AS Media - Genre Dconstruction - Horror - Scream

The brief:


- To deconstruct a film opening in the same genre as our planned film opening
Analyse the use of:
- Genre conventions
- Location/Setting
- Plot/Narrative (Scene opening)
- Props/Costume

Scream is considered to be a slasher film.

Conventions of a Slasher Film:

The Killer:

Every slasher has a killer. They're usually male, and their identity is often concealed either by a mask or by creative lighting and camerawork. Even if his identity is known, as in the case of Halloween's Michael Myers, he still tends to mask his face. This, combined with the fact that he's usually mute and seemingly unstoppable, heightens his ominous, threatening nature. His back story often includes a childhood trauma that turned him into the homicidal maniac he is, thus creating a level of sympathy in the viewer. Throughout a franchise like Friday the 13th, heroes come and go, but the killer is constant: the iconic antihero valued for speaking softly and carrying a big machete.

The Victims:
In slashers, the victims tend to be young and attractive. They're typically high school- or college-aged adolescents who engage in vice-ridden activities: sex, alcohol, drugs, crime. Rarely does the killer pick these kids explicitly because of their misdeeds, but there is an unwritten moral code in these films that punishes bad behaviour. As nihilistic as they might seem, slasher fans like to know that the people who die somehow "deserve" it.

The Heroine:

Although slashers are often criticized for being misogynistic, they're one of the few film genres that primarily feature strong, independent female leads. The heroine is almost always a friend of the victims, but unlike them, she's virtuous. She doesn't go along with all of the sexual acts and drug usage, and if she doesn't obscurely stop her friends from bullying the geeky outcast who may someday grow into a homicidal killing machine, she at least feels really bad about it. The heroine is also known as the "final girl" because by the end of the movie, all of her friends are dead, and she's left alone to deal with the killer.

The Violence:

One thing that separates slashers from thrillers and murder mysteries is the level of violence. Slashers shift the focus of the film from such trivialities as "plot" and "character development" and instead concentrate on the killing. Storylines are basically constructed around giving the killer reason and opportunity to murder people. The deaths are violent and graphic.


Scream Opening:

Plot/Narrative

The first scenes show a clear equilibrium for the main character as she is at a place of contempt and is serene in her living. This is followed by a  disruption of this moment of peace as we hear the killer call and give threats, also he kidnaps and kills Casey Becker's boyfriend Steve. We eventually see the killer who is wearing a white ghost mask this would be seen as a conventional use of costume in slasher movies as it is a key signifier of the genre because the automatic association with mask is a lack of identity and lack of ability to identify making their connotations automatically negative which subsequently would lead to an assumption of a killer. Secondly this implies that the narrative of the story will follow to some extent Todorov's 5 stage theory (shown below) as we have already been shown an equilibrium and a  disruption to the life of the main character setting the film on a journey to create a new equilibrium.

Todorov's Theory:

The Narrative Theory

Todorov in 1969 produced a theory which he believed to be able to be applied to any film. He believed that all films followed the same narrative pattern. They all went through stages called the equilibrium, disequilibrium, acknowledgement, solving and again equilibrium.

There are five stages the narrative can progress through:

1. A state of equilibrium (All is as it should be.)

2. A disruption of that order by an event.

3. A recognition that the disorder has occurred.

4. An attempt to repair the damage of the disruption.

5. A return or restoration of a NEW equilibrium

Location/Setting:

The house used in the opening scenes is in a remote desolate area which is highly common of horror films as it provides the writer with the ability to have a killer who can do his killing and dirty work and be untraced as only close relatives or love interests usually find out abou the murder and that is where the investigation starts to fid the murderer and avenge the fallen victims of his time. This makes killings more discreet and less open so that there is a disparity and mystery to the killer and his intentions. It is also a very domesticated environment as the majority of the scene takes place inside the house with the exterior threat of the killer being a constant throughout. Tis also shows how Casey Becker is trapped from the beginning and the threat of death is imminent from here being inside however it is also imminent if she goes outside as the killer is out there also. This encapsulates the notion of imminent death within a murder situation perfectly as the victim is trapped and has no control over her pre determined fate.

