Film Opening Continuity

• The clip starts with three close ups of a china set and dolls, instantly establishing that the characters are young girls. The close ups also force the audience to focus on the toys, rather than the characters.
• The characters themselves are then shown in a long shot, which also shows the setting; an attic space. This is the master shot.
• Two more close ups showing the girls playing continues to give the audience a sense of character; they are young girls, who enjoy playing with their dolls and tea set.
• Two mid-close ups then show us the girls themselves in more detail, showing the audience their faces, and the fact that they are smiling. This complies with the 180° rule, as two girls stay on the left of the frame, whilst the other girl stays on the right. One girl leans forwards to place a teacup on the floor, and the next shot matches the action by showing her place the cup on the saucer.
• After another close up of the toys, there is a long shot from a different angle, showing there is a bed and three windows in the room. The girls all look towards the camera, implying that there is a character stood 'behind' it.
• The girls then look towards the window in a long shot from a different, low angle, which makes the audience question what they are about to do next.
• The camera then arcs into the windows, increasing the audience's curiosity and uneasiness.
• There is another match on action as the girls stand up, showing them starting to stand up in a midshot, then cutting closer to the girls as they continue to rise to their feet.
• Multiple close ups show the girls treading on and breaking their dolls and tea set, as they walk towards the windows. This implies that there is something different about the girls, as at first they were shown playing with the toys carefully and lovingly.
• A mid shot shows the girls walking towards the camera and the windows, faces void of any emotion, when seconds before they were smiling and laughing.
• The girls then step up towards the windows in a long shot, which establishes the fact that the girls would easily be able to fit through the windows.
• This cuts straight to a close up of one of the girls opening the latch on the window, which is a match on action of the shot before, where the girls are reaching towards the latches. The close up forces the audience to focus on the action, so as to increase their sense of uneasiness.
• A long shot then shows the girls stepping up onto the edge of the windows, before they step off and fall out of shot.
• The camera then tracks back from the empty windows, before cutting to another close up of an unbroken doll. The quick transition from long shot to close up again forces the audience to focus on the doll, and on the fact that the girls suddenly completely changed their demeanour.
• Lastly, there is a cut back to the long shot which is tracking backwards, and a figure appears in the frame, standing where the girls had looked before they looked to the windows. This is to make the audience realise that it was the figure who caused them to jump.