Saskia Smith AS Media Production

At the beginning of The Imitation Game there is a loud, fast tempo piano playing which automatically gets the audiences adrenaline going. There is also a digital sound over the top of that soundtrack, it uses a black screen and tells us in white small writing that the story is based on a true story and its 1951in Manchester, England.

 

The next shot is of Alan Turing (Benedict Cumberbatch) sitting at a desk in  very plain room, he has his head facing to the floor, it cuts to a close up of him and he has his eyes closed. He opens his eyes and seems very deep in thought, his concentration creates mystery about what he is thinking about. He's wearing a tie and suit however, he looks scruffy and not well presented. The camera tracks Alan from outside the room which makes him appear isolated and alone.

 

The piano based soundtrack continues playing quietly in the background. We are then introduced to another character, he looks very smart and superior however, when he walks into the room Alan dosent take much notice to him until they are opposite to each other. This character is holding paperwork which makes him look important, we then hear diegetic sounds of him speaking and then he then drops in onto the table and it cuts to a black screen and the music continues. Turning's diegetic sound says '“Are you paying attention? Good.” This puts us inside his mind and thoughts, and breaks the fourth wall'. This feels like it is aimed towards the audience.

 

The next shots are in Alan's house. It shows us the walls of his house which are covered in papers, sticky notes and work. They arnt just on his wall but all over his house as well as smshed glass and everything else being disorgnaised, whilst we are being showed this, the titles are beginning to come on. They are in a small font in the center left of the frame at the beginning. They are a white/yellow pastal colour which goes with the look of old paper. The camera moves quite slowly as well as the editing pace and soft non-diegetic music is juxtaposed to the messiness of the room.

 

The audience is told that the house was broken into when we see a police officer taking notes in the room, this is re-inforced when we hear Turing’s house has been ransacked” on an old style rado which fits the mise-en-scene of time the film was set in.

 

All of these conventions add to build up curiosity of the audience and thats why it works so well because of how it draws the udience in and makes them asks questions about whats happened. This technique is very sucessful and something i highly consider using in my own film.