Props/Costume:

All of the props used are very common of the domestic environment such as pots, pans, furniture and other miscellaneous items that would be found there. This is common of horror movies as most of them are quite modernised and take place on earth this shows the initial conformity of scream as a movie. The costumes are also modernised except for the killer who wears a mask which is highly conventional of the slasher sub genre as it hides the identity of the killer from both the audience ad the victims/character so the investigation as it unfolds becomes an uncovering whereby both the audience and the characters on screen are finding out piece by piece about the killer. This plays on the fear of the unknown which is a primal instinct that we have that s embedded within our species which helps it to both create suspense and fear and to conform to the conventions of a slasher movie.



Links to videos:

Killer Following a Victim Research & Deconstruction

One of the most common conventions of Slasher Horror films is for the killer to stalk or follow their victim(s) and then torture, imprison or kill them.

Films With A Stalker Killer

'Somebody Help Me'

This 2007 film is about some friends who go away for the weekend in a secluded cabin. One by one they start to disappear and are killed as the killer stalks and kills them. Throughout the film, the characters are killed in bloody ways, such as eyes and fingernails being ripped out, throat slits and teeth being ripped out. 

 

'Black Christmas'

The 2006 film is about a group of sorority girls who are stalked and killed in their sorority house by the former owner of the house. This film contains scenes where all of the girls are followed by the killer in the house and murdered in many different ways, such as their eyes being gouged out or their heads being cut open by blades etc. 

'Prom Night'

The 2008 film is about a girl who's old teacher who is obsessed with her has found her after many years. The stalker had previously killed her younger brother and father and after finding her, kills her friends.

   

AS Media - Genre Deconstruction - The Revenant

The Breif:

To deconstruct a film opening of our choice
Analyse the use of:
- Genre conventions
- Location
- Plot/Narrative (Scene opening)
- Name (Typography)
- Sound (With time stamps)

Links:

 

Part 1 + 2

Genre: Historic/Adventure

Genre is presented through many different mediums in these two opening scenes of The Revenant such as;

- Props

- Costume

- Setting

- Sound

- Plot/Narrative

Plot/Narrative:

The first scenes show a clear equilibrium for the main character Hugh Glass as he is at a place of contempt and is serene in his living with what we can assume is his family, this is followed by a small disruption of this moment of peace as we see a revolution era soldier setting fire to the hut situated in the scene. Initially this sets the location as in native America and shows straight away that this is a historic film as it is far from contemporary as this would be seen as a conventional use of costume in historic movies as it is a key signifier of the genre because the automatic association with an old military outfit is history. Secondly this implies that the narrative of the story will follow to some extent Todorov's 5 stage theory (shown below) as we have already been shown an equilibrium and a minor disruption to the life of the main character setting him on his journey to create a new equilibrium.
 

Todorov's Theory:

The Narrative Theory

Todorov in 1969 produced a theory which he believed to be able to be applied to any film. He believed that all films followed the same narrative pattern. They all went through stages called the equilibrium, disequilibrium, acknowledgement, solving and again equilibrium.

There are five stages the narrative can progress through:

1. A state of equilibrium (All is as it should be.)

2. A disruption of that order by an event.

3. A recognition that the disorder has occurred.

4. An attempt to repair the damage of the disruption.

5. A return or restoration of a NEW equilibrium

Setting:

The setting used is very idyllic and naturalistic landscape which contextually links to the genre and time in which the movie is set, as in the time of the revolution of the 1800 where power was to be restored to the states. The setting is in a forrest and near water with no sight of any set civilisation, this is a very blank and natural setting and shows the small amount of development in this part of the world which is conventional of historic films as it ventures throughout the open and makes it easier for the inclusion of ambushes and fight scenes but ultimately contributes to the genre of adventure as it leaves the landscape open to the audience and to the characters as it allows for much more freedom of movement both literally and in regards to the progression of the narrative. This is conventional of the adventure and history genre as it leaves the landscape for exploring wide and ambiguous enabling the audience to realise and accept that the idea of adventure is imminent in the film.

