The opening scene to Scream follows the generic codes and
conventions of a horror film from the start, with the suggested main character
being a young, blonde female. This immediately implies that she is vulnerable
as well as a ditsy stereotypical blonde, implying whatever happens to her will be partly due to her own
unintelligence. This is shown by her frantically running around the house
locking herself in, rather than trying to escape, and her playing with large
knives in a knife rack, oblivious to the danger – another generic convention. The
female main character is a strong genre indicator in itself as the role of the helpless
teenage girl being stalked by a killer is common in many horror films. The main
antagonist is introduced through a conversation on the phone with the young
female character. His dark humoured personality is shown as the dialogue begins
light-heartedly however slowly descends into dark tones and evil threats. This
conforms to the genre stereotypes as it sets a dark tone to the film, illustrating
its sincere nature as well as helping to build tension and suspense due to the
antagonist’s identity being hidden. It is made obvious that the female
character is being prosecuted over the phone in order to show the power
imbalance within the two genders – this conforms to the horror genre as
stereotypically it is men that have more power/take advantage of women. The use
of props effectively aids the tension building process as the diegetic sound of
the popcorn popping uncontrollably signifies that main character is running out
of time and losing control as well as the sound of the popping making you jump.
The typical location is used, with a large, secluded area being the base of all
the action. The suspense created by the scene is also helped by the location, as
the empty house at night with an unknown entity lurking somewhere outside
making the character seem very fragile as the house itself provides the only protection
from the evil that waits. This helps to emphasise the main character’s
helplessness and creates the scare factor as the audience are able to realise
that no one is around to save her, as well as making them feel unsafe in their
own home. Dramatic irony is used as the audience know what will happen before
the character does, enabling them to interact with the film as well as build
suspense.
The bold, block titles illustrate the horror genre as the
writing is very strong and harsh, making it stand out against the plain black
background. This along with the limited colour scheme produces a bare feeling, implying
that the film will be unnerving and uncomfortable. Sound plays a large factor
in this opening scene, with the chilling sound of the phone ringing, a sharp
knife blade slicing and a female scream being heard in the first 3 seconds.
This helps to set the tone and theme of the film, suggesting that as the plot
progresses a gruesome, horrifying act will take place, conforming to the
conventions of the genre. The chilling sound is used as a sound bridge, meaning
it is heard as the titles play and then carries through into the next scene as
the female victim answers the phone. This helps to keep the continuity of the
film and makes is easily understood as well as implying that the voice on the
phone will play a large role in the film, which helps to identify him as the
main antagonist. Music also builds in sound and speed as the tension builds,
helping to reach a climax and make the audience feel uncomfortable. The loud
sound of the phone ringing is used as a contrast against the silent background,
reinforcing how alone and helpless the main character is as well as making the
audience jump every time the phone rings. A number of different camera
techniques are used in order to help build tension and suspense, and scare the
audience. A tracking shot is used to follow the main character around the
house, making it look like someone is following her. It also displays her
frantic actions, portraying her emotions and showing how terrified she is,
making the audience feel scared for her. An establishing shot and panning shot
are also used to set the scene and display the surroundings in order to help
establish the genre and illustrate the typical isolated location making the
character look vulnerable. Point of view shots are used effectively from both
the main character and the antagonist helping to build suspense and intrigue the
audience as his identity is still unknown. It also adds to the scare factor as
it helps to build a climax, showing how time is running out for the main
character as the antagonist gets closer. Finally a number of close up shots are
used to allow the audience to interpret the character’s emotions. These types
of shots help to keep the plot moving and build a sense of dramatic irony which
helps to increase the scare factor within the audience as it is made clear to
them the danger the character is in, making them scared for her. Like all
horror films, the pace of editing increases as the climax builds, helping to
create a sense of lack of control and panic.
No comments:
Post a Comment