Opening sequence analysis

In the Scream opening scene the micro features have been deployed to impact on the micro. The Scream opening scene starts with a high pitched screech from a girl which represents the title of the film and displays what the film is going to be about. The horror genre is emphasized by the fearful and scared screech. The protagonist is introduced as a female victim which suggests she is vulnerable and innocent as she is screaming in terror. The screaming noise is being played in the background whilst the title of the film flashes up in white lettering. This has an edgy, scary look to it yet the white lettering then turns into red lettering which connotes danger and death. As the girl is screaming the phone begins to ring, this is still being played while the film title is being displayed which links in with the film as the first scene begins with a phone ringing.

The protagonist is introduced immediately and the audience can clearly see that the main character of the film is a female. The effect of having a female as the victim is that it stereotypically means she is vulnerable and too weak to fight anything off. As Casey the female protagonist picks up the ringing phone the audience notice she is alone thus she is exposed to evil. This suggests she is vulnerable and innocent to the audience. Also it gives the audience the idea that something is likely to happen to this girl as she is defenceless and an easy target. When Casey picks up the phone the audience are introduced into what could potentially be the villain of the film. Cinematography is used when Casey is on the phone as we get a close up shot of her face, which allows the audience to see the characters facial expressions thus we can see how Casey is feeling. In this situation Casey looks at ease and not bothered by the sociopathic caller on the phone. Casey’s voice remains calm which suggests that nothing dangerous or scary is going to happen soon. The camera then zooms back out and when the phone rings again it zooms into Casey’s face to show she is confused which increases the tension for the audience. The audience can immediately tell the person on the other end of the phone is male thus he sounds captivating and intrigued into Casey’s life. Therefore the sociopathic male on the phone is using Casey as a target, which foreshadows that something bad might happen during the film.

When the phone rings again the audience are able to see that it wasn't just a normal person on the other end of the phone. As the male on the end of the phone acts as if he called the wrong number the first time yet rings the same number again it insinuates to the audience that there is something not normal going on. Cinematography is used as the camera pans around Casey’s face as a close up shot. This clearly displays the background. The shots change quite slowly and smoothly to create a flow to the film. Mise en scene is used as the audience can clearly see the location which seems to be a large house, situated in a forest which is dark outside. This is a typical scary location as it sets the mood for the film as spooky and mysterious. Thus it emphasizes the horror genre even more. The scene is set by showing that Casey is alone in the big secluded house. The shot cuts to outside where there is total silence accept for the chirping of crickets which emphasises the Casey’s isolation. The camera then pans down to an empty, still moving swing which creates suspense, as the audience doesn’t know who is outside. Continuity editing is used to show time passing whilst the phone calls are happening. The audience are then able to clearly see the big house and the outside garden area which has large trees and a swinging chair which makes a squeaking noise. The use of these sound affects suggests to the audience that maybe a child or a young person is involved which makes it more frightening. Also it can suggest that it is a windy night which suggests that a person has just been on the swing or near it.

As Casey is having the conversation on the phone she sounds willing to be having the conversation and claims she likes to watch scary movies. The male caller sounds like he gets excited by the prospect that she enjoys watching scary movies by herself which implies to the audience that he is potentially likely to do something similar to her. As Casey is on the phone mise en scene is used as she plays around with the knives which are in the knife rack. These knives could represent murder and danger however Casey is so in depth in conversation she is playing around with them as if they are harmless. Moreover this could

represent the danger Casey is in or foreshadow that in the film Casey will come face to face with the creep on the phone which will involve the knives or a similar sharp object. Mise-en-scene is used to direct the audience to possible sinister events to come. Craven uses iconography of a knife to make the audience feel worried, when Casey pulls a big kitchen knife out of its block and talks about the film Halloween to the killer. The reference to her favourite scary movie being about a guy that "walks round in a white mask and stalks babysitters,” which could suggest this is what the villain looks like and a mask he may use to hide his real identity. Casey says it very confidently which shows that she is completely oblivious of what may happen to her. The camera soon focuses on to her popcorn on the oven which looks like it is done this suggests that and the situation she is getting herself into. Casey is so indulged in the conversation that she completely forgot about the popcorn thus it is left on the oven to burn which could emphasize danger. Instantly the mood changes when the caller says "I want to know who I am looking at," this is known to the audience through the Casey’s facial expression of shock and worry. The non-diegetic background sound gets louder and higher pitch in this moment which suggests danger and the audience can see that Casey has become more aware of the suspicious situation she is in and she he is more worried of which she hangs up. The more the person rings the more distorted Casey’s voice gets. However, the phone soon rings again and you can tell she is hesitant and her use of language shows that Casey knows she could potentially be in danger. The mood of the male caller also changes and he starts to snap at her on the phone, as the dialogue is no longer just monotone as he gets aggressive and demanding. Also the background non- diegetic noise starts to get louder which increases the tension and makes the audience feel on edge.

Furthermore mise en scene is used to make the scene feel cold and eerie. Low key lighting is used which makes the scenes dark and isolated. The whole way through the opening scene the lighting is dim which makes Casey seem even more vulnerable as anything could be hiding in the dark as it is harder to see clearly. Moreover as the outside is pitched black it could symbolise the evil outside the house. Mise en scene is also shown through Casey’s clothes, hair and makeup. Casey is dressed like the stereotypical young girl that is dressed up ready to see her boyfriend yet she is on the phone with a suspicious villain which is not what usually happens to young girls. The use of the colour blue is very strong in the scene, from the TV screen and the swimming pool outside. The colour blue is usually associated with calmness. Soon after Casey walks into the blue lighting this is when the disruption begins and you realise that the caller wants more than a conversation.

As I watch the scream opening scene I feel on edge and cautious. This is because the scene is very dark and it makes me feel edgy. Also Casey is young and she is alone in a large house which is situated in the middle of nowhere, this emphasizes how exposed she is and that anything could happen to her. Sound makes the scene more intense as at the start there is a high-pitched scream which makes the audience aware that something sinister may happen. Throughout the phone calls the sound is quite quiet and only dialogue is used which makes it quite eerie as the males voice remains in monotone. When the villain begins to reveal his true colours on the phone his voice is no longer monotone but becomes aggressive and controlling. Thus we can recognise he is sociopathic and targeting Casey as she is easy and vulnerable. Furthermore editing is used to make the shots flow and create a tense atmosphere. At the start the shots are quite slow changing which puts the audience at ease however further in the shots changer quicker which speeds up the pace and makes the audience feel like they are involved and it is quite heart thumping.