Deconstruction of Camera Angles- Charlotte Wilson

Deconstruction of Camera Angles

 

 In the Conjuring there are many different camera angles used especially these ones.

The first image shows a close up of one of the main characters a few close ups are used through as it shows their facial expression.

 

The second is also a close up however is an extreme in this image we see the fear within her face which is important as the viewer can connect with the actor better and feel how they do.

 

This image shows a low angles long shot, this is very effective as it shows the house is vulnerable and from the long shot can see the surroundings being isolated.  

 

A low angle shot is also used here, this makes us out the viewer to be vulnerable which adds to the effective as we feel more in the scene. 

 
 

Finally another low angled shot is used, this one shows us how vulnerable the women is it also being a close up shows us her facial expression being fear.

 

Overall most of the camera angles used are close ups, long shots, and low angles. I can see why these shots are used as they are effective and work well with the genre of supernatural horror. When filming our own film opening we will consider these angles used to make ours better and link into the genre clearly. 

 



Deconstruction of genre in MAMA - Georgia Serrecchia

Deconstruction of genre:


During the film opening of the film MAMA, you can easily tell the genre of the movie as everything seems to be based on dark colours and there's a dark theme throughout. The dark theme is to present darkness which we also associate with horror, as if the movie had bright lighting, the audience are less likely to feel like it's set in a horrific environment with an eerie atmosphere. The darkness of this scene builds up the tension and introduces the audience to the genre of the film.

Throughout the opening scene, there are child drawings on the wall which contain blood in them, which is a common representation of horror movies.

Sound is also playing an important part in this opening scene due to the music being creepy, loud and mysterious and these sounds are usually representations of supernatural/psychological horror movies.

Psychological horror films usually use a variety of different fonts which are normally serif. This scene uses two different fonts in order to create more of an effect on the audience and make it seem more mysterious. One of the fonts used is childish, which we also associate with psychological horror films. The fact that the text looks quite childish may represent the fact that children will be present throughout the film.

Deconstruction of camera angles in Asylum - Natasha McGill

Deconstruction of camera angles in Asylum

Camera angles in Asylum are always so clear and they tend to be medium or long shot as it shows the mise-en-scene around the image, as shown in the image above its a long shot of the corridor as we can see the whole of it including the floor and ceiling but also within the image there are doors and rooms with a number of different arms reaching out into the open space, this could suggest a number of things some of which including they are trying to gain access to freedom or the fact that there are so many hands, it could suggest that there are loads of people cramped together in the rooms so they need space as it maybe very tight. This camera angle very effective because the fact that the image is also in black and white makes it looks old and unfortunate. Even though there are massive windows letting in light, it still doesn't bring brightness to the area.

 

This camera angle makes the girl look alone, isolated and lost. This is because of the way the camera looks at her, because she is the main focus in the image due to the fact she is the only one and she is standing in the middle of the shot. There is light at the end of the tunnel which could suggest hope and freedom but this camera angle is effective because it can hinder so many things and can make the viewer think different things about her.

 

This shot is very effective, with the use of black and white and the fact that the walls are all scratched, chipped and ruined suggests that the room is possessed and doesn't look like a nice play to stay. It has a murky atmosphere and the way the camera shot was taken as its looking from a side, due to the bed not being square the black writing on the wall adds to the eerie effect.

This camera angle is very effective, this is because the way the girl is tired up on the two posts that can clearly be shown through the long shot makes her look in distress as we can see she is chained up. Her facial expression makes her look possessed and vicious which could maybe be why she is in the state she is. The angle the camera was taken at allows the viewer to also see the mise-en-scene of the wrecked room where the ceiling is collapsing and the floor is scattered with rubbish and the broken furniture in the back ground makes it rather disturbing.

Deconstruction of camera angles - Georgia Serrecchia

Deconstruction of camera angles:

In horror movies, there is usually a variety of camera angles used to create an eerie affect which then leaves the audience scared and shocked. Different camera angles are used for different things, for example a close up may be used in order to show emotion, whereas a long shot could be used to show what is occurring in the scene.

An extreme close up may be used in order to illustrate an object of significance that could affect the storyline or the character related to it, for example in a supernatural horror it could be a cross or a spirit etc.

This image shows an extreme long shot which shows the scene and shows the location in which the characters are entering. This is the scene on the supernatural horror, 'The woman in black'.
This is quite an effective shot as the lighting fits in well, it especially looks good with the sun appearing infant of the train and with the steam going off into the clouds.





Low angle shots are sometimes used in horror films to show superiority, vulnerability and they can sometimes be used to show the devil/spirit in the scene.
This screenshot of 'The Omen' supernatural horror film, shows a low angle shot which portrays the depth in the room and the dark background. It also presents the character as high and powerful.





In the 'Sinister', different camera angles are used to show the power held by different characters in the film. Certain camera shots and angles can make 'Mr Boogl' look mysterious and powerful, he is always in the background of shots and shows him to be the powerful character in the film.

Deconstruction of Camera Angles in the opening scene the Conjuring

Deconstruction of Camera Angles in the opening scene the Conjuring

The opening scene of the conjuring has many different camera angles, some of which are repeated on a number of occasions. This could be to reinforce that a number of events could happen again. The fact that all the shots are in the dark create gloomy atmosphere. The first shot shows a mid shot with three people having a conversation, setting the scene and starts talking about the problem in which a doll is described as things seem to go wrong. 

 The next picture of the scene shows a two shot but is close up of both their faces, but the lady at the black her face is slightly blurred so we can still see her reaction as they go into greater detail about a problem. The fact that her blurred face means we can see the man's feature more clearly like it is being focused right on him. This makes it more effective focusing on him so the audience pays more attention to him but still glimpse at the lady.

The next two shots are only shown for about two seconds but they show both reaction faces, this is effective because we are able to see the fear and despair in their faces so we know immediately something bad is going to happen.

The next image is a shot of the doll used in the movie, this is effective because it is very close up to the dolls face highlighting and showing her features very clearly, with the effects used like the scratch on her cheek to make her look creepier.

A shot below has been repeated, its just a reaction shot of the actors but what makes it effective as well is the fact its really square and the mise-en-scene of the house in the background is the door behind the actors. 

The angles used to show the doll are a high angle shot suggesting the doll has lost her power or ability to control others. The fact that she is laid up against the wall portrays her state of uselessness as she uses the door as a prop to lean on. The extreme close up of her hand holding what seems to be a red crayon implies danger and death due to the colouring used.

The photo below is a scratched picture, but it looks like the scratching has mainly taken place over their faces, this could suggest violence or negative feelings towards the people in the picture. The fact that it has red marks behind it has connotations of blood and the devil. This could therefore hint that the supernatural being is after the ladies in the photo. 

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.