Sound/Props:

The non diegetic tribal drumming in the background is relevant and conventional of an American revolution movie that is set in the 1800's as there was a higher percentage of native Americans that lived there. Also tribal music and drums are key signifiers of danger and war, thus it conforms to the genre. Stereotypically when we think of a fight scene we may think of hearing different sound effects such as; punching, gunshots, cracking of bones, blood squelch, gunshot fire, the damage on natural environment (bits of tree bark flying off) and many more. There is an intriguing sound effect of an arrow being shot into a tree which not only conforms to the damage of the natural environment but also the genre in its entirety as it is conventional of native Americans to use more medieval weapons such as bows and arrows and clubs. Also more stereotypically the native Americans use tomahawks which is highly conventional of their culture and of the film genre.

Costume:

The most stand out costumes were the military soldier in the first clip as this is a key signifier of revolutionary America, this is on of the biggest hints at the genre as it clearly shows that the film is not contemporary and shows instantly where the film is based. Also the soldier is also a key signifier of war, this links heavily to the genre of history as we usually associate war with history. ALso the costumes of many of the native Americans are filled with feathers and very bland colours usually a shad of tan, this is seen as one of the most stereotypical attires that a native American can have, this makes the audience able to distinguish the difference in time period that this is set in and allows for a better understanding of the background of some of the characters, as their historic context is based off of the knowledge of the audience as if you are aware of the events that occurred in the revolution of the 1800's then people will understand the danger that they faced in that time and the extremities they had to go to to survive

Opening Scene Genre Deconstruction 'Captive- AS Media'

Genre

The genre of this opening scene is very clear from the start of the scene, where the 'victim' has their hands tied up and covered in blood, conforming to common conventions of 'Slasher Horror' films. 

The audience can also identify the 'Slasher' genre from the pool of blood around the feet of the victim, also supporting conventions of the chosen genre. The audience can immediately assume that this film will contain lots of gore and some violence. 

Also supporting to the common conventions of 'Slasher' films is the 'middle-of-nowhere' location. 

Mise-En-Scene

In this opening scene, the props, location and 'effects' used largely support the genre. 

When we are faced with the beginning of the scene, the first prop we see is bloodied rope tied around the victims hands. This implies that they have been there for some time, as there is a lot of blood, (both dry and fresh) supporting that they have bled for some time and that the blood has fully dried, showing the length of their imprisonment. 

   

The blood on the victims face and around their feet also supports the sub-genre that they have chosen to focus on.

The use of the security camera implies that the prisoner is being watched all of the time and that the 'watcher' is anonymous. This creates an eerie effect, as the 'watcher' could be anyone and could be anywhere.

The scene that the group have used conforms to the common conventions of the genre as this opening has been used in an abandoned location. The audience can clearly see that the building is no longer in use due to the graffiti on the walls and the nature growing into the space. This shows that the building is un-cared for and that no one goes there anymore. Due to this, a creepy and tense effect has been created as the audience don't know what will happen to the victim and if he will survive or escape.

Again, the use of the security cameras and the different camera angles of them shows that the victim is constantly being watched and has no chance of escaping because the 'watcher' has a full view of the area.

When the security camera screen breaks up, this implies that something is about to happen which creates tension and suspense. This also gives evidence of a deserted area as there is not enough signal to display the images on the screen.

The use of the danger sign also shows that the area is dangerous and should be avoided. Due to the character ignoring this sign, foreshadows the future events and makes the audience question why the character chose to ignore the sign, intriguing the audience and making them want to watch more of the film.

In the flashback, we get another glimpse at the setting, which is in the woods. Again this is in a 'middle-of-nowhere' location, which conforms to the common conventions of 'Slasher-Horror'.

The use of the dolls makes the opening scene seem creepy. Dolls are common props used in a lot of horror films. This is due to the illusion that they are watching you and that they can become 'alive'.

