'The Imitation Game' Analysis
We analysed the opening speech of 'The Imitation Game' as this had a very similar atmosphere and mood as we wanted to create for our film opening. Because of this, we thought it would be a good idea to look at it and see what conventions it uses.
The establishing shot is a mid-shot which shows the audience a man sat at a table in a room, presumably waiting for someone. There is a pan to show that the rest of the room is empty which makes the man seem even more significant as he and the table are the only things of interest in the shot.
Tension is created in different ways in this part of the opening. The fast-paced and repetitive Non-Diegetic music in the background is effective in building the tension, as well as the fact that the tracking shot which shows another man entering the room does not reveal his identity at first as it only shows his back. This causes the audience to wonder who he is and why we are not allowed to see his face right away. The lowkey lighting used also helps with setting the tension high as it gives it a creepy and disturbing feel.
In the next shot, a mid two-shot, we are shown the relationship between these two characters as they face each other, and although they are both wearing smart suits, the fact that neither man greets the other tells us that these are more likely to be enemies than associates.
It then cuts to a blackout for a few seconds, during which a voiceover begins, before cutting to a slow pan along a desk, revealing stacks of paper and broken objects. The voiceover continues as titles are overlayed onto the pan. This has the audience questioning what relevance this desk has to the two men and how it came to be in such a state.
What follows is a number of shorter shots that show a message being sent regarding the state of the room that the desk was found in. There is a shot of some workers in a call centre, which not only acts as a stepping stone in the storyline, but also shows us through the mise-en-scene, both costume and setting, that this is set most likely in the 1940's or 50's. You can still hear the diegetic sounds of the telephones and other things, whilst the voiceover remains the focal audio. Adding these different layers of audio creates more depth and keeps the audience involved as it shows what the people in these different shots would be hearing. Following this, the Non-Diegetic music picks up in tempo and becomes more layered, giving the impression that somethings is about to happen so it is building up to it.
The next few shots show the letter being delivered through a range of different shots such as birds-eye-view and long shots. This gives more variation in the shot types, whilst also allowing the voiceover to finish what he is saying.
An extreme close-up of the telegram reveals a name and some information about the sequence of events that we have just seen. Interestingly, this information creates more questions for the audience than it answers, keeping them hooked and wanting to find out the answers later on in the film. This is complimented by the voiceover stopping at this point after making a very vague statement, leaving the story shrouded in mystery.
The final shot in this opening is the reaction of the man who has received the telegram. We are aware that he has something to do with MI6 (as we are told this during the sequence of short shots) and we can assume, based on the mise-en-scene that he must be rather important due to his very formal clothing and his large office.
The use of a mid-shot here was very effective, as it gives us a clear view of this man's confused expression whilst also showing us some of the objects on his desk, such as the stack of books, implying that he is a well-educated man. All of this information leaves the audience questioning who the man on the telegram 'Alan Turing' is and why him being robbed is such a big deal that it needs to be brought to the attention of someone who holds such a high position in the Secret Service.