Analysis

Analysis of the first 2 minutes of ‘Scary Movie’

The opening shot is a location shot showing an isolated house as it is surrounded by trees. The producer does this to set the scene and create the atmosphere. A house is usually associated with being a safe place this is why the producer chooses this setting because it is unexpected as it’s the least likely place you expect a murder to take place. The scene is a set at night this is a code of a horror because most horrors are set at night to enhance the terrified feeling of the character as the dark setting can be eerie and can obstruct the characters view of the unknown. There is a diegetic sound of crickets this suggests that the house is in the countryside or a small village, away from crowded towns. This is a common convention of horror movies because if the house is secluded the calls for help won’t be heard. The house is quite big with lots of windows; this open space can create a feeling of insecurity. The shot is surrounded by trees which also creates an eerie scene. A common convention of a horror film is a location of a forest the producer could use the trees to relate the scene to a horror film.
The next shot is a close-up of pop-corn. The close-up is used to focus the audience on the popcorn because it will be important later on. The popcorn is on a gas stove, as the flame goes on you can hear the diegetic sound of the flame which is short and sharp, this could suggest danger. The phone starts ringing whilst looking at the popcorn which distracts the audience’s attention towards the phone. The telephone is a convention of horror films as the ‘killer’ usually rings first to frighten the character.
There is a mid-shot showing a girl which is typical of a horror-spoof because the stereotype of a girl is that they are weaker than men and more vulnerable so are more likely to be victims. The producer also uses a ‘blonde’ stereotype this would suggest that she lacks intelligence which is a common convention of a horror spoof. ‘Blondes’ are usually known as ‘dumb blondes’ this could show the audience that this stereotype will lead to comedy. Her costume consists of a white revealing top showing her cleavage. The colour white could suggest innocence. The revealing top is a code of spoofs as things in horror spoofs are usually exaggerated. She is also wearing a short skirt this suggests she is not innocent which contradicts what the colour white represents.
The house is very open containing lots of windows suggesting that someone could be watching her. The girl picks up the phone and walks around with an upbeat movement this body language suggests that she is in quite a good mood. The producer does this so that the audience will see the rapid change in her mood when she realises the killer is on the phone. Her facial expression at this time is quite relaxed and carefree which links to the common representation of teenagers in the British media. The first line the audience hear the ‘killer’ say is: “Want to have a little fun?” because the line is a question it creates a sense of curiosity within the audience. The voice is quite husky without a clear accent and they won’t reveal their real name this is common in a horror because the producer wants the ‘killer’ to be inconspicuous because this makes the audience and the character think the ‘killer’ could be anywhere this might lead to paranoia. The girl breaks wind this is a convention of a comedy because usually a girl wouldn’t break wind as it is unladylike. Although she does look uncomfortable telling the ‘killer’ that she “farted”, we can see this through her facial expressions showing her looking around the room and her fiddling with her cardigan.
The ‘killer’ starts talking about horror movies, whilst this happens the girl starts playing with a knife. (A knife is a convention of a horror because it is usually a murder weapon) This shows that it could lead to being a murder weapon because she doesn’t seem that scared by it. The girl seems like she is having fun with the ‘killer’ because she is going along answering a strangers questions as if it is a game, showing that she is a ‘dumb blonde’ even though she is unaware that she is having a conversation with the killer.
There is another close-up of the popcorn this time the popcorn is rapidly growing in size. This is exaggerated which is a common feature of a horror movie because the unrealism makes it more humorous.
The ‘killer’ starts charming the girl by giving her compliments this might make the audience feel that the guy on the phone is creepy. This is common in a horror spoof because usually there is sexual reference as it is aimed at the ‘teenage’ audience who are consumed by sex since they are reaching puberty and are becoming sexually frustrated. The media targets sex toward the demographic of teenagers this may influence spoofs to do the same. Again stereotypes are seen within spoofs this is due to stereotypes having a narrow perspective on certain groups of people creating humorous imagery.
There is a close-up of the girl locking the doors the producer does this to focus the audience’s attention and might suggest that the girl is becoming increasingly frightened.
When the ‘killer’ says: “because I want to know who I’m looking at” the non-diegetic sound goes high pitched which is a code of horrors as it suggests that something frightening is going to happen. Her facial expression changes to a distressed look and the camera zooms in on the girl and her voice becomes broken and she starts stuttering.
The next shot is of ‘the killer’ who is wearing a ‘scream’ mask holding a ‘play me’ magazine targeting their demographic using sexually references. It uses a magazine which is another media text this is used because media texts such as magazines that contain nudity of women objectify them. The magazine shows codes of comedy as it has bright colours so it stands out. On the front of the magazine is a picture of a woman this suggests the magazine is aimed towards men. He is sitting on a bench which makes him look more relaxed and comical because in a horror the ‘killer’ would usually be seen standing in a dark corner holding a knife. However the mis-en-scene suggests codes of a horror, it is very dark and misty which creates a sense of terror there are also trees which create a daunting setting. We here the ‘killer’ saying: “nice breasts” this highlights the fact that women are being objectified. This juxtaposes with his other line: “I want to see what your insides look like” because the first line was more admiring her even though it objectified her this contrasts to him suggesting he wants to cut her open.
The mood is lightened by the girl saying: “turn to page 54” this comical comment is used to make ‘objectifying women’ funny and appealing to the films demographic. It shows that the girl is a model and only worried about her looks.
Editing is used to show the popcorn getting increasingly bigger. The producer repeatedly returns to the popcorn to show the increasing levels of danger also there is a comical aspect because the popcorn would grow to that size. The unrealism emphasizes that the film is a spoof and not a horror.
The shelves full of books juxtaposes with the model because models aren’t represented as people who read. This juxtaposition is used to draw attention to her stereotype and perhaps portray it in a bad light suggesting that models are ‘dumb’ and only good for their looks. Her breathing gets increasingly heavy this is used to show how her stress levels are increasing. The model mentions her boyfriend who is ‘black’ this stereotype is used to imply that he would be able to beat up the ‘killer’ easily.
From the media language the audience can see that the demographic is ‘teenagers’ because the use sexual references and explicit language to target their audience. The shots are used to help us establish the location and create tension and comedy. The body language changes to show increasing stress levels and humour.