Textual Analysis

TEXTUAL ANALYSIS

Jeepers Creepers 2

This film is categorised within the horror genre, and meets the codes and conventions of a horror genre because it uses discordant non-diegetic sound, unnatural lighting and isolated areas to emphasise this uncomfortable feeling we get when we watch horror films.

In the opening sequence of this film we are introduced to three characters; the farmer, the farmer's son and the main antagonist. The scene is set in an excluded farm surrounded by corn, hills and trees. It consists of approximately 20+ shots, all of which vary between long shots, close up shots and tracking shots. The tempo of each shot varies too. This is because the long shot duration builds tension after we see the farmer's son placing scarecrows in the corn fields to meet his father's demands. However, when one of the scarecrows head turns towards the boy, he notices it, signifying the anxiety he now feels towards the suspicious scarecrow. This is reinforced by the discordant non-diegetic sound which sounds uneasy on the ears. The shot types give us an omniscient view and we know that the main antagonist has been introduced, whereas the boy doesn't. The dog is an effective prop because animals bark when they sense danger, therefore this reinforces that something will happen between the boy and the antagonist. Although no intertitles have been used in the first two minutes of this film, it does keep the viewer orientated, and keeping people enticed in the action is one of the conventions of a horror film that needs to be followed if it wants to succeed.

This is the beginning of the film and it is a slow paced long shot that is panning across the illusive field which connotes tension. It is open framed to create a sense of freedom too. At this point all you can hear is the ambient sound of rustling amongst the corn which also reinforces this tension and being unaware of what could happen.

The shot of the boy placing the scarecrow transitions form the last shot when it has fully panned across the corn field. The boy’s informal, chequered shirt suggests he is poor and works hard to survive. The ambient sound remains once the boy has jumped up to create realism and add to the tension.

A match on action shot transitions this shot from the previous one, and the long shot revealing the scarecrow's suggests the boy has worked hard. Furthermore, the dark lighting hides the scarecrows faces, making them a possible suspect to the audience.

Straight cut to the father telling the boy off reveals he is the dominant figure, and this is reinforced by his position to the left of the frame. Lighting stays natural to connote he is a good character though.

Positioning the boy screen right contrasts with the previous shot of his father being positioned left. This connotes he is inferior to his father, and his back chat reinforces he is sick of it.

This duration of this long shot connotes that the scarecrows are mysterious figures. However, the scarecrow surrounded by crows is unnatural and raises suspicion to the audience.

The shallow depth of focus hazes the scarecrows out to connote that this young boy is about to be a victim. The ambient sound of crows suggests the unnatural sound you expect to hear in a field of scarecrows.

This match on action shot of the boy jumping down from the previous shot places him in a closed framed area surrounded by corn. This connotes he is trapped and the use of the corn signifies he is isolated from safety.

The cross cut to the dog reacting signifies the beginning of danger and this then builds tension.

The transition to the medium shot of the dog shows the corn and scale of land in which the boy is, connoting his unsafety. This is also reinforced by the introduction of discordant non-diegetic sound and fast editing rhythm.

The postioning of this dog on screen left suggests it is omniscient and this reinforces the boys unsafty. This is also connoted by the discordant sound that begins to increase with the fast editing pace of the dog getting up and barking.

The heightened non-degetic sound signifies the movement of this scarecrow and makes the audience aware of the change in sound. The quick change of depth of field reinforces that the scarecrow is now a primary character in the scene.

A continuation of the last shot shows the scarecrow retake its natural position. However, the long shot duration allows the audience to be orientated and have an omniscient point of the view the young boy doesn't. Furthermore, the disappearance of the crows signifies fear as the crows are now scared, and the dark lighting still makes this character mysterious to the viewer.

This close up reaction shot shows the viewer the young boy is anxious to know what just happened, and this makes the audience tense because they had the omniscient view.

As the boy anxiously walks towards this suggested antagonist, the close up of his face signifies he is cautious. This is reinforced by the unpleasant sound and heightened footsteps.

We straight cut to an open framed shot of the scarecrow positioned screen left to connote it is free t move and has dominance over the young boy and his fear.

The close up shot of the young boy continues to signify his anxiety which is reinforced by the non diegetic soundtrack. The closed framing places him in an unsafe position, and the long shot duration allows the audience to integrate with the young boys feelings.

