Scream - The opening sequence

Scream - The opening sequence ...

Scream is very clearly a horror film. It is set for a specific target audience which are people who like horror films. As the film is about to begin the title “Scream” appears in a dripping red colour, this is to represent blood but the colour also represents danger which is the key factor in the opening scene. The scene is set at a house which appears to be quite cosy and safe which we can see with the bright lighting and the warm atmosphere. The opening shot is a close up of a phone ringing to highlight that there is some significance in it. We are introduced to a young woman wearing white showing that she is good and pure, the victim, alone in the house locking the doors showing that the house is safe and secure. She also puts some popcorn on the stove to cook which is cooking nicely reflecting the mood. She pulls a knife out of the knife rack as she is talking about scary films to the stranger on the phone representing a danger that is approaching. The mood changes within a second as the stranger on the phone tells the woman he wants to “know who [he’s] looking at”. At this moment tense non-diegetic music starts playing in the background building up to the danger and tension. The popcorn has grown in stature now and is bigger showing how the tension and danger is also rising. While she runs through the house looking all the doors the non-diegetic music raises in volume to show the rise in danger. The camera also tracks her movements most likely by the use of a dolly. Another typical shot for a horror is the P.O.V shot used to show the outside of the house through the characters eyes, accompanied by scary music it really builds the tension up. The thumping non-diegetic sounds are representative of a heart beat as the situation is escalating. The mist outside adds more tension and confusion has it shields our view along with the characters of what is outside. The camera slowly zooms in on the woman while she is on the phone cowering behind the T.V to show how weak and isolated she is. When she runs back into the kitchen it is filled with smoke and the popcorn is on fire showing the situation has escalated over the top and is getting more and more dangerous. The chair through the window has shown how the barrier between the outside and inside is broken. There are shadows in the house which makes it seem that the danger from outside is creeping into the house. The woman is now holding the phone and a knife as her only protection showing how serious the situation has gotten. The mask of the killer adds to the suspense and danger and the confusion of the audience as well as the woman. The quick zoom followed by the loud clash of lightning at the end represents the quickness of which the killer killed and the extremely evil circumstances in which he has done so. That is why Scream is a good horror film because it uses typical codes and conventions to easily identify its genre as a horror film.