Case Study - National Treasure: Book of secrets

Poster Analysis

This poster is full of images put together to give the audience a clue of what the film may be about or where it is located in. The buildings like Big Ben and the Eifel tower give a clue that at some point in the film the characters will be in France, London and the USA. This would mean they are travelling from place to place in the world searching for clue to find the treasure.

Nicolas Cage appears to be the main character as he is the only actor in the poster. He is clutching on to a torch in his right hand and holding a dairy in his left hand. The torch looks similar to that of the Statue of Liberty so this landmark may have some reference in the film but the torch may also mean he has to go underground to find clues or look for the treasure. The diary may be the key to finding the treasure it may contain notes from the past or a code that needs clues to work out a location of the treasure.

In the background on the poster a faint image of an open diary with pages containing writing in the font of old hand writing which may indicate something in the film relates to the past. The film may be about something that has happened in the pas and even though the film is set in present tense it may relate to something that has happened in the past.

Main title is in caps lock and is in gold which goes with the word treasure usually meaning gold. And the sub title “Book of secrets” is in caps to but in white and is a sub title.

Case Study on National Treasure Book of Secrets

The thriller film I have chosen to research is National Treasure Book of Secrets and was directed by Jon Turteltaub and American film director. The production company for this film was Walt Disney Pictures. The release date in the UK was 8 February 2008. National Treasure Book of Secrets was filmed in the USA and the UK at Buckingham Palace, but was made in the USA. Jon Turteltaub had a budget of $130,000,000 and made total gross revenue of $457,363,600. It is preceded by National Treasure.

The type of target audience I think this film is aimed at is an audience that enjoys action packed films, containing adventures and mysteries that need to be solved which entertain them with comedy throughout the film. Using the IMDB (internet movies database) website I found some user ratings mainly ranging between 6 to 8 out of 10 quoting “good entertainment” and “kept the first movie in consideration and have not brought many new characters”.

Technology is constantly changing which enables the user to access the film easier. The audience can watch the movie on DVD or Blu Ray or can watch or download the movie online. Using new technology you could download it on to an iPod and can watch it on the move. This film is available on the internet, on DVD or Blu Ray.

Camera movement/angles in the opening to
National Treasure Book of Secrets
The opening to this film begins with a very dark picture so it is hard for the audience to work out the location and what is happening leaving everything a bit of a mystery to the audience which is the purpose to this shot. A title then appears “Washington D.C. April 14th 1865” so the audience are now aware where the scene in set and that they are going back into the past. Another title then appears reading “5 days after the end of the Civil War” so the audience are no aware the particular time they are taken back to.

Then next shot is a long shot of the town the purpose and effect of this shot is so that the audience can see where the location is and the characters surroundings. It then cuts to inside the building and the camera in panning down the audience can clearly see the hanging candle and this reminds us how times have changed and how technology has been created and developed over the years. A medium shot of the characters is then cut to a character known as Thomas Gates this shot is a close up, which then cuts to a close up shot of a diary with a message in. it is know clear to the audience what Thomas Gates is capable of which is cracking codes and solving the mystery. Most shots in the opening scene are quite dark so the audience are unable to make out their faces. One character then departs the room having looked at his watch which may make the audience think has he got to be somewhere.

The camera then follows the character who has left the room, the purpose and effect of this shot is so that the audience feel as if they are there to and in on the action and what will happen next. The next shot is a close up of a door handle and this mystery/unknown character opening it slowly and quietly as if making it clear to the audience he is up to something or sneaking up on someone and doesn’t want them to know he is present.

A high angle shot is next of the unknown character entering the room and him standing behind two people who are sitting down unaware he is behind them. The camera then pans up so we see the unknown character holding a gun to another characters head getting ready to shoot him. This then cuts to a close up of the gun being fired the audience then discover that is was President Lincoln that has just been shot. A quick sequence of shots happens as the unknown character makes a very quick escape, the purpose of the quick shots as he moves quickly makes the audience feel as if they are actually in that room witnessing all of what has just happened.

The camera then cuts and zooms in on the character as he speak (who has shot President Lincoln) as he makes his escape out of the room the camera shakes as he gets away so it feels like you are in the room as well and everyone is pushing their way out.

The next shot cuts to the two gentlemen left in the room, the shot is a close up of their faces showing their emotions as Thomas Gates hears the news of President Lincolns death and cracks the message in the diary just as he finds out the two gentlemen are working for the K.G.C. the camera shakes as Thomas gets up and puts the diary in the fire, the purpose of this shot is there is a bit of action going on between the two gentlemen as the agent shoots Gates. As Thomas is dying in the room left with his son by his side the camera slowly zooms out and the music fades out which goes well with him dying and fading out of the film as well.

Natural lighting has been used throughout the shots but most shots have been quite dark anyhow. Jon Turteltaub has used both digetic and non-digetic sound in the opening. Under digetic sound the noises that the audience can hear are fireworks and town people talking and screaming in the background. Glasses being served, the noise of the bottom hitting the counter or glasses clash against one another. As the unknown character makes his may to the room where President Lincoln is situated his metal heel slams against the wooden floor this grabs the audience’s attention and may give them a clue that he is bad and up to no good. Also the sound of horse’s hooves this is when the unknown character makes his escape and rides off on the horse the sound of the hooves echo through the town.

The gun shot is very loud and would most certainly grab the audience’s attention that one single bang going off. As he slides down the curtain we can hear the curtain being ripped quickly as he needs to make an escape. Non-digetic sound – throughout most shots there is background music. It is quiet and builds suspense and tension and gradually increases in volume until the point where something will happen; where the action begins. The audience only know it is set in Washington because of the sub-title shown at the beginning of the opening scene but if they weren’t it would remain a mystery until all would be revealed.

Character types
Thomas Gates comes across to the audience as a friendly and approachable person as we find from when the two agents ask him to crack the secret message. He appears to do what he is told and doesn’t ask any questions. He is wearing dirty clothes which represents he is poor and does what he can to survive and probably fits in with the lower class.

The two gentlemen working for the K.G.C. wear jackets, the boss out of the two (one who shot President Lincoln) is wearing dark clothing which may give a hint to the audience he is the bad guy and can be dangerous. As he looks at the time we see the watch is gold plated which indicates he is rich or definitely has the money to buy a watch like he owns this could indicate he is in the middle class. At first they both appear normal just asking Thomas Gates to help them figure the message out in the diary but once the president has been shot the audience can clearly see they are bad people and are only there to cause trouble and hassle.

From watching the opening the audience can see what type of genres the film is. The diary and the coded message points out a mystery – what could this lead to – an adventure. When Lincoln is shot this shows action and a thriller. Just from a few shots we see what type of genre the film is.

The narrative structure refers to the past which may indicate this plays a key point in the rest of the film. Also going back to the past can help the audience understand the plot more and this scene back in the past will most likely be referred to later on in the film. These points definitely strengthen the film and make the plot more understandable for the audience.

A message that the film may be communicating towards the audience could be “never under estimate anyone” I suggest this because Thomas Gates never thought her would be shot, he just took the diary cracked the code and thought the two gentlemen who approached him were normal and didn’t think that they were indeed up to no good. Another message that could be communicated through the film is “don’t do something for nothing if you don’t know them” I suggest this message because Thomas Gates just took the diary and revealed the message and did it for those two people who he had never met before and hadn’t got a clue who they were and where they were from.

This is the first shot in the opening the main title is in caps lock and is in gold which goes with the word treasure usually meaning gold. And the sub title “Book of secrets” is in old hand writing which may indicate a book that is very old from decades ago. The picture is dark and you and the audience would only be able to make out the body outlines and it is not revealed who they are and where they are until the sub titles appear what year and date it is and their location.