An analisis of a thriller opening. The Day after Tomorrow

Camera
The first shot we see is a pan over icy water. Setting the scene and location.
Establishing shot after the pan, helps to set the scene more, which then revolves around a small camp.
Close up of an American flag, which then pans down to show to men from behind.
Mid close up, coming from the side, of both men. They are dressed in large coats.
One man (Jason) is appears to be younger than the other. The older man is operating something, then Jason steps up to do the same, hinting that he is an apprentice of the older man, or is being taught by him.
Mid close up of older man's hands as he picks up a silver tube, emphasising the importance of the tube as a prop.
Third man is introduced inside a small room, with a mid close up, he is using some form of scientific microscope instrument, hinting that the men are scientists.
Close up of a drill spinning and breaking the ice, followed by a mid close up of the ice cracking, hinting that the two re connected. A tracking shot, which then turns in to a pan/rotate up follows the crack as it spreads across the ice, towards Jason.
Brief close up of Jason's face, which quickly cuts to his hands as the drill suddenly shoots down.
Close up of Jason as he looks over his shoulder.
Mid long, high angled shot if Jason and cracking ice, making him look weak and venerable.
Reaction shot of third man, and older man in single mid close up.
Tracking rotate as the third man steps towards the door.
Over the shoulder shot (from third man) of Jason.
Reaction shot of third man.
A quick mid long shot of Jason as the ice breaks, which quickly cuts to a crane long shot of whole camp.
High angled mid shot as the older man and the third man try to save Jason, which becomes steeper and pans forward in to a birds-eye view of a huge hole in the ice.
Close up of third mans feet as he jumps over the hole.
Mid shot from the side of third man jumping.
Close up of his feet as third man lands.
(shot reverse shot)-Over the shoulder reaction shot from third man of older man.
(srs)-Reaction shot of third man.
(srs)-Reaction shot of older man.
Pan over hole in to a birds-eye vies of third man.
Long shot of third man hanging and ice collapsing.
Over the low angled shoulder from third man of the other two.


Editing
Simple black and white text is overlaid as the titles are displayed during the ice pan.
Continuity, slow paced at first, but becomes much faster when the ice starts to break.
Cuts are used to make it flow easily.


Sound

Before any visuals (excluding text) is shown, a faint tune, of a choir singing with classical string instruments is heard in the background. This gives of a mysterious atmosphere.
The ice cracking is slightly exaggerated to emphasis it more.

The Day After Tomorrow is a disaster thriller and it has many conventions of one, firstly, a disaster thriller revolves around a disaster, either natural or man made, during the opening five minutes it this becomes and obvious theme as the men nearly die due to collapsing ice. Another convention supported by this film is the use of continuity editing, that uses cuts and gains pace throughout the scene. This is often use because it builds suspense and grips the viewer while not confusing them with rapid scene changes or disorientating jump cuts.
Also, disaster thrillers usually start with some sort of scientific tests, which we can assume is happening here due to the scientific equipment, such as the microscope. The tests are usually being carried out in a far,m distant place, usually a very harsh environment. In The Day After Tomorrow the opening scene is set in an icy area, presumably near the north or south pole, this is used to give a feel of isolation, and, as those conducting the tests often discover a warning of the natural disaster, it stops them from warning the rest of the world.
The opening credits of thrillers usually try to make as much tension as possible, using dramatic text and colour types, however, in The Day After Tomorrow the text is simple, and the text colour black or white. The music though, ties back to the usual conventions as the choir/classical string style music is strange, mysterious and quickly builds as the scene progresses. Thrillers also often like to identify the heroes and the 'red shirts' (a term that means characters that are only there to die so as to build tension and present a sense of the danger the protagonists are in in the viewer) quickly, usually by placing the 'red shirts' in mortal peril and having a hero save the day, we see this in the opening of The Day After Tomorrow, as one man, Jason, almost falls to his death while the other two have to save him. Thrillers also use age as a guide to who the heroes are, in a disaster thrillers, the youngest scientist in a project is usually the least experienced and the first to go, The Day After Tomorrow supports this as Jason, who appears to be the youngest, is the first to be placed in danger.
The Day After Tomorrow seems to support this, as all the characters we meet in the opening sequence are obviously scientists. Another thing about most disaster thriller heroes is that they tend to be American, which we can easily see in this opening as it features an American flag, which is emphasised with a close up of it.