In the opening scene of Die Hard we see an establishing shot of the plane, it’s used to show where the characters are and in this scene it’s also used to set the time, the effect this has on the audience is that it shows them where this part of the film is so they aren’t confused when they watch it. Another shot we see used is a medium close up of the man sat next to Bruce, this is used to introduced him into the part of the conversation. The effect it has on the audience is that it makes us feel apart of the converation because we are close to the character.
Before Bruce leaves the plane there is a shot reverse shot when he is with the air hostess, this is used to make us feel like we are there but the effect this has on the audienceis that it shows the obvious attraction they both feel for each other. There is also a low angle shot of Bruce when his gun is revealed to the other guy, the effect this has on the audience is that it makes Bruce look very powerful, we also see a high angle shot when the asian character is talking to the party guests, this shows us that he isn’t as powerful as Bruce or as important. There is a close up of Holly’s photo, when she is on the phone, which features Bruce and her children, this effects the audience because it shows her family and when she slams it down, it shows that she is angry with Bruce but still cares for him enough to have a photo with him in it.
There is also a lot of camera movement in this opening scene. There is a very long tracking shot on Holly when she is walking down the corridor, the effect this has on the audience is that it shows Holly’s importance as the camera moves and stops when she does, it’s like she is pulling the camera with her. There is also a pan when the asian character is walking from the musicians to the balcony, this shows us the size of the office and how important it will be in the film. There is also a few shallow focus’, one of them is when Bruce is walking off the plane, this effects the audience because it draws our attention to Bruce and no one else, it also shows us that he is important in the film.
In this opening scene there are also a lot of different editing techniques used. One of them is an eyeline match, this is used when Bruce is leaving the plane, the man sat next to him see’s the gun and we can see him looking at it, then there is a close up of the gun, the effect this has on the audience is that it shows us what the person is looking at and it also shows something that is important like the gun. there is also a sequence shot, a sequence when there is no editing, of Holly walking down the corrido, the effect this has on the audience is that it makes it look like the person it’s tracking is pulling the camera but it also shows that they are important. The opening scne also cross cutting between Bruce’s and Holly’s story, the effect this has is that it shows that these two stories are in the same time zone and that everything is happening in the same time.
There is also a lot different sounds in the opening scene. At the beginning there is something like a sound bridge because the plane noise starts on a black screen but then we see the plane landing in the next shot, this effects the audince because it lets them guess the next scene. There is also a lot of diegetic sound and non-diegetic sound as well.Whenthe title of the film appears there is a sleigh bell like sounde but it sounds distorted and a drum beat is added to it, the effect this has on the audience is that it sets what time of year it is and also the way thesounds are distorted also gives off the impression that something bad is going to happen. However there is also diegetic sound, when we see the office party, we can see and hear the classsical music, the effect this has on the audience is that it shows them that everyone can hear it and it also gives the impression that this party is very formal otherwise they would be playing other varities of music, like pop which gives off a more relaxed vibe at a party.
The Mise-En-Scene is also very important in the opening scene. In the shot where we see the plane landing the lighting has an orange tint, which shows the audience that it’s almost night-time which signifies the beginning of a new day or that something will happen because most bad things happen at night. There is alsoa large variety of people in the opening scene. When we see the man sat next to Bruce, he is wearing suit like aparel but his top button is undone, this shows us that he is relaxed on the plane but also that he is relaxed as a person because most men who wear suits, wear it with every button done. Bruce, however is wearing jeans and a leather jacket, this gives the audience the impression that he isn’t that bothered by his choice in clothes as others are and also that he is a bit of a rebel which makes the audinece think he is cool and while inside the airport he also smokes which makes us believe he is even cooler and doesn’t have any regard for rules. However Holly isn’t dressed like Bruce at all, she is wearing a formal outfit, which consists of a black skirt and a red blouse, this effects the audience because the red of her top shows future danger which shows the audience that she is important and something bad could happen to her. Throught out the opening scene we see a lot of people with permed, curly hair except Bruce, this shows us that Bruce doesn’t care for fashion but it also shows that he is his own person and he is who he wants to be.