Secondary Analysis:Dead Silence film opening

Sound:• There are several key points that largely feature sound within Dead Silence

(2007).• For example, in the opening beings with the sound of an ‘old film roll’ - this

includes flickers and short jumps etc within the production. This gives the audience the idea that this film is to be a story that has been going on for a long time, the tape is still playing in modern day. It also helps to create tension and keep the audience at edge, with every so often a sharp flicker making the audience jump.

• The next significant sound is the drawing of a match, once it catches fire a ‘music box’ tune begins to play. This is significant because it breaks the quiet ‘film roll’ flickering and gives the audience their first impression from the sound. The use of a match being draw can lead to connotations of fire, and the danger that lies behind fire. The use of the music box tune could help to further the doll theme, this tune is extremely eery and creepy and it really helps to create tension and atmosphere.

• This music box tune begins to speed up about 5 seconds after the match drawing scene, it speeds up to a similar style of music famously known from The Exorcist, the fact that a similar style of music is used could help to show how this film too is to be a supernatural horror, about a possessed spirit.

Mise - En - Scene:• We are made aware that this film is a horror largely

through the Mise-En-Scene, this is firstly shown through the candle being lit at the beginning, the screen is completely black and it is lit up by a single flame that lights a red candle. There are horror connotations behind the use of a flame, such as danger - the horror connotations that lay behind the candle are the use of the colour red, it symbols evil, blood, danger, the devil etc . all leading the audience to assume that this production is to be a horror before it has even started.

• Next we see a pair of hands, frantically rummaging through sketch books, picking up pencils and drawing and writing things down. The audience are soon made aware that the hands are creating a doll. This creates tension and atosphere, the use of sharp tools the hands use to make the doll and the speed it is being created at shows how it is to be an evil doll, this creates fear and tension.

• Finally we see the completed doll, however all we are shown is half of its face as the rest is shaded by darkness - all the audience can clearly see are the bold red lips, the use of the red colour again symbolise death, blood, danger etc. We then see the dolls eye - this makes the audience feel as though it is looking in at them creating fear and tension

Editing:• Firstly, we are shown horror through editing with the

‘Universal Pictures’ title - this has been distorted from the usual Universal Pictures title, it has been extremely darkened, harsh black colouring contrasting with a pale grey in the ‘world’ image and the lettering.This sets the horror tone, from the darkness the audience can tell that this isn't going to be a cheery film.

• This editing is continued with the text shown following the Universal Pictures title, this too is extremely darkened and distorted looking giving it an almost ‘film roll’ effect, by tilting it slightly and placing it on and angle emphasises the ‘old’ or ‘used’ film effect, further suggesting that it is an old story that has been brought into modern times.

• The whole clip is edited extremely darkly, the only colour that is viable on the screen is red from the titles or certain aspects such as the candle and the dolls lips. Red has many horror connotations behind it such as blood, danger, the devil, evil etc. These connotations may strike fear within the audience and make them feel on edge.

Camera:• The camera angles in this clip also help to

further the horror themes, for example the use of the birds eye view shot of someone creating a doll as the title ‘DEAD SILENCE’ appears helps to empathise their actions and the impact they have on the media as a whole - leaving the audience questioning, what has this doll done? What is it going to do?

• Horror is also shown through close up shots, for example there is a close up shot of a row of dolls, this helps to further place emphasis on the doll theme and evoke fear within the audience.

• And lastly, at the end of the production there is a zoom shot, the camera zooms into the final doll creations eye, this evokes fear and makes the audience feel like it is looking into their souls.