RW Technical Analysis - Donnie Darko

The Film opened up with a series of logos including 'New Market', 'Pandora' and 'A flowers film production'. The actual film opened with a panning shot used with a handycam to give the shot realism as the audience were positioned with a person serveying the area from their point of view. Some simple music came in in the minor key. It almost sounded like a xylophone. A sillhouette shot of him laughing was used previous to the 180 degree barrier being purposly ignored. All of the above made a very strange opening and the audience was left pretty clueless to what was happening. The opening seemed very real yet very surreal at the same time which gives the audience a sense of bemusement.

Our opening can hopefully be of the same quality and create the same effect of bemusement which will give the audience an effect of them wanting more.

Sound
Diegetic
Thunder
Birds singing
Sniger/ laugh of Donnie Darko
Leaf blower sound
Sound of bike pulling up (push bike)
Sound of bike being pushed onto the ground.

Non Diegetic
Buzzing sound
Sonar sound
Xylophone sound (small tune) Minor key
Female singer/ Choir
New track starts: Guitar, Drums, Piano, Lyrics (male voice)

Editing
Fade into longshot
Sound bridge of thunder and fade out
Fade in and increasing of volume of buzzing sound
Selective sound of birds singing (loud)
volume of sonar sound varies (up and down)
Birds fade back in
Xylophone fades in
Female singing voice/ Choir fades in
Motivated cut to landscape
Sonar sound fades back in
Title fades in and fades out as the light expands from the title
Meets climax and imploding sound
Start of more upbeat sound

Camera Tecniques
90 degree pan from right to straight on done with a handy cam
Extreme long shot looking forward
180 degree rule break
Camera man walks around donnie turning into a mid shot as he gets closer
Closeup of face when he starts smiling
Long shot pan surveying the landscape (shot of mountains)

Mise en scene
Mountainous landscape
Road
Body in road
Revealed to be main character 'Donnie Darko' In pyjamas
Pyjamas are red and white checked trousers with white long sleeved top