Saw II begins with production titles. The first scene commences with a close up of a light bulb through a green filter, depicting the scene as isolated and gloomy, and also being representative of the light of thew protagonist being engulfed by the evil of the antagonist. A panning shot is then taken, across a dark space, to create a wipe effect which immediately leads to a close up of a vent, giving the feeling the character is being watched and thus provoking fear.
The camera then pans across the room in order to focus on a small, green filtered light on the wall - implying more feelings of isolation and claustrophobia. A motivated cut is then used to show the audience a telivision and a half open box. This hinting nature keeps the audience attracted by making them more involved with the movie, making them look for answers.
Iconography is then revealed through a close up of a mirror depicting the characters mutilated eye. The use of a mirror and a television creates noteable distance between the antagonist and monster fodder, which leads us to view the antagonist as 'unbeatable' or omnipotent, though this view, generally, changes and the antagonist is defeated at the end of the piece - equilibrium restored. The shot revealing the device around the neck of the character completes this establishing sequence of shots, stereotypical iconography of the genre (blood, darkness etc) are used throughout.
The majority of shots are handheld, a common trait of the horror genre which evokes a sense of closeness and places the audience into the film. Frantic quick edits are used to build tension and panic, reflective of the character, in the viewer. Filter lights are favoured over key and back lights to create lots of shady dark corners - almost a chairoscuro effect,
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