The document provides an analysis of the opening scene of the horror film Scream. It summarizes that the scene introduces a seemingly normal girl in a familiar household setting, creating unease for the audience who grows fond of her. Visual cues like the lone swing set and the night setting foreshadow impending danger. The scene effectively builds tension through Drew Barrymore's genuine reaction to being alone and threatened. It also subverts expectations through subtle comedy as her character holds the knife initially rather than the anticipated killer.

1. The first shot, we are introduced to what seems like a ‘sweet’ girl. Within just a few minutes into the
scene we already grow a liking towards her. This heightens the tension as we don’t want anything
bad to happen to her, however we perceive that something shocking it going to happen further on
despite our judgment. The scene is set in what seems to be a normal household which makes it
more eerie because the setting is familiar.

2. We are then shown an establishing shot of the house, the fact it is set at night is almost like
pathetic fallacy which forebodes something bad that is to come. The swing set is also, a
stereotypical convention which has connotations towards dread and loneliness. Which reinforces
the idea that she is all alone with no one to help her.

3. Something different – is the subtle comedy that Wes Craven shows during this scene. Drew
Barrymore's character is ironic and the roles are almost reversed because she is the one with the
knife.

4. This scene is very effective because Barrymore reacts just like a real person, scared and
desperate. The audience can empathize with her character because it is a genuine a
response. The theme of the film switches from terror to tragedy and we have to sit back and
wait for the caller behind the phone to show. The camera work throughout the scenes are
very simple, however there is no need to be fancy for this type of film because the content is
so strong.

5. I love this one shot, because we see both the antagonist and the protagonist in one frame.
The masked killer is also a common convention in horror movies however, it has an impact
on the audience because the identity is hidden. I really like the idea, of something masked
or covered so you aren’t giving the audience the whole story within the first sequence. It
leaves curiosity with the viewer and usually makes them want to carry on watching.