Opening Scene Anaylsis - Se7en

David Fincher's Seven (1995) is a film in which I have taken inspiration from and if I was to replicate anything similar to this in my own production I would be happy! The cold open primarily give the audience an insight in to the protagonist in which we are yet to meet due to the variety of shots and way that the cinematography has been presented. Consequently, this immediately gives the audience a chance to make their own judgement on the character before they have met him/her as we already are exposed to a lot about the character in the first few minutes.

From the moment the sequence starts, we can hear the non-diegetic amplified sound of thunder. This use of pathetic fallacy creates thrill for the audience additionally creating a unnerving atmosphere. Throughout the opening, the sound is mostly non-diegetic including a lot of 'natural' sounds. For example, we hear a piercing sound of screaming in which connotes helplessness and sets the tone for the rest of the film. For a lot of the opening, the music is contrapuntal, although the scene itself shows fitting images, the non diegetic music of screaming doesn't match the mise en scene. This is a technique in which I feel works well as it creates a unsettling viewing for the audience as they are hearing and seeing juxtaposing things. Therefore, I will try and achieve something similar in my own film.

From this establishing sequence, the pace editing replicates the frantic thoughts of the protagonist and the fade to black throughout the opening allows the titles to be shown. Due to the fact that the titles are on a separate frame suggests to the audience that this is because the mise en scene and shots are important and therefore the titles may take the focus of what is happening. Due pace editing, we only get to see the objects on screen for a short amount of time, but not long enough for the audience to figure out why they're included. This is a effective technique in which I will try to mirror in my film, consequently keeping the audience excluded from what is happening on screen.

 

The Mise-En-Scene is very significant in this opening, it introduces what to expect from the film and the overall tone it presented, which is ominous. Although the shots do not contain any hints of the location, we can infer that the location is in a someone's home or an office as the mise en scene includes props such as books, poleriod pictures, scissors etc things that you would typically find in these places.

Opening Scene Analysis: Woman In Black

The Woman in black (2012) directed by James Watkins, is first introduced to us in the opening scene as being an innocent yet eerie film due to the close up of the image of the children playing with teacups. This lures the audience into a full sense of security as, as an audience we then begin to feel comfortable with the film and become a vulnerable audience. In addition to this, the use of mise en scene (tea cups and the vintage props) accompanied by the characters costumes, sets the scene and the audience are given an idea in to which era the movie is set in, here the film makers are trying to imitate a 1930's era. This adds to the atmosphere as we are a modern day audience, making it more tense as we have no first hand knowledge of what went on in the 1930's, furthermore, excluding us from the storyline. The style of opening for this film would be a teaser as the audience are given a hint into what is to come in the rest of the film.

The non diegetic music is played quietly in the background which also fits in with the time period the film is portraying, it synchronises with the little girls actions and the low volume of music fits in with the innocent representation of the girls. However as the girls begin to walk towards the window the audiences emotions begin to change due to the cinematography and editing as the shot reverse shot shows the children and then the window and then back to the children. This adds a sense of foreshadowing and the audience become aware of what is going to happen next. The tempo of the music increases and becomes louder creating more of a tense atmosphere to accompany the action on screen, it also creates a sense of danger and panic, preparing the audience for the outcomes of the events about to follow.

The conventions of a horror film involve creepy little children, this is exactly what the Woman in Black is guilty of. Having the girls wear old-fashioned clothing with long hair combed neatly, suggests perfection and precision which is a contrast into their personality as they are clearly somewhat unhinged. Also the overly happily expressions make the children seem robot like, adding to the horror of the film.

Opening Scene Analysis: Sinister

Opening scene analysis of Sinister

The 2012 horror film Sinister directed by Scott Derekison has a short yet impacting opening sequence lasting around 1 minute. In this establishing scene, the audience become immediately aware of the key themes and ideas that are going to be present later in the film consequently enticing the audience to keep watching due to the strained atmosphere. Tense environments are a common convention of horror movies, this is also evident here. From just the first few seconds of the opening the audience are able to identify the genre of horror due to the eerie diegetic sound of the rolling tape playing the footage of what is being shown on screen - at 0:06 the mise en scene is of people (in which seem to be a family) with bags on their heads, in a forest setting making it clear to the audience at this stage in the film their identity is being kept exclusive, making the audience feel like they are being kept out the loop. I am going to take inspiration and use this technique of keeping the audience excluded from all of the information as it helps create enigma codes, thus keeping the audience watching, in this circumstance and example of enigma codes created is (who are these people with bags on their heads? Why are they here?)


The lack of pace editing throughout the scene results in a long take and which I feel has an impact on the viewer. Meaning thus, the audience begin to become apprehensive about what is going to happen as the long take suggests that something has got to happen at some point. Then at 0:27 the mise en scene begins to adjust and the victims begin to be hoisted up and the tree begins to fall. This technique is successful in drawing in a main stream audience as it keeps us all watching in order to reach the climax of the opening. I would like to attempt something similar in my own production.

This opening uses a mixture of diegetic and non-diegetic sound. The diegetic sound is used through the sounds of clicking and the tape rolling. The sound is gentle which indicates tension and is a juxtaposition of what is going on in the agitated opening scene in which they can see on the screen. This adds the realism to the piece gives the idea that it is being played live, something in which I would like to replicate in my production. The non diegetic sound is the strong bass sounds which are heard alongside the diegetic sounds. Both these bring different parts to the opening individually but together they create a perfect horror atmosphere.

The title of the film 'Sinister' is then sprawled across in small, messy white handwriting which has been edited over the clip. The scratched messy hand writing is a generic convention of horror films as a lot of the films in this genre have the same style title. This convention has connotations of children as the handwriting is messy, indicating the fact that children are going to be involved in the opening scene.

After analysing this scene, and understanding the conventions and generic themes of the horror genre, I have taken inspiration from the shots and overall themes used in this scene. The sound in particular I found was a very effective technique in creating suspension in a horror opening, therefore I will try and replicate the sound like in this opening scene.

 

Opening Scene Analysis: The Holiday

Opening scene analysis of The Holiday

The holiday, directed by Nancy Myers (2006) opens through a bright and colourful setting in which immediately introduces the audience to the genre of romantic with elements of comedy. This is evident through the props and surroundings used within the scenes mise en scene. At 0:27 seconds the scene opens with the non diegetic sound of piano music, accompanied with the characters kissing and dancing, this immediately engages the audience as we begin to wonder 'who are these characters?' (one of the many enigma codes we are introduced to throughout the opening scene).

The camera then zooms out and we see the frame of a computer, therefore the audience are now introduced to the fact that the first scene is of a film in a film. This technique is impressive and engaging as a spectator as it lures the audience into a film and then rapidly the audience then become aware that this is not the film they are watching, however this made me realise that this technique would not be appropriate for a thriller/horror genre which I am considering making. The various enigma codes are solved here as we now know who they are and why they are kissing/dancing. Also here, (0:52) non diegetic music becomes diegetic as we see the protagonist Jack Black physically playing the instrument when the camera pans down.

Later on in the scene, we hear a dominant signifying voice over of a woman's voice that is narrating the story. At this point in the film we don't know who this woman is, however we know she will be involved as she is talking in the 1st person narrative. She begins to talk when the picture of 'universal' is on the screen, then continues to the frame of Jack Black (use of sound bridge). This suggests that women dominate throughout the film.

Titles start coming up on the screen in a very simple serif text and bland white colour which attracts the audience of female teenagers and adults. The titles are subtly placed on the bottom of the screen, predominantly not taking the shine and attention away from what is happening in the film. The titles will engage the audience and encourage them to watch on due to the famous actors and actresses featuring in the film, for example - Kate Winslet, Cameron Diaz and Jude Law.

List of horror clichés

List of horror genre clichés


Example - Jason goes to hell

Bad mobile phone reception – To prevent this in my opening scene I will not use calls, if I was to include the use of mobile phone I will make the purpose texting.




Example - Human Centipede

Two vulnerable girls alone in a forest – A forest is a very generic cliché of horror films therefore I will try avoid forests as a whole

Example - The Shining

Unknowing to the victim, the killer is behind them – This is hard not to do as if  the killer is going to attack the victim, the suspense would not be dramatic if the victim was not put in a situation where they are oblivious to the outcome



Example - The hand that rocks the cradle

Survivors who walk over the killers body and get their ankle grabbed - In order to avoid this I am going to include no scenes in which involve the acting of being dead.





Ridiculously evil looking dolls  - My film will not involve any props such as dolls.

Example - Sinister

Found footage/tapes relating to the storyline - This would be too difficult to include into a storyline therefore this will avoided.

Example - Misery

The ‘someone died setup’ – To avoid this, let some of the back plot go unexplained until the end, creating more suspense throughout the film

Research into the horror genre

The Exorcist (1973) William Friedkin
The exorcist was based on a historical case which makes the film more thrilling and the film itself received a mixed reception from those who concerned themselves with public morals.

 

The Shining (1980) Stanley Kubrick
The shining is a unique horror film in which is physiologically thrilling. This film does not rely on any props or scares, it is the apprehension and the tension in which keeps the audience on the edge of their seats. Due to this, every physiological horror film that has followed the shining as borrowed at least something from the film.

 

The Evil Dead (1981) Sam Raimi

The evil dead is incredibly important to the independent low budget horror movies category and has become one of the most revered horror films ever made. Evil Dead has inspired countless horror films over the years with the most recent being ‘Cabin in The Woods’

 

Nightmare on Elm Street (1985) Wes Craven
Once Elm Street hit many films tried to copy most of them unsuccessfully. Freddy made the silent killer in a mask something that defined the genre. Killers could have a personality, and horror films were never the same again.


Saw (2003) - James Wan
One of the most influential horror movies of the last fifteen years, “Saw” created its own sub genre of uber-violent horror films.

 

Phsyco (1980) – Alfred Hitchcock
This was our first foray into the actual psychosis of a serial killer. Before Norman Bates there was no such thing as a famous movie killer.

 

The Blair Witch Project (1999) - Eduardo Sanchez
It became one of the most profitable films in cinema until Paranormal Activity came along. Blair Witch also made popular the found footage craze. Lastly this was the first film to use the internet and word of mouth with amazing success.

 

I can conclude from these findings that all of the most important horror films are retro and within the 1970’s and 1980’s.

 

How has the horror genre changed over the years?

 The horror genre began in the 1930s when the American movie studio universal pictures began a successful gothic horror series. However, since then the genre has changed immensely. A lot of this change, is down to the advanced technology in which is used nowadays to enhance the film. As years progress, so does the technology, therefore the characters get scarier and the sets and special effects get better in order to produce the film to a better standard. These changes include the plots becoming more complex and psychologically baffling, a change in the way films are shot and arranged and the blood and gore has increased to shock the viewers.

 

 Key conventions of this genre –

• Mise en scene (generic locations e.g. Forest, derelict house, isolated areas) 
• Lighting (e.g. shadowing, flickering lights, dark lighting) 
• Sound (fast paced, eerie sometimes classical, non-diegetic sound, exaggerated diegetic sound)
• Iconography (ghostly symbols, dark places, unusual things happening i.e. doors slamming)
• Themes (religious beliefs, exorcism, haunting, gore, serial killers etc)

Target audience – 15 – 40 males and females as horror films generally are rated age 15+ in the cinemas.

 

Choosing a genre

Preliminary Task