Lighting and Shot Analysis

Lighting and Shot Analysis: Saw

During the first five seconds of the opening sequence to the thriller, Saw 1, there are green flickering green lights potentially used to show fast movement or to build up tension. The use of the colour green could be used to represent a dark room as it is usually linked to the theme of "night vision" cameras. This represents a state of panic and portrays the idea of fear onto the audience.

Following the titles of the film, we are shown a very low key shot of a mans face underwater. The lighting makes the character hard to see and could potentially represent the idea of losing consciousness or drowning. Leaving the theme of vulnerability to aid the predictions of the audience to what will happen next. Also throughout this section of the opening sequence it also includes a small blue light, this is used to symbolise hope as it is a "beacon of light in the dark." this is used to show that although he may be in a desperate state, there is a chance of survival.

As the camera pans around the room tracking the character in the darkness, we are shown a sense of panic as his quick movement and heavy breathing displays this act of confusion. The low key lighting may be used in this situation to represent a depressing and/or dramatic theme. This lighting links to the location of which will be discovered later in the opening sequence. However from what we can see, we are shown a close up of the pale face of the character, making him look ill or injured. Portraying the idea of a dangerous or hostile environment.

The opening scene then cuts to a panning out shot of the lights as they are switched on. With constant jump cuts between the character and the lights, we are shown a very dramatic reaction of the sudden brightness by the character as he falls back and covers his eyes. This could represent to the audience that the character had been in a dark or low lit area for a long time. As the lights come on, the character's appearance and state become clear to the audience. The lights reveal the pale skin of the character supporting the idea of illness or injury. The lights shown are also very dim and old, giving the impression of a rundown or abandoned location. We are then shown through the use of a point of view shot the injury that has been inflicted upon the vision of the character as a result of constant low key lighting. His distorted and blurred vision creates the illusion and yet again supports the representation of illness and injury of which is then portrayed to the audience.

The overall lighting of the opening sequence is pretty much separated into two parts. The first half of the sequence is very low key lighting making it hard to identify the actions occurring on screen. This is used in this way to create a dark, depressing theme to set the mood for the rest of the film. This helps the audience determine the style of film and prepare for what is to come. The second half of the opening sequence contains a dimly lit room. The idea behind this style of lighting is to maintain the theme of depression and darkness whilst presenting the battered appearance of the characters.

 

Title Analysis: Saw

 

The opening to Saw is very similar to those in a similar genre, and the tiles are no exceptions to this. It begins with the text "LGF" in a green text representing a toxic or dangerous theme, followed by the script "Lions Gate Films". Introducing the film by uncovering the name of the production company is an excellent way of grabbing the attention of the audience, as if the company is well known and popular, the audience will have certain expectations of the film and want it to keep to a certain level of standards. As for the production company itself, Lionsgate is a Canadian-American company with many blockbuster titles under their belt. In the particular genre of a psychological thriller, some of their best titles include: "Now you see me", a crime-fiction thriller based around the life of four street magicians turn main stage performers, and "You're next", a horror/thriller targeted at hardcore fans of the genre with hints of gore and psychological factors.

 

After the text of Lionsgate fades away, the audience are presented with another production company who go by the name of "Twitsted Pictures". They are another United States based independent team who worked along side Lionsgate and have a small portfolio centred around the horror or thriller genre. The way the company have been presented in this opening sequence is very significant to the style of film "Saw" is. The text is shown being rapped and constricted in barbed wire representing pain, suffering and/or torture. This gives the audience an idea of the film before it has even begins, representing the genre in an appropriate way.

 

 

 

The opening sequence then presents the audience with the name "James Wan". He is a Malaysian-born Australian film producer, screenwriter and film director who has worked on many well known and popular films over the years. The Conjuring, Insidious and Annabelle to name a few. Having his name early on in the film like this creates a similar effect to Lionsgate, whereby the audience expect a certain standard that comes with the big names in film. This puts a lot of pressure on the film to deliver as the opinions of the audience will affect the company's reputation, and James Wan's in particular.

 

 

 

The font and style of the text relates heavily to the theme of the film, and the situation on screen. The colour of the text is a deep blue and has a subtle waving effect, which relates directly to the narrative of the storyline and the first scene we are shown is of the protagonist underwater. This helps the text to blend in with the film whilst still remaining ledgable. This is key for the film to maintain as out of place or sometimes unconventional text styles and fonts will interupt and ruin the flow of the movie, therefore downgrading the experience the audience will undergo.

However Saw has taken a rather unconventional approach to the genre, and the movie scene in general. This is due to the opening titles only being roughly 30 seconds long, which could be due to multiple reasons: So the use of constant titles does not ruin the suspense or build up of the opening scene or they would rather get straight into the storyline, to name a few. This could be a very good strategy for the genre as it presents to the audience what they are there to see as soon as possible, creating good initial impressions.