Research:Scream analysis

Scream Analysis:

The opening  sequence of scream is conventional  to a thriller in many ways.

Regarding Iconography, the phone was originally used by the girl named Dru  (who is played by Drew Barrymore) to have a entertaining conversation. Ironically, the phone becomes used to blackmail and stalk the girl. Every time the phone rings, it creates tension among the audience knowing or feeling that something bad is going to prevail from that phone call, and rightly so. Also, the knife is another Iconographic element used in the opening sequence. Originally the girl plays with the knife, but Ironically again it is used to kill her, even when she tries to use it to protect herself. A phone is a convetional object in a thriller for it's typical use is to help a villain blackmail someone. As for the knife, the typical usage is to murder somone.

Further on, In the content of costume, the girl Dru wears a white Jumper, the colour white connotes her vulnerability and her Innocence. This makes another conventional element to a thriller. Also, the girl is quite attractive with her beauty, lipstick and physique, therefore her murder will appeal to the audience, for her beauty attracts the attention of the audience especially when she is murdered. Meanwhile, the antagonist is wearing a black cloak with a face mask. The mask shows that the anatagonist who is also the mysterious caller has a hidden identity.The colour black connotes warning ,danger etc. This means that the audience will give a feared response to the chararcter for they know that the character is attempting to cause mayhem and to murder. Meanwhile, the boyfriend of the girl wears bright colours , this connotes unawareness of a crucial situation or event, making him also a victim as he is killed in the garden. Costume representation helps the audience to understand the character.

Camera shots, are another element that is significant in the scene. During the scene, a establishing shot is taken of the house where the girl is alone. This tells the audience that this is an isolated location, another conventional element to a thriller. A close up shot is also used in the scene on the girl to view her facial expression, which is fear and fright as the mysterious caller is blackmailing her.

Furthermore, light is a significant element that is conventional that is conventional to thriller. At the beginning of the scene, the lights are on to know that for the meantime the girl is safe. But as the scene goes on, the light goes dimer and darker, this sends a visual message to the audience that the girl is not safe. This is in order to create tension among the audience. The use of light collaborates with the dialogue and action. The audience will give a feared response to the collaborating tension of the lights, action and dialogue. 

Sound is also another feature that is used is the opening sequence of Scream. For example, digetic sound is used to maintain a realistic element to the scene. It starts, with the phone ringing, this helps the audience that digetic sound has an influence in what happens in the  scene and how it ends.

Editing, is another essential feature in this opening thriller scene. Slow editing was used specifically when the masked killer captured the young girl. This helped to build tension amongst the audience as they watched with fear the girl slowly be caught up and stabbed to death. Fast editing was used when the masked killer entered the young girl's house to murder her. This speeded up the tension of the audience as they were waiting for the brutal murder to occur.