Deconstruction of film opening Annabelle - Natasha McGill

Deconstruction of film opening Annabelle

Conventions of supernatural horror movies usually involve a connection with a demon or a spirit, which possess them making them do something they wouldn’t usually do. The children are seen as the vulnerable ones as the demon or spirit usually targets them as their victim. The typical location for a supernatural horror movie would be in a house where everything starts off okay then it turns haunted. Sometimes religious symbols are used in the movies and a priest is usually involved to help the family overcome their traumatic experience.

Camera angles

A different variety of shots are used in horror, but close up shots could be portrayed as scarier because it can make the viewer jump or in Annabelle we are able to see very fine detail on the dolls face.  By having these close up shots of the doll and how scared and cut her face looks, this gives an insight into what the doll is going to do to the family; it will scar them. The doll itself has a creepy face and we can see this through the close up of its face. This is effective because it builds up tension of what the doll is capable of doing.

Mise-en-scene

The horror movie is based inside a house; this conforms to the conventions of a supernatural horror. As shown in the picture the doll is lifted out of the box and is soon placed on a shelf inside the child’s bedroom, at the start of the film this doll was given to the mum as a present. What they thought would be an innocent present soon haunts their house. There is a symbol that appears on the wall which also conforms to conventions of supernatural horror movies, as this is some form of marking which is made by the possessor. This is effective because it is unexpected so this gives the audience that anything could happen at any one time. Also in the beginning scene, a girl is having a discussion about the doll and why is it possessed.

Sound

Sound is used in many different ways with the diegetic dialogue of a girl who is explaining the backstory of what happened with the doll in the first place. Once she has finished explaining there is a close up of the dolls face as it zooms in close and while this is happening the non-diegetic music of dramatic music which involves a screaming aspect which gets louder as it gets closer to the dolls face. Then the use of children’s wind up toys was used to make more tension is to what is going to happen next.

Editing  

Towards the end of the opening scene as the non-diegetic music off the children’s wind up toys come to an end, the title is displayed on the screen like the image below. A cut is used to go onto the title page and then again once it has been shown. It zooms into the title then carries on with the movie. The use of red writing could suggest blood or something eerie.

This is a very good film opening and the way it is laid out and when the lady first receives the doll, just the way the doll looks is  rather disturbing and creepy. The use of mise-en-scene was very good and looks very creepy. The house itself doesn't look haunted but in the child's bedroom with the old rocking chair and all the old dolls makes it creepy and so confoms to the genre of horror.