Research and Planning - Analysis of Opening 2 minutes - Terminator 2

Begins with an establishing shot of busy motorway, traffic moving slowly. Cuts to close up of people walking amongst vehicles at crossings, creating reality of a highly populated area. Slow paced non-digetic music helping to slowly builds tension as if something bad are to happen in the near future. Cuts to a shot of a playground, which is normally seen to be more of a happy image, however the music is still playing in the background keeping continuity, however also creating an unsure atmosphere. A girl is shown playing on swings, through a medium shot, a spooky uneasy feeling is made by the camera going backwards and forwards following her movement in slow motion. Her laughter can also be herd over the music in a failry drained tone, linking in with slow motion. The shot finishing with the music drawn out but sound getting louder into a crescendo and an unsettling image swinging into an upside down position, screen saturating to a blank white image. All this editing is building up to a tragidy, showing a controversy between present, and what is about to happen. The contrerversial atmoshphere between the two moments is shown very clearly by the pure white image cutting to a very dark close up of a skeleton in a burnt car. The shot panning out into an establishing shot of what appeared to be a herd of burnt cars left in ruins. Very similar shot to one of motorway, however this time its a very still shot of the meer remains of the shell of the cars. In then says 'Los Angeles 2029' therefore we then know its in the future. Its as if a nucluer bopmbs been dropped. It then cuts to a another very still shot of playground, a slight repetition of previous shots to give the viewer a clear understanding of what has happened. This time the playground is too left too ashes. Then after a series of very still silent shots a metal foot is shown stamping on a skull, unsetteling sign of life. Nuration also comes in at this point.

Ending with voice over and music, fades into fire... Powerfull image.