Ewo says to the director Chrisophe Gans, "The concept that I proposed was simple: a subjective camera moves 'Silent-Hillish,' in which one passes the creatures of the film and photographs of the actors, torn, pinned... All that in a pop/rock music video style. To sell the idea, I rendered the thirty first seconds of the credits with After Effects, based on the idea that my principal constraint (the impossibility of modeling complicated 3-D objects in After Effects) was going to push me to find solutions similar to those used by the designers of the game. On a visual level, I took inspiration from the Silent Hill 2 game and from pictures of abandoned hospitals that I found on the net."
This black and white montage edited film opening is cleverly shot through jarry flashbacks and overlayed imagery to reveal strong settings for the narrative. A fast-paced, energetic yet dark title sequence by French designer Kook Ewo uses similar styles we have been considering for our opening sequence. By technically deconstructing the first few minutes of the fillm I was able to identify shot by shot techniques and transition methods at a micro level. Particular techniques included the repeated use of a zoom from a long shot to a close up through a blurred focus, to later focus on the close up image in a static shot, photos of marginalised characters places in the side on the frame, at eye level stuck to the wall but overlayed with white text to contrast the dark eery setting . When the main creature character is shot, she is given direct prevalence in the narrative by being positioned central in the frame as either a long shot to establish the character in its place in the setting, allowing the audience to see the body language for example 'Shot 20' or a close up to portray the creatures creepy facial expression and the use of makeup and costume, 'Shot 29'.
Tracking is a technique repeatedly used to create the sense of a disjointed searility, alowing the audience to view the setting in the frantic style the camera tracks it in, through the use of handy cam shooting. The camera often tracked the room in a blurred focus then revealed a static image but clearly focusing on it. Birds eye view angles were used on the characters to give direct portrayal they are the focus in the narrative but canted angles were also successfully used to create an abstract and on edge feel to the audience. Tracking left on a canted angle worked very well in 'shot 2' to establish the dark underground setting. At 'shot 5' the camera tracks out from a room through bars to a medium shot at a canted angle then dissolves to a black backdrop. Another technique I think we should consider using is the use of a camera arc in handy cam shooting as used in 'shot 8', swivveling anticlockwise at a low angle to really pull the audience into the dramatic area with a quick stop to a static image to drag their mind around the narrative.
A white font is the first thing the audience sees against a black background 'shot 1' with the text on the left hand side, a technique used throghout the opening as a traditional horror technique of contrasting colours to create a mysterious edgy setting. Finger prints, smudges and scratches are overlayed in the static images of the characters, as seen in 'shot 11' filmed in a jointy flashy style to create a certain surreality about the character.
Through analysing 'Silent Hills' film opening I am now condidering the use of many shots and techniques of a similar style shooting used. For example the following..
- A close up shot of the character in a mirror with a jarry handy cam footage feel, perhaps at a canted angle so the audience is able to view the characters movements in the reflection
- A medium shot of blood dripping into water from a birds eye view angle, followed by a zoom out, track out and an arc shot to reveal another image
- A medium long shot on the girl, a static image with overlayed imagery and text
- Close up of girl laughing shot with a blurred zoom to then focus on an extreme close up of her eye a technique used in 'The Reaping' followed by a dissolve or jump cut to an ECU of the dolls eye
- Long shot canted/low angle of the psychicatric room
- Extreme long shot of the house, the stock location where the drama will unfold
- A medium shot from the point of view on the interior of the dolls house, as used in 'The lovely bones' so the audience can see both the dolls house but also the character in the center of the frame
- A close up of a jarred image shot through a coloured mirror torch
Outstanding technical analysis Kitty.
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