Preliminary Task

This is our preliminary task, here we have showed a three elements of editing; match on action, shot reverse shot and 180 degree rule.

Textual Analysis of 2 minute opening sequence of a horror

I have chosen a 2008 horror movie Splinter by Toby Wilkins as my 2 minute opening sequence for textual analysis.
The opening sequence is very powerful and attractive for those who loves horror. The director has used mise-en-scene and cinematography to attract it's target audience. Even the music is so catchy and spooky.

In the starting of the movie we can see a name of production company in black and and white, the black connotes danger, enigma where as white connotes peace. Soon after the name of production company we can see a gas station, where direction has used an establishing shot and a tilt movement to show the location. So, that his target audience can understand where the location is. Even the non diegetic sound at the background where we can hear a sound of a crow is to convey a message to his target audience that, something bad is going to happen.



Soon after that scene we can see a man coming out of the station, director has used different kind of props to show the audience that, it's the gas station. Even from his costume we can say that the man is a worker at station. Soon after a tilt movement director has used medium shot to focus on the face of a man. so, that the audience can see the facial expression of the character. After that we see a next scene where the same guy takes out a chair and put it in in the ground and tries to relax. Here director has again used the medium shot to show the audience that the character is trying to relax, from his body language. At the background we can hear the non diegetic sound of some kind of animals.

Soon after that the character looks back to check on something, in order to show that the character is looking back at the bushes, the director has used tracking shot. Then we can see a character's full body from the medium long shot. From this shot, director has tried to tell his audience that the character is looking back at something.

"Go on I ain't got nothing"

he stands up

shows his feet, where he is heading towards

"jesus" (close up)

pace animal attack the guy (aha.....)

shot reverse shot (animal and the face of the character)
(animal and the hand of the character)

then the screen turns black for some seconds.

From this opening sequence I have learned that the more pace we use in our horror film, the more scary it will look but if we use it too often then the film won't look scary enough and the audience don't get scared.

Group role

I have taken the role of "Editor" in the group of As media coursework, where as Anju has taken a role of "Camera women" and tilly has taken a role of "Director".We have to make 2 minute opening sequence of thriller/ horror for our coursework.