The document provides analysis of conventions, sounds, titles, camera techniques, and mise-en-scene in the opening scenes of the film Scream. It notes that the killer calls his victim, setting up the threat over the phone. Shots establish the isolated suburban setting and show signs that something is amiss, like a