Scream Opening Sequence Texture Analysis

Scream Texture Analysis

Mise-en-scene

• Knives - danger
• Popcorn on fire - danger
• Character cries and facial expressions - expresses fear
• Scream mask - scary face
• Dark lighting inside
• Night time outside
• All white - purest victim
• Blonde girl dies 
• Dark costume contrasts girl
• Lighting changes deliberately to accompany the tone
• Blood 
• Phone
• She dies as the popcorn explodes
• Glass makes her more vulnerable as she can be watched, reflects her personality.

Camera

• Tilting shot shows location and vulnerability
• Tracking girl, shows her importance and her being alone
• immediate zoom in on her as she becomes scared, conveys her feelings
• Medium close up, diegetic sound highlights her innocence as she picks up the phone to a stranger.
• Dutch tilt - shows the scene to be abnormal and the darkness of the night
• Tracking shot to give the impression that she is being followed

Sound 

• Diegetic sound of sinister voice
• Scary movies talk
• Popcorn sound increasing as tension increases
• Non-diegetic sound of mysterious music tells us to be scared all of a sudden
• Non-diegetic sound as she runs along and increases in tempo to match her heart beat
• Synchronous diegetic sound of the creaking of the swing to show its been moving to tell us someone has been there
• Diegetic sound of knife sliding out, as horror film is brought up, danger is linked
• Diegetic synchronous sound - dogs bark at intruders, someone is there

Editing techniques

• Eye-line match to outside the house
• Quick cuts increase in tempo to match the sound, heightens the tension and fear of the scene.
• Pace increases with the tension in the scene, slow pace at the beginning shows her vulnerability and innocence.
• Match on action, cuts on her moving towards the phone - highlights her naivety
• Eye-line match of her looking around the porch, she is scared