Year 12 Media Induction Test Redraft - City Of God film opening

Year 12 Media induction test – Redraft 

Analyse the effect the camera angles, editing techniques and sound effects have on the audience 

Lil Ze and his gang

The scene begins with the platonic sound of a knife being sharpened against a rock, which creates some sort of suspense within the films opening seconds as the audience are unaware of what's coming next. We then see the camera cut to a chicken with a close up shot and in this shot, the audience is able to see the fearful facial expression on the chickens face and this is effective because it causes the audience to sympathise with the chicken due to the editing. The camera cross cuts between the chicken and the people cooking other chickens. Throughout this scene, samba music is played, so the audience would be able to tell that there is a Brazillian party going on and the chickens are the meal. This highlights the relationship between the chicken and the cooks, as the cooks are seen as dangerous people, due to their portrayal as knife-wielding murderers. This makes the chicken want to escape the scene and the audience are able to notice this because the camera zooms on its trapped leg, constantly struggling to escape. 

As the chicken becomes free and jumps off the roof, the camera cuts to a low angle shot as the chicken is falling down from the roof, creating even more suspense as the audience don't know if the chicken will survive the fall or not. Once the chicken lands safely and has escaped the party, the camera cuts to a mid shot of the chicken coming around the corner with the sound of traffic. This is effective because it tells the audience that we've left the party atmosphere and that it's time to get back into the real world.  

Suddenly, the camera does a close up on Lil Ze as he orders his gang to go after the chicken. The camera then does and extreme close up when Lil Ze repeats himself, urging the boys to go after the chicken and begins to cackle. At this point, the audience can now tell that Lil Ze is a powerful  and quite sinister character as he shouting and ordering other people to do a ridiculous job whilst laughing. His cruelty is obvious as he is bringing fear to the chicken as he laughs, showing that he has no remorse. The camera cuts to a long shotm showing all the young gang members jumping off a ledge whilst shouting and howling, giving the audience the impression that these are wild hooligans.  

The samba music resumes but is now more fast paced to accompany the adrenaline of the youngsters as the chase the chicken. The camera cuts to a tracking shot, showing the chicken running away from the gang members. The editing techniques manages to create suspense and tension as it keeps cutting from a tracking shot behind the chicken to a close up on the feet of the young gang members feet as the run quickly during the chase. The camera tracks the feet of the gang members as they chase the chicken to show their determination to complete the task that was given to them by their leader. This could also represent how lost they are and are blindly following orders by someone who they see as their role model. The camera stops focusing on the feet of the gang members, switching to a mid shot which is where  the audience are properly able to identify that the gang members are in fact young children with guns, challenging the common stereotype that young children are innocent and playful. The camera angle cuts once again to further prove the challenging of stereotypes, as it cuts to a low angle as the children being aiming and shooting at the chicken, making them seem powerful and determined to kill the chicken, as opposed to be weak and helpless. However, the scene also does conform with the stereotype of children as they are seen laughing and having fun.  

As the boys are running, the camera zooms onto Lil Ze's face as he randomly orders a man to grab the chicken. The audience are then reminded of his powerful figure in the film as the man instantly attempts to grab the chicken but fails, which angers Lil Ze, who pushes him on the ground and the camera instantly cuts to an extreme close up on his gun as he pulls it out. A high angle shot is then shown on the random man sitting on the floor, making the audience think that he is about to be killed as he is currently in a weak position. The camera cuts back to an extreme close up on Lil Ze as he switches his attention back to the chicken. The camera cuts back to a high angle on the man still on the floor with his pots and pans scattered on the floor but zooms out, portraying him as weak and powerless after his encounter with Lil Ze. 

Eventually, the chicken escapes and once it escapes, the same sequence seen earlier in the opening scene occurs, where the samba music stops and we begin to hear the sounds of the real world. The camera cuts to a close up on Rocket as Lil Ze's gang comes onto the street, and this angle is effective as it emphasises his fear of Lil Ze. The editing is also effective because it shows an eyeline match of Rocket staring down Lil Ze, who is walking with a gun in his hand. The editing is effective because we are able to see the degree of Lil Ze's terrifying presence.  

The angle focuses on Lil Ze with a midshot to show his gang members around him in powerful poses, with guns in their hands, standing in a line, as he orders Rocket to pick up the chicken. The camera cuts to a long shot, showing Rocket slowly approaching the chicken with the police turning up to the scene in the background. The camera remains in a long shot as it cuts to Lil Ze and his gang together as one, further displaying their unison as a group. This is effective as it emphasises the loyalty of gangs and conforms to the idea of brotherhood in gangs. 

Even though there is no music during this scene, we begin to hear a heartbeat as the camera focuses on Rocket and the tense atmosphere around him while the camera begins to pan in a 360 shot. The character of Rocket begins narrating as he becomes the focal point of the scene. This is very effective on the audience because they can now feel as if they're in the situation with Rocket.