COLLATERAL Opening Title Sequence

Mise-en-scene These two shots show two men walking through the airport. They are both dressed in a sophisticated manor, which can often be associated with villains in thrillers, although it is unclear here. The sunglasses also indicate that this person wants their face concealed, like they are hiding from someone. This adds a feel of secrecy to this scene, intriguing the audience and keeping their attention, which is the main goal in thriller films. Th sunglasses also remove any emotion from the characters face, which also tells us even less about him. The two actors, Tom Cruise and Jason Statham, are both well-known for playing roles in thrillers, so this is an example of type-casting. Cars are often used in thrillers, especially ones involving action. This connotes that we can expect some combat or chase scenes in this film. It also looks like a fairly regular car, supporting the common element of thrillers – normal people in dangerous situations.

Mise-en-scene The two locations of the film are an airport and a taxi garage. This shows an urban location, which is a conventional setting for thrillers as there is more action happening at these places. In the airport, the characters a hidden among a crowd so your attention is drawn away from them – which makes them seem more reserved. This character is shown doing a crossword. He also wears a pair of glasses. This can be seen as the film representing him to be quite an intelligent character. His clothing is fairly plain which implies he doesn't care much for his appearance, and his greatest asset is his cleverness. The clothes also show him to be a normal character – so we can expect that he is the protagonist as they are often ordinary people. The bag is the focus of this shot. This implies that it's contents are of relevance to the narrative. It is expensive-looking which could connote that whatever is inside is of great importance. It also looks like it is well-sealed so the owners do not what anyone seeing what is inside. This intrigues the audience as it adds an atmosphere of tension and mystery.

Mise-en-scene The expression of this character shows a lot of anxiety and stress. He seems to be uncomfortable and nervous about what he is doing, suggesting that he is part of illegal activity. This asserts the other person's dominance as he appears calm and relaxed, giving him the power.

Cinematography This close up highlights the bag. As it is the only subject in the frame it tells use that it must have some link to the narrative and is therefore important. This associated point of view shot shows one side of the character's face. It focusses around his eyes. Although they are hidden behind the sunglasses, this shot gives the impression that he is looking around cautiously, so there is something suspicious happening in the scene. The camera is also tracking him in this moment, which can imply that he is being followed or watched. This mid-shot shows a man walking amongst a crowd. Had the crowd not been out of focus, it is unlikely that the audience would pay any attention to him. This shows that he is blending in and is remaining hidden from everyone in this scene. From this, we can deduce that he is secretive and wants to remain unseen.

Cinematography This low angle shot of Max causes the audience to be looking up at him. This gives the impression of him being powerful which makes him important to the plot of the film.

Editing This is an example of a graphic match – when two consecutive shots focus on a similar setting, action or subject. In this case, the location of the airport and the action of walking are the same. This makes the two shots fit seamlessly into one another so it allows the audience to engage in the action and focus more on the details in the film like the expressions of the characters. This shot incorporate the rule of thirds into the frame. The bag has been placed on a intersection on imaginary lines. This tells us the bag must be an important compositional element of the film and is relevant to the narrative. The introduction of Max is displayed as a montage – editing separate parts of the film to form a whole. This gives the idea of it being very routine, as if he does this everyday. This tells us that he is an ordinary person. It also familiarises the audience with this character as there is a detailed insight into his everyday life.

Sound The prominent sound of the character's footsteps coming closer gives a feel of tension at the beginning of the scene and guides our attention towards him. His are fairly slow which give him a cool, calm impression whilst the other character's are brisk, showing signs of worry. This gives the man in the sunglasses more authority. The dialogue is slightly rushed, like the characters are nervous and eager to leave because there is a chance they may be caught transporting something in the bag that could be illegal. The ambient sounds in the airport and garage set the scene and the sounds fade into one another, as if these two places or the characters within them are linked. These are all examples of diegetic sound in the film meaning they are directly related to what is happening in the shots. The music starts as soon as the bag is picked up again, which gives this more relevance. As the music builds, it adds more and more tension to this scene, like we are waiting for something big to happen. It captivates the audience. This fast-paced style of music is very common in thrillers that involve action. This is an example of non-diegetic sound in the opening title sequence – it means the sound is not directly related to what is happening on screen.