This document provides a detailed mise-en-scene analysis of a scene from the film Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension. It describes the props, settings, lighting, costumes, character movements, sounds, cinematography, and editing used in the scene. Specifically, it notes that the scene takes place in a family's decorated house as they try to trap the ghost Toby, and analyzes how the filmmaking techniques are used to build tension, fear, and establish Toby as a threatening force.

1. ParanormalActivity:
TheGhost Dimension.
DeJarna Green
Scene: 1:22:52 – 1:27:34

2. DeJarna Green
Mise-en-scene
Props:
The main prop of this sequence is the old video camera found at the start of the film. It is
constantly used throughout the film but in this scene instead of having Ryan hold the
camera for all of it, Emily Fleege holds on to it for the second half of the scene. For majority
of the scene, the lights are turned off giving a dark atmosphere, causing the camera to be
put in night-vision mode, limiting the colours to shades of green and black because the
audience is only limited to two colours and an even worst vision of the film.
They use sheets to try and coverToby once they are trapped in the pentagram.While it
doesn't kill him, it revealsToby's tall figure as he stands to the audience and characters.The
sheets are white are to represent light and goodness, trying to get rid ofToby who is pull of
darkness and evil.The audience might think that having the white sheet being lightest
object in the scene will show that there is hope ofToby disappearing for good.
Scene: 1:22:52 – 1:27:34

3. DeJarna Green
Mise-en-scene
Setting:
The Fleege’s house, decorated for the Christmas season.The scene starts off in the living room,
where it is large and open, so that they can try and cleanse the house and get rid ofToby. Fully
furnished, with bright walls and a hint of red and yellow.This makes the house look warm,
welcoming and friendly, easily showing that a family is living in that house trying to enjoy the
festive season.
Upstairs has narrow stairs and corridors with a low ceiling, making it look more cramped and
easier forToby to catch up to Ryan Fleege, since he can only go in one direction.This also makes
it impossible to hide anywhere and it give the Fleege family andToby a clear path to Leila’s
room.
Leila’s room is small and has bed in the middle of the room, giving Leila and Emily a hole to the
other dimension above her bed.The Atmosphere has completely changed from the start of the
film because of gateway to the other dimension has suddenly appeared out of nowhere, looking
like it was carved into the wall.
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4. DeJarna Green
Mise-en-scene
Lighting:
Set at night, so it is kept dark with only the dim Christmas lights, various lighting from the
surrounding rooms and lighting from outside to keep it from being completely black. It gives
the living room a lot of shadows and a dull yellow lighting, trying to keep a family and
seasonal feeling but it disturbed byToby presence.
During this scene, the lights are turned off and the camera turns to night-vision limiting the
colours only to green and black. However, it has created more shadows, the long corridor to
Leila's room is black, making it impossible to see the end of the corridor.This is so that the
audience can not seeToby but know he is there lurking in the dark.
Leila's room only has lighting at the end of the portal and just like the dark corridor, the
audience can not see the other end. It gives a slight ominous feeling, knowing that is the only
place to run to but not knowing where it leads to.This can make the audience think, what
would be at the end of the tunnel creating so much light because bright lights can mean
getting to safety or close to death.
Hpbtectunit10.wordpress.com
Learning outcome 1 – micro analysis
Scene: 1:22:52 – 1:27:34

5. DeJarna Green
Mise-en-scene
Costume:
Emily, Mike and Ryan Fleege and Skyler are all wearing casual clothing.They wear a mixture
of blue, brown, green and white, which blend in with the house.This can show the audience,
that they were not important as Leila or that they die inside the house.This isn't something
something the a lot of the audience may think about
PriestTodd wears all black, in which all priests wear. The audience will be able to easily pick
him out from the rest of the characters but also an outsider, since he is introduced towards
the end of the film and is the first one to die.
Leila wears a simple white nightie.Children often symbolise innocence so making her wear a
white nightie enhances it. In addition to this her wearing her pyjamas can be a sign of her
being weak and vulnerable because she is currently possessed byToby and there isn't
anything she is able to do about it, showing the audience that she never intentionally created
the portal or try to reviveToby.
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6. DeJarna Green
Mise-en-scene
Character movement:
Everyone apart from Leila, who remained still after entering the scene, is constantly moving.
Skylar and Mike set up for trappingToby by moving the rug and drawing a pentagram on the
floor, Emily goes off to get Leila and Ryan is filming everything.While everyone is moving at a
fast pace not knowing what is going to happen,Todd doesn't seem as scared as the rest, he
moves to certain location whereToby is lurking. This means he has done this before or has been
given specific instructions on how to cleanse the house.
Once they thoughtToby was gone for good, everyone's attention went to Leila as she turns
back to normal. However after Mike and Skylar die,without hesitation, she runs to her room.
Even with her parents screaming at her to stop she still runs away.This could tell the audience
that she is still possessed byToby because she is disobeying her parents.
Emily because hesitant and clumsy towards the end of the sequence. She falls over once when
she reaches the top of the stairs and then again when Ryan dies.The audience will be able to tell
that she is afraid when she enters Leila's room and see the portal, and looks back into the
hallway before entering.They will think, she doesn't know what to face,being killed byToby or
following Leila to an unknown location.
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7. DeJarna Green
Sound:
Toby's screams and screeches are diegetic sounds, while they are really loud inhuman noises
that can determine how far away he is.The audience will think, whatToby might look like to
make such a monstrous sound, since his appearance isn't revealed clearly.Another diegetic
sound is whenToby kills Ryan,the sound effects are similar to a knife or a sword which is
really sharp, showing the audience how sharpToby's nails are, piercing though Ryan's chest.
Ambient sound is non-diegetic, it stops there being any silence between conversations.This
tricks the audience because they know that if there is no sound at all then they can prepare
for a jump scare but with ambient sound, it can make them feel uneasy, knowing that there
is some kind of low sound making a dark atmosphere.
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8. DeJarna Green
Cinamatography:
Throughout the whole scene it is handheld by Ryan and then Emily later on. It gives the
audience a point-of-view shot on who the camera is held by so that they can see everything
clearly, especially when the lights are turned off.The more camera movements such as whip
pans can show the amount of fear and movement of the character.This shows how afraid the
character holding the camera can be.
They have close-ups of the characters' faces such as Leila when her eyes are black, they show
the audience that she is possessed byToby.They use close-ups again forTodd and Skylar, this
shows the audience the last appearance of the characters and how the characters die.This is
so that the audience think these characters aren't dead if you don't see them dying.
There is a low angle shot whenToby when he is under the sheets. It increases his height as he
walks closer to the camera, making the audience feel small and powerless compared toToby
without even knowing the actual height of him because they are closer to the ground.
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9. DeJarna Green
Editing:
CGI has been used multiple times throughout this sequence.Toby becomes trapped in the
pentagram and flames appear withToby's figure trying to escape. For health and safety, it
isn't real to prevent and damage to the house or character. Later on Ryan get impaled by
toby's hand, which could still be possible with practical effect but wouldn't look as good and
the hand wouldn't be able to hold on the camera.
They edited the screen to look like it was filmed on the prop of the old video camera, so that
they were able to have good quality for the audience to watch and still make it feel like the
prop was actually used and are watching a found-footage film that did actually happen.
While it doesn't have a lot of cuts, it is still fast paced by the amount of character and camera
movement. Since this film is made to look hand held, the camera is always shaking and
changing angles, increasing the intensity the more it moves through the house.
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