Panic Room Analysis

The first thing we see is the production company logo, this just informs the viewer on who produced the film. We also hear hyperbolic wind noise which is very mysterious and creepy, we can also hear some dramatic music over the top of this which helps to create the atmosphere and get the watcher reader for the film. This music is very loud and overpowers the sound of the wind.

The titles are very large and are in a cerif font, which hints to the audience that this is a serious film. The titles are also overlapping the video which is from the perspective of a New York skyscraper. This gives the audience a sense of setting, which further reinforces the mood of the film. The fact that the titles are played over the video makes it more visual and interesting as the audience have something to look at while the titles are on screen.

However when the title 'Panic Room' appears the music turns more low-key and serious, this foreshadows to the future and hints that the words 'Panic Room' have negative connotations. This also starts to feel more like a thriller, as before it could have been an opening sequence from any film as it was pretty ordinary. But now the low-key music makes the audience feel more wary as they start to feel as something big may happen. This is very effective as it now grabs the audience's attention and gets them much more interested in the film.

Over the next titles the music becomes much more fast paced, and there is almost a countdown-like sound. This suggests that it's counting down to something important, and also has the connotations of a bomb, which may hint to the future of the film. This sense of panic contrasts with the regular and normal setting of New York. Again this makes it feel more of a thriller as it is now making the audience ask questions, which is the hallmark of an effective thriller opening sequence

We hear a women's voice over one of the titles, her identity is concealed to add a sense of mystery, however we do know it's a woman. Next, we see a tilt of a high angle shot to a normal shot. The shot is of a busy city street, however two women are at the forefront of the shot to show their importance and hints to the audience that these are important characters in the film. We can hear them talking and walking quickly to suggest they're in a hurry, however we don't know where, which makes the audience ask questions and speculate.

Opening sequence: