Research: Scream analysis - Miss Begum

I will be analyzing how the opening scene of Scream 1 is conventional to thriller opening scenes by referring to micro-elements and audience response. The scene begins with the damsel in distress getting a phone call from a stranger. A medium shot is used to demonstrate that she is confident and isn’t expecting anything to happen but when a crane shot is used while she is communicating with the antagonist it indicated to the audience that something is going to occur involving her because it shows the audience its surrounding and almost warns them to expect something, and at this moment she is clueless. Moreover a tilt shot was used to show the audience that the place the scene was set was isolated and dark which spectates that there is no where she can run for help or escape which makes the audience feel uneasy. Also impacting on the audience’s emotions is the fact that the home is a conventional setting for thriller movies as they are usually set in isolated and dark areas as they are popular danger atmospheres considering it causes the audience to be more alert and ready to be shocked. The damsel in distresses house is distant from the main road which doesn’t contradict with the events happening as it is easier to get to someone and cause mischief if they are far from society and help. Her character represented as a conventional damsel in distress as she is blonde, beautiful and weak which is common within the character, which then makes her an easy target.

When Donnie gets a phone call for the second time it instigates that it wasn’t just a normal caller, so as she picks up the phone the camera is still panning around her still at a close up showing her comfort in her own home, but also to show the audience the background which raises the awareness of the audience to expect something to happen. Furthermore the low key lighting adds on to the suspense as it makes the audience feel restless because they are still expecting something major to happen but the antagonist is still playing games and interrogating the damsel in distress. Further down in the scene we see that she is engaging in a conversation with the antagonist which makes it seem like she’s willing to hold conversation. As she is talking about enjoying to watch scary movies by herself we see her playing with a knife in a wooded holder. This is sententious as she tells the antagonist that she likes the movie “with the guy in the white mask killing everyone with a knife.” The zoom in towards the iconography (knife) and the distressing off screen sound highlights that the antagonist could be planning on doing something involving the movie and the knife. We later on find out that this is ironic as antagonist turns out to be someone in a white mask killing everyone. Every time she gets a phone call her voice gets more and more distorted which emphasizes her emotions and fear. The lighting inside is all bright and white which is a juxtaposition as outside her house is dark, mysterious and lifeless which exposes her to danger as its almost the only innocent and pure thing in the whole scene which is why she is the main victim and exposed to danger.

There are a lot of diegetic and non-diegetic sounds used as they are both relevant and conventional for thriller movies because it is important to connect the audience to the film world. Non-diegetic sound is important as it connects with the audience unconsciously and has a massive impact on the audience, for example a slight humming sound in the background while she realizes the person on the phone knows her; causes tension and makes the audience apprehensive. Moreover diegetic sound like the popcorn popping created another dimension and accompanied the damsel in distress on the phone as the audience was waiting for that loud ‘POP!’ as she had forgotten she even put it on because her attention has been diverted as she is intimidated by the antagonist. A reaction shot is used when the victim is shown her boyfriend suffering outside accompanied with the cackling on the phone which clarifies that the person on the phone is responsible for what’s happening. This makes the audience feel insecure and nervous as they wonder why the person would do that although he says it’s because someone had stolen his bike, we later on realize that’s just an excuse for his psychotic behavior. Furthermore a close up shot of Donnie’s eyes are taken from the outside to show her tears to highlight her fear. A zoom shot is used while the victim is on her knees to show her instability due to her distress, this causes the audience to feel self-condemnatory as there’s nothing they can do to help. This is conventional to thriller movies because the audience always feels helpless as they can never comprehend with the situation.