The opening sequence of the film Red Lights utilizes quick cuts between mysterious shots that leave the audience with many questions. These include extreme close-ups of photographs and an injection that are not clearly explained. Barthes' theories of the enigma code and symbolic code apply as the title and images aim to confuse and symbolize something deeper. The sequence moves at a fast pace with a thrilling score and jumps between shots in a nonlinear montage style.

2. Task 1 Task 2 Task 3
Nicole Purpose/conventions MES Narrative
Theory:
Barthes
Abigail CAM SAM Sound Narrative
Theory:
Cameron
Russ Editing Narrative Narrative
Theory:

3. Film Details
Genre Drama, Mystery,
Thriller
Year 2012
Director Rodrigo Cortes
Main Actor Cillian Murphy
Sigourney Weaver
Robert De Niro
Joely Richardson
Elizabeth Olsen
Toby Jones
Leonardo
Sbaraglia

6. Thriller Drama Mystery
• To keep the • To relate to the • To keep the
audience on their audience audience
feet with an emotionally. guessing who the
adrenaline rush. • To make the suspect may be.
• To provide the audience see
audience with a things in a
sudden rush of different light.
emotions,
excitement, sense
of suspense.

7. Thriller Drama Mystery
• High tension • The real life issues • Long cuts.
which will lead up featured. For • The music to build
example, death,
to the climax. miscarriage, poverty,
up the
• Quick cuts. stereotyping etc. suspension.
• Music that builds • Shows a characters • They make you
up the tension. development. think everybody is
• Flashbacks. • Conflict between two a suspect.
characters.
• Cliff hangers. • Black and
White.

8. Camera Evidence Purpose
shots used
Close up The camera focus on •To focus on the
the injection and injection and to not
blurs the background show the
background, to
creates
•Close up of polaroid
Tattered pictures makes the
pictures writing on them visible
suggest to the audience
that these
images are
old
Extreme •Create enigma and
close up to make the
audience question
how is this related to
the film
Able to read the words in
Extreme close up on the iris the book to realize that its in
of the eye another language

9. Camera Evidence Purpose
shots used
Establishing •To establish the
shot setting of the film
This shot shows the
full setting of where
the plane is landing
Over the Old man sitting in •This shot hides the
shoulder front of a desk characters face to
suggest that the
character is
unimportant
Shows the character

10. Camera Evidence Purpose
angles used
Low angle •The purpose of low
angle is to make an
object or character
seem superior
however this
contradicts with the
character as they
look helpless
This angle shows a female chained to a wall however
doesn’t show full setting around the character
Canted •Disorientate and
The tilted
angle confuse the
disorientat audience
es the
audience
Creates enigma as the audience want to know
who’s hand are those and what are they doing

11. Reverse Zoom
As the camera zooms out more information and detail is revealed.
Example 1:
Example
2:
The camera zooms out with a slow speed so audience can identify each Polaroid picture

12. Lab Research Facility.
Surgical equipment
Deserted pitch
black hallway Road – Pitched
suggest that black, with head
nobody uses that lights lighting up
pathway. parts of the road.

13. Lighting Screen Grab
Low Key
Flashing red lights over the title.
Head lights of a passing cars.
Towards the end the lighting goes
to overexposed. Simply black and
white.

14. Term Screen Grab and Annotation
Representation Some sort of doctor or
scientist from the
needle, article clippings
and the x ray-of the
skull.
Body Language
Tense. Could
not stay still,
had to always
be touching
something.

15. Term Screen Grab and Annotation
Props
A crucifix
meaning they
are somewhat
religious.
The image is of a Book is in a
frog which could different
suggest that they language.
are trying to perform
a spell/ritual.
Surgical scissors used to
cut animals.

16. Term Screen Grab and Annotation
Props
Scientist articles. Heading
reads ‘Spontaneous
combustion suspected’.
Meaning they some sort of
specialist that works with
chemicals or interested in
them.
Needle with bright white
background which could suggest a
surgical room or hygiene.
The wheels of the operating
tray.

17. Term Screen Grab and Annotation
Costume N/A

18.  Continuity Editing
1. 180 degree rule
2. Match on action
3. Eye-line matching
4. Cross cutting
5. Inserts shots
6. Sound bridging
 Pace
 Time
 Cutting
 Transitions
 Special Effects

19. The cuts jump from
one shot to
another, it doesn’t
flow smoothly, this
is montage editing.
Insert shot showing
different pages of the
book

20. The pace is fast
 Thrilling
 Exciting
 The cuts are short
 the scene is jumping from one thing to
the next

21.  Graphic match
 Fade in and out
 Cuts overlapping

22.  Black and white
 Colour red
 Lights of the city
 Contrast

23. •Majority of the sound heard in this opening sequence is non diegetic as its
score music which cannot be heard by the characters and is specifically
composed for the film.
•The volume control within this opening sequence varies from low between
low and high
Title of film and credits is
non diegetic
•The sound of the airplane
is diegetic
•Sound of airplane landing
is created by naturalistic
sound effects to emphasis
the sound for the
audience
•This sound of the airplane
landing is synchronous

24. It is non linear as some scenes looks like it is
a flashback.

25.  Barthes theory of ‘Enigma Code’ does apply to Red
Lights opening sequence because of the many times
you are left wondering/questioning who’s those people
in the photographs or who’s the injection for. Etc.
 Barthes theory of ‘Symbolic Code‘ does apply to Red
Lights as the title ‘Red Lights’ could have another
meaning as red lights symbolises stop.
 Barthes theory of ‘Cultural Code’ does apply to Red
Lights as the equipment used in the opening sequence
is more modern than the equipment they would use
years ago.

26.  Cameron’s theory of modular narrative
couldn’t be applied to this opening sequence
as there was no forking path, episodic,
anachronic or split screen.

27.  Equilibrium
 Disequilibrium
 Equilibrium
 Recognition of disequilibrium
 New equilibrium
 Cannot tell from the opening sequence.