RESEARCH - Analysis Of Horror Opening Scene - Part 2 (Camerawork)

At the start of the opening there is a close up on the telephone, that is because the director wants you to know that the telephone plays a vital role in the film. This is so we focus on its ringing and we know that something is going to come from the ringing phone.

For the next two minutes it is mainly mid-shots this is because nothing of great importance is happening, and the director just wants you to see the subjects. What they are doing and what there expressions are. The reason that it isn't a close up of there expressions is because its not of great importance at the moment. As you can't have an establishing shot of the whole inside of the house due to the rooms, we get to see the location due to her walking around the house. This is so the audience can familiarise themself with the location. Also the only way we can see that she is making pop corn, walking around, and to see her face is to use a mid-shot.After the fear has settled in on the subject, there are many close ups of her face. This is so we see her expression and get an idea of her fear. This is though the audience are looking face to face with the subject and can see her. The director has done this on purpose so we know exactly how she feels. After the fear has settled in the action begins, the subject has started to panic. She then starts running, as there is a lot of movement in this scene, the camera has to track the subject. This is used throughout the opening scene from when she's walking around the kitchen, to when shes running for her life.

As the chase will end up outside, the director shows a long shot of the house. This has been done for many reasons; firstly we see the size of the house, the killer could be anywhere in there and she has a lot of places to run but also fear from. Secondly this shows the outside of the house and shows where they end up. This could be an establishing shot of this part of the chase.Whilst outside, the subject sees a car. This car could save her, there is hope! As it is so far away it then shows an extreme long shot. This is so we can see there is hope but it is far away, and will take a long time to reach her. This is meant to make the audience panic, and for the tension to build as we want the car to get there faster, but it could all be too late.

As she runs away the camera pans around the scene, we see what distance she has to travel, and the destruction that has been caused. The director does this on purpose so that we can see her boyfriends dead body, but can also see her running.After she sees the hope and is so close to it she runs, but the killer is right behind her. There is a slow motion effect on the running to pro-long the chase. It has also been juxtaposed like this to add drama to when she is stabbed. The hope is gone, the villain has won and she has lost.

There are are then two close ups, one of the subjects dying face, and one of the killers face. This is too see her expression and for us too see how much pain she is in and how close to death she is. Also so we can see what she sees; the killers face. As we can see during this moment the camera is looking down on the victim; this is to make her seem vulnerable. The camera is also looking up at the villain; this is to make him seem big, and to show that he is in control.

Finally the last main piece of camerwork is the zoom from the mothers face to her daughters dead face. This is so we can see that it is lifeless, and that she is finally dead. The director has also done this so we have seen all three stages of her drama; her fearful alive face, her vulnerable dying face, and finally her lifeless dead face.