Case Study 2: Scream

Micro features – Begins with the title of the movie showing across a blank black screen with the sound of a phone ringing and a female voice screaming running parallel with the title. Also the special effects sound of a knife being pulled out comes after the scream. This could be used to represent what the movie is about and to show the audience the routine order of how the antagonists kills its victims. Medium shot of the telephone is the first shot shown; the telephone is a very important use of prop in this movie as it is the signifier of a murder beginning to happen. During the conversation between the mysterious caller and the female character, the camera shots and movements are very steady and smooth. The shots last quite long as well to represent the calm quite atmosphere in the beginning. A close up of the victim, brings the focus on the victim. Dim lighting to set the mood of the scene; it also causes the shadows to be casted over the victim. Diagetic sounds, sounds that only the victim can hear in the mise en scene. Then non-diagetic sounds are played to build up the suspense and tension in the opening scene, it is also played to lead us up to the kill. Slow movement in camera angles and shots in the beginning of the scene of the victim and the space around the room to represent vulnerability/open space. Also the camera pans around the female character to emphasise the amount of open space around her. The editing of the shots speeds up and changes quicker as the tension rises.


Macro Features - iconography is used, such as the phone ringing in silence. This connotes the disturbance of peace. The phone is also iconic as it is used throughout the film and is significant to the killer as you only hear the antagonists narrative voice through the phone. The victim is female, this shows her vulnerability and signifies the final girl theory in a typical horror movie following its traditional conventions. Also the female characters personality and physical appearance portrays that she will be the first victim. She is a young blonde attractive female which fits into the stereotype of the traditional horror victims, they tend to be attractive females to represent the vulnerability and innocence of a victim. Her personality as it shows in this beginning scene, that she is ignorant to the fact that a stranger keeps calling her house when she is alone yet she continues to have a conversation with him. She is not aware of the dangers. She also plays with a kitchen knife whilst on the phone to the stranger, this shows a connection between the two as the only physical connection they will have is her being stabbed to death by him with a knife. The use of location, an isolated house in an quiet small village is the perfect location for a serial killer. The Scream mask is used to hide the killers identity, usually male actor is used for the antagonist to represent a more dominant character/villain.