Case Study 1: Scream

Camera angles/shots
- Handheld shots give the movie a sense of realism and lack of stability. It is this loss of control, combined with the realistic mise en scene, that provokes horror in the audience.



- Shots are mainly medium with little use of long shots. This gives a sense of isolation, emphasising the lack of suppport the monster fodder character has (a trait common within the teen horror genre). When close ups are used, they are taken from the antagonist's perspective in order to give a sense of closeness and dominance.



Editing
- Slow paced editing is used at the beginning to give a sense of calmness, making the initial scare more effective.

- Jump cuts are used to link antagonists location with dangerous objects. For example, a shot of outside the house cuts to an ovens naked flame. This could have been done to foreshadow danger.

- Cuts to shots away from the main character are very brief, her despair is highlighted.

Lighting
- Predominantly, filter lights are used. This creates dark corners and partly lit areas, suggesting to the viewer that there is more than meets the eye in this situation.

- Upon the antagonists presence, only natural lighting is used. This signifies the true dominance of the antagonist over the monster fodder.

Sound
- A parallel crescendo of orchestral music has been used to build tension as the antics of the antagonist become more violent.

- The telephone call becomes somewhat of a trademark of this franchise and, along with constant diegetic screams, is used to provoke horror in the viewer.

Mise en Scene
- An abundance of objects and ornaments in the house almost adds to the sense of shock then the antagonist enters and causes destruction.

- The mise en scene gives a sense of normality which makes the sense of horror more identifiable with the majority of the audience.