Straight cut from the young boys face and a continuation of the panning shot builds tension. The editing pace remains the same to keep the audience enticed and curious. The use of corn in the bottom right of the frame also signifies the young boy is located in our position, making it easier to integrate with the young boy’s anxiety.

This close up suggests the boy is very close to the mysterious antagonists and the heightened footsteps make the audience tense because they know the young boy shouldn't be loud.

This low angled shot suggests the antagonist is dominant and is the more powerful position. This is emphases by the heightened non-diegetic sound which builds up to suggest something is about to happen.

This close up builds tension because the dark lighting blocks out his face, suggesting he doesn’t want to be seen. This entices the audience because they wish to know more.

As the shot tilts downwards we are given a full close up of the antagonist’s costume which is dark and rugged to connote he isn't human. This is reinforced by the foot which then signifies the antagonist is monstrous, and doesn't match the features we would expect from a normal scarecrow.

The positioning of the boy on the left suggests that he is only dominant because he is consumed by fear. This is reinforced by the corn which connotes he is trapped and can't move. The crescendo in the non-diegetic sound also creates tension and fear for the audience.

The movement of the main antagonist is signified by a harsh loud noise which frightens the viewer. The editing pace then begins to speed up; connoting the young boy is now in danger.

This long shot suggests the boy is distant from safety and this is reinforced by the corn which surrounds him too. The editing pace speeds up and non- diegetic soundtrack works in unison to make it more effective.

Continuation from the last shot, the viewer is now given an omniscient view that the main antagonist has moved, whereas the boy doesn't know this. The diegetic sound of the boy running signifies his desire to runaway and be safe. However, the dark lighting used on the monster portrays him as evil.

This long shot of the boy running through corn depicts he is inferior and out of place. His fear and panic is connoted by the diegetic sounds of the young boy screaming for his father. This is reinforced by the fast editing pace because it orientates the viewer and makes the scene more exciting.

The sudden appearance of the monster from the top of the screen suggests it has over powered the boy. Furthermore, the sudden disappearance of diegetic and non-diegetic sound signifies that the boy has been taken by the monster, and this then hooks the audience into finding out more about this mysterious antagonist.

Dawn of the Dead

Dawn of the Dead is also categorised within the horror genre, and uses similar codes and conventions as Jeepers Creepers 2 used. However, it reinforces a stronger use of intertitles, melodic music to contrast with the varied settings and change in lighting too. Heightened diegetic sound of screams emphasises the short image montages of monstrous creatures amongst the intertitles. All of this works in unison to create an effective film opening in the horror genre.

Unlike Jeepers Creepers 2, Dawn of the Dead's film opening doesn't introduce any specific characters, but instead the blood thirsty antagonists and the effects they have on the random people shown throughout the sequence. The first two minutes of this film doesn't give the viewer a set location, but instead a wide selection of places, suggesting that this virus which creates the antagonists is world wide and covers a large scale of land. It consists of 35+ shots because the film uses short image montages to entice the audience and make them want to see more. It also uses close up and long shots to show how vicious the antagonists look up close, but also the destruction they have on a large area. The diegetic sound at the start suggests the people's panic and unawareness of the situation there are in, and this is reinforced with a fast heart beat which we usually associate with pressure and stress. However, in the last minute some upbeat, western music begins to play over all the action, contrasting the harsh situations on screen are occurring as natural as melodic music is being created. The fast editing pace connotes this stress and makes the film opening exciting, but also keeps the audience orientated too. Furthermore, the mise-en-scene consists of props such as; guns, army costumes, explosion and blood are all things we associate with violence. However, the people in formal suits signify that the situation has got out of hand because people of great authority are involved. The intertitles use red font which flows away like blood, connoting danger and gore. All of this follows the codes and conventions of a horror film because they create inhuman activity and unrealistic situations made realistic and believable. This means the audience will feel tense but enticed to watch more.

The following title introduces the company that has produced the film, and the majority of the frame is black, suggesting that the film is dark. This is reinforcec by the red font which connotes blood and danger.

The text from the last frame flows away like blood and is reinforced by a 'slurpy' sound, suggesting that the text has formed into blood. The non-diegetic sound is low and discordant to connote and emphasise danger.

