2. Group Names & Responsibilities
Patrycia
Esere
Shivonne
Courtney
CAM SAMC + Some
Sound + 1 narrative
theory
Narrative structure
+ MES + 1 narrative
theory
Editing + 1 narrative Purpose/
structure
Conventions +
Some sound + 1
narrative structure
3. Red Lights
Film Details
Genre
Mystery, Drama,
Thriller
Year
2012
Director
Rodrigo Cortes
Cast
Robert De Niro
Sigourney
Weaver
Cillian Murphy
Elizabeth Olsen
Leonardo
Sbaraglia
5. Purpose (Thriller)
• The purpose of this genre is to create
anticipation, tension and excitement for the
audience.
• They tend to be adrenaline rushing and
stimulate the viewer’s mood giving them a
high level of uncertainty and expectation.
6. Purpose (Opening Sequence)
The purpose of this opening sequence is:
1. Create suspense and tension for the
audience
2. Introduce all members involved in the film
(Credits)
3. Hints to what audience what to expect
throughout the film (Polaroid pictures of
dead bodies = Mystery)
4. Create the enigma of investigation and
crime.
7. Conventions
General Conventions Of Genre
Conventions Of ‘Red Light’
Similar Films
(REINFORCED OR CHALLENGED)
1. Mysterious lighting( low key)
REINFORCED- Intense lighting is used only
at climatic points
By Any Means
2. Sinister hints (Clues to crime or mystery)
REINFORCED- Polaroid pictures of dead
bodies and images of skulls etc.
Se7en
3. Dark, grey and white/black theme
colours (Shadows create an eerie
atmosphere)
REINFORCED- The theme colours in this
opening sequence are predominantly dark
and shadowy.
The Conjuring
4. Dense, fast-paced volume control in
score music at climatic points
REINFORCED- Most pivotal images are
accompanied with fast-pace score music
True Detective
5. The narrative includes a puzzle or
investigation
REINFORCED- The pictures and images of
graphs, photos and the aeroplane create a
puzzle like narrative
Black Sails
6. Protagonist and antagonist are
introduced
CHALLENEGED- The use of setting and
props are mainly used instead.
Seconds
8. Camera Shots
CLOSE UP
EXTREME CLOSE UP
PURPOSE
-No establishing shot
used so detail would
not be shown, this
keeps it a mystery.
Solves the enigma ( why was the man
having survey without an
professional doctor.)
Suggests that the film contains Alien
stuff/research as its a newpaper.
Only an eye is shown therefore we cannot
see the character. It creates
mystery/suspense because the audience
would want the character to be revelled .
The audience can read the words so maybe
it could give a hint about the storyline.
-Closer shots creates
tension along with
the music.
9. Camera Angles
CANTED
LOW ANGLE
PURPOSE
- Show a greater image
and make it easier for
audience to view as it is
fast pace.
It matches the oblique style of
credits.
Shown in low angle so that we
can see the entire object, if it
was closer it would be implicit.
Photo of Jesus- Canted so that
it doesn’t show the entire
photo only the main details.
Again, Aliens make the audience
feel uncomfortable almost
creating thrills.
10. Camera Movements
ZOOMING
Credits are in this
motion so it gets the
viewers attention.
PANNING
Shows religion is
involved.
REVERSE ZOOM
It could represent
history as its vintage
style.
TILT
Symbolizes some
science and
research going on.
PURPOSE
-Shows every
angle which
means
audience can
see full
image as it is
quick pace
therefore if
there was no
tilting or
zooming
involved it
would be
implicit.
11. MES- Setting
Surgical equipment- needle
Bright white light behind
•Suggests its a surgical room
Cross
•Suggests that there is religious
aspects
• Isolated, dark urban hallway/ alley
• Tension is built, with mysterious
dark settings
13. MES- Lighting
High key lighting
•At the climatic point
•Overexposed
•Strong contrasting colours- Black &
White- almost blind the audience
•Purpose- to confuse the audience
Red lighting
•At the start
•Links to the title
•Flashes of red lights- car lights in
the dark
•Available lighting•E.g. Lamp posts
•To make the opening sequence
seem naturalistic
14. MES- Character
Term
Prop
Cross
•Shows that the character may be
religious
•Turns to religion for guidance- low
angle
•Suggests that religion is dominating
and superior
Surgical Scissors
•Shows that the character may be
some sort of scientist/ doctor
15. MES- Character
Term
Prop
Symbol- frog & text in a different
language
•Suggests that the character may
perform a ritual
Newspaper
‘Spontaneous Combustion Suspect’
•Suggests that the character is
associated with chemicals
•Or interested with that topic
17. MES- Character
Term
Facial
Expression
Hidden- Low Key Lighting
•Suggests that the character is
mysterious- Mystery genre
•Wants to keep their identity hidden
Body
Language
Over the shoulder•Suggests that the character is
frustrated
• He couldn't stay still- fidgeting
20. Sound
• Non-Diegetic Score Music:
-
Slow Pace (Pace does increase throughout the clip)
Dramatic (Creates Tension)
-
Classical instruments are used. (Eg Violin, Drums and French Horn)
•Sound Effects :
-Foley (When the photo of Jesus appears and gets blurry, this matches the sound
effect & Special Effect)
•Volume Control :
-As more instruments start to enter the clip, volume control starts getting loud
therefore tension rises.
