Monday, 26 April 2010
Thursday, 15 April 2010
Key Scene 1: Opening Scene
• I noticed that the narrative is established by indirect messages leaving the viewers curious and interested
• The characters are introduced by showing 4 girls playing the Ouija board in the tent.
• From watching the beginning scene the audience would feel negative and unenthusiastic as the Ouija Board is seen to be dangerous. This is effective because it is showing that 4 girls are playing the Ouija board
• The viewers can would probably think of two reasons for why they are playing the Ouija Board, this would be because;
- the girls parents or carers have set a bad influence on them
- OR the 4 girls would feel provocative from playing Ouija board acknowledging the consequences that lie behind this
• The opening scene seems to create different moods such creating suspense, horror, terror and tension.
• The opening scene prepares the audiences making them acknowledge that the whole concept of this movie is focused on the Ouija Board.
• I feel that this horror movie will have a lot of unexpected and unpredictable scenes.
• By doing this I am going to analyse the camera angles/ shots, editing, Mise en scene and sound to help me understand how the narrative is established, using these different techniques.
Camera Angles/Shots | • Medium shot: showing her body language and how she would react to the elevator not being closed. • Panning shot: from her to the unexpected ghost, suggesting that she is vulnerable and defenceless as she is unable to do anything. I have also noticed that as she turned around she began to scream. This portraits how useless girls are in defending themselves. This is because she did not try and attempt to defend herself but just stood there and screamed, showing a sign of her weakness and also portraying her typical gender role. • Low angle: this angle is interesting because the camera is making the teenage girl seem high from the camera’s point of view. This is effective because the audience would feel that she is useless because her readable facial expression is showing the fear on her face suggesting that she is scared and afraid. • Zoom in: to eye signifying that the eye is watching everyone and knows what you are doing or even going to do. This represents women as weak again because this suggests that the women has no where to run. • Medium long shot: showing the ghost arising. This is interesting because the ghost seems to be represented as a women. This seems interesting because it seems the girl is not fighting back considering both are young looking females. • Close up: to girls face showing her panicking and a fear of fright again representing that she is weak and frail. • Medium long shot: showing girl standing up and running. This is effective because this suggests that she is not even attempting to fight back but is running away from what she fears the most. This is reason for why females are often stereotyped as negative and useless. |
Editing | • Cut: to her face suggesting that the director wants the audience to sense uneasiness and the character’s different emotions. • Cut: to girl running vividly adding to the impact of tension and may portray her gender negatively suggesting that she is breakable. |
Mise En Scene | • Elevator seems to give the impression that taking the lifts is much easier than running up the stairs. This again undermines females because it signifies that women take the easiest route than the long way. This represents women as unintelligent and childish. • Stair case seems to be creepy and eerie. This is effective because the lights seems to be flashing on and off. This leaves the viewers to think that the ghost has arrived and now expecting the unexpected. • House seems to give the impression that they are being watched and followed, also adding to tension. • Bedroom: one girl hides under duvet. This suggests that she is weak and that this is typical for girls to go and hide under the duvet when they have any sort of problems. • Narrow hall way: seems to create suspense because it gives the impression that it is a long lasting hallway, so even if the girls tries to run away from what she fears she would feel agitation and disturbance. • Closet: another girl is hiding in the closet showing a sign of fragile and weakness again representing her weakness. • Garden: the girl runs to hug her grandma as she sees her. This is effective because this again undermines her gender role. This is because the audience would feel that the representation of her ‘hugging’ is a sign of her panicking and also a sense of her vulnerability. |
Sound | • Tense music: is played in the background suggesting that something is going to happen adding tension and curiosity. • Screaming was common in this scene by the girls. This again portrays there gender to be weak and pathetic as they are screaming in fear and not self defence. • Dialogue: was added to add tension. • Hearing of door is added to cause extra tension because the audience would constantly think that some thing is behind the door or even that the closure of the door meant that the girl was trapped. This can also send of other indirect messages representing her gender role, portraying that the girl is in danger and she has no where to run as the door is closed. |
Key Scene 2
Camera Angles/Shots | • Close up: showing scared facial expression, this adds tension because the audience would want to know what is going to happen. • Close up: showing tap dripping then stops halfway emphasising that the water has frozen and spirits have arrived, also emphasising that the atmosphere has gone cold and chilly. • Medium shot: the girls are playing the Ouija board. This is effective because this creates a terrifying mood as the viewers are interested in what is going to happen. This is effective because the opening scene had started of with the characters playing the Ouija board and now time has passed on from 20 years. This suggests that they had unfinished business with the dark spirits, leaving the viewers feel uncertain. • Zoom in: finger on glass, leaving the audience fascinated and interested on what might happen, as this may lead to the disbelievers actually believing in the Ouija board and the dark spirits. • Zoom in: on Grandma’s face again showing tension and her feeling agitated as the audience have already acknowledged that 20 years ago she stopped the girls from playing the Ouija board but now is encouraging them to play. This gives the impression that the Grandma is a bad influence on the young girls. • Zoom in: candle flickering, showing something is going to happen and the dark forces have arrived. This is effective because this suggests that their presence is acknowledged. • Panning shot: showing all 3 girls sitting down, making the viewers feel that something is lurking in the dark or even behind them. • Long shot: of house suggesting that they are not alone and are being followed or stalked. • Medium long shot: all 3 girls struggling to remain calm while 1 girl is possessed. This is effective because the audience would feel terrified as she seems to be uncontrollable and uncontainable. • Action match shot: the camera following her footsteps, as if someone is following her. This is effective because this makes the viewers feel a sense of her vulnerability as it seems to me that she is trapped. • Medium close up shot: has been focused on, when each girl gets possessed. This is effective because the audience would think that the same thing would happen to every other girl getting possessed from watching the first girl. |
Editing | • Cut: to girls face, showing each and everyone’s emotions and expressions. • Cut: to finger on the planchette, emphasising that they are going to play the Ouija board again. • Cut: to grandma standing up praying. This scene seems to be tense because it seems to me that the characters don't normally pray. But because of religious reasons the Grandma turns to God because she is asking for help and advice. This seems to be effective because all the girls begin to get possessed showing that God is unforgiving or even giving the impression that the spirits are so strong and unstoppable that they are making her prayers seem useless and defenceless against them. • Fade shot: showing change of time and place and also emphasising flash backs. This is effective and also creating an eerie mood because the flash backs have just shown visual psyche's of the opening scene. This is terrifying in a sense because the statues under the river are shown again adequately and not rusty or corroded. This leaves the viewers agitated and worried. As the director gives the impression that the dark spirits live with in the statues itself. |
Mise En Scene | • Living room where the girls were playing the Ouija board. This creates a terrifying mood amongst the viewers because this may make them feel scared as this is happening in their house. • Stair case: suggesting the stairs are a symbol of danger or even hazard leaving the viewers in a horrific mood. • Bedroom: showing the typical everyday furniture such as; mirror, bed and wardrobe, suggesting that the viewers are familiar with the settings. |
Sound | • Dialogue used suggesting an alarm of panic and fright leaving the viewers to feel terrified. • Screaming leading the viewers to feel anxiety and agitated. • Echoes suggesting the house they are living in is hollow and the dark spirits have invaded leaving the audience to feel an alarm of panic and horror. • Thundering, highlighting that the weather is really bad and also signifying that the dark force has changed its atmosphere because of their presence. The audience would feel terrified and threatened. • Piercing music in background adding to the tension with the help of camera angles and camera shots. • Paper flying everywhere making rustling noises, adds to the impact of the atmosphere being dark and horrifying. The paper can also represent that the possession later on would be uncontrollable leaving the audience to feel frightened and alarmed. |
Wednesday, 14 April 2010
Key Scene 3
Camera Angles/Shots | • Medium shot: showing her body language and how she would react to the elevator not being closed. • Panning shot: from her to the unexpected ghost, suggesting that she is vulnerable and defenceless as she is unable to do anything. I have also noticed that as she turned around she began to scream. This portraits how useless girls are in defending themselves. This is because she did not try and attempt to defend herself but just stood there and screamed, showing a sign of her weakness and also portraying her typical gender role. • Low angle: this angle is interesting because the camera is making the teenage girl seem high from the camera’s point of view. This is effective because the audience would feel that she is useless because her readable facial expression is showing the fear on her face suggesting that she is scared and afraid. • Zoom in: to eye signifying that the eye is watching everyone and knows what you are doing or even going to do. This represents women as weak again because this suggests that the women has no where to run. • Medium long shot: showing the ghost arising. This is interesting because the ghost seems to be represented as a women. This seems interesting because it seems the girl is not fighting back considering both are young looking females. • Close up: to girls face showing her panicking and a fear of fright again representing that she is weak and frail. • Medium long shot: showing girl standing up and running. This is effective because this suggests that she is not even attempting to fight back but is running away from what she fears the most. This is reason for why females are often stereotyped as negative and useless. |
Editing | • Cut: to her face suggesting that the director wants the audience to sense uneasiness and the character’s different emotions. • Cut: to girl running vividly adding to the impact of tension and may portray her gender negatively suggesting that she is breakable. |
Mise En Scene | • Elevator seems to give the impression that taking the lifts is much easier than running up the stairs. This again undermines females because it signifies that women take the easiest route than the long way. This represents women as unintelligent and childish. • Stair case seems to be creepy and eerie. This is effective because the lights seems to be flashing on and off. This leaves the viewers to think that the ghost has arrived and now expecting the unexpected. • House seems to give the impression that they are being watched and followed, also adding to tension. • Bedroom: one girl hides under duvet. This suggests that she is weak and that this is typical for girls to go and hide under the duvet when they have any sort of problems. • Narrow hall way: seems to create suspense because it gives the impression that it is a long lasting hallway, so even if the girls tries to run away from what she fears she would feel agitation and disturbance. • Closet: another girl is hiding in the closet showing a sign of fragile and weakness again representing her weakness. • Garden: the girl runs to hug her grandma as she sees her. This is effective because this again undermines her gender role. This is because the audience would feel that the representation of her ‘hugging’ is a sign of her panicking and also a sense of her vulnerability. |
Sound | • Tense music: is played in the background suggesting that something is going to happen adding tension and curiosity. • Screaming was common in this scene by the girls. This again portrays there gender to be weak and pathetic as they are screaming in fear and not self defence. • Dialogue: was added to add tension. • Hearing of door is added to cause extra tension because the audience would constantly think that some thing is behind the door or even that the closure of the door meant that the girl was trapped. This can also send of other indirect messages representing her gender role, portraying that the girl is in danger and she has no where to run as the door is closed. |