This document analyzes the opening shots of the film "The Wolf of Wall Street". It summarizes each shot, noting how it introduces the reckless lifestyle of the main character through shots of him throwing a small man as a gambling game in his office, driving dangerously in a Ferrari with a woman performing a sexual act on him, and panning shots that showcase his large mansion and luxury possessions. The analysis notes how these shots use techniques like unique transitions, professional camerawork, and risky behavior to entice the audience and showcase the extreme wealth and lifestyle of the protagonist.

1. WOLF OF WALL STREET ANALYSIS

2. This is the first shot of the film, and starts with all the businessmen looking eagerly to the
left of the screen, until a small man is launched onto the red and yellow board on the right
side of the screen. It is later revealed that this small man was thrown by the main character
as a way of gambling money.

3. This shot shows the office that this strange version of darts is being played, filled with
what are presumably businessmen. The odd thing about this intro is the confusion it
gives the audience, as they have no idea what is going on for the first 20 seconds of the
movie, because nothing is explained, all that is audible is the shouting of all these men in
the office.

4. This shot follows on from the small man being launched from two men in business
attire, after one shouts about the next person to hit a bullseye getting a load of money,
and throwing that money onto the floor. This shot is very unique, and lets the viewer
see the throwing from a first person perspective. I like when the shot freezes and has
commentary over it, and I think this would be good to include in our movie intro in
some way.

5. This is a shot similar to the last, allowing the audience to see a different person at the
same time, more specifically, the main character here, right after throwing the small man.
The commentary starts to talk about his life, and what caused him to become the man
that he is in this shot.

6. This shot pans very quickly as this Ferrari drives past, and changes colour from red
to white after the commentator complains that his Ferrari was white. This type of
unique transitions is unique and please s the audience because it is professionally
done and adds humour to the intro.

7. This is a medium long shot of the Ferrari that has just turned white, showing it
speed off into the distance, weaving through cars dangerously. This shows that the
main character can be very wreckless at times, living dangerously because he has a
rich lifestyle. All that can be heard is the engine of this car.

8. This is a shot of the main character, driving his Ferrari while a woman's head
moves up and down on his lap. From his facial expressions it is assumed that he is
receiving some form of sexual pleasure. This makes the audience want to keep
watching because the use of taboo imagery entices them

9. This shot is a panning zooming out shot of a large house. This is a visually enticing way of
showing how much the main character actually owns. This includes a tennis court, a large
garage with several cars, and of course, the massive mansion. All that can be heard is
ambience of the camera zooming out, and general house sounds. The audience would
enjoy this shot because it looks professional, and shows how much the protagonist
actually owns

10. This long shot of the main characters wife lying on a bed is one of many shots simply
lying around showing off her model body. The audio of this sequence of shots is a
commentary, the main character talking about his wife's career as a model, basically
showcasing his wife in a way that will satisfy the male gaze, and encourage them to keep
watching.

11. This is the first shot of the intro in which a character looks directly into the camera,
creating a new form of bond with the audience, and allowing them to connect
with this new character that has been introduced, maybe even more than the
connection with the commentator, because this bond is visual. This shot is also a
way of making the sequence of shots seem like they are part of a model photo-
shoot.

12. This grainy footage of a luxury lifestyle, clinking champagne glasses, water-skiing,
and the flashy interior of a yacht is another way of showing how rich this character
is, as he commentates what he owns over this footage, making it seem like a
documentary more than anything, informing the viewer of how good this mans
lifestyle is.

13. This smart use of a helicopters lights fading out a black screen is another well used piece
of editing, again making the movie seem like its very professionally made, encouraging
them to watch more. The subtitle ‘Later that night’ makes the whole intro seem like one
continuous day involving several different events, showing how busy this character is. As
the helicopter enters the screen, the light brightens up the screen slightly, allowing the
viewer to see a high angle shot of the characters mansion at night, and obviously the
helicopter.

14. Here is a close up shot of the protagonist as he attempts to sleep and fly a helicopter
simultaneously, proven to be going very wrong judging from the loud noises of the
helicopter swirling, and the mans facial expressions next to him, making the audience
worry for the protagonists safety, as he may crash this helicopter. This demonstration of
his dangerous lifestyle again shows how different this characters life is to everyone,
making the audience want to keep watching to see what shenanigans he may get up to
in this film.