Analysis of Horror Films Research: The Sixth Sense

Camera Shots and Angles

A lot of close up shots are used to allow the audience to pay attention to detail in the scene, such as the examining of a lightbulb turning on, or a woman's feet moving up a staircase. This suggests that detail will be especially important in the rest of the film. During the rest of the opening, medium shots are used quite commonly to allow the audience to see the facial reactions of the characters along with their costume, so that they can learn some more about them. However a long shot is also used to allow the audience to see the whole body of one of the characters when the director wants them to pay attention to the surroundings of the character, ie the basement and the tone that it creates on the scene. Panning is used around both settings to allow the audience to have a proper impression of each room to help create the contrast.

Light

Light is used to contrast the two settings in the opening minutes of the film, the film begins with a light being turned on which represents the innocence of the character turning it on in such a dark room. Later in the same room, the camera pays attention to the shadow of the woman and the contrasting light around her to the rest of the room, this symbolises her being singled out as the only good thing around the room. The light is very different in the next setting, which the camera paying a lot of attention to candles, which are literally brightening up the room, again helping to create the contrast.

Characters

In the opening of the film there are two main characters introduced, a man and a woman who are suggested to be together due to them getting things for eachother such as glasses of wine and jumpers, and their proximity to eachother which is extremely close. They are respresented as the rich, white, upper middle class, due to the fine furnishing of the house, their well spoken voices and their very formal and expensive looking outfits. They also have a wine cellar which is something represented as only being possessed by the rich. We are told that the man is a doctor and has just recieved an award for his work, this adds to the higher status of the characters.

Film Credits

The film credits are played for the opening two minutes of the film before the actual movie even starts. The font is blue and thin creating an eerie and ghostly feel. They fade in and fade out of the centre screen placement casually, and at a slow yet steady pace, this helps to donate to the ghostly feel they create, suggesting the subject of the plot to the audience. Priority is given to the Director and main actors whose names appear in a larger size font than the others, suggesting the importance of their role in the film.

Sound

Whilst the credits play there is an eerie, high pitched track being played in the background which works in addition to the font of the film credits in creating an eerie and ghostly mood. There is no sound used in the scene in the basement which adds to the feeling of loneliness for the woman character and increases the tension, in the second part of the scene there is some trendy yet relaxing and ambiant music being played which makes them seem like a young and fashionable couple.

Setting

The setting opens on a dusty room with a woman searching for a bottle of wine, the room is dusty and cold, the audience know this due to the woman shivering and running upstairs to fetch a jumper. She is in the basement, which traditionally has negative connotations of being secretive and hiding something. The dustiness of the setting suggests that something old is hiding with specific references to the past, this suggests the subject of the film plot to the audience. There is then a contrast when the woman goes up the stairs and leaves the basement, she is in a living room of a wealthy looking house, it is well furnished and decorative with a warm feeling to suggest that the characters have money and are good people, but also to contrast with the cold tone created by the basement.

Research: The Wicker Man

Setting

A desolate setting in the middle of nowhere is used to

suggest a feeling of loneliness and increased desperation to the audience. It is a more unpredictable setting

because the characters lose their sense of

control over the surroundings via things like technology.

Camera Shots and Angles

The camera shots and angles used in the opening minutes of the film are varied, a high angle medium shot is used to represent the fact that the rural surroundings of the plot are in control of the events and to make him seem less powerful in comparison.

Medium and Close up shots are also used on his face to allow the audience to know that he is a police officer, representing authority on the deserted island. The close up shots allow the audience to see his facial expressions and reactions to everything.

The camera shots used are fairly simple, with very little panning and no 360' shots are used, this symbolises the simplicity of life in this rural setting and reflects the surroundings as very peaceful.

Light

Light is used to contrast between the settings of the opening scenes. The city is portrayed as a stressful, urban environment by the lack of lighting, only car lights being shown. The rural is portrayed as a calm place due to the use of natural lighting and shadowing to highlight the character's faces and bodies. The contrasting settings which represent good and innocence, and bad and evil.

