The student analyzed the opening of the film "The Edge" which depicts a boy chased through an abandoned parking garage by two men in suits who are trying to retrieve something he has. The opening utilizes various cinematic techniques effectively such as ellipsis editing to build tension, slow motion and flashbacks to convey the character's fear and panic, and point-of-view shots to show what the character sees. It also uses lighting, costumes, props and setting in a way that matches the thriller genre and leaves the viewer wanting more.

1. STUDENT FILM OPENING
ANALYSIS
By Hadley Stones

2. THE EDGE
 The Student film opening I chose to Analyse was Rory Campbell's
Film "The Edge" which was about a boy who was pictured in an
abandoned tower block car park with something he shouldn't
have and 2 men in suits are sent to go and get it back anyway
they can or have to.

3. EDITING

4. TITLES
 The titles used in the film opening are relevant to the
film genre from what is seems as well as where they're
placed in the shots they are placed in very neat and
relevant places and suit the scenes well.

5. ELLIPSIS
There was a good few uses of ellipsis in this film opening
with allowed it to look very disoriented and very
distressed as the main character was panicking also it
allowed us to think that he has no way of escaping that
they was at his every turn.

6. VISUAL EFFECTS
 The used of slow motion at the end which follows a flash back
scene shows his past events flash before his eyes and he is that
scared that time slows down and he is motionless as a result of
fear as he has a gun drawn on him.

7. FILTERS
 The filter used in the shot below shows an over layered filter on
the shot which portrays the sense of disturbed but a calm feel to
the clip. Also this technique is used to set a mood for the scene
before things get hectic. The filter then breaks from a distraught
scene to full colour when he is outside which sort of symbolises
reality but when he's in the tower block it represents fear and
containment.

8. FLASH BACK SCENE
 There is a use of a flashback scene in the clip to give the
impression of the chase and the adrenaline fuelled chase that
has just happened and sort of gives of the saying of your life
“flashing before your eyes” and this gives of the feelings of panic
and fear that the main character is feeling as a gun is drawn on
him

9. FOCUS PULL
 There is a focus pull in he opening where he is on the roof and is
facing away from the door and then the camera focuses to the
background and shows the two men coming onto the roof and
blurs out the character in front of the camera and this then
shows that we can see them he cant for a split second before he
turns around.

10. SOUND
 The sound used was very minimal in terms of diegetic dialogue
which wasn’t needed because the way in which the scenes ran
told the story itself without needing speech. There was a use of
non diegetic music which gave an enigmatic feel to the piece.

11. CAMERA

12. P.O.V SHOT
 The point of view shots used in The Edge are to show you what
the main character sees and from his perspective and can be
seen to show what is in his eye line coupled with a mid shot to
see what the rest of us can see what he cant for example in the
second shot we can see what's in front of him but we can then
see the person chasing behind him. This shot also gives of the
sense of fear as we don’t know where the other man is when we
only see the boys perspective.

13. CLOSE UP SHOTS
 The use of close ups shots show details of important things and points
throughout the film opening and they make it clear what we should
be focusing on in the film such as what he has in his hand in the first
elevator scene shows that its and important thing he has in his hands
and then its clear after, that its what the men in the suits chasing him
mare after. Also the close ups show us who the main character is
such as in the elevator scene after the cut away to the two men
entering the building.

14.  There are two opposite sets of filming when the chase scene
begins, it is very erratic filming when the man chasing the boy is
being the filmed and very shaken chase scenes but with the
other man who simply walks to the elevator all calm and the
camera work is very calm and steady which is a good use of
contrast in the opening and shows how both men choose to
deal with the situation and sort of brings the feeling of the tortoise
and the hare and the one who takes his time catches the boy at
the end.

15. MISE EN SCENE

16. COSTUME
 The costume used in the film opening matches the
stereotypes of the characters they play such as with the
two men sent to get back or get the boy would be
classed as “Hench men” which traditionally wear suits
and if they had wore other things they might have been
able to get with things such as leather jackets or
something but the lad is seen wearing a hoody and
casual trousers which is stereotypical of what teenagers
of his age would wear.

17. LIGHTING
 The lighting used in the film opening is very low key at points such
as when the boy is in the tower block and when he runs back into
it but there is high key lighting being shown when he goes outside
to the roof which sort of shows an escape to the real world and
away from the panic before he goes back into the low key
lighting.
High key
Low key

18. ACTORS
 The use of actors in this opening make the film
opening better because if they had chosen a younger
actors to play the men in suits then it would ruin the
feeling of the feeling of the film as it would just seem
like 2 lads chasing another lad round a parking lot and
look stupid but they chose the right ages for the roles
they played such as the kid was the right age and
shows that when kids get into trouble they don’t
posses the knowledge to get themselves out the
situation they know just to ruin and it will be alright,

19. PROPS
 The props used in this opening are slightly limited but all the ones
used are important because things such as what he has in the
elevator which may appear to be a bomb or something
important. Also the use of a gun which actually looks like a gun
adds to the realism of the opening rather than it be an easy to
see fake which would ruin the suspense of the film. As well as the
use of the roller skates which is used by the boy and a
stereotypical things that a boy would use to outrun people.

20. MAKE-UP
 There was not a big use of make up needed in this film opening
as there was nothing significant needed that I could find.

21. SETTING
 The setting that was used in this opening was good to match the
themes and feelings for the film as it was very enclosed and gave
the idea of no escape no matter where he goes and eventually
he will get caught also its quite a weird and abandoned setting
which gives of many enigmatic questions such as why is he there
? Why is nobody there ? I think they picked a good choice of
setting and used a good use of camera shots to match the
setting.

22. CONCLUSION
 Overall I feel that was a very good and strong media film
opening it used many key technical elements that its chosen
genre which I presume was action and a bit of mystery in it
needed. The use of sets, props, actors, titles, music and editing
made the film opening easy to read but made us wanting more. I
think this film would meet its target audience as it invites viewers
in because it was done to such a good standard. The only gripe I
have with it is the actual title itself I think when it pops up on the
screen it’s a bit cheesy.