Sound

At the start of the scene, we hear faint diegetic dripping sounds which could indicate the victims blood dripping. This conforms to the common conventions of the genre by implying that blood and violence has been used. Due to the audience only being able to hear this sound faintly and that this is the only sound that we can hear also shows that the area in the scene is abandoned and is in 'the-middle-of-nowhere'.
The next sound we hear is synthetic, diegetic computer/camera sounds. This makes the camera appear to be calculating/videoing the character. This makes the character look as if he is being observed and creates tension and suspense.
Next we hear synthetic, non-diegetic screeching sounds. Although these are faint is creates an eerie atmosphere and implies that something is about to happen. After a moment of silence, where suspense is created, we hear another synthetic, non-diegetic sound. This time it is more of a crashing sound and is louder. This again raises the adrenaline levels of the audience, as before they were probably quite low. By gradually raising and lowering the adrenaline levels creates suspense and the audience don't know when something unexpected and scary is about to happen. At the same time as the crash, we hear the diegetic sound of the victim spitting out the blood. This emphasizes the amount o blood that he has lost due to the violence that he has been through. This sound is parallel to the genre.
The non-diegetic fast paced string sounds that appear after the crash are heard for some time to elongate the dramatic effect of the crashing sound. The scene then goes quiet for a moment, when we hear some more non-diegetic string sounds however, this time they are more high pitched and are at a slower pace. This again builds up adrenaline and tension for the audience and signals that something else is about to happen.
Next we hear the character breathing, which shows that he is panicking and scared of the situation. We also hear him splashing his feet in the pool of blood around his feet. This again emphasizes the gore and violence. The audience can then hear diegetic dialogue of the character saying something inaudible, showing the confusion and unease of the character. Soon after this, the audience hears the diegetic sound of the camera breaking signal and the buzzing of the screen. This is louder than the dialogue and comes unexpectedly, again raising the adrenaline of the audience.
We then hear the diegetic dialogue "Help!" from the character. The character yells this to make the scene seem dramatic. This dialogue is repeated by the victim constantly. Due to no one coming to rescue him, also shows that the area that he is in is deserted and abandoned. All whilst the dialogue is going on, the high pitched string sounds are increasing in pitch and pace, which increases tension and suspense. All of a sudden, the sound stops to indicate that something is about to happen and then the scene ends.          

Typography

The font used throughout the scene is consistent. This adds a high quality and professional finish to the clip.

The font used is bold and easy to see. Although the text itself isn't straight, it is in uniform and looks neat. This contrasts with the genre as we'd expect the text to be messy and appear to be written in blood to show the genre. However the font used loos professional. When the text appear on the screen, it flickers and moves position. This reflects the broken TV image from the security cameras and makes the text look uneasy and jittery. This also implies that there will be unexpected things happening and nothing is going to flow or be simple and easy in the rest of the film.

The film title is displayed at the end of the scene so that the audience can remember it and so that it stands out more. The font is the same as the other text however it is much larger so that it stands out as this is a more important piece of text and needs to appear more dramatic.     

Camera Angles

The close up of the victim's hands, feet and face empathizes the fact that he is unable to move and is trapped. It also highlights the blood so that the audience knows that this film genre is a 'Slasher-Horror'.

The close up of the camera also highlights that he is being watched.

The different camera angles of the area imply that the 'watcher' can see everything and has full control over the situation. It also shows that they have more power as there are low angles of the victim, making him look small and weak.

The canted, POV angle used shows the victims disorientation and confusion of the situation. It also implies that he has been unconscious, showing that he has been thorough violence, therefore conforming to common conventions of the genre.

The extreme close-up shot of the character's ear and cheek shows off the injuries that he has obtained, therefore conforming to common conventions of the genre.

The POV shot of the 'killer' watching the man makes his look vulnerable as he does not know that he is being watched. It also makes the scene seem creepy as the killer could be anyone and could do anything at any time.

Young Blood- Genre Deconstruction

The first scene shows the main production company that the film is produced by Paramount and this group of AS media students have added in the logo to the beginning of their film opening.












Above is a screenshot of the independent production company that they have chosen to design themselves. This is really effective as it is a CD run underwater with light shone onto it which makes the colours shine through giving it a really creative and unique logo for their independent production company logo.

Above is another independent production company which only shows figures in the background which flicker like a light bulb on and off. This is a really simple but effective way to create an independent production company logo.

Above shows the typography that they used. They have used a black background with white simple letters. Some of the letters are widely spaced out in the second word and the font in the second word is bolder. The E in 'Eleanor' has a line coming off of it which looks really effective, creepy and eerie.

Above is a screenshot of a hand which is covered in blood. This is a flash forwards in their opening scene of the upcoming events that are going to happen to the vulnerable girl walking home. We would like to use flash forwards in our opening scene of our coursework which is why we really like these effective clips.

