Horror film analysis

Horror film analysis

-From black screen to the animation for 20th Century Fox with the well known music for it, fade to black.

-Zoom out from an eye of a lion for the logo of Metro Goldwyn Mayer with the sound of a lions roar.

-Fades to black again and from black to a white skull logo for Ghost House pictures which goes onto a colourful screen with the sound of electric and the sound of breathing.

-A pixelated screen of a zombie looking figure with the sound of gnawing/chewing-all of the credits so far generate horror.

-The shot then reveals it is a close up of a game on a tablet and zooms out to reveal a young boy playing the game in the back of a car.

-The boy has headphones in yet the audience can hear what he would be hearing.

-The camera pans around to face his parents in the

front of the car who start talking to the boy.

-Mid shot of the family members and then a view of a house.

-We then see a shot of the boy on his own looking up to the house, then an over the shoulder shot from his shoulder to the house. This suggests that maybe the boy is the who is going to be put in harm.

-We see a close up of the boys face looking at the house, he looks very anxious.

-As a contrast, the next shot is of the little girl running through the new house, looking very excited.

-There is a pan of the woman and a lady who was in the house. The family look very content however we then have another shot of the boy is not looking very happy.

-Long shot through to mid shot of the little girl talking to the wardrobe. This suggests there is

something haunted about the house.

-A piano begins to play which gives the first

impression of the film being a horror as it is in a minor key.

-The fist actors name appears in the clouds, Mark Wahlberg, this tells us that he is the main actor as he appears first

-The title of the film is shown, after 1 minute 33 seconds.

The actors names continue to play, in order of how significant their part is.

-Music continues to play from the beginning of the clouds, layered by the sound of screaming.

-The colour of the sky gradually gets darker and the speed of the clouds speed up. This creates tension and suspense. The darkness also suggests the unknown is about to happen-the clouds and music do not connote a horror movie.

-As the credits come to an end, the music becomes more dramatic.

-The time lapse of clouds fades out to black and fades

from black to an establishing shot of a park.

-The film opening starts from black screen and fades into 20th Century Fox company logo with 20th Century Fox well known music then fades back to black.

-UTV motion pictures company logo appears with the diagetic sound of wind, another fade to black.

-Another logo appears-spyglass entertainment.

-String instruments start to play over the sound of wind. A harp and violin are layered onto each other and the opening music begins.

-Production studios title comes on to a bright blue sky with clouds moving fast.

-The font is the same throughout the credits which infers continuity within the film.

-The camera then pans around back to the boy as he speaks back to his parents. -The camera then pans fully around to the very back of car to show a little girl and an older girl. The fact there are children at the start of the builds tension for the audience because they will assume something bad is going to happen to them.

-Close up of the girl which then shows her point of view shot out of the window.-Then there is an establishing shot of the whole car.

-From the dialogue we are told that the family are moving house.

-A birds eye view shot of the town with non diagetic music in the background.

-There is then a different angle of the town and finishes with a high angle shot of the family leaving

the car.

THE HAPPENING

POLGERGEIST

-The camera jumps back to the girl to give a reaction shot

-We see members of the public frozen and hear the diagetic sound of the woman gasp.

-Next is a two shot of the women on the bench, one seems to be frozen and the other confused.

-The repetition of her name connotes panic.

-Diagetic sound of wind gets louder which builds suspense.

-Next we see an extreme close up which makes us focus on the object she is pulling out of her hair-camera follows what she does as the audience realise she is going to stab herself.

-The opening ends with the sound of her stabbing her neck.

-A park is not a usual place for a horror film to be set which makes the audience feel more on edge as it is a normal place they could visit which makes the film feel more personal.

-Diagetic sounds of talking, laughing and the wind. This is layered by an eerie sounding music.

-Next there is a wide shot of two ladies sitting on a bench.

-Dialogue from the two ladies which also adds to the natural feel. At the same time the camera slowly zooms into the bench.

-Jump cut to another part of the park, gives an uneasy feel.

-Close up of the girl, to help show her feelings.

-Another jumpy cut to reveal people in the park. -We hear a scream which makes the audience panic

and instantly become intrigued.

THE VISIT

-Starts on a black screen which fades into clock work and goes through a key hole and doors opening to show the logo for Lionsgate-red and black which connotes the horror, fade to black

-Blood appears on the black screen-shadows of a man killing in puddle of blood, production teams names appear

-Jump cut to the start of the film, an everyday thing which contrasts with the blood and gore-a coffee machine-close up.

-Extreme close up of a hand putting money into the machine

-We are shown a mid shot of two actors who are speaking straight away. This gives us an idea of who the main characters are in the film.

-An over the shoulder shot of one of the two characters

which moves onto another over the shoulder shot onto

the second character and changes back to the

first as they speak in turn.

-It then moves back to a mid shot of them both, it is very 'everyday' and does not connote horror at all which builds suspense for the audience.

-There is a pan as one of the men walks away which cuts onto a view of the workplace in an establishing shot.

-The speaking continues even though the camera is not focused on the characters.

-Mid shot of the two characters walking through the workplace/offices

-Long shot of the men

-Close up of a woman approaching the men who looks panicked-first sign of any horror

-Long shot of the three walking through the offices and back to mid shot

-Begins on black screen to Universal animation with a non diegetic sound of a quiet howl.

-Blinding edge pictures is the next with a black and orangey red background of a figure and a bird which then fades into a slanted, wobbly camera action of a room which has things floating but focuses on a girl in a white dress-Blum house productions.

-Black screen with 'Universal pictures presents' which fades back to black and 'a blinding edge picture/bloom house production' appears. With this still on the screen, the dialogue starts.

I could not add the link to the film opening so therefore this is the trailer

THE CABIN IN

THE WOODS

-From the dialogue we now know that it is a documentary within a film which suggests why the camera is not still. It shows the actress in her room-long shot from the stairs outside her room and goes back to her on the chair.

-The title then appears on the screen on a black screen (2.52) with the sound of wind-spooky.

-We then see another hand held shot of the family in the car however from here it is of steady shots.

-Another establishing shot of the workplace. The camera is not focused on the actors but the audience keep their attention drawn to them

-Mid shot of the woman talking which leads to an over the shoulder shot of the two men getting into a buggy/car.

-The men drive off in the buggy and then a large title appears (2.58) on the screen with a dramatic sound which is another sign of horror.

-It then fades into a shot of a road.

-It then shows a mid shot of an actress sitting on a chair. This looks very casual and does not connote horror.

-The next shot is of the actress outside. The camera is not fully still which generates suspense for the audience.

-The camera then goes a back to her on the chair. This creates an unrealistic feel as it has shown her in two different places 'at the same time'

I could not add the link to the film opening so therefore this is the trailer