Opening scene research on a Sci-Fi film 'A Quiet Place Part 2'

 

The Horror Film opening sequence I'm going to be analysing is from the film 'A Quiet Place Part 2' which was released in 2020, directed and wrote by John Krasinski. Starring actors including Emily Blunt, And John Krasinski himself. The Film had a budget of $61 million USD. At the box office it received good profit making $297.4 million USD worldwide.

Originally as the first film was such a success John Krasinski didn't want to make a second film until he was tricked into writing an outline for the production company and then decided to direct it. This Film is a continuation from the film 'A Quiet Place' which was released back in 2018. The sequel follows the family right where the film leaves off, But begins with how the events of this invasion took place at the start using non linear techniques.

The opening begins with a establishing shot of a street, where instantly the audience can establish where we are which as there are American flags we can tell that we are somewhere in America. The shot pulled off here has hardly any life around the street. Implying to the audience that the film has opened to the post apocalyptic world, as everyone is gone and not there. This gives straight away gives of the convention that this is a sci-fi film from the deserted town.

The next shot is a close up of the traffic light tied in with a high angle shot to show the road below. The lights on this traffic light in this shot is still on and working, maybe to represent there is still an aspect of life here to the audience and to give them a sense of hope. The light goes from green through to red the changing of these colours to the audience could be connoting to danger, for example green could be saying that life is all good and happy, then yellow might be meaning there are a few problems in the way, then red as the final colour is representing danger and life is at steak. Once the light is red there is a single car that appears into frame maybe suggesting to the audience that this is the one of the last survivors here, since the attack. 

The next shot shows off the car that was just revealed panning over to the right where we see the car door opening and revealing our first character for the film which is John Krasinski as his character 'Lee Abbert' who we saw die in the first film quickly telling the audience that this isn't taking place after the apocalypse, but by showing us the empty and what looked to be an abandoned road is foreshadowing to the audience for what is to come without specifically telling them. Once 'Lee' is out of his car he slams the door shut on his car cutting to a black screen displaying "day 1" now stating to the audience that they can assume that this is the first day of the invasion, showing to the audience that we are going to before the events of the first film and we may get to see what brung the aliens here.

The shot cuts out from black with a diegetic sound of a tv playing in the background of the scene with a new character in the foreground and with 'Lee' walking into this shop in the background. Throughout this whole sequence of being in the shop there is hardly any sound being made apart from a little murmur from the Tv, this again could be foreshadowing the events of the film about staying quiet and not making any sound, and to put the audience on edge on what is to happen next. as 'Lee' starts walking back to the till whilst on a tracking shot there is a reference to the first film about 'Lee's' youngest son who dies from playing with his toy that it shows here. The camera specifically slows down to show off this prop to tell the audience even the most small things can get you killed. Also to the audience I think using a spaceship as that toy is subtly telling us that these monsters that arrive are from space which are some of the conventions to Sci-Fi the director has done this so we can piece it together without actually telling us. 

'Lee' Leaves the store and is followed with a tracking shot down the road as this is happening the town starts to come to life more fore example 'Lee' waving at friends in shops or restaurants and having diegetic sounds of birds in the background, of a way to help try and reassure the audience, that everything is good and happy as we know what's coming for the characters of the film which they obviously don't know yet. The director is basically trying to make the audience believe a false reality.

There is the use of a soundbridge already taking us to the next location which seems to be a baseball game filled with a crowd filled with cheers and whistles, again this is the director creating a contrast between the the rest of the film and the happy life before, which in a sense makes the audience feel more sympathetic for these characters as we get to see what they lost from the start and the trauma that they had to go through. There is a tracking shot showing us all the people around, creating a sense of friendship and family to the audience and how the community are all as one union.

When we see the mum in the scene giving her son advice telling him to "Just breathe" through sign language I think that the audience can tell this is going to be a critical line in the film about staying calm and controlled, so this is a nice and subtle way to tie in certain lines without showing them with a deeper meaning to the audience. This also gives us a little foreshadowing to the fact that the mum is going to be incharge this film and take some sort of leadership after 'Lee's' death which at this point hasn't happened yet.

The next character we meet is talking to 'Lee' while watching the game, we can tell that this character is going to be a critical role to play in this film I personally think this because when 'Lee' or his wife talk to others we don't hear any of their conversations apart from this one, also I think that the daughter and the man are going to be the 2 driving the film forward especially with him asking how to say 'Dive' in sign language we can imply that the line will be used again by him later in through the film, the us these people get along so we can assume if they meet later in the film they will have a good relationship with one another.

Shortly after there is a diegetic sound of the radio up on the stands having some interference. This is the director subtly adding little bits of detail, to show the Happy and bright life that seems calm and enjoyable is getting interrupted so abruptly disturbing the happy lifestyle. This to the audience is creating a sense of tension and to show problems are starting to unfold for the character giving off a sense of mystery.

There is a low angle shot behind the boys shoulder primarily over the shoulder shot too. The camera starts to tilt up at the same time as the boys head to make it look like we are with the boy in this very moment in time. We see up in the sky of what to looks like to be a meteor of some sorts coming from outer space. Now the audience knows almost certainly that the genre of this film is a Sci-Fi as whatever this is looks like it has come from space. 

We see 'Lee' walk back up the same street that he walked down with the same tracking shot but now backwards. The street is a lot more busy than before, contrasting to the audience the frantic worry from the town, for example the dog in the truck is now barking like mad when the dog was calm on the way down creating an image that civilization has been interrupted and is going to end manically.

During this shot we can see 'Lee' walking up the road and in the distant background you can see the dark smoke with a bit of fire in the sky. The image for the audience that the director is trying to create here is the image is 'Lee' and his daughter running away from the danger to stay safe while all the others on the street are staring at it with confusion. This a great way for the director to show the impending danger in the background encroaching on the family. So far in the opening we have only stayed with 'Lee' this is the director trying to make us feel we are actually with the character at the time of this happening. 

When they are sitting in the truck you can see a police car arriving in the back of the shot, this to the audience is creating a sense of safety to them like a barrier, for example in the far of background you have the thing crashing from space the in the middle the police. This is to show a sense of protection for them. 

When the police car is attacked which firstly shocks the audience the camera changes to look at the girl in the car and as she is deaf the director cut off the sound so we can see the world from her perspective which contrasts from the high tense action outside. To the audience this makes them feel worried for her as she doesnt know whats going on until 'Lee' rushes into the car making her panicked also making the audience panic for them. I think the rest of the film will be about the daughters journey and in a way take the role of her father and helping her family and her relationship with the man we met at the baseball game.