The opening scene of The Woman in Black establishes the film's genre as a horror through its use of conventions. It uses slow motion editing and ominous nondiegetic music to build suspense. Costumes, lighting, and a gloomy setting also help set the tone. The scene focuses on three girls playing with dolls until the corner of the Woman in Black's head is shown, revealing her ability to possess children. Their screams at the end reveal she has caused their deaths, establishing the threat and equilibrium she brings.

1. Textualanalysis:
TheWomanIn
Black
JamesWatkins-2012

2. CAMERAWORK
• Thecameraworkinvolvediscloseupsofthedollsandteapots,whichhelpsshowthenarrativeofthefilm
asitisbasedaroundchildrenandalsoshowstheequilibriumofthefilm.
• Anestablishingshotofthebedroomwasusedtoshowthelocationofwhichthefilmistakingplacein.
• Longshotsofthelittlegirlswereshownsothattheaudiencecanseeallthecharactersofwhichthe
currentsceneisabout.
• Ashotshowingthechildrenjumpingoutofthewindowincludingthecornerofthewomaninblacks
headshowinginthesideoftheshotisshownattheendwhichshowsthethemeofthefilmasitisabout
herpossessingchildren,alsoreflectingonthefilmsgenre.
• Apointofviewshotisshownfromwhatthechildrencanseebeforetheywalkuptothewindowtojump
outofit.

3. EDITING
• Theeditingofthisopeningsceneiscontinuouslyinasloweddowneffecttoemphasiseadramaticeffect
andcreateadramaticsuspensethatsomethingisgoingtohappenandthereissomethingthatisbeing
builtup.Slowmotionisaconventionwhichisoftenusedinhorrorfilmsasitcreatessuspense.
• Therearenotitlesusedinthisopeningscene.
• Therehasbeennondiegeticmusiceditedtothebackgroundtocreateaneerieeffectandtomakethe
audiencefeelscaredofwhatisgoingtohappenasthemusicthathasbeenputinbuildssuspense.

4. MISE-EN-SCENE
• Thelocationusedinthisopeningsequenceisthehouseofwhichthewomandiedin,andiswheretheprotagonistis
tovisitlateronasthishelpsshowtheequilibriumofthefilm.
• Theiconographyusedisdolls,teapotsandmanyotherchildtoys,whichhelpestablishthethemeofthefilm.
• CostumeswornaregirlyVictoriandresseswhichhelpshowthatitisbasedinadifferentera.Theyarealsochildlike
clothingandthereisnotanyusualmoderndayclothingshown.
• Lightingusedisdull,greyandgloomytorepresentthegenreasithasconnotationsofdeath.
• Actingcodesincludedarethingssuchasthechildrenstandingonthetoys,showingthattheyhavenocontrolover
whattheyaredoingwhichalsohelpsshowthefilmsequilibriumasthatisaconsistentthingthathappens
throughoutthefilm.
• Positioningshowniswherethewomaninblackisstoodinthecorneroftheroomyetsheisnotfullyshownyetthe
childrenareshowntobelookinginherdirectionandthecornerofherfaceisshownstoodoverthembytheendof
theopeningsequence.Otherpositioningisthatthethreegirlsaresatonthefloorplayingtogether.

5. USEOFSOUND
• Thesoundusedinthebackgroundofthisclipisallnondiegeticandisacreepy,eeriesoundingpieceofmusic
whichisusedagainthroughoutthefilm,everytimethewomaninblackispossessingachild.
• Thereisnovoiceoverordialogueusedasthereisnospeakingandjustaconstantuseofmusic.Thisisn’t
untiltheendofthesequencewhenyouhearthemotherscreamingafterthechildrenhavejumpedoutofthe
window.Thisistorepresentthattheyhavebeenkilled,andsoundslikescreamingisamain conventionof
horrorfilms.
• Therearealsoloudsoundsattheendofthemusicafterthechildrenaredeadwhichgivesitadramaticeffect
asitshowswhatthewomaninblackiscapableofdoing.

6. REPRESENTATIONOFCHARACTERS
• Therepresentationofcharactersshownonlyuseschildrenthatarenottobeseenagainthroughoutthefilm
astheywerekilled.Thedirectorhasdonethistogivethefilmanobviousequilibriumandshowwhatisto
happentomanyotherchildrenthroughoutthefilm.
• Theprotagonistisnotshowninthisopeningsequence,howeverthelocationwhichhevisitsandwhatthe
houseisbaseduponiswherethesceneissetin.
• Theantagonist,thewomaninblack,isonlyshownslightlysotheaudiencecanhaveaninsightofher.Sheis
showntobewearingdarkclothingandasshegoesbythenamethewomaninblack,sheisclearlyconnoted
torepresentdeathbythecolourblack.Howeverassheisnotfullyshowninthisscene,ithasbeendoneso
thattheaudiencecanonlyhavetheirimaginationtoknowwhatshecouldpossiblelooklikewhenfully
shown,whichmakesitmoreterrifying,showingthegenreofthefilm.

7. CONCLUSION
• Thewomaninblackwasagoodfilmtochosetoanalyseasithasmanyoftheconventionsusedinahorror
films.Italsoshowedagooduseofsoundssuchaseeriemusic,loudbangsandscreams.Theopeningsequence
alsoshowedwhatthefilmisgoingtobeabout,withoutgivingtoomuchawaybutallowedittobe
understandingfortheaudience.Thisisbecauseitwasacontinuitysequence,andeachshotfollowedupfrom
thelasttocreateanarrativeandleaduptoaclimax.IthelpedwithwhatIwanttouseforwhenIcreatemy
ownopeningsequenceastherearemanythingsIcantakeinspirationfrom,suchasthedarkcolours,the
music,thepropsandthecharacterrepresentation. Howevertheopeningsequencedoesnotincludetitles,
whichwould’vehelped,howevertheopeningsequencewasstillusefulandgavemeenoughideasformyown
filmwithoutthem.