This is a screenshot of one of the over the shoulder camera angles that they used which I thought looked really effective as it shows that the stalker is watching the girl from a distance. It also shows the stalker but only a small proportion of them so that it doesn't give them away too much and ruin the rest of the film for the viewer. I would like to use some of these shot s in our film opening.

Cabin in the woods- slasher horror deconstruction 

 
 
 
 



In the opening scene the first clip that is shown is the Lionsgate logo. This is the main production company of Cabin In The Woods. They have edited the logo specifically for the genre slasher, horror by editing the colours, typography and sound to make it more genre specific for the film.



On the right is a screenshot of the first scene that is shown in the opening of the film. It shows Egyptian style pages with blood seeping over them. The music is suddenly built up. The non-diegetic sound is mostly strings with some percussion as well.








The next scene shows two middle aged men having a conversation about their personal lives as they are getting some coffee. They are dressed in white lab coats and the surroundings are very clean and modern which suggest thats they are working in a science laboratory. We later meet one of the women who has come to talk to the men about their line of work as scientists and discover that they are placing bets on who can last the longest in the next Cabin In The Woods game. There is a range of shots used such as two shots of the men talking and long shots of their work place as they are walking along a corridor conversing with the women. Then shows a two shot of the two men talking as they walk away.

There is only diegetic sound in this scene of the two men talking, background noise such as an announcement and background noise of people talking to show that it is a busy environment. There is also the diegetic sound of the car driving away.



This is the title screen which suddenly appears while the men are still having their conversation. This creates a jump scare which builds up tension. The typography that is used is red to represent blood as this is a slasher film. The sound that is used when the title appears is non-diegetic of a girl screaming and brass instruments playing. \

The next scene shows two girls getting ready for their trip to 'The Cabin In The Woods', and a guy helping them load up the RV.  This scene is a contrast to the title screen as it is calm and peaceful compared to the scary typography and music that was played during the title screen.

The Woman In Black opening

The location of the film is in a victorian house in the attic. The children are playing tea party's in their room, pouring cups of tea and playing with their dolls. The three children then catch eye contact with something however the scene is filmed so that the audience can't see what the children are looking at. The three children then drop everything they are doing and walk straight towards the window, crushing everything in their way. They then jump out the windows to their death.

The genre of this film is thriller and at the beginning it subverts to its genre as it shows three victorian children playing with their dolls at a tea party. However this may be considered conforming as in modern horror films dolls and nursery rhymes can be considered as creepy and eerie after many horror films have used this to subvert, it has now become more of a conformed beginning to a horror film.

In the opening scene of this film the sound in non diegetic music of bells some of the music sounded like church bells. After the three girls have caught eye contact with something and got up after looking at the window, 1:05, drums are added into non-diegetic music making the music build up more dramatically as the three children walk towards the window. The music gets louder and the drums become more dramatic to create suspense. There is some diegetic film in the opening, the smashing of a china tea cup as one of the children drop it to walk towards the window and the breaking of the dolls head and teapot. There are also screams coming from the mum after the children have jumped out of the window, and you can hear the unlock of the windows in the scene.

Genre Deconstruction 'White Chicks'

For my genre deconstruction, I have chosen to analyse the opening scene of the film 'White Chicks'.

Genre

'White Chicks' is a comedy-action film which contains many 'spoofs' from the two main characters. Having watched the opening scene of this film, I believe that it conforms the conventions of both genres. 
Starting with comedy films, the main conventions of this type of film genre are light-hearted scenes, with bright lighting, natural camera angles and usually 'idiotic' characters who make fools of themselves and make silly mistakes. As I have mentioned previously, this film opening conforms these common conventions of comedic films due to the bright scene and the silliness of both characters, who pull comedic faces.

Other comedic conventions embedded into this scene are the small and 'hidden' jokes that some views may understand, whilst others may not, such as the reference to the song 'La Bamba' by Los Lobos and The Gypsy Kings. This will entertain some viewers as they will know the song and will find it humorous and clever how the producers have embedded it into the film. 

This opening scene conforms the action genre as well as it shows, what the audience is led to believe as, heroes and villains, (the 'ice cream' sellers as the villains and the two men behind the counter as heroes). Towards the very end of the scene, the two men behind the counter reveal their true identities and say, "FBI, you're under arrest!" indicating that there will be some more undercover work and some fighting scenes. After this section of dialogue, the two FBI agents jump over the counter and go to chase the 'villains', showing that either a char chase scene or a fighting scene is about to come up. This is also a common convention of action films.
          