Characters

We meet two characters in the opening minutes of the film, they are both policemen in uniform. Their uniform is a physical symbol of authority for modern society. They both have reigonal Scottish accents which suggest that they belong in that area, and are at home where they are comfortable. When they walk together, it is a confident stride, showing that they think they are in control of the area and are very sure of this. We also see one of the policemen out of his uniform and in a church with his family, singing. This creates a whole picture of him as a character, and not just as a caricature of a policeman.

Film Credits

Before the film starts, the audience are told that the movie was filmed off the west coast of Scotland and that it is a real look into the religious practices of the people there, providing the audience with context. The film then starts and the credits tell the audience the director and the name of the film, the plane then lands and we watch one of the policemen get out of it, the credits commence again and list the main actors in the film. The pause is given because it allows the audience to concentrate on the main character landing. The film credits stop again after a few seconds with the police officers and continue about five minutes later when the officer travels to a remote Scottish island.

Analysis of Horror Films - Rosemary's Baby

Camera Shots and Angles

The camera shots are very slow, neutral and naturalistic. The opening shot is a panning shot over New York City in the 1960s, which sets the scene for the audience. After that we see a lot of medium head shots to show the audience the characters, and long shots so that the audience can see the apartment well, and the unnaturalness of the secret room.

Light

Opening Credits

As the camera pans over the city, pink, animated writing presents the credits of actors, directors and producers for the opening two minutes. The font has been chosen because it creates quite a girly and maternal feeling, and perhaps has been projected over a view of the city, to represent the fact that something innocent like a baby, cannot be raised in a city which can often represent evil.

Analysis of Horror Films - Gothika

Camera Shots and Angles

Close ups on characters faces, alternating from character to character. Aswell as alternating over the shoulder shots to create a contrast of points of view of the two characters.

Panning shots are used a lot, to allow the audience to see how the scene is set.

A rotating 360' shot is used with increasing speed to represent an increasing tension between the two characters.

Light

The first image also demonstrates a contrast in light, A light has been shone on the left side of the character's face, but her right side remains dark. This represents the border between mental stability and insanity that she is on.

The scene is shot in blue and grey tones which creates a sense of the paranormal, darker lighting is used on the character who is a patient of the mental asylum, to show the audience that her mind is darker than the doctor's. Although there is darker light on the left side of her face, the well light area on her left is much more stressed.

Characters

The mental patient is dressed very plainly andwith make up used to make her look unwell and unstable, by focusing on pale tones, which also compliment the film colour scheme. She is dressed in a white gown which symbolises innocence, contrasting with her dialogue discussing her experiences with rape.

The doctor is dressed in black, contrasting to patient, her top is a polo neck, this emphasises the fact that the doctor is not to be seen as a sexual object, differing from slasher contemporaries.

Film Credits

The names of the main actors are shown at the start of the film, butthe credits of producers and directors aresaved until after the opening scene. This is done to allow the audience to focus on the main characters and "stars" of the production, such as Halle Berry and Penelope Cruz.

Analysis of Horror Films - The Ring

Lighting

The opening scene of "The Ring" takes place in a teenage girls bedroom, a very typical American scene. The lighting used is very dark, focusing on blacks and greys to portray the melancholic mood of the scene. One light at the back is used to create a contrast with the opposite side of the

bed which is dark and shadowy representing the unknown. The light also highlights the mis-en-scene of the room, such as a chest of draws next to the bed with miscellaneous but typical items on, setting the scene for the bedroom of a teenage girl.

The television set ahead of them, unseen by the camera is reflecting onto their faces creating another light which highlights the faces of the characters.

Camera Shots

The camera shots are very sharp, using a lot of tracking and panning. Close ups and zooms are focused in on important objects to the plot such as television screens and telephones and the character's faces. Low level, point of view and birds eye shots. These shots highli

ght the psychological importance of the objects which are being zoomed in on for the audience, creating a feeling of fear.

Characters

The two characters are dressed in school uniform, this signifies their age, to tell the audience that they are teenagers. The uniform is a symbol of innocence, contrasting with the fact that in films of the past few years it has become something of a sex symbol due to horror and slasher films.

Film Credits

'The Ring' uses no titles to introduce the actors and film makers, this is so that the audience can focus on the plot of the introduction, and credits could distract the viewer from the scene.

Sound

Synthesisers are used to build up the tension for the audience, a lot of extended silence is used to create a scene that is "too quiet" so the audience expect something bad to occur.