The opening of Panic Room establishes the setting of New York City through establishing shots. It introduces the main characters as they view and purchase a new home, shown through various shots that follow them. Tension is built through ominous music and subtle hints that something may be wrong. While not featuring a stereotypical thrilling event, the opening effectively sets the mysterious tone and leaves the viewer wondering what will happen through its pacing, editing, and use of sound.

1. Conventions Of A
Thriller
Panic Room

2. Directed by David Fincher
Produced by Ceán Chaffin
Judy Hofflund
David Koepp
Gavin Polone
Starring Jodie Foster
Kristen Stewart
Distributed by Columbia Pictures
Release date March 29, 2002
Running time 112 minutes
Country United States
Language English
Budget $48 million
Box office $196.4 million

3. Titles
• The titles are centrally framed they grab most of the attention on the
screen.
• You are drawn into looking at the titles and these include the cast of the
film also.
• The title is in capital letters this helps it to stand out.
• The font is unique and the shadow off the glass show that it is in 3d.

4. Establishing
shots.
• The establishing shots happen as the titles are being displayed on the
screen.
• These show that the film is set in New York.
• You can tell that the film is set there because of the iconic yellow taxis that
are in the frame. Also times square can also be seen.
• Establishing shots give the audience a setting and get them familiar with
the location of the film.

5. Two person shot
• The two person shot in this frame
alerts us that these characters will be
in the films a lot.
• They can have a conversation without
the camera keep cutting.
Long shot
• The long shot of the characters walking
towards man opening door.
• Makes us think what the man is doing
and why is he there.
• The shot sets the scene for the viewer
which in this case is a New York street.

6. Close up
• Close up makes the viewer involved in
the action used to observe reactions
and emotions.
• The main close up on the protagonist
looks like she is worrying about
something foreshadowing things to
come.
Low angled long shot.
• Show the character of the young girl.
The peering through the rails
foreshadows what happens later on.
When robbers watch her through
railings.
• The girl is made to be big and this foreshadows that she is the hero at the end. The
shot gives perspective on the size of the house also.

7. Mice en scene
• The house is dimly lit could foreshadow that this will
be a dark place in the film. It is quite spooky no
artificial light.
• The Samsung poster
shows relevance to the • Her facial
time frame and makes it expression looks
relevant to the period. like there is
something wrong.
• Location of
central park
New York.
• The prop of the scooter • The costume
shows the girls childlike makes the
feature and that we must characters very
remember she is only a seem high class
child. and can afford a
house like this.

8. Sound
• The sound that is used is non-diegetic. In the opening it is like an opening
soundtrack.
• There is a tense undertone of cords of a violin. It creates tension.
• There are diegetic noises of car horns and police sirens. These are the sound of
modern day New York.
• The slow into tune hits a flat note when title appears draws you to the title as
the music changes.
• Ticking clock noise starts shows that time is ticking. There is a suspense that this
film will involve time or lack of it perhaps.
• The two characters involve in dialog in buying a new house.
• You can hear them walking and car horns again diegetic sounds.
• There is then a sound effect as the key opens the door.

9. Editing
• The inclusion of titles show the titles of the film. These are edited in.
• There's is a fade to black from the production
company to the main film.
• Shows that the film is about to start.
• Continuity editing shows them walking and
another shot of them reaching the destination. Its
showing the impression of continuous filming.
• Match on action show when opening the door on
the other side and we see them from both sides.
It continues the flow of the scene as well.
• There is editing in this opening which keeps the
film flowing. It adds to the suspense and because
it is a thriller you wonder what is coming next.

10. What convections are present?
• The main good characters are discovered.
• You wonder what is going to happen next after they buy the house. The
element of suspense.
• The real life situation. Could be a realistic possibility.
• There is the element of time with the ticking clock.
• The suspense which the music at the start creates.
• It is quite fast paced. Although not stereotypically thrilling but the setting of
the story takes place quite quickly.
• You have to think what could happen or what might happen.
• The story is still quite mysterious we still don’t know much about the story.

11. How effective is the film
opening?
• It is quite effective. You get an understanding of the point of the story. The
opening titles work very well with the sound it helps to set the scene. The
sound creates an atmosphere of what the film will be like much later on.
• However , there isn't an event in the opening to suggest that this will be a
psychological thriller but there are scuttle hints that things could be wrong
i.e. When there is a close up of the women looking like there could be
something wrong, this part does make us feel on edge. The thriller
opening gives a new dimension that there doesn’t always need to be a big
event to happen at the start of the film to make it good and that tactical
music can create as much suspense as any other thing.