The first two minutes of any television or film are key for hooking the audience in, and so encouraging them to watch the remainder of the story; this is why I have chosen to analyse the first two minutes of Beck.
Before the story even begins, the audience is introduced to an eerie and enigmatic soundtrack: a high frequency pitch juxtaposed against a very deep tone is one that creates the 'creepy' feeling. The first shot then fades in to an unusual noise, almost like gears moving, or, as this is a crime drama, the barrel of a gun revolving and echoing perhaps. By utilising these specific non-diegetic sounds, the director/producer has immediately created tension and intrigue amongst its audience, resulting in them wanting to continue watching the programme.
The first shot of this drama is an establishing shot of a high rise building, though it is unclear as to its purpose initially, which implies that this is where the action of the feature is to occur. It is during this shot that the previously mentioned 'deep tone' takes precedence and diegetic noises of night life (e.g. dogs barking) are introduced. This then cuts to the first crime of the story: a theft.
Two young men, dressed in dark clothes and hoodies, are in the process of stealing an expensive looking car in a well-lit urban area. The mise-en-scene of this shot is key in providing the viewer with information regarding the characters; by wearing dark clothes, it is clear that the thieves have planned to steal a car rather than just happening upon a vehicle that has taken their fancy. This suggests that they have perhaps done something similar in the past. Also, while both are wearing hoodies, the lookout has his hood down giving the audience, and others, a clear view of his face in the street light. Through this, you can infer that the thieves are confident in their ability to carry off the theft without being caught - again the mise-en-scene supports the idea that the characters specialise in vehicle theft.
As stated above, Thief One and Thief Two are wearing hoodies, a garment that is stereotyped to the lower classes; in this way, the audience might immediately assume that they are from the underclass, one which is often associated with the long-term unemployed and the career criminals. Given the crime they are committing, it can be read that they are career criminals rather than unemployed.
In light of how the thieves clothing provides the reader with a clue as to their background, so too does the clothing of the car owner. A low angled, long shot introduces the Owner who is clearly on the opposite end of the social spectrum to the thieves: an expensive looking suit and watch creates the impression of a professional person. Through his clothing, the director establishes an evident difference between the thieves and the Owner, one which is only emphasised by the Owner being placed in a higher position indicative of power. From this, you can surmise that the Owner is of a higher class, and also in a high paying job, the opposite of the thieves.
However, the Owner's power is only a result of his money as, very soon, the thieves are in the power position. Thief One draws a gun and the Owner is immediately compliant: "Take whatever you want" Owner. Not only does this represent a shift in power, but it also shows conflict within the social classes, an idea that is continued throughout the scene and is most discernible in the two shots. The two shots show Thief Two and the Owner within the same shot and facing each other on opposite sides, and thusly, in opposition (if they had been shown side-by-side in the shot, they would have been seen to be supporting each other).
The first half of the opening scene of Beck is comprised of short shots accompanied by fast paced non-diegetic music, emphasising the danger and action of the crime committed; it sparks a sense of immediacy that makes it feel as though the theft were happening. This is a contrast the much slower second half, the part of the exposition that shows the aftermath of a crime, rather than one in action.
In the second half we are shown two seemingly unrelated moments; one is the discovery of a murder, the other, a mundane conversation by two hotel desk workers. To begin with, the interaction of two co-workers could be an attempt to insert some normality within what is, no doubt, a surreal experience for the hotel; not only does it emphasise the unusual nature of the murder, but it also makes the discovery more shocking that it would be without that normality: the abstract infringes upon reality.
What the director is more likely trying to achieve is to introduce key characters before the viewer is aware of their importance - in this case, it is the female member of staff that we are encouraged to focus upon, and so it is she who is likely to be one of the main characters in the text. The maid is a contrast to this; her relevance is revealed very soon, indicating that she is merely a catalyst in alerting the authorities rather than being important to the plot as a whole.
Although there is reference to the later importance of characters within this scene, the main focus is upon the discovery and, as a result, the journey of the maid. One shot of the maid is when she is approaching the victim's hotel room; it foreshadows the case the drama revolves around. The winding corridor she has to travel suggests that the case will not be straight forward and instead by complicated to solve - however, most notably, a backlight in the corridor is red. It is not overly noticeable and instead serves as a subtle warning to the viewer that something is about to be discovered.
While the light in the corridor is very subtle, the warnings in the hotel room are not so. Boldly coloured walls are the most notable aspect of the room, and, as more of the room is revealed, the room is coated in swatches of red - even though this colour is typically associated with warnings and danger, in the room itself, it is indicative of something else. Throughout the room, the victim's clothes are scattered (along with a champagne bottle) and the bed sheets are rumpled, suggesting that the victim had sexual intercourse before her death. Collectively, the excessive usage of red and the mise-en-scene create the impression that this particular murder was a crime of passion, immediately narrowing down the suspect pool and also hooking the viewer in with the enigma it inspires.
