E.T –opening scene
The soundtrack to this film is iconic and takes the viewer on a journey from the outset. The first shot is of the sky at night; the mise en scene of the stars is a code to the audience that this is a sci-fi film, moreover the camera is focusing on the stars which invites the audience to question “what is out there?” Then the camera does a tilt to focus upon the treetops, which gives an impression that earth is being watched from outer space. Next an establishing shot of a dark wooded area containing a mysterious space craft which excites the viewer and offers a glimpse of what is yet to come, viewers may consider are the inhabitants friend or foe. The camera fades to a dolly movement circling the spaceship, the fade cut is used to create a sense of mystery and the dolly move makes the audience feel like they are discovering the ship themselves. The soundtrack gets more and more intense as the camera gets closer to the ship; this has been designed to build up tension. Then we see the aliens for the first time the camera has been placed behind trees to make the audience feel they are there secretly watching them from a safe distance. Then there is a sequence of shots of an alien hand moving toward a plant simultaneously a rabbit is feeding close by and is clearly not threatened by the alien presence. This suggests that they are similar, that they are both harmless to each other. The next shot reinforces this by showing the alien walking through the wood it is clear he is small and insignificant as the tress and shrubs tower above him. As the alien is walking the camera cuts to a low angle shot of a tree which makes the woods seem powerful and the alien weak. Then the camera moves through the grass and reveals a city this is a point of view shot and tells the audience that the alien is curious and a shot of him watching the city reinforces it. The camera quickly swinging to the left to show a large vehicle breaking abruptly nearby suddenly breaks this moment of innocent curiosity. The mood of the film is changed as the viewer considers whether this poses a threat to the alien. Steven Spielberg has, without the use of dialogue, created sympathy for the alien visitors.
Jurassic park
The first shot we see is of tops of tress that are moving violently suggesting they are not moving of their own volition but are being thrown around by a disrespecting force. This foreshadows an impending perilous event. Then the camera cuts to a close up of anxious male face the intension of the shot is to enhance the degree of his emotions. Then the camera goes back to the shaking trees then cuts again to a medium shot of a group of male workers all looking scared and nervous, which causes the audience to be apprehensive about what is to come. Next we see the men with guns, now the audience is aware that danger is present. A large container is being transported; its contents are not immediately revealed to build up tension. There are a number of low angle camera shots of the container leading the viewer to assume the contents are more powerful. Then there are point of view shots from inside the box looking out at the men pushing the box. The creature’s hisses at the men and they jump which reinforces their fear and that they are very uncomfortable with their task. The men are dressed entirely in black, which could suggest to the audience that what the men are doing is secretive and morally wrong. There is a clear leader, he is dressed in green hunting clothes again suggesting that a hunter and prey are present. This man has dialogue whilst the other characters do not this shows us that he will be present later in the film and is possibly a significant character. Then the creature manages to attack one of the men, we see a dolly move around the box showing the group responding by shooting tasers, given the amount of force used it is very clear that humans are no match for this creature, its unstoppable. Then a shot of the creature’s eye cuts to a human eye highlighting the difference between them. The creatures eye is green and has a slit, the colour green could suggest the creature is smart, evil and possibly jealous. The human’s eye is wide-open showing stress and blue, which suggests weakness. Suddenly the leading male in shouts “SHOOT HER” this shot is an extreme close up of his mouth, which raises the intensity of the scene. The next is a fade shot showing the remaining part of the victim slipping into the container; this tells the audience that the creature has defeated man.
