Evaluation of 'The Hills Have Eyes' opening sequence (the making)

I have chosen to evaluate the opening sequence to 'The Hills Have Eyes', it is a horror film produced in 2006 as a remake of Wes Cravan's original film that was in 1977, the film is based on a of a group of people that struggle against murderous mutants that are attacking them after there car breaks down in the desert. I have chosen to evaluate this movie because it is based on the genre 'horror', and I need to look at this type of film genre to help me have an understanding of the conventions used within the mese en scene of this particular genre so that I can go on to make my own successful version of a horror film. 'The Hills Have Eyes' starts with a voice over, it is spoken by a male in low tone- it sounds like he is struggling to breath, this instantly creates tension as it is very likely that the audience will feel scared and worried as to who the voice over is and why he is speaking this way.

The first shot is a medium shot that uses mainly brown, green, grey and white dull and natural colours. In the background of this shot the scene is deserted with no nature growing around the swing set of which abandoned dummies have been left swinging on, this makes the audience feel alone. As the opening sequence went on, quick cuts were made and flashing images appeared on the screen mainly of close up shots of signs, photographs or news paper articles, this is to set the scene and give the audience an understanding of what the film is about to be about without actually telling them. From these close ups the audience can tell that the crops used are old due to the signs being on old wood and photographs captured in greyscale. The opening sequence also consists of longshots of the desert to set the scene and allow the audience to understand the setting, temperature and mood of the film.

Suddenly, an atomic bomb goes off, this is in a high angle shot to make the bomb look greater, the low high angle shot is usually used, however, to make something look imperial as apposed to superior, however, in this context, the high angle shot works as it also shows the surroundings which makes the atomic bomb look like it has destructed a large area. As the podcast goes on, the quick cuts get faster to emphasise the large amount of things and people that have been destroyed, this also includes newspaper articles on nuclear testing etc. The titles used at the end are written in upper case CAPS in write writing to go against the dark background of blood soaked walls.

The hills have eyes sourse: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WIU4bPO7IMk