21. Pace
• The text appears and dissolve out slow but
then the insert shots move in and out really
fast. So there is an contrast which could mean
that’s something could be building up slowly
then all of a sudden there is a lot of tension
and then everything happens so quick.
22. Time
• The time for red lights was mainly ellipsis
because its not telling you the story so you
establish the discourse time. Some of the
shots you fill in the gaps yourself because
there are pauses.
23. Cutting
• There is a lot of straight cuts. The purpose of
this could be that it could be showing a
contrast between the shots. An example is the
shot of the statue of Jesus and then the next
shot is pictures of people that are dead also
there are jump cuts because one shot jumps
to another.
24. Transitions
Transitions
Evidence
Purpose
Fade to black
This is to show the ending
of that scene so the time
period.
Flashes to white
This highlights that it could
have been a memory or a
flashback.
Dissolve
It makes the text
noticeable and a softer
transition
25. Special Effects
• There was mostly black and white effect but
there is a shot that had an x-ray effect. The
purpose of this could be to create mystery and
suspense and to create a lot of enigmas. It can
also symbolise the past or flash backs. There is
also fast forward in one scene.
27. Narrative Theory
Todorov
5 Stages
Equilibrium
Is it equilibrium, disequilibrium or new
equilibrium in the opening sequence?
•Its hard to distinguish, because we’re not shown the
full movie
Disequilibrium
•It’s an opening sequence- information is restricted
Recognition of
equilibrium
Attempt to repair
equilibrium
New equilibrium
•Therefore, it doesn’t have a linear narrative structure
28. #2 Narrative Theory
Propp
Character representation is implicit and cannot
be identified because the setting is low and
high key lighting. The variety of shots used are
exreme close up shot therefore they cannot
be identified specifically which makes it
mysterious. The movements are also fast pace
so they are hard to see.
29. NARRATIVE THEORY
Barthes
Enigma Codes
Action Codes
Semantic Codes
Symbolic Codes
The use of montage
editing creates a
investigation/puzzle
enigma.
Action:
Colour:
Darkness:
•Street lights shaking.
•Hands placed on a
middle light.
•Cross with Jesus on it.
•The grey and
black/white colours
connote mystery, fear
and dead in this opening
sequence.
•The predominant use of
black and shadows
creates an ominous,
unnatural atmosphere.
It is associated with
deaths, skulls and evil.
It has audiences
questioning:
Assumptions:
•Who’s dead bodies are
in the Polaroid pictures?
•Why are images and
writings in a book?
•Why is there a
aeroplane taking off?
Experience:
•Someone is running
from or to something
and is in a car.
•Dead body with arms
stretched out.
•A person is in church,
asking for forgiveness.
•The use of historian,
suspicious images as
well as graphs and
Polaroid hint to the
audience that there is an
investigation or
intellectual person on a
mission.
Iconography:
•Newspapers, graphs,
white drawings, books
and writing and skulls
= Psychological Thriller.
Lightness:
•The use of bright
lighting and white hints a
sense of hope and
direction. It is
associated with religion,
street lights and
medication/health.
Cultural Codes
Injections, Polaroid
pictures, aeroplane,
books, operation, these
all interpret the themes
of violence and crime.
30. Narrative Theory
Cameron
Anachronic
Forking Path
This opening
sequence is not
anachronic
because:
• There are no
flashbacks.
• It doesn’t repeat
scenes.
• The scenes
doesn’t relate to
one thing.
The opening
sequence is not
forking path
because:
• It doesn’t show
one single event
• There is not a
numerous.
plotline that
contradict with
one another.
Split Screen
Red lights is not a
split screen
because:
• It doesn’t
divided the
screen into two
or more.
• It doesn’t go in
time-based .
Episodic
Its more anthology
because:
• The shots
doesn't connect
with the other
shot.
• They are
different shots
but they share a
similarity.
