Monday 16 December 2013

The Conjuring Opening Deconstruction


The sequence begins with the 'Warner Brothers Pictures' to the sound of non-diegetic string and woodwind instruments, that combine to make a creepy sound that links directly to the thriller and horror genre. The non-diegetic music continues as another clips from the production company 'New Line Cinema' plays.

The screen is black with the diegetic sound of talking, which continues throughout. The light clicks as an extreme close up of a dolls right eye can be seen, and the camera begins to zoom out until there is a straight cut to a mid shot of an interview taking place.

A straight cut to an extreme close up of the interviewers both in the frame with low key lighting as the interview scene now gives basic background information for the audience to establish what is happening as the camera begins to zoom out. There is an extreme close up of one of the characters before the camera then proceeds to zoom in on a picture of the doll.

There is then a straight cut to an extreme close up of one of the speakers, and as the line 'but then things got worse' is said, the non-diegetic sound of a quiet string instrument begins to play. A further straight cut leads to a flashback that contains classic horror conventions such as: low key lighting, letters in blood, a creepy doll, eerie music, a room destroyed (scribbling, cutting out of people in pictures etc) and shadows.

There is then quick straight cuts of damaged items with the sound of loud non-diegetic piano music which increases as the lights flicker and the sound of quiet clicking (like that of bones breaking) is heard which is disturbing for the audience, linking well to the horror genre.  A high angle shot of a character throwing the doll away allows the audience to wonder 'what will be the consequences' as the eerie music build up. There is the diegetic sound of the bin closing before the screen goes black.

Suddenly there is a thumping, as a faint light that allows the audience to see the girl in bed as she gasps at the realisation that the doll is making this noise. There is the diegetic sound of the door squeaking open and footsteps followed by the mid shot of the front door opening before a sudden straight cut to a close up shot of the dolls face before the camera begins to zoom out.

The camera cuts back to a close up of the girl's face and the on-screen diegetic talking between the interviewers and the other characters continues. As the lighting is again low key you can only see half of their face. The only light on the interviewer is backlight and there is an extreme close up of the male interviewers nose as he explains the situation. A straight cut to the eye and mouth of the female interviewer in low key lighting interrupts, before the camera pans back to the male talker.

The straight cut to a picture of the doll which is the subject of the debate, reminds the audience of the scary situation they are facing and this is distressing for the audience, linking back to the horror and thriller genre. Finally, there is a straight cut to the female interviewer and then back to the girls. As the interviewer says 'it wanted to get inside of you', the non-diegetic music begins to build due to what she said being disturbing and causing tension. The girl's look uncomfortable in a mid shot, which suddenly straight cuts to an extreme close up of the dolls face as the sequence ends.







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