Name & Typography

In this scene there is no typography, however for the film promotions and posters, the typography for the film title is in black and white, showing irony for the actual plot of the film, (views will realise later on in the film, that two black men have to dress up and pretend to be two white women). This also conforms the common conventions of a comedy film as the humour is not just in the film but in the advertising as well. The name of the film 'White Chicks' is contrasting of what the two main characters are actually like. This again shows irony and comedic hints, therefore conforming the conventions of the comedic genre. However, the name of the film subverts the action genre as we would expect a more serious name for an action film.
  

Sound

For this scene, the sound presented to the audience is only diegetic dialogue. This creates a 'natural' and 'everyday' scene, which is a common convention for both action and comedy films. The FBI agents start off with bad and over dramatic 'Hispanic' accents which is humorous for viewers, however, at the end of the scene, when the two characters 'reveal' themselves, they sound authoritative and stern, which conforms the action genre, making them sound serious and more like secret agents.      

Location(s)

The location of this scene is in a newsagents in a city somewhere in America. This is an everyday and normal scene which conforms both genres. Due to the setting being in a city, it makes the film more dramatic and 'realistic' for an action film, again conforming the common conventions of an action film setting.  

Plot

The plot in this scene is that two men who 'own' a newsagents are expecting a delivery from an ice cream company. When the ice cream men come into the shop, they are asked questions by the two men about their product. The audience gets the impression that it is supposedly drugs that the two shop owners are expecting as they ask "what flavour is the ice cream?". The ice cream man also says, "Lets get down to business", indicating that there is some illegal trade occurring. Eventually, the men who own the shop reveal that they are in the FBI and the ice cream men make a run for it, with the agents about to chase after them.  

Genre deconstruction: Black Swan (2010)

Black Swan is a psychological horror. The opening clip completely subverts to the common conventions of this type of film.

It begins with a black background, and a white serif font fades slowly in and out with the title 'Black Swan' in a large sized, bold and centralised font. This is a plain, slow, calm opening title sequence, which subverts to the conventions of psychological horror films. Over the top of this, slow, classical music is being played which includes lots of strings, which again subverts to the common conventions of this genre - the audience would expect scary, haunting music, where this is calm and gentle. This music also seems non-diegetic, until the next shot of a long shot of a woman in the centre of a stage lit by a spotlight, still with a black backdrop. This introduces her as a primary character.

She begins ballet dancing, which then makes it obvious that she is dancing to this music and that the sound is diegetic and fits in with the scene. Next there is an extreme close up tracking shot of her feet dancing, which shows her grace and elegance as a ballet dancer. It also makes it clear that this character is a ballet dancer.

This then turns into a long shot of her as she sits gracefully down on the stage, whilst the music gets slightly quieter. It then switches to a two tracking shot of a man walking into the space towards the woman. The camera then begins circling round the two dancers whilst they begin to dance together, with the music beginning to sound slightly more menacing but still classical.

At 2:01, there is some more diegetic sound introduced of a rushing sound, representing the transformation of the newly introduced male character into some kind of beast. The music then gets a lot more fast paced and represents action happening in the dance. There are high fast trumpets alongside strings and drums, whilst the dance represents more of a chase between the two characters now. The music gradually gets faster and higher whilst the dance gradually gets more intense and action filled.

At 2.29 the strings and trumpets stop completely, leaving just a drum roll whilst the beast is spinning the woman round. Then, at 2.31, there is a sudden loud rush of all the instruments joining together again  which gradually gets quieter and slower again after about 9 seconds, and her dancing becomes more slow and emotional. As the woman moves past and away from the camera, the music and picture begin to fade out, with the screen being completely black again by 3.13. This opening scene makes her seem like a victim, which conforms to the genre of horror as a whole as there is often a 'victim' character and by having the victim as a woman it conforms to common representations of victims as they are usually vulnerable women who are in danger/need help.

Overall, the opening to this film is very unexpected of the genre, and this makes it more intriguing for the audience due to the conventions being completely subverted.