Research: Scream Analysis : Mr Smith

Scream Analysis.

How is the opening sequence of scream conventional to a thriller opening?

Cinematography.
In the opening we see close ups, this is conventional to a thriller because we can see the emotions the character is feeling. It also allows the audience to connect with the character and what is happening. The close up shot is conventional to a thriller because it helps you keep your audience. In a later part of the opening you see a tilt shot that is set in the garden. This shot shows us more about the setting of the film and it adds to the narrative. A tilt shot is conventional to a thriller because it often shows us more about the dark surroundings or leaves us in suspense. In the tilt shot you can see the swing slowly moving, creating a bit of curiosity as to what is going to happen next. There is a P.O.V shot further on in the opening. This creates a better understanding of the view of the character. It portrays what is happening in a more realistic way.

Editing.
The opening scene has a lot of straight cuts, the straight cuts are a simple way of transitioning into various parts of the scene or the setting so we know exactly what is going on. Later on a reaction shot is used to convey the emotion of the actress Drew Barrymore. Also the edit between shots gets faster and faster creating excitement and panic. There is reaction shot throughout the opening, this grips the audience's attention by showing the reaction of the character, when they do this you can tell the emotions she is feeling.

Sound.
Throughout the whole scene there is sound. It starts with off screen sound, this is when there is a voice coming through the phone. The phone ringing is a diegetic sound, it is diegetic because it makes sense with the scene and you can see were the sound is coming from. Another sound that is involved in the opening is off screen and on screen, this is when she is making popcorn and she is shaking it around and then when she turns and leans on the counter top it becomes off screen because you can not see it. The scene also involves contrapuntal sound, this is when she is running from the kitchen to lock the front door, it is contrapuntal because
Mise En Scene. 
There is a lot of elements of mise en scene in the opening of this thriller. The first element I'm going to analyse is costume and mask. The antagonist is wearing all black and a mask. This is conventional because it is usual for the antagonist to have a hidden identity and to wear dark colours to show that they are not pure. Also the victim has faire hair and is wearing light colours, this shows the innocence of the character. The iconography in the opening is conventional to a thriller, this is because the antagonist usually has a weapon. As you can see the antagonist is holding a knife.

Conclusion: what has this opening taught you? What can you use from this thriller?

This opening has taught me how effective the use of thriller conventions are. It has taught me how important all of the four elements together really are. This thriller has shown me how to use sound effectively and in a way that will make sense to the audience. It has shown me that when making my own thriller opening that I must take into consideration the audience that are watching and what type of meaning they will gain from what i am presenting to them.