The document analyzes the use of mise-en-scene in the opening title sequence of the 2010 film A Nightmare on Elm Street. It describes how the shots use elements like scratched text, dark colors, and images of children and a school to set a sinister and scary tone that relates to key plot points. Many of the shots contrast light and dark to create a chilling effect and reference important locations and characters from the film, such as Freddy Krueger and the children of Elm Street.

1. Mise-en-Scene Research:
By
Sam Ellerton.
Use of Mise-en-Scene in 2010 remake of
the classic horror slasher ‘A Nightmare on
Elm Street.
By
Sam Ellerton.

2. First Opening Shots.
In the first establishing shots here we can see that
the text that has been used too write the opening
titles is scratched which infers that it has been
scratched in by Freddy’s razor sharp knife fingers.
The color of the shot is very dark and deep, giving it
a sinister and scary look. The text looks like it has
been scraped in on a pavement or a wall (street? –
links with name).
In this shot we see a under saturated, almost black
and white shot of the Elm St. sign which links with
an important location/key plot point in the film. We
also see that the name Jackie Earl Haley who
portrays Fred Krueger in the film, this will have
been done purposefully by the editor.
In this shot we see the actress Katie Cassidy's
name scraped into the pavement, we can also see
a young girl who looks like she is running, we know
that the shot behind the text links with the name
which appears on screen as, the children of the
parents who lived on elm street are shown often in
the film and are a of significance.

3. Next Shots.
In this shot we see a bright exposed shot of what
we can infer is smashed up chalk, which links with
one of the key plot points in the film. About the
children from a school near Elm Street which play
a significant role in the film.
In this shot we see a out of focus shot of the young
girl who plays the infant version of Katie Cassidy’s
character in the movie, she all the shots in the
opening credits / backgrounds have some aspect of
darkness too them because of the type of film it is.
In this shot here we can again see that the text that
has been used too write the opening titles is
scratched which infers that it has been scratched in
by Freddy’s razor sharp knife fingers. The color of
the shot is very dark and deep, giving it a sinister
and scary look. The text looks like it has been
scraped in on a pavement or a wall (street? – links
with name).

4. Next Shots.
Again, in this shot we see a shot of another
children’s building blocks with low light being
shown. This one having a unicorn as oppose too a
number. The shot links with the school in the film
which is a key location in the film.
In this shot we see a shot of children’s building
blocks with some of it shown in light and some of it
being shown in the dark. The shot links with the
school in the film which is a key location in the film.
In this shot we can establish a young child playing
hopscotch on a pavement, possibly a school
playground. We can also see leaves blowing
around in the wind which creates a chilling effect.
This shot has use of dark shadows as well as light.

5. Next Shots.
We then get another shot of the hopscotch, this
time with an almost full body shot of what we can
infer is an infant girl, these shots are effective as
they use darkness as well as light. They show the
audience little but these shots do link with the
plot/storyline of the movie.
The next shot also has good use of shadows and
lighting too create visual effect. Here we see a
young girl making shadow puppets with her hands
on the cracked pavement. This could possibly link
with the killer (Freddy and razor blade glove).
This shot shows yet again another building block
with a lamb on it, but in the background we can
also see a blurred out of focus cat ornament, this
would probably be unnoticed by the viewer as little
time is spent before the shot progresses.

6. Next Shots.
In this shot we can see two bright, green trees
which are bright and colourful, whilst the
background has a very dark, nighttime black
colour, this shot differs from that of the ones
shown previously.
In this last shot we can see another shot of the
pavement, with darkness and light, we also see a
young child in the top left hand corner of the
screen. Differentiating from the other shots we
have seen previously, there are engravings and
drawings on the cracked pavement as oppose too
a hopscotch grid.