that he may be the villain.
• The use of low key lighting has connotations to evil, mystery and a possible
threat which this scene is causing. This follows the thriller convention of
displaying villains in a dark lighting

8. OVERALL OPINION OF
OPENING SEQUENCE
• Through the entirety of the opening sequence,
One location has been fully established, which
we are able to recognised clearly as being one
of the villains safe houses . This can be clearly
seen through the desert environment.
• As a whole the opening sequence in my
opinion has been successful in highlighting key
conventions of a thriller.