The document provides a detailed shot-by-shot analysis of the opening sequence of a film. It describes how the dark imagery, lighting, sound design, and positioning of elements in each shot work to slowly build tension and mystery around a man found floating lifeless in the water. Clues are gradually provided through the shots that suggest he was in the military and had some kind of accident at sea. The document examines how each subsequent shot reveals new information while maintaining an unsettling mood through the use of darkness, rough weather, and an ominous soundtrack.

1. By Thomas Coatsworth

2. You hear the sound before the film starts.The sound is off wind, this
suggests darkness and trouble. In the first shot you see the dark and murky
water suggesting danger.The lighting is very dark again suggesting there’s
something bad that has happened.The image shows a man’s body floating
in water, this connotates that the man has been left in the water to die
looking at the way he is floating and being overwhelmed by the water.

3. There are lightning strikes all around him, this suggests again trouble or the
light from the lightning suggests something good. The character is
positioned in the corner of the shot, this suggests he is not the main focus
and the water is.This is saying that the water is more powerful than the
character, it is overwhelming him.

4. You then see a boat, now you can see the rain and the rough sea which is
backed up by the sound to create a really dark setting.This is an establishing
shot.The image of the boat connotates safety and a source of rescue for the
character in the water. The shot is quite a long shot as it shows the boat
moving along, this is suggesting it is a very important part of the scene.The
lighting again is very dark suggesting again of the dark mood.

5. The next shot the camera pans down into a room with a group of people
playing cards. This is a cut in/ cut away shot which makes you realise that
these people are in the boat you see earlier.The characters are roughly
dressed, this connotates that they have been out on the boat for a long
time.The lighting is light which contrasts to the darkness outside suggesting
again that safety is in the boat. The camera is shaking around to give the
idea of the boat swaying around on the sea.

6. You then see another establishing shot of the open sea. There is titles at the
bottom stating the location of which the scene is set. This is the first clue
given about what might have happened and may be helpful later on in the
film.The shot itself is a very long shot of the sea so again it is suggesting
that the sea is the most powerful and once again the lighting is very dark.

7. You then get a closer up view of the character as the camera is zooming in.
the zooming in can suggest something is coming towards him or something
is going to happen creating tension. Also for the first time you can clearly
see a flashing item on the character which now puts in the idea that the
character may be alive as the flashing represents hope and life.

8. In the next shot you can see a man stumbling around the boat, the camera is
moving side to side to emphasise the swinging of the boat. This is a body-
mid shot and puts the emphasis on the legs struggling to keep him up
straight.There is the non-diegetic sound which creates a tense feeling and
diegetic sound emphasises the weather and the conditions.You can also now
see from the clothing the man is wearing that the boat is a fishing boat,
again giving a clue about the location and what might have happened.

9. You then get a medium close up of the man on the boat and the expression
on his face is of intriugment.This connotates that the man may have seen
something in the water and most likely the character we saw earlier in the
film.You can now see the rain on his jacket showing the rain and again the
lighting is extremely dark.

10. You then have a shot reverse shot, shot reverse shot.There is eyeline match
up between the guy on the boat and the character floating in the water.The
diegetic sound is of the lighting and there still is the non-diegetic sound which
is getting louder and faster connotating that something is going to happen. It
is close up shots of the man to show how he is reacting to seeing the guys
body in the water.

11. In the last shot you now get a real close up shot of the man in the water and
you can identify slightly that by the clothes you can now see he is from a
military background.The non-diegetic sound has now got louder and faster
as if it is reaching a peak. The position of the character is right in the middle
of the shot emphasising he is now the main focus.

12. When the titles roll in they all come in mixed up, this could be representing
the film as it is all unclear at this moment in time.The colour of the titles is
blue, representing the sea and the blackness in the background representing
the dark mood. The font of the titles as well is very military.