The document analyzes how the horror movie Saw uses common horror film techniques and tropes to create tension and atmosphere. It discusses the stereotypical setting of an isolated, dirty bathroom; characters like the helpless female victim; and props like torture weapons. It also examines the use of camera shots like slanted angles, editing with quick cuts and black screens, and unsettling sounds without visible sources to build mystery, fear and suspense in viewers.

1. Kieron Savage and Orselina Pemaj

2. saw uses the stereotypical iconography of horror movies, these are:
 Setting – a really dark and isolated, dirty old bathroom. Immediately the
audience recognises that it is a horror film from the dark colours and dirty
surrounds. Using the cages and barbed wire signifies that the people are helpless
and it is playing on peoples fears of being isolated and being trapped/helpless.
 Characters – crying blond troubled female, this represents the stereotypical
view that a female will be the victim, because she is helpless and weak.
The film uses Propp’s theory of having 8 character types ...the blonde female is
the victim, jigsaw is the villain and the police officer is the helper. The character
in the mask is shown to creates the mystery of not knowing his/her identity, and
makes the viewers want to see the film and find out who the masked killer is and
see what happens for themselves.
 Props – Various torture weapons/equipment, E.G. Gun, Saw & Cages. These
represent the pain and suffering to victims. The doll, creates fear by playing on
peoples fear of clowns. These collectively represent the horror genre well as the
audience know what to expect.

3. All horror films including saw use a combination of camera shots, editing and sound to create
the atmosphere and tension needed to make a good horror film.
 Camera Shots – a slanted angle is used to create an uneasy feeing within the
trailer, the instability of the shot creates the raised tense by the audience not being
able to get a complete grip of what is going on.
 Editing – the discontinuous editing creates a shuddering effect which doesn’t allow
the audience to get a complete understanding of what's going on. The use of plain
black screens with sound playing in the background is used so the audience cant get a
complete understand of what's going behind he darkness. Also he use of tone cards
such as “its your move” involves the audience, making them feel vulnerable, which is a
convention of horror movies.
 Sound – through out the trailer there is a lot of non diegetic sound which builds
tension because audience do not know the source of the sound. The use of sound
whilst the plain black screens are on show create a greater fear as the audience can
only go by what they’re hearing. The use of a distorted voice doing the talking in the
trailer creates further mystery and fear, as you can not work out the identity of the
voice.

4. All horror films including Primal use a combination of camera shots, editing and sound to
create the atmosphere and tension needed to make a good horror film.
 Camera Shots – high angle used to first display the blonde girl, as she is the
“promiscuous” girl , she will be the helpless girl in the trailer following a structuralist
idea, therefore the high angle shot used to display how inferior she is. However once
she is changed to the monster of the trailer the camera angles she is primarily
displayed in change to low angle shots so the audience are looking up to her, this is a
sign of the power she now has.
 Editing – again the discontinuous editing creates the unstable effect not allowing the
audience to gather the complete understanding, also it creates a realness of what is
happening. The effect of this is to get the audience in suspense.
 Sound – the non-diegetic sound of constant heartbeat creates anticipation in what is
about to happen, and the diegetic sound of the monster growl creates the scary
atmosphere amongst the audience

5.  Starts with the establishing shot used to show the hills which are shown to be
isolated, where the characters are on a road trip. Todorov’s narrative theory can be
applied to the trailer. Everything is ok and calm ( period of equilibrium), until the 21
seconds in, (moment of disequilibrium) where we are shown to lots of quick jump cuts
of teeth and blood.
 At that point the music becomes faster, and the next calmer scene we are shown in a
dark setting, but we are still in the period of disequilibrium. The faster paced music
and the change of setting adds to fear initially created in the break of the equilibrium.
 The use of the non diegetic sound of heavy breathing is a stereotypical paradigm
used in most horror films. the audience are meant to emphasis with the characters
emotions and relate to the trailer .
 The use of tone cards used to manipulate the viewers, such as “ distant journey”
makes the audience feel is if the characters are isolated alone somewhere
unreachable. Also the tone card “once it gets inside” combined with the sound effect
of the monster growl, gives the feeling as though something dangerous like a
predator is coming for them.