Watch The Video Here :)
Camera:
There are loads of shots used in this opening sequence, we start with a couple of long shots showing the vans driving towards their target, before we begin having close ups of the different characters and different parts of the van. we then move into some POV shots of bystanders as the vans drive by past including a high angle shot. we then change into a variety of medium shots of the driver then cutting to behind the people they are just about to kill / the characters dyeing.
Mis En Scene:
Costume:
our main characters are dressed in a variety of army style costume each customised to suit each ones personal character. Extras in the opening are dressed in typical Chinese towns folk clothing, with army characters in standard camouflage, we also see some special Chinese forces dressed in a 'modern Ninja' Kind of costume to show their high status or more3 superior status over the standard soldiers who we saw dieing earlier in the opening.
Lighting:
The lighting is consistent day light throughout the clip apart from when we are inside the warehouse when there is a dark and dodgy shot where the lighting is from up high to simulate a location with high windows. This casts little light on the characters and only shows their faces and keeps the location very allusive.
Actors:
There are 6 main characters in the opening, all which are introduced with close ups in the very beginning where they are split in each army truck. there are also a large number of extras filling this desert town. there also appears to be a group of 'Bad Guys' in the film which we are introduced in the warehouse scenes as well.
Make Up:
The use of make up is very subtle / non existent on all characters shown in the opening, the only kind of make up i can see is when we have a close up of the 'Bad Guys' face he appears to be sweaty.
Props:
Our 3 main props are the 3 army trucks, but one member of each truck has a different gun, ranging from small to bazooka size as they shoot and drive through this desert town in a very over exaggerated cartoon fashion. there is also a lot of scene preparation props that are used to directly interact with the main action, e.g. the search light that is shot.
Setting:
the entire opening is set in the same desert town, the town appears to be deserted / half built, there is also some dodgy pyrotechnics with two jets of flame on the right hand side of the town, it would have been better to reduce the size of the flame and have more smoke instead.
Sound:
The start of the opening contains a mixture of both diegetic and non diegetic sound, with an action soundtrack over the diegetic sounds. this soundtrack then fades out momentarily before coming back at a reduced volume. the soundtrack cuts out when we are inside the warehouse with the 'bad guys' to show a contrast between the two character groups.
Effects:
apart from the enormous amount of pyrotechnics used in the opening with large explosions, gunshots, bullet holes etc there is also a doggedly animated helicopter used later on in the opening
Fixation Link
