Assessement 2: Analysis of an opening sequence (Saw 2)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FIhQ5IrxSPc




In the opening sequence, we're in darkness until a light bulb comes on, which gets quite bright (establishing shot). When the light bulb comes on, we hear a digetic sound, someone breathing; their breathing is loud- which suggests that they're in trouble. The camera then goes into a tilt/pan shot, moving from the light bulb, then into a ventilator, and then to a wall, the breathing is getting louder. As the camera keeps moving, non-digetic sound is used, wind like sound- with a touch of synthesized music that you can just about hear. The camera's movement then comes to a halt- were we see as the audience would assume-the victim who is making the digetic breathing sounds. The camera uses the mirror to look at the victim indirectly, here we see lots of blood around his right eye, his mouth suddenly widens as soon as he sees this, with his left eyebrow risen (a bit like the rocks). He the victim, checks his face by touching it, just to check he was not imagining what he was seeing. The camera then zooms out, giving a long shot; the shot shows us the room and the victim on a chair, which has something strapped around him. The camera then zooms in and gives a bird’s eye view of the victim; the victim who we can now see his face and body, screams for help. We then see 'cut-away action by seeing several shots of his face, yelling for help, to which the camera then zooms in to a mask with spikes in, with a touch of non digetic sound, which as well as the apparent spikes, suggests danger/death. The camera then zooms out, showing the victim on his feet, looking dazed and confused. Cross cutting is then used for when the television comes on, which shows the 'infamous jigsaw killer' (who kidnaps people and places them in traps, in order to appreciate life) the cross cut then goes back to the victim (or as we find out Michael) who stares at the television. A medium close up is used to show the victim breathing heavily and sweating, whilst listening to the 'jigsaw killer. The jigsaws words stagger Michael when he refers him as a ''snitch, unworthy of the body you possess'' the camera keeps cross cutting between the two, were jigsaw tells him in order to save himself from the 'Venus fly trapper like mask, he must remove his right eye in order to get the key, which is on a timer (it shows you an x-ray of his skull and were the key is). The camera zooms in on the timer, which starts ticking. This then shows you several cut a ways, of him attempting to get the key, the timer and the x ray, with non digetic sound played and getting more paced as the timer ticks. The timer runs out, which consequently means that the mask will shut, does and kills him.