We Were Soldiers Opening Scene

Opening Scene
Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YU-RutTOpgA

In the opening scene of We Were Soldiers, the camera pans, quite slowly, across the screen, from right to left. The reason for this is to show the audience the type of terrain that the film is set in. Also, the camera is not on the ground but just off it, and seems to be looking down at the road. This gives the impression that it is in the trees and in a way is spying on the soldiers that are coming down the road.

In this shot, the camera yet again pans from right to left, but the speed quickens slightly. Like the previous shot, the reason for this shot is to show the audience the type of terrain. My first impression of the terrain is that it is quite dry and very warm. Also, the camera is just below the ground, because in the top left hand corner of the screen, the top of the soldiers head's can just be seen.

This shot is filmed just off to the side of the road. This gives the audience the feeling that they are hiding from the oncoming soldiers, almost if they are going to jump out and attack them. This screen shot is not that clear, because there are blades of grass in front of the camera, which also adds to the feeling of lying in wait.

Note that in this shot, the camera is once again looking down at the road and it is almost as if the camera is spying on the soldiers. Also, unlike the previous shot, the camera is not as close to the road or the soldiers but instead is quite far away. This may give the impression that something important may happen, because there are so many different views of the road.

In this shot, the camera goes from being at a distance to quite close up to the two men in the jeep. This is a full close up because only the face is seen in the shot. The camera also stays in the same place while the two men have a brief discussion.

As the audience hear a gunshot, they see a frontal shot of the soldier, who was in the right hand side of the jeep. This is a good shot because it shows him being covered in his commander's blood. Also, because the audience does not get to see him being shot, but instead only see his second-in-command, it adds to the confusion of the situation because no one knows what is going on. Also, this is a medium-close shot, because the soldier's head and shoulders are in the camera's sights.

I like this shot because the camera is at the same height as the soldiers, which makes the audience feel as though they are equals with the soldiers and that they are actually there. Also, when there's the explosion, all of the soldiers take cover and the camera shakes. I like this because it make the audience feel as though they are actually there and looking at the explosion through the eyes of one of the soldiers.

Here, the camera is looking up at the officer, who is ordering the bugler to give a warning. Since the camera is not at eye level with the bugler, it seems like it is crouching on the ground and taking cover from the explosions. Also, since the camera is looking up at the camera, it makes it seems as though they have superiority over the camera and audience.

Once again, the camera is placed back in the trees to give a good view of what is happening. Since the camera is not on the ground, it gives the audience a better view of the battle and a better chance to see the extent of damage that is being done. I like this because the shots vary from different angles which let the viewer see different aspects of the battle.

I like this shot because the camera is just behind the officer and it is also at eye level which means that it is like the viewer could actually be a soldier on the battlefield. Also, this is good because it is a different view of the firefight and in a way it looks as though the audience is looking down the officer's gun sight and when he shoots the enemy soldier, it seems as if the audience are the ones who have pulled the trigger.

Saints and Soldiers Opening Scene

Opening Scene
Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rXVOtfKinaM

The opening scene of Saints and Soldiers makes the audience feel cold and vulnerable. This is because there is snow as well as trees that have no leaves. This also makes the opening look quite bleak because there is no one around. This is a good opening shot because the audience are drawn into it because it is an unusual start to a war film.

This shot tells the audience where the film is taking place which in this case is Malmedy, which is in Belgium. I like this shot because it looks very cold and inhospitable. This is because the colours are quite dark and the white add to the coldness.

I like this shot because it is a very mysterious symbol. This may seem strange but even though it is obvious that it may have belonged to a soldier that was killed, the audience does not know how he was killed. Also, the camera is quite low to the ground which makes it seem as though the audience are looking at it whilst crouching.

In this shot, the camera moves from the left hand side of the screen to the right hand side. During this movement, the audience is able to see people digging. The shot is also filmed from knee level which adds to the mystery of the opening scene because since the audience are not shown any of the soldier's faces, they do not know what is happening or why they are digging.

In this scene, a hand places the number 72 into the snow. This still does not reveal that much to the audience about what is happening but on the other hand, if the audience are unsure of what is happening then they will keep watching it. Also, the camera is quite low to the ground which makes it appear as though the audience are looking crouching.

This is the first shot that the audience sees that is above knee height. In this shot, the audience see that the people who are digging are American Soldiers. Also, the camera is at eye level which makes it seem that the audience are standing next to the actor.

In the next shot, the camera then goes back to knee level and pans from the left hand side of the screen to the right hand side. This shot lets the audience see a soldier with a bunch of dog-tags in his hand. This tells them that there must have been a battle or some sort of fight because the dog-tags should be worn around the neck. Also, this allows them to solve what has happened, because the helmet, number 72 and digging in the previous shots must mean that a lot of soldiers have been killed.

This is a tracking shot, because as the soldier is walking, the camera follows him. Also, this is a good shot because it makes the audience feel as though they are walking with the actor yet they still do not know what they are walking away from. Whilst he is walking away, there are 3 other soldiers who are still digging. The audience can also tell a lot about what is happening by his facial expressions. This is because he looks quite disgusted at what is behind him and so he turns his head away and keeps on walking.

In this shot, the camera is quite low to the ground, which makes the audience feel as though they are looking up at the 2 stretcher-bearers.This automatically gives them a feeling of not being on the same level as the 2 soldiers who are higher up then they are. Also the camera seems as though it is crouched which means that it could be one of the wounded soldiers who are looking up at the medics.

In this shot, the camera is looking down on the dead solider and it can be classed as a birds eye-view shot. The camera then zooms in on the body and finally focuses on his face. This is a good shot because it shows the extent of the fighting, because the man has numerous bullet holes in his body.

Cross of Iron Opening Scene

Opening Scene
Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8U9Sh91htIA

The opening scene of Cross of Iron shows some old fashioned film of Hitler Youth members climbing up the side of a mountain. This straight away tells the audience that the film is from the German soldier point of view.

More black and white footage is shown but then the footage freezes and the screen turns red just as the main character's name appears on the screen. This is a good effect because it changes the colour of the footage as well as stops it to allow the audience to read the actor's name.

The footage then changes back to black and white and more old fashioned footage is shown. In this scene, the camera is filming some German Soldiers who are being awarded medals. This is a good bit of footage to have in the film because the title is called, "Cross of Iron", which is a medal, so people being awarded medals is quite topical.

In this shot the colour yet angain changes to red, but this time the camera is focused on the medal on the soldiers chest. This is also good, because the name of the film is a medal, so it is good to see a medal in the opeing of the film. Also, the medal is not in the centre of the screen but in fact just off the centre. This is because people find things more interesting if they are not exactly in the centre of the screen.

Once the colour changes back to black and white, the footage then shows German soldiers running for cover. The camera is focusing on the lower body, because the camera man was probably taking cover when this was filmed. This is good because it makes the opening more interesting.

Yet again, the colour changes to red whilst the names of the actors appear on the screen.

As the opening of Cross of Iron comes to a close, there are more and more shots of combat footage. This makes the audience feel as though there will be a battle, or some form of skirmish in the next scene.

Survey Results

These are the results from the survey i conducted on what type of film genres people enjoy. Link: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/9SR5Y8J

Kelly's Heroes Opening Scene

Opening Scene:
Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XA9581o27uA

In the opening scene of Kelly's Heroes, the camera is pointing towards a stationary jeep, as German soldiers walk past. The camera is at eye level which gives the audience a sense that they are there because they are the same height as the actors.

The camera then starts to zoom in on the jeep. The actors are still walking past the screen until the camera has zoomed right up close to the jeep, to show its occupants.

The camera is then placed inside the jeep to show the audience who the occupants are. The camera starts by focusing on the German officer on the left hand side of the screen and then pans across the jeep, showing two American soldiers in the back and another one who is driving.

Once the camera has reached the right hand side of the jeep, it then focuses on the driver, who is the main character of the film. Text then appears which says, "Kelly's Heroes". I like this because it has the name of the film next to the main character and it helps the audience know who he is.

This shot is taken from just outside the jeep. The camera is at an eye level height, which makes the audience the same height of the actors. Also, because the actors are walking away from the camera, it gives the audience the sense that they are part of the film and that they are the people inside the stationary jeep.

This is a good shot because it is looking at the jeep as well as the German Military Policeman. This shot is interesting because both items, i.e. the jeep and the soldier are not in the middle of the screen but in fact on different sides of the screen. This is important because people find things more interesting if the actors are not in the centre of the camera.

This shot is taken from inside the driver's seat inside the jeep. It is a Point Of View shot because the driver is not seen yet the audience can see what the driver is seeing. It is also a match-on action shot because in the previous shot, the German MP was turning around and in this scene the audience sees him finishing his turn.

In the next scene the camera is on the bonnet of the jeep and facing the driver. This is a bit like a shot reverse- shot because the camera goes from one perspective to another in a few seconds. It is not a POV shot because the actor is not looking directly towards the camera but instead his eyes are looking off-screen to the left. 

The camera is then in the back of the jeep with the two American soldiers. This is a POV shot because it is from the perspective of one of the soldiers and what he sees when he looks out of the jeep.

In this scene the camera is placed on the bonnet of the jeep and is pointed in towards the occupants. This shows the audience what is happening inside the jeep whilst it is driving. 

Black Hawk Down Opening Screen Shots

Opening Scene
Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0wa-qmneHyA

In the opening scene of Black Hawk Down, the camera moves across two people. One of these is looking down at at dead body. Since the camera is pointing down at the person, it gives the audience the feeling as though they are actually there and looking over the crouching person's shoulder.

 The camera then focuses on a dead body, which is at eye level, to give the audience a sense that they are actually looking at the body.

The camera is then focused on a truck in the distance. The lighting is quite dull which makes the landscape look quite baron and deserted and as though it is quite a bleak place to live in.



The screen goes black whilst somber music is being played. Text then appears giving the audience a brief summary of what is/has happened to Somalia.

The camera then moves from the right hand side of the screen to the left hand side. This camera movement allows the audience to see the extent of what the famine has done to the people. This is because there are a lot of sick and injured people.

This print screen shows how the camera moves across the scene. The truck that was in the previous shot is still there but the audience can now see more of the left hand side of the screen.