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How does the opening sequence of CSI: Strip Strangler attract the interest of the audience?

In this episode, Strip Strangler, police detectives are trying to track down and arrest a murderer in Las Vegas. This person is a signature killer and strangles and strips his victims. He stalks his victims and after finally picking one out he sexually assaults and kills them. The detectives track him all over the city and must stop him before he does it again.

The opening sequence of every episode follows the connection of setting up an enigma code for the audience. In the first two or three minutes a body is discovered or crime has been committed and this is the case in every episode, every week before the title sequence. This makes an audience member who has seen more than one show anticipate what is going to happen at the beginning and the director can play on the audience’s expectations.

The opening shot of the CSI episode, Strip Strangler, is a high long shot of the Las Vegas at night time. The Long shot implies how vast and populated the city is and that any one of the people below could be the victim. There are rumbles of thunder and darkness, so this mise-en-scène has implications that something bad will happen or a sense of doom. All episodes start like this creating an enigma code and make the audience want to solve the crime themselves.

The second shot is of an apartment building and is a high crane shot. This angle implies that it looks weak and that someone inside is going to become the victim. The thunder and lightning is a diegetic sound and this has connotations of danger and that something bad is going to happen. The apartment also has an open door and this indicates that it is not secure. The camera then cranes down and angles up to a low angle shot. This suggests that there is something to be afraid of and the audience should be afraid to. If you look closely at the stairs there is a dark figure walking up them, which makes the audience wonder whether this person may be the intruder and that their security has been invaded.

The non-diegetic sound in this sequence is discordant to create an eerie, threatening feeling.

The mise-en-scène used is a long, dark narrow corridor. This suggests that the victim is trapped and that darkness implies danger and something is lurking in the depths. The next shot is of the killer’s POV and that the killer and audience are looking at the victim. The camera then tracks into the woman’s room. She is framed between the door frame and this indicates that she is trapped with no way out; the only way to leave her room would to go past the murderer. Moments later the sound of the creaking floorboard makes the woman sit up suddenly. She looks directly at the audience as they have the POV of the killer, but she sees nothing wrong. The lightning outside illuminates her room and the colour red from her lamp shade becomes prevalent and it has connotation of blood, violence and danger. This suggests to the audience that something is going to happen to the woman.

The next shot is a medium close up of the woman is panic. She is represented as a typical young attractive female victim and is wearing very little apart from her nightclothes, suggesting that she is very vulnerable. A cut shows the woman’s POV and shows that she is no longer looking at the audience. She looks directly at the closet where a red lamp is hanging. For her everything seems ok and normal but since the shot of the closet this tells the audience that something could be there. The music builds up and is low and deep. This implies that something is lurking in the darkness; the audience however are expecting something to happen but she goes back to bed assuming all is okay.

The next shot of the woman is a medium close up. Her body fills almost the entire frame and the audience cannot see what is behind her. This means that anything could be behind the woman causing suspense for the viewer. Next the sound of the creaking floorboard makes the woman quickly lift up from her pillow. The next shot is of her POV and she looks into the room’s darkness. She sees nothing then the lightning flash illuminates her room and she sees the silhouette of a man in dark clothing with his hood up. This type of figure is normally associated with bad behaviour. The audience never see the killers face as this creates suspense for the rest of the programme and causes the viewers to keep on watching.

Then there is a cut to a high close shot of the victim screaming in fear. The editing at this point has more pace; this creates a sense of excitement and action as the shots are much shorter and quicker. In the next shot we see a medium close up shot of the dark figure of the killer. The audience are still unable to see his face as he vigorously pulls some cable from an iron. This indicates that the killer is going to strangle his victim. The final cut of this scene is a high close shot of the woman. The shot is the POV of the killer and is slowly moves closer the victim allowing us to see the feat in her face. As she screams in fear she also moves slowly back into her bed. She lies down and backs away into a corner, this makes her at a disadvantage and the high camera shot makes her look vulnerable.

Over the last few shots of the woman there has been a non-diegetic crescendo building up. In the last shot before the title sequence it peaks to emphasise her scream and show the audience what fear she is going through. Overall in this first sequence she is portrayed as a typical, vulnerable, frightened, young female. This is normally the case in most of the shows as they are seen as weaker and easier victims for the killer.

In this episode, the director uses a range of different techniques to attract the audience. He has used a variety of camera angles to show if the killer, victim or building is weak or powerful. For example they used a high angle shot on the victim to show that she was vulnerable. He also uses tropes from the horror genre. For example the victim is a typical, vulnerable, young woman. This sets up an enigma code for the audience and tells them that something bad is going to happen and an audience member who has seen multiple episodes will anticipate what will happen. The director also uses a range of non-diegetic sounds such as a crescendo.

There is a fade to black before the detectives come and examine the crime scene, this keeps the audience in suspense and the crime which is being carried out is too gruesome to be shown on television.

Sound

The opening scene in Jaws uses a lot of musical techniques are used to make the music contrast with what is happening. For example:

Crescendo: Build up of music
Diminuendo: Gradual 'die away' of music
Sforzando: Sudden sharp sound
Diegetic: Within the scene
Non diegetic: Added afterwards in post production

This is used when the woman goes swimming in the opening scene. She leaves the safety of the warm fire and music (which is diegetic) it slowly dies away. Therefore isolating themselves from the others. When she gets in the water the build up of music makes the audience anticipate something is going to happen (crescendo), and the music builds pace making you feel as if the shark is becoming faster. This type of music is non diegetic. Once she finally gets dragged under the music makes a dramatic stop and looks like nothing ever happened.

Watch: https://youtu.be/P-mAQ1uq2d8

In the Godfather when he kills the man in the restaurant just before he shots him, there is a sound of a train gradually getting louder. This is an example of a crescendo and is a diegetic sound. As it is happening in the scene as it happens.

Watch: https://youtu.be/kSQqv2UuvC0