A Quiet Place Opening Analysis

A Quiet Place Opening

     Camera Framing    

    The opening of A Quiet Place offers a unique complete immersion into the dystopian setting. The camera angles are not intimate but rather serve the purpose of informing viewers that the present world is apocalyptic-esque. Unmoving master shots that linger on the screen show the emptiness consuming what was once a well developed town. The characters are first introduced when they walk into the frame of still shots that are arranged almost as if they are a montage; not immediately focusing on the characters but rather allowing for their silhouettes to introduce themselves sets an ominous tone. The first time the camera moves is to highlight the little boy's tiptoeing, which clearly presents to the audience that this is notable. The camera seems to be positioned on a track that runs seamlessly through aisles of a supermarket to both set the scene and also subtly introduce the characters. After over a minute of vague shots, a closeup first falls on a young girl with hearing aids. This further shoes that the camera shots in the beginning of this film all prove to be purposefully informing the audience of important details without verbally addressing them. This is a relevant take to the plot of this movie as these details all add up to highlight that one of the main antagonists of this movie is sound.

Editing Techniques

    A Quiet Place establishes it's dark tone through a color palette that neglects warm tones and bright colors. Putting filters on the movie to establish this mood is an important post-production process. Underexposure in the grocery store adds suspense as we cannot see details or the background in sufficient lighting. When the rocket toy finally goes off the sound it makes must've amped in post production to increase it's piercing shriek that contrasts a fully silent background. Following the sound explosion a CGI monster sprints through the screen, taking the boy in stride. For amplifying how disgusting the exotic monsters look the editing process subsequent to filming is crucial. The ability to transform what was most likely a person in a skin tight, tan, bodysuit into something straight out of the depths of alien-like nightmares is what takes a film from mediocrity to outstanding.

Sound

    The real editorial star of the first minutes is the absolute lack of synthetic sound. This is further emphasized by a clear understanding between the characters that they should not be making sound either. This is conveyed to the audience through tip-toeing and slow exaggerated movements. A more direct example is the clear reluctance in grabbing pill bottles in such a manner that all sloshing of pills is eliminated. This solidifies to the audience that, though they might not know why, they are on the same page with the characters in regards to the expulsion of sound. Commonly in horror movies creators rely on a score and/or sound effects to increase suspense and amplify scares. A Quiet Place resides as a unique film in the horror movie realm because of a complete lack of musical filler. The majority of the movie is genuinely silent. The director and writer, John Krasinski, decided that no sound becomes scarier in that it builds greater anticipation and provides audience immersion. A completely quiet scene makes the rare noises throughout the movie much more potent and shocking. This film can be commonly thought of when the phrase 'I've never hear silence quite this loud' is relayed.

Mise-en-scene

    A Quiet Place's mise-en-scene elements in the opening all work towards establishing the setting and conflict. Missing person's posters and horizontally laying shopping carts serve as main props to convey the end of the world aesthetic. Picking up pill bottles silently is a creative way to show the elude from sound. Run-down clothing that does not reflect modern standards exercises the purpose of showing the effect this apocalyptic world has on the characters. The character's makeup is scarce as the actor's faces are painted naturally because it would be realistic to assume in the setting they're in, makeup would not be a priority. There is no special makeup effects such as cuts, black eyes, or bruises. Typically in films of this genre makeup such as what was previously listed would commonly be over-used, however this movie is an outlier. One could assume the lack of war wounds is to show the seriousness in that if you are heard by the mysterious creatures there is no fight one simply is their helpless prey.

Production and Distribution

    A Quiet Place was produced by Platinum Dunes Sunday Night Productions. John Krasinski, Bryan Woods, and Scott Beck all contributed to the writing process of this film; Krasinski also directed, starred, and produced the film. Charlotte Bruus Christensen is credited as the cinematographer. Production began in May of 2017 at a farmhouse in upstate New York. After about 5 months of filming, the movie began the post-production editing process. Five more months of work was concluded with the premiere of the film on March 9th, 2018 (international; April 6th, 2018 domestic). The movie made $188 million domestically and a worldwide total of $341 million. After it's successful theatrical run the film went to DVD and Blueray. A more modern release of the film on streaming services shortly followed, spreading access to the film on Paramount Plus, Amazon Prime, and Epix.

Opening Credits

    The opening credits role in after one of the most pivotal scenes of the entire movie. After a child is swooped up by what the audience must assume is the 'monster' the screen cuts a completely black screen. Sandy smoke fills the abyss and reveals the letters that spell out, "A Quiet Place". The words are in a large font and centered in the screen. The letters are all capitalized and in a tan color that is reflective of the sandy smoke. After a pause to allow for the time to read the letters fade away and credits follow the same pattern of fading in and out of a black screen (this time without smoke). This is relevant to the genre as it further establishes it's ominous tone and placement in the horror category. This minute-long sequence of credits is the only time throughout the movie music fills the empty background. The piece fits the expectation as a growing sense that something is very wrong inevitably fills the audience as they listen. 

Awards and Nominations

    A Quiet Place did well during the award season of 2019. The biggest nomination the film received was an Academy Award nomination for Best Sound Editing; though the film lost to Bohemian Rhapsody. The British Academy of Film and Television Arts and the Golden Globes also nominated the movie for it's sound, however the film lost there as well. As for winning: Emily Blunt (playing the role of the mother) was recognized as the winner of "Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role" at the Screen Actors Guild award ceremony. In addition, the film did well on other award scenes such as the MTVs, Critic's Choice Award, People's Choice Award, and countless others. 

I chose to research this film because, simply put, I enjoyed watching it. The plot follows a unique storyline that had not been done in the horror genre. Weaponizing sound like we have never seen before offers a unique viewing experience that is admirable. I also wanted to be able to reference the techniques and conventions of this film to utilize in my own film opening.