Donnie Darko Opening Analysis. (Editing)

(00:00-04:09) 
(Opens with the logos of the institutions involved with the making of the film)

Editing:

(00:50)
Starts off with a fade from black transition. This is effective to start off the scene because it's a slow transition which will set a slow pace for the rest of this scene.

(01:56)
The camera then cuts to a shot of the scenery and the location of the scene. This is effective because it allows the audience to get a good view of where the scene is set. Also, that fact that  it's edited like this makes it seem like we're looking though the eyes of the main character (Donnie). This is a POV shot (Point of View shot).

(02:19) 
The title of the film then appears on the screen. This happens when Donnie walks out of frame. This is significant because this tells the audience that Donnie Darko is the name of the main character because Donnie was just on the screen. Also, the fact that Donnie has walked out of frame and left his name behind is effective because this gives a slight hint to the outcome of the film. (Donnie dies, but he isn't forgotten). 

(02:21) 
Then there's a fade to white transition which is supposed to look like a bright light taking over the screen.

(02:45)
This cut is effective as this shot is another POV shot which allows the audience to see the location through Donnie's perspective.  

(02:50)
This cut is effective here because in the shot it has an image of a sign which is placed in the town that Donnie is cycling through. The sign tells you that there will be a Halloween party. This is effective to pace this shot here because it tells the audience that something is going to happen on Halloween night that is significant to the plot. 

During this opening sequence there isn't a lot of editing and there isn't many cuts. For example, the only times that there are cuts is when there is a change of location, to point out something significant in the mise en scene or to gain a slightly different camera angle on something to allow the audience to get a good look at something. 

Having a small amount of cuts in this opening sequence is effective because having too many cuts can disrupt the flow and rhythm of a scene. In this opening sequence I think the director was looking for a slow and almost dreamy pace. You can tell this because the amount of cuts were minimum which made the pace seem slow. Also, instead of cutting there was a lot of different camera techniques being used. For example; there was a lot of panning going on. This is effective because it gives a slow pace, looks interesting and allows the audience to effectively see everything that's happening in the scene. By doing this it also gives the impression that the audience is actually in the scene with Donnie because the moving camera is moving almost like a person would, also the camera is from a POV perspective. This allows the audience to relate to Donnie because it feels like we're actually in the scene with him.