A straight cut is used from the intertitle to reviel many people bowing. This hooks the audience becasue they wish to know what is happening, therefore they watch more. The fast editing pace keeps the sequence moving fast so that the viewer is orientated. The discordant non diegetic sound and grim use of the colour grey suggests that this is an unpleasent scene.

Similar from the first intertitle, the text remains red to create a sense of familiaristion.

The non-deetic sound fades away and the enhanced sound of blood flowing is used to again to emphasise this familiarisation and connote discomfort.

This suddendly appears in a image montage, leaving the audience suspeicous and enticed to figure ewhat it is. It's appearence is emphasised by a piercing sound which suddenly shots the audience. The colour of the frame suggests the shot is archieve footage.

This appears suddenly after the previous image to show contrast in the archieve footage and the present actions that are taken place. The pale skin and blood suggests this person is ill and monsterous. This is reinforced by the enhanced screaming of this person which shocks the audience.

The central postioning of this text signifys the title of the film, and begins the action of the sequence and reintroduces the non-diegetic sound of screaming.

To transition the shot, the main title also flows away like blood and shows it's connection with previous intertitles. The non-diegetic sound of blood flowing is emphasised by the lack of a soundtrack. Until slowly, more sound begins to heighten.

The militant costumes signify power, however the gas masks suggest that they need to take cations due to the increse of antagonists. They are positioned screen left to suggest they powerful but the fast editing pace also suggests they are only powerful for a short period of time. The diegetic scream reinforces this loss of power.

This intertitle appears straight after the previous shot and follows the same techniques as the other intertitles too. The colour red connting blood is reinforces by the fast heart we begin to hear.

This shot appears for less then a second to orientate the veiwer and make them want to find out more. The diegetic sound of people talking over a heart beat suggests they are under pressure, and this is reinforced by the monsterous image of this antagonist screaming.

This appears after the preivous shot and again uses the same intertitle technique to reinforce the meaning of the last image.

The mise-en-scene is very grey to connote that this image is unpleasent and unsettling. The fast editing pace builds tension with the increasing heartbeat sound. Furthermore, positioning the antagonist on the left suggests it is overpowering and is reason for this increasing heart rate.

This is used between the vile images displayed between the other intertitles. It creates fimilarity because it is using same tenchnques as the other intertitles too.

The medium shot displays more of the antagonist and gives the audience a better understanding of the forming narrative. The arm on the left suggests the people may be gaining power, but the fast editing pace cuts this power short.

This concludes the introduction of the main actors and allows the next shot to be made more effective.

The diegetic dialoge of the man dressed in a stripped tie and suit is emphasised when all non-diegetic sound dissappears. His words "...we don't know." signify the loss of power, and this contradicts common ideaology that people of high social status have most power over everyone else. The dim lighting makes the shot seem it has been recorded and the fast zoom reinforces this. This creates a relistic effect for the audience because they feel part of the situation.

This image appears in an image montage straight after the previous shot so that it reinforces this losss of power becasue we see people out of control. This suggests the natural habit of the antagonists and follows the convention of all horror film antagonists being distructive. However, the melodic non-diegetic soundtrack which proceeds to play throught the fast editing pace suggests that this rioting is now as common as melodic sounds we hear on the radio.

The formally dressed man and his postition within the frame signifys that he should be dominant. However, the fast editing pace and handheld camera movemnt connotes his stress and worry. This is reinforced by closed framing becuase it suggests he is trapped by all these things.

This is also part of a quick image montage and it suggests that science has a big part in this narrative. This is essential because it helps the viewer tie together what the narrative is going to be about. Previous images before this shows guns and explosions, so this being at the end of the image montage connotes the reason behind it all.

Intertitles then begin to return and reforms this familarity of using the same font and colour. The non-diegetic upbeat western music continues to play over the sound of blood flowing, suggesting a contrast between the two.

The fast eiditng rythem reinforces the fast acts of violence within this frame. We see men dressed in dark, militant costumes, signifying there authority. However, this authority seems uncontrolable.

News reporters commonly report violence and crime. Therefore the people asume the violence they are witnessing is linked with what this news reporter is saying. The melodic sound effect resumes playing and suggests that this film opening is trying to calm the audience as well as making them tense too.

