Editing: a typical convention of thriller movies is shadow and light, and this opening is no exception. We are introduced to the setting of the movie, and in the majority of the several shots shown of the deserted town, shadow and light is created by the sun shining and the shade made by the buildings (images 4,5,6 and 7). Another editing convention a thriller usually has is the opening credits, however there are no credits used at the start of this movie. This creates a sense of urgency - which then contrasts with the peace and quiet of the town. The only text used in this opening (not including the different 'picture' companies) is when 'THREE YEARS LATER' appears on screen (image 4). It may be a minor part of the movie and may only be on screen for a few seconds, but this editing also allows the audience to establish what kind of movie it will be. The colour of the text is white, which is usually a colour associated with peace and purity - which fits in well with the quiet setting of the movie - however the script/font of the text is very bold and masculine. These two contradicting features create a sense on uncertainty and confusion for the audience (just like the use of shadow and light). Contrasting clues/ red herrings are a popular device used in thrillers to engage and intrigue the audience.
Mise- en-scene: the only dialogue heard in the opening is the voices of the people on the television (image 2). Although the reporters are speaking for over 60 seconds, we only focus on what is said when the news report is visible on screen (images 1 and 2). During this discussion we hear the statement “if you can imagine your body as a highway…and you picture the virus as a very fast car being driven by a very bad man…imagine the damage that that car could cause. But then if you replace that man with a cop…the picture changes. And that's essentially what we've done”(image 3). Only a few seconds after this is said, we then see a man driving (images 7 and 8) very fast in a car (down a highway), so it makes the audience think about weather this man is good (“a cop”) or evil (“a very bad man”).
Camerawork: There are 7 shots shown of the towns landscape, and the majority of these shots (4 out of 7) are shots taken without any movement of the camera (images 4,5 and 6). This suggests that the town is deserted and isolated (so much so that nothing seems to be living). The other shots also add to this feeling of isolation as they pan the city very slowly, so slow that we expect there to be something/a clue on screen when the camera stops moving.
Sound: There is lithe beginning of this movie because of the lack of characters shown in the film, however the little sound used has a big impact on the atmosphere created. For example, the sound of tweeting birds creates an unsettling feeling (image 6). Because of the many cars we see on screen (as well as the news report and building that make us assume we are in a busy town in America), we expect to hear lots of different conversations and cars beeping in traffic (image 4), so for the setting to be so quiet that we can hear birds tweeting, the audience assume that something is wrong
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