Opening of Shank

The opening of SHANK from 38 seconds in to 3:55 minutes through

This is the second film from our specific genre that I am analysing. This one is also meant to be for people that are at least 16+ as it contains sex, violence and bad language. This has no sequels or prequels at present, however there could be sequels to come in the future. SHANK was made for many reasons but not just to only entertain, but as well as adulthood, it was made to show the viewers how bad and how serious life can be in these areas of Britain, again, like adulthood, it is slightly exaggerated as this is not everyday life, however these things can sometimes happen.

At 38 Seconds in to the film i am writing about, It starts with a news report running in the background while riot scenes are playing, this is to give us an example of what sort of thing the film will be about, the TV then goes fuzzy and the credits start with a mysterious music track with a fairly slow beat playing. The credits are of big, bold, bolk writing on a fairly plain but specialised, white and patches of white background so that they stand out for the audience. The characters actor’s names then come up with a picture of them next to the name, the last few credits end up fading in to what looks like an estate due to the stairs and buildings shown. And the last bits of the credit gives the audience the feeling that the place, where this is set is a run down, crime life and not a busy setting. This is because of the destroyed car, barbed wire and the security cameras shown.
The scene then starts with someone’s legs running down the middle of a road, the camera angle then changes so we see the boy from behind. The camera shows a motor bike chasing close behind. Crosscutting is then used to show the expression on the boys face and to show his emotion, then to the motor bike wheels, then back to the boy’s feet to show him running again. There is a lot of crosscutting in the opening scene of this film; this is to create a fast atmosphere and pace. The boy then runs down an alley, the bike then screeches as it brakes to turn the corner, this is known as diagetic sound. When they are running down the alley, there are washing lines and other things surrounding, this sets the scene and helps the audience to see how different London is in 2015 compared to now. Slow motion is then used for when the motor bike jumps out of the alley and back onto the road; this is used to make the scene as dramatic as possible. The camera then follows both the biker and the boy chasing through he streets past some garages, the picture then freezes and 'LONDON 2015' in block capitals is shown, this is so the viewers know when the film is set and so it is easier to understand and in some ways not be offensive to London as this is showing the film is made up.
It then shows the bike riding through some of the scenery (e.g. the market); this gives the audience more of an idea of what London is like. There is then a flash-through of pictures; again this is to show how fast the chase is and to get us more involved. A quick long shot is then used to show the boy jumping in slow motion over a rail, with the bike following close behind skidding round a corner. Another slow motion is used to show him climbing over a gate, this is to show us hoe close he is to getting caught. The boy runs out in the middle of the road to see a car coming the other way, there is a short pause to determine how the boy reacts as in real life you need a second or two to react too. The boy then jumps over the car and continues to run, the camera shakes as he is running to create a good atmosphere, and he runs to a bridge to find himself cornered as there is another person coming the other way. There is a lot of crosscutting with the 3 people to show their faces and to emphasise the situation he is in. the last part is him jumping in slow motion of a high bridge landing safely and looking back up towards the two people. More cross cutting is then used to show the person on the bike taking off his helmet and giving an angry look at him then back to the boy walking off. The end of this scene shows how serious and frightening this film is, as the boy running away was prepared to put his own life at risk to get away from the chasers.