Intertitles continue to integrate themselves amongst the shot montages so that they can section the rising acts of violence by the antagonists. This is reinforced by the fast editing pace and fast camera shots becasue they become more vigourous to work in unison with the denotation seen within every shot.

This unpleasent image of inhuman looking people crowd the frame to suggest they have consumed a large area of land. This shots the audience and they begin to understand there aggression and monsterous vibe. The dim lighting connotes these creatures are vicious and attacking. Therefore fufilling common horror's expectations of a monsterous antagonist.

As the sequence begins to end, the intertitles begin to display the important people that help make this film. This is effective because as the violence increases, so does the importance of intertitles too. The ambient sound of screams dissappear to focus the audience on the intertitles be also the blood flow as the text flows away like blood again.

This long shot displays a huge consumption of violence but the open framing also suggests they are free to proceed with this violence because they can. Although the truck signifys civilisation because people drive, the antagonists take over the left side of the frame, suggesting that they are in power over civilisation. The diegetic rawrs of the antagonists emphasises there aggresion towards civilisation too.

This appears in another image montage and connotes that the live of civilased society is on its last heels, almost like someone who is dieing in a hospital. The colour red connotes danger too, so therefore the audience will assume that blood and danger is reason for this decrease of moral rights.

I've noticed that every intetitle postions its text in the bottom right. Therefore I feel this connotes it is inferior to the image montages and tells the audience that it isn't proceeding the narrative, but breaking it up into sections instead.

The location of this frame is at the White house and this them makes the audience assume that the antagonists have power over the places that usually powerful too. This puts the audience on edge becasue they wish to know if these highly status' such as the Presidant will be safe. However, the harsh sound of gun fire generates tension and excitment. This is reinforced by the army people becasue we asscociate them with action and danger.

The fast editing pace and camera movement suggests these antagonists are fast and dangerous. The postioning of the army soldier suggests he is now inferior and trapped. Whereas the antagonists from the left connote dominance. The meolodic diegetic sound now dissappears to emphasise the diegetic sound of people panicing and guns firing. This generates excitment but also fear because unlike before, there is no melodic music to calm the audience and there tension.

This is a continuation from the previous shot, and it is a point of view shot to suggest that the audience are now being attack and the film opening has came to an end. The ambient sounds of the antagonists generate anxiety and makes the viewer uncomfortable. Therefore the common horror film conventions are being used effectivly.

The last intertitle is the director to signify he is most important for the films effective use of postioning and acting. Although this is a horror film I've noticed other films of different genres do this too. The finals parts of the occuring song through this film opening plays, and this suggests a conclusion the opening of the film. The editing pace also decreases to signify that the audeince are now victims to the antagonists and dead like everyone else.

The final shot is the text flowing away like blood, suggesting it is no different to the other intertitles, but instead generates an idea that the last blood of inocent people has been spilt. This is connoted by the soundtrack ending and the sound of blood flowing being enhanced.

Conclusion

After analysing Jeepers Creepers 2 and Dawn of the Dawn I have seen two very different types of film opening put into contrast within the horror genre. Jeepers Creepers had a very slow and tense build up towards the antagonists so that the audience were constnatly on edge whilst the non-diegetic sound slowly increased. This is one of the main feautures I want to put into my film opening. For example, I want my antagonist to be mysterious and introduced right at the very start. However, it didn't use any intertitles and this is why I researched Dawn of the Dead. For instane, Dawn of the Dead uses intertitles to section the opening narrative, but it doens't disorientate the veiwer becasue the font and text has been kept the same and realtes to the action between each one. Dawn of the Dead also has a much quicker way of introducing the antagonists and hooking th audience with action and excitment right from the very start. Although this is effective I still prefer Jeepers Creepers 2 way of building tension because it is much slower and in my opinion follows a greater convention of horror by using excluded places as fear for the viewer. However, I did like the use of intertitles in Dawn of the Dead, so that is why I wish to combind the two film's methods of a film opening into one. For example, using a similar low toned non-diegetic soundtrack and slwo editing rythem like Jeepers Creeprs did to build tension. However, I want to take Dawn of the Dead's method of intergrating the titles so that they keep the viewer orientated and they relate to the cinimatography and denotation of what is happening on screen.