TITLE & OPENING SEQUENCE TEXTUAL ANALYSISTHE SHALLOWS

FIRST SHOTThe first shot in the opening of the film sets the scene as we are beginning to be introduced to the place where the film is set. The opening shot of the beach is a beautiful landscape and the audience instantly falls in love, however this uses controversy as this is place where she gets attacked. The music is very peaceful and calm something you would hear when at the beach, this is to show that no one has any idea of what is about to happen.

An opening scene like this not only helps sets the scene but also gives the audience a wider view of what the area looks like. Some ideas the audience may come up with in the opening is peaceful, beautiful, relaxing but also since of the controversy that they know she will get attacked brings up the main theme of danger and death. Therefore using this as their opening shot allows the audience to recreate in their mind what may happen within the film. Also this includes high key lighting which represents sunny and peaceful and a calm setting.

The camera work that has been used in the opening shot is an establishing shot, this is useful to open with as the rest of the film will be in this area mainly therefore the audience can see the location from various different views. 

Beside the first shot we see being a key moment in the opening as described on the previous slide. The next key moment includes, the shot where we know this young boy has found a video camera on a beach and now is watching it, as he discovers what is happening. This is an key moment as we learn that this scene is a flashback and this is actually what happens at the end of the film.

This is important as it gives the audience into a sight of what is going to be happening in the movie without giving away what happens at the end. The shot that has been used here is a personal recording as it starts of him recording his time surfing, as it ends up we see the shark coming to attack and then it cuts out. This is important because we don’t know who's recording this was, therefore it questions the audience into watching the film to find out who it was. The camera cutting out signifies to the audience that he is now dead. 

This shot is also useful as before we see the shark we can see and hear him screaming and being drowned under the water but who don’t have the full picture as to what is going on. Therefore at the end briefly and quickly we see the shark appear out of nowhere as the water appears to be blurry it shocks the audience adding onto the drama.

KEY MOMENTS IN THE OPENING

KEY MOMENTS IN THE OPENINGAnother key moment in the opening is where we see the boy in

shock of what he has just seen and he immediately runs of to get help taking the camera with him. This shows the emotions as he can

see him panicking, this tells the audience that this attack was completely unexpected and strange/unusual thing to find on this

beach.

This leaves the audience feeling the same way as the little boy confused as he doesn’t know if anyone is still alive, neither does the audience. It also builds up drama and tension as since he's running

it shows that it is urgent and he doesn’t have a lot of time. The sound used here is diegetic sound as you can only hear the boy's

foot steps and his loud breathing, as he sounds out of breath as he's running as fast as he can since he's worried and scared as to what

happened.

The shot type that has been shown is an extreme long shot this is because it shows hes heading of the beach to go fins someone, it also shows the dark atmosphere, and that it is an empty beach

showing that no one has realised what is going on.

KEY MOMENTS IN THE OPENINGThe final key moment that we see within the opening is the

surfboard shot. This is an essential shot as it is symbolic to what's happened in the opening so far as we have seen the attack on the

person's personal camera, and we have seen the camera cutting out signifying the death, this next key moment shows the broken in half surfboard, washed up on the beach covered in sand. The fact that

this surfboard has been washed up and starting to be covered up in the sand, this shows that this event has happened a period of tine

ago and its not an event that has just happened, therefore meaning that it could be out of time. 

This is a long shot of the surfboard as we can also see around it a lot of sand, however none of this is dead space as it is symbolic to show that the surfboard its now becoming covered by the sand this makes this specific shot type useful as it conveys various ideas about the

owner of the surfboard.

Also since it zooms in closer of the surfboard the face on it becomes the main focus and we associate 'x' as the eyes to do with death,

however since only one eye is like that and the other appears to be normal this could question the audience asking themselves what

really happened after the camera cut out. The show the film is now beginning and the flashback is now over.