Collateral Opening - Focussing on Editing

Airport

• Straight cuts 
• Slow-motion shot of Cruz's character walking through an airport
• Another character is introduced, but he doesn't have slow-mo shots, so Cruz must be more important as his screen time is longer
• Shallow depth of field, viewer focusses in on Cruz
• Very low-speed editing
• Extreme close up before...

• The characters bump into each other, suddenly we have a shot of them side by side, more surprising 
• They drop the bags, match on action
• Over the shoulder shot, sticks to 180˚ rule
• Match on action as bags are picked up, other character says 'enjoy LA', which shows Cruz's location, and it is clear the bags were swapped so he could get something he couldn't take on the plane with him. Camera tilts up to Cruz
• POV shot over Cruz's shoulder, very shallow depth of field with focus on Cruz

cross cutting to...

Taxi Stop

• Montage begins of the taxis in the building, shots of close ups on people repairing cars, frequently using shallow depth of field and changes of focus within the frame
• High speed editing to show busy lifestyle of workers

• Camera tilts up to Jamie Foxx's character, he is doing a crossword and is distant from the other taxi drivers. This close up builds intimacy, shows he is important. Suddenly low-speed editing.
• When he gets in the car he wipes down the steering wheel (match on action) and switching buttons on and off to show they are working (match on action). This hows he is very meticulous is his ways
• He gets out ID from his bag and a photo of a potential holiday destination, we can tell this is his motive for working in this job (continuity editing, high speed).
• In the final shot of the opening, the taxi reverses in a the bottom on the screen, then the camera tilts down. Using a shallow depth of field, the camera changes focus to Foxx reversing the car, as he drives away and out of the building.

Already we can tell so much about the two characters from this opening. Cruz seems to be on a mission and is working with others to carry it out, but it must be high-calibre as it is so organised and the two characters in the airports are so well dressed. It seems as if the switching of bags is a deal, connoting something dodgy, dangerous or illegal. 

Foxx's character keeps to himself, he sits doing crosswords while the other cab drivers are fixing their engines and milling around. He is very methodical and focused when he gets in the car, he likes things to be clean and in check. From the photo of an island he puts in his fold-down mirror, which he looks at longingly, it shows that that is the motivation for getting through his job, and that he probably doesn't like it very much.