Research: Scream analysis (miss Begum)

Scream analysis

In the opening scene of scream who have the begging of one of the arguably greatest slashers of all time. In the opening we have our innocent victim Casey played by drew Barrymore is home alone and about to watch a scary movie. She’s about to make some popcorn when she is deterred with a phone call from a mysterious character that names himself peewee who has mistakenly called her. She hangs up, and after he calls back and they get into a conversation and after some time she becomes more and more afraid. she then panics and locks the doors by then its too late and is on her way to a bloody and gory death.

Sound

The use of sound in the opening scene is used extremely effectively this is done through techniques like diegetic sound. The use of diegetic sound is used in the scene where the phone is ringing. this is diegetic sound because the sound comes from the film world and not edited in. the sound of the phone ringing is a sound that is heard in the audiences day to day lives, allowing the viewer to relax and feel comfortable leaving the viewer in a state where they are susceptible to terror lurking later on in the scene.

Parallel sound is also used to make the scene as effective as it is. This technique is used when we have our antagonist on the phone to Casey. The parallel sound was used to hide the identity of the killer creating suspense and mystery behind the character. The response this gets from the audience is that which the feel on edge due to the mystery to the character. this makes the scene extra thrilling as mystery is a common convention of a thriller.

We have on screen sound used in this scene to make the scene interesting. This happens when we visibly see the popcorn burning and the sound of this happening. this is done so we see that Casey is showing signs of neglect meaning her mind is somewhere else. This heightens the concern the audience has for Casey as she is afraid.

non-diegetic sound is also used where heavy drumming kicks in to build tension. This happens after Casey grabs a knife to protect herself. The drumming signifies a heart beat and how Casey is scared and fearing for her lif. The drumming makes us fear for her safety. 

Cinematography

Cinematography is how the frame is shot it is used to capture the detail of a shot so we can gather more information about the scene. different aspects of the scene mean the audience can respond  in a variety of ways.

Cinematography is effectively used in this scene at the beginning where we have Casey answering the telephone. the mid close-up we have in this scene displays a clear view of emotion of our victim, Casey. She appears to be cheerful, we know this because the mid close-up captures her full facial expressions.This allows the audience a better understanding of how the victim is feeling. the audience respond to this with a warm feeling as here happiness makes the viewer welcomed.

Cinematography Is important in the opening clip as it demonstrates effective movie shots and give the audience a better understanding of the message being represented. The scene is understood easier for the use of a point of view. This is because the shot gives us a good view of the situation through Caseys' eyes. we have the point of view shot when Casey looks out her garden glass doors to briefly search for the antagonist, the fact that we see one section of the outdoor slowly then it sped up to check the next shows how scared she is and would like to get her ordeal over and done this. As the shot that is used is a point of view shot the viewer is mad to feel involved with the scene and feel the emotion the victim is feeling.

Aspects of cinematography is especially needed to capture key moments of the scene. a good example of this is the zoom shot. the zoom shot is used outstandingly when she turns the t.v of and in the corner in tears. the zoom shot is used to capture her emotion in high quality detail. the camera also makes it seem like she has been cornered and captured. this makes the audiences response stronger to her sadness.

Editing

Editing is used in a film for the construction of the film. Editing weaves scenes and shots together to create an amazing film. the speed and style can be manipulated through Editing to make the scene shot or entire movie excellent.

in this clip the style of editing is very conventional because of the scene starting slow paced and builds up .the length of each shot in the beginning is quite long and slow to show the calm in the scene. this puts the audience in a state where they feel comfortable from the audience of balance for what is about to come. the calm before the storm.

Editing is used in particularly well with the use of straight cuts. the straight cuts allow the audience to follow the narrative of the story clearly making the details of the story extra punctuated, allowing the viewer to keep up with the narrative makes the story effective and scares the audience more psychologically as the cut gives time to think about the going on of the situation.

manipulation of editing makes the effectiveness of the scene all the better as fast editing is used when Casey is being attacked. the speed of the editing is sped up to illustrate an empathise the magnitude of the danger and struggle. the speed creates a sense of adrenaline for the audience and thrill.

Mise en scene

  Mise en scene contains 5 elements. These elements are costume setting iconography lighting and colour and finally body language and facial expression. these elements are everything that is put on stage to create a genre making a believable world.
the use of  mise en scene is the step to constructing a realistic film world. Costume is important in identifying the antagonist from protagonist  In this scene we have our victim the protagonist Casey in a white sweater representing purity and innocence, the audience reaction to this would be positive and be forced to care about her due to the white costume being conventional in a thriller to be the protagonist  Our antagonist ghost face killer is dressed in the conventional black colours signifying evil. The fact that our villain wears a mask is important to the narrative as the hidden identity creates mystery and a sense of uncertainty of who could be the killer and the true main motive(s). 

the use of lighting in the scene is effectively done through natural and low-key lighting. throughout the first half of the scene we have a lot of natural lighting this makes the shot look very natural and becomes what we expect to see outside of the film world. this is used so we see the scene to be realistic, amplifying the real danger in her life. the audience respond to the lighting positively as it makes the scene easier to follow the narrative structure. for the second half of the scene as the pace of the story speeds up we see the use of low key lighting this is used to add mystery to the scene through the use of multiple shadows. low key lighting is conventional to a thriller so its no surprise that the technique is used here. as this is conventional to a thriller the audience automatically respond to this with excitement and adrenaline.
Mise en scene is everything on set/stage and the location is just as important as what is inside the scene. the setting in the scene is set in 2 locations these are inside a house and outside the house. the location being a house shows normality which then scares the audience due to the fact that of the home being unpredictable. the setting of the outside of the house is very natural an become a scene the audience sees of an every day life and gives them understanding and relate to what is occurring.