Another key point regarding how the discovery is made is the fact that it is made in daylight; this adds a sense of realism to the murder, and creates tension. This tension is furthered by employing the ticking of a clock that is clearly non-diegetic. The clock is almost like a countdown, or, when considering the beat of a clock, a pulse - the pulse of the victim perhaps. As the clock stops when it is revealed that the woman is dead, the idea that the clock is symbolic of a pulse only further emphasises the murder.
The entire opening scene of Beck is one that employs the enigma code well, and encourages the audience to watch the rest of the drama. It engages ideas of conflict and utilises the mise-en-scene to create a wide range of meaning within the drama.
As stated above, Thief One and Thief Two are wearing hoodies, a garment that is stereotyped to the lower classes; in this way, the audience might immediately assume that they are from the underclass, one which is often associated with the long-term unemployed and the career criminals. Given the crime they are committing, it can be read that they are career criminals rather than unemployed.
In light of how the thieves clothing provides the reader with a clue as to their background, so too does the clothing of the car owner. A low angled, long shot introduces the Owner who is clearly on the opposite end of the social spectrum to the thieves: an expensive looking suit and watch creates the impression of a professional person. Through his clothing, the director establishes an evident difference between the thieves and the Owner, one which is only emphasised by the Owner being placed in a higher position indicative of power. From this, you can surmise that the Owner is of a higher class, and also in a high paying job, the opposite of the thieves.
However, the Owner's power is only a result of his money as, very soon, the thieves are in the power position. Thief One draws a gun and the Owner is immediately compliant: "Take whatever you want" Owner. Not only does this represent a shift in power, but it also shows conflict within the social classes, an idea that is continued throughout the scene and is most discernible in the two shots. The two shots show Thief Two and the Owner within the same shot and facing each other on opposite sides, and thusly, in opposition (if they had been shown side-by-side in the shot, they would have been seen to be supporting each other).
The first half of the opening scene of Beck is comprised of short shots accompanied by fast paced non-diegetic music, emphasising the danger and action of the crime committed; it sparks a sense of immediacy that makes it feel as though the theft were happening. This is a contrast the much slower second half, the part of the exposition that shows the aftermath of a crime, rather than one in action.
In the second half we are shown two seemingly unrelated moments; one is the discovery of a murder, the other, a mundane conversation by two hotel desk workers. To begin with, the interaction of two co-workers could be an attempt to insert some normality within what is, no doubt, a surreal experience for the hotel; not only does it emphasise the unusual nature of the murder, but it also makes the discovery more shocking that it would be without that normality: the abstract infringes upon reality.
What the director is more likely trying to achieve is to introduce key characters before the viewer is aware of their importance - in this case, it is the female member of staff that we are encouraged to focus upon, and so it is she who is likely to be one of the main characters in the text. The maid is a contrast to this; her relevance is revealed very soon, indicating that she is merely a catalyst in alerting the authorities rather than being important to the plot as a whole.
Although there is reference to the later importance of characters within this scene, the main focus is upon the discovery and, as a result, the journey of the maid. One shot of the maid is when she is approaching the victim's hotel room; it foreshadows the case the drama revolves around. The winding corridor she has to travel suggests that the case will not be straight forward and instead by complicated to solve - however, most notably, a backlight in the corridor is red. It is not overly noticeable and instead serves as a subtle warning to the viewer that something is about to be discovered.
While the light in the corridor is very subtle, the warnings in the hotel room are not so. Boldly coloured walls are the most notable aspect of the room, and, as more of the room is revealed, the room is coated in swatches of red - even though this colour is typically associated with warnings and danger, in the room itself, it is indicative of something else. Throughout the room, the victim's clothes are scattered (along with a champagne bottle) and the bed sheets are rumpled, suggesting that the victim had sexual intercourse before her death. Collectively, the excessive usage of red and the mise-en-scene create the impression that this particular murder was a crime of passion, immediately narrowing down the suspect pool and also hooking the viewer in with the enigma it inspires.
Another key point regarding how the discovery is made is the fact that it is made in daylight; this adds a sense of realism to the murder, and creates tension. This tension is furthered by employing the ticking of a clock that is clearly non-diegetic. The clock is almost like a countdown, or, when considering the beat of a clock, a pulse - the pulse of the victim perhaps. As the clock stops when it is revealed that the woman is dead, the idea that the clock is symbolic of a pulse only further emphasises the murder.
The entire opening scene of Beck is one that employs the enigma code well, and encourages the audience to watch the rest of the drama. It engages ideas of conflict and utilises the mise-en-scene to create a wide range of meaning within the drama.
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