Mission Impossible 3
~ Directed by J.J.Abrams
Mission Impossible 3 is the third part of a popular, on-going spy franchise.
A number of different effects are commonly used within a spy themed film, examples include; dramatic action sequences and emphasized sound effects- some of these concepts can clearly be seen throughout the scene. The opening to mission impossible can be viewed as simple; CGI and special effects play no part in bringing the immense tension and panic seen on screen. Having not watched Mission Impossible 3 before I could tell immediately how well done this opening was, from the acting to the camera shots.
Mise-En-Scene:
Set and lighting play a huge part in producing this intense film opening. The first shots reveal little about the location; this is accomplished by using a number of close ups, mid-shots and strategically placed focus.
Dull stone walls, rustic lamps and wooden doorways all contribute to the growing sense of place developed within the first minute of this opening. The audience are lead to believe that the location is old, possibly hidden for secrecy. However, Abrams exploits the use of focus to blur the background (overall bringing audiences’ attention to Philip Seymour Hoffman and Tom Cruz) this could reflect the mystery involved with the setting.
The location is then further developed using a wide shot:
The setting is clearly revealed to the audience for 3 seconds before the pace intensifies again. It appears to be a deserted barber shop- converted into a holding room. This shot also reveals the costume of all the characters involved. Philip Seymour Hoffman appears to be wearing a black, long trench coat with black trousers; Tom Cruz is dressed in a khaki green t-shirt paired with black trousers and the unknown woman is dressed in all brown. The colours listed are very dull; this might reflect the need for spies to blend in. My partner and I will be attempting to reflect the character’s personality in the clothes they wear in addition to character detail (this follows the same concept). There are no colours within the room that pop out and distract the audience; the pallet is a mixture of brown, yellow and black giving off a dingy feel. This style can also be seen in the lighting present.
Lighting is key in establishing this story; shadows (as seen below) create mystery and give Philip Seymour Hoffman a scarier look.The combination of shadows and minimal lighting creates a more realistic atmosphere and gives the film a better real life application. Most of the lighting appliances (as seen in the wide shot) are tinted yellow and orange, this increases the rustic, old feeling to the setting.
The positioning of the two hostage chairs also has to be taken into consideration with helping the tension build. Tom Cruz’s chair is located far away from the other hostage which gives the audience an insight into how dangerous he could potentially be. Philip Seymour Hoffman is partially blocking the woman from view and looms over her, much taller and bigger in comparison. This positioning can give the audience a sense of who’s in charge of the situation and who plays the biggest threat.
Overall lighting, stage positioning and location all subconsciously create assumptions of where this place is and why the characters are there.
Sound:
Sound also has to be critiqued when looking at the introduction to this scene. One main aspect to be put under spotlight is J.J Abram’s decision to introduce the diegetic sound over the title sequence. The audience are thrown straight into the action even before the film reveals any imagery. The screen is black and the production companies are slowly revealed. The distinctive sound of someone being shocked is heard, immediately telling the audience that the film will start with a torture scene. Questions are subconsciously created and the audience hopefully gets excited to watch more. This idea has been carried across by my partner and I to our production; we intend to play a phone call over the short production logos and information to bring the audience into the action and intrigue them into wanting to find out more.
Throughout the clip diegetic sound is used very dramatically; Cruz makes quick and sudden movements to battle his restraints which enables the sound department to emphasize the ferocity and power behind his actions. This all aids in helping the audience visualize the secret agent role that Cruz expertly plays.
The only non-diegetic sound present in the entire clip is seen at the most intense moments: when the woman gets shot in the leg and possibly shot in the head at the very end of the scene. It is dramatically brought in, with no lead up or introduction. Violins play a high pitch and increase the pace of the film overall. However, as quickly as the non-diegetic sound is brought in it leaves, almost bringing the scene back to reality. The audience are brought back to the subject at hand; finding the ‘rabbit’s foot’.
Lastly, the scene ends with the famous ‘Mission Impossible theme music’ this lightens the mood and reduces the tension. The music itself reflects the spontaneous actions of spies and fast moving action that they are involved in.
Camera shots:
As I have said previously this opening scene uses mid shots, close ups, handheld, one over-the-shoulder shot and two shots to convey the panic and tension involved in this scene.
Close ups are the most popular form of camera shot found within this clip. Tom Cruz’s character uses close ups to convey the shear emotion running through him; telling the audience that he is emotionally attached to the woman in the other chair. Philip Seymour Hoffman can be seen as ominous and threatening from his close ups, the cold, rigid emotions he portrays can be clearly seen through this type of shot. It is his non-caring, brutal character that my partner and I want to portray through our lead role in our 2 minute opening project.
Handheld can also be seen in most camera shots, and I think this successfully made the scene feel realistic and panicked. We have also taken the idea of handheld and will use it in point of view shots within our film. My partner and I noticed that it was a recurring theme for Spy/ thrillers to use handhelds to build suspense and add reality to the footage- this is our reasoning for using it in shots.
The entire scene consisted of two shots between Tom Cruz and Philip Seymour Hoffman. My partner and I will also be using two shots within our film. The main scene will take place outside a café with various conversations between different people; two shots will have to be used in order to keep the conversations looking natural and not forced.
Camera variation is small within this scene, but Abrams manages to use close ups to his advantage and portray this scene perfectly. My partner and I want to use Abram’s technique of making each camera shot count while we film our opening. In comparison we will have a bigger variation of camera shots, but our film takes place outside and therefore will not be as limited as J.J’s was. The hostage scenario is what limited his use of camera shots.
Editing:
Along with the camera shots, editing does not consist of much variety either. Simple cutting was often used, predominantly when changing into a close up of the woman in the opposite chair. Eye-line match was also used multiple times when Tom Cruz looks at the woman. This helped keep the scene flowing and also introduced the audience to multiple characters.
Paralleling the dominant use of two shots in camera shots, the main editing technique used was ‘shot reverse shot’. This was to convey the use of dialogue and again help the scene flow. My partner and I will be using this form of editing frequently during the busy café scene within our production. The protagonist has multiple conversations with different people and shot reverse shot will be used to possibly pick up the pace and/or simply create natural conversation.
A package is the main focus of the café scene and we will be using a number of eye line matches to indicate the importance of it to the audience. In comparison the eye line matches in the Mission Impossible opening sequence we used to display the importance of that woman to Tom Cruz’s character.
The pace of editing varies throughout the clip. Since the whole scene revolves around a countdown, the post production team used this to their advantage. As each new number was announced, the editing picked up pace; for example going from Tom Cruz’s character, to the woman in the chair, to Philip Seymour Hoffman in 2 seconds. In between each number the editing got slower, this was in order to match the context of the story. Tom Cruz was trying to bargain his way out between each number being called so there is less need for fast editing, but when Philip speaks each new number Tom Cruz’s character struggles and panics- hence the fast editing.
We will be using this control of pacing through editing in the beginning introduction for our opening; the main character is seen walking along an alley and we will intercut various different angles to increase the pace and engage the audience.
