FA: Technical Analysis

Inception (Nolan, 2010)

	Duration	Camera Techniques	Mise-En-Scene
1	10 seconds	LS establishing shot, slow pan	Sea location
2	2 seconds	MS – static	Crashing waves
3	6 seconds	CU swaying	Protagonist lying in the sea
4	2 seconds	Pull focus CU	Young boy playing in the sand
5	4 seconds	CU – static	Protagonist looks at the boy
6	3 seconds	MS – static	Two children playing on the beach
7	3 seconds	CU rule of thirds, swaying	Protagonist’s face resting on his hand
8	2 seconds	MS swaying	Children stand, young girl runs out of the shot
9	4 seconds	CU – static	Protagonist rests his head again
10	2 seconds	CU – static	Gun pokes protagonist’s back
11	2 seconds	Low angle CU – static	Gunman’s face and chest
12	3 seconds	CU, handicam	Gun lifts protagonist’s jacket
13	2 seconds	Low angle MS, handicam	Gunman looks to his left, dialogue
14	6 seconds	LS pan, tilted up, handicam	Another gunman, building
15	10 seconds	MS slow track forward	Inside room, low-key lighting
16	5 seconds	CU slow track forward	Back of a head, gun placed on the table
17	3 seconds	CU tilt down, handicam	Other item placed on the table
18	5 seconds	CU tilt to the left, handicam	The head turns to the left
19	4 seconds	MS slow track forward	Protagonist brought into the room by two men
20	8 seconds	CU tilt up	Bowl of food and protagonist’s hands
21	5 seconds	MS pull focus, over the shoulder shot	Protagonist’s shoulder and an old man
22	2 seconds	CU – static	Protagonist slowly lifts his head up
23	6 seconds	CU pan, tilt upwards	Old man picks up the item from the table
24	9 seconds	MS – static	Old man fiddles with the item
25	3 seconds	CU forwards slow track	Item spins on the table
26	7 seconds	CU tilt upwards	Old man, dialogue
27	6 seconds	CU tilt upwards	Protagonist’s looks at the old man

Soundtrack

The soundtrack to the first two minuites of Inception starts off as being an orchestral quiet, moody, and almost unheard underneath the diegetic sound of the waves in the location set. It gradually becomes slightly louder and darker, almost forceful upon the audience, until the shot changes from an outside location to an inside location. When this happens the music becomes even darker, signifying dramatic tension. Throughout the sequence, an underlying constant low tone of music is played, also conveying the genre of the sequence.

Evaluation

This technical analysis emphasises the importance of the opening sequence - it is the part of the film that engages the audience and 'hooks' them, making them want to watch more, or not in some cases. In Inception, together with the mise-en-scene and the soundtrack, the CUs, low angles, shot-reverse-shots and over-the-shoulder-shots all contribute to 'hooking' the audience. These techniques are an effective way of engaging the audience in the plot, and making them want to continue watching.