Tuesday, 24 January 2012
Opening sequence analysis: Scream (1996)
Sound effects are used to make the sound of lightening
The soundtrack begins with violins, which then merge into the sound of horrific screaming
A crashing sound effect is used when the title ‘Scream’ appears on the screen
More sound effects of a ringing phone and thumping heartbeat are used simultaneously with the screaming; at this point all sound is non-diegetic and used to begin the horror theme
The camera pans up as a girl answers the phone, dialogue begins
A clear inquisitive voice probes for information
The camera follows the girl as she walks away from the phone, but then it rings again
She looks round with a puzzled expression
Ambient sounds (including crickets) are used to convey that she is far away from anything that makes noise
The audience sees that just her hand quickly grabs the phone; this gives a sense of discomfort
A tilt is used to disorientate the viewer this adds to the sense of discomfort
A close up is used to force the audience to build a relationship to the character
An exterior low angle shot shows the outside of her house
A swing attached to the tree is swinging gently making a squeaky sound
This is a typical characteristic of horror films, it asks the audience a question – is it moving on its own?
The girl fires up the hob to make some popcorn when yet again the phone rings, her grunt and tone suggests she is fed up now
As the man persists she begins to answers his trivial questions, letting him in
They talk about scary movies which is ironic as she is going to become part of one
She plays with the knife; this could be a foretelling of events to come
Handy cam follows her about the house while she remains on the phone until the conversation becomes too much when the caller discloses that he can see her
The sound of a piano while the camera zooms in on her face lowers the tone of the whole scene
This sequence uses lots of mid shots and mid-long shots this is the same range that the audience sees of people in everyday life, such as their friends; the mode of address to the audience is ‘this is someone who could be your friend, so you should care about what happens to them’
How does the sequence establish:
Genre – A girl is home alone when something out of the ordinary happens. She is in the middle of nowhere so if she screams no one will hear. Handy cam creates unsteady camerawork.
Character – The character is established as in alone, she seems quite innocent, and this is established through her tone of voice, costume and nonverbal communication – she smiles a lot.
Enigma – The girl is in danger and the audience wants to know what is going to happen to her. The phone call sets up the enigma.
Narrative – The opening sequence is direct. It is a simple narrative and easy to follow.
Opening sequence analysis: The Strangers (2008)
The opening sequence starts 20 seconds into the clip
Eerie soundtrack is used
The titles are a black background with bold, thin orange writing – most likely done for impact
Few credit titles are used, but the titles that are used occupy over a third of the opening sequence
The deep voice of the narrator provokes‘stillness’ in the audience
The narrator reads out facts, these are designed to make the audience think about the violent crime before there has been any on screen.
Sound effects of a car engine revving are used while the screen remains black
The POV of a driver (in an American car) fades in and out in less than four seconds
This motion repeats seven times showing houses and green scenery as if this car is driving along the road
The screen is blank again and a telephone conversation begins
The black screen could be representative of the operator’s feelings at the time of answering the call, she is unable to find the hysterical girl on a map or get any clue as to where she is
The girl is breathing erratically trying to explain what has gone on
The scene of a broken car with two boys and their bikes standing behind come on screen
The camera tracks along until the boys are in view through the broken glass window on the car
The unsteady camera tells me that a handy cam may have been used to shoot that part
The next shot is the boys walking into the open door of the house
The dialogue from the phone call is not usual of a conversation
The broken sentences enhance the feeling of stress
How does the sequence establish:
Genre – Handy cam creates unsteady camerawork, a typical feature of horror movies. Non-linear narrative is used.
Character – The character is established as in danger, not much is known about them at this point (for example their appearance, or characterisation) but we can draw the conclusion that they are female and vulnerable.
Enigma – The girl is in danger and the audience wants to know why. The phone call sets up the enigma.
Narrative – The opening sequence is non-linear. A narrator sets up the story; the phone call dialogue is non diegetic. It runs while the two boys discover the house. The use of a back story is a typical convention of horror films.
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