Psychological Thriller Opening Sequence Analysis

Black Swan - Psychological Thriller

The opening sequence to Black Swan uses many different generic conventions, such as an introduction to the main character, as we see the feet and legs of what looks like a ballet dancer. We can see the details of some of the cast and crew, and by showing us their names over the background of feathers, it relates well to the title of Black 'Swan'. The main characters name is also introduced with feathers in the background, leading the audience to believe she has some relation to the title of the film. We then see another introduction to the character, with the title then being shown afterwards. The title scene is very plain, with just black and white writing. This could also link in to the title, as the colours of the title scene work with the name, 'Black Swan' (swans are white).

The opening sequence also uses specific sub genre conventions in terms of the four micro areas.
Mis en scene: The lighting of the opening sequence is very dark and seems very out of focus. This links in well with the psychological sub genre as it leads the audience feeling slightly anxious to watch, and lets the film be more of a mystery to the audience as it does not give much away about the narrative. Feathers are used in the opening sequence which makes the audience wonder why they are there, and what is going to happen later on  in the film. 

Camerawork: The camera work in the opening sequence of Black Swan is very slow, suggesting mystery to the audience, emphasizing on the dancers body movement. There is a close up of the feathers when they are shown, adding detail to what they actually are, as the audience may be confused as to why a ballet dancer and feathers are related in anyway, making them engage and want to understand the film.

Editing: There are many fade in and outs of image in the opening sequence. This makes a slower, more mysterious atomosphere to the scene which relates well to the conventions of a psychological sub genre. Fade out and in's have been used a lot when the feathers are on screen. The feathers are also changing colour after each fade in, suggesting something bad is going to happen, which could also confuse the audiences minds and perception on the film.

Sound: There is a non diagetic soundtrack played in the opening sequence. This is quite slow, music played by instruments such as piano. As the dancers feet speed up, the music is parallel to her body movement. The music is quite slow at times and then speeds up which adds tension to the audience as it increases the intensity of the opening sequence. The music sounds quite mysterious which matches the sub genre of psychological, as it could add confusion as it is playing with the mind. 

The sequence looks like an opening sequence as it does not give away the story and leaves us wondering what the film is about. There is also conventional titles shown, such as producer and members of the cast and crew which tells us it is the beginning of the film. The title of the film, 'Black Swan' is also shown at the end, showing us that it is the end of the opening sequence and that the film has been introduced.