Research - 'The disappearance of Alice Creed' - Jack

The opening of this film has used various techniques to maintain the spectator's attention and engagement, and has even tried to thrill the spectator, in this case it has therefore kept the spectator guessing to what necessary objects or places may mean or anything shown in the frame may mean in relation to the title of the film.
It has done this by:

• Sound building up the tension - at this specific point, as soon as they walk through the door there is an increased pace and volume in the music. It will create enigma codes as the audience may think "Is something going to happen now?" due to their tension being built up.

• Close-ups on the props - this includes close-ups on the drill, saw, rope and the soundproofing. Which is emphasisng the elements of danger within these utilities. It would make the spectator think that maybe these props could be used as a threat-full weapon against Alice. It also uses a shallow depth of field whenever the 'weapons' are displayed, which is therefore emphasising how important they are. Focus pulls are also used when displaying the 'weapons', which is to direct the spectator's attention towards them. Here are a few examples: 

Focus Pull and shallow depth of field on saw

Shallow dept of field on drill

Close-up and focus pull on drill

Extreme Close-up on drill

With all this focus on the drill it is suggesting that it could be very relevant to later on in the film. Not as a utility as such but due to the genre of the film it could be used as a weapon or a potential threat. 

• Dialogue - There is absolutely no dialogue throughout the first 5 minutes of the film; it is complete silence. This suggests that what they're doing has been planned - they know exactly what they're doing. This is also emphasised with the proximity between the characters - the character's are shown doing jobs that would usually require teamwork and verbal co-operation, however no dialogue is being used. This is shown at the specific point below. There is a long-shot/2 shot and then cuts to a close-up of one character and then to the other, doing the exact same job, which is therefore conveying that they know exactly what they're doing.

• Character is shown behind the wreckage - this is stating that he does not want to be seen and doesn't want anyone knowing what he is doing. 

• The sound of the stable gun in the woods is emphasised and is very loud, with an echo - this is expressing the feeling that they are in a big place, far away from anywhere else - they don't want to be found out. 

• Emphasis on the door - this could be symbolic of where freedom lies. There is also focus on close-ups of the weapons being used to lock up the door to suggest entrapment, and there's no way of getting out. 

Here there is another focus on the drill which can be conveying that it could
potentially be used as a weapon if anyone was to try and escape to 'freedom'