AS MEDIA COURSEWORK

1. CAMERAWORK IN
THRILLERS
The Texas Chainsaw
Massacre

2. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre was released in 1974 and directed by Tobe Hooper, a well renowned American
thriller director. The film had a budget of $300,000 with a overall box office of $30.8 million. It has a reputation
as one of the best horror films in cinema history, despite multiple countries banning it due to the mass, extreme
violence.
Synopsis: ‘When Sally (Marilyn Burns) hears that her grandfather's grave may have been vandalized, she and her
paraplegic brother, Franklin (Paul A. Partain), set out with their friends to investigate. After a detour to their
family's old farmhouse, they discover a group of crazed, murderous outcasts living next door. As the group is
attacked one by one by the chainsaw-wielding Leatherface (Gunnar Hansen), who wears a mask of human skin,
the survivors must do everything they can to escape’. (1)
(1) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Texas_Chain_Saw_Massacre
Starring: Marilyn Burns, Gunnar Hansen, Jim Siedow, Edwin Neal, John Dugan, Allen Danziger

3. THE FIRST VISIT TO
LEATHERFACE'S HOUSE
https://www.yout
ube.com/watch?v=
dr4ueCHfSzw

4. ESTABLISHING SHOT
From 0:00-0:17 of this clip, the camera uses a eye level angled crane/boom movement to set the scene and show the
surroundings and location of the scene. The composition of the shot contains use of slight diagonals from the path to the
doorway of the house. Diagonal lines in a shot introduce a feeling of uncertainty, which opposes the calming, serene mise-
en-scene of the shot. Combined with the use of diagonals, the door of the house being in the back of the shot creates
uncertainty as it creates a feeling of the unknown. Furthermore, it would create a prolonged build up of finding out
what/who is behind the door for the audience, as the use of leading lines makes the door the immediate focus.

5. This high angled shot, portrays the two characters as
inferior and threatened. Due to the angle of the shot, the
outside walls of the building look like they're closing in on
the two characters, reinforcing their inferiority and
representing the building as overwhelming and powerful,
perhaps inferring the dark, powerful forces that associate
with the building or even live inside/around the building.
This foreshadows potential danger for the characters with
relevance to the house.

6. This series of shots focus on the tooth Kirk finds on
the porch of leather face's house. In this shot, the
leading lines of the wood planks ensure that at first
look we are drawn towards the tooth. The POV shot
puts us in the perspective of Kirk, showing the
audience exactly what he see's at that moment in
time. The POV shot shows the tooth as small yet due
to the leading lines, powerful as it is the focus of the
shot.
Kirk goes to pick up the tooth and from 0:40-0:42
seconds the camera tilts up to follow his hand holding the
tooth, close up. Starting with this frame, going to this
frame. The continued use of a close up shot allows the
tooth to remain the main focus of the frame, while
including two characters and the location in the mid and
back ground of the shot, inferring the tooth's relevance.
As Kirk passes the tooth to Pam, the camera continues to zoom into her hand until it
replaced with a split-second of a completely black screen and then it cuts to a
extreme close up of the tooth, allowing the complete details of the tooth to be
exposed.

7. This slight low angled shot uses diagonals to
draw the focus of the frame to Kirk. Normally,
a low angled shot portrays the subject as
powerful and oversized but the positioning of
the camera and the use of diagonals portrays
kirk as inferior and targeted.

8. The camera tilts up
following the
character of leather
face (bottom to top).
This is to introduce
his character both
visually and in terms
of his authority as
the camera
movement makes
him appear oversized
and intimidating.
Despite the upwards
tilt being rapid, it
also creates a build
up to seeing his face
which creates
extreme tension and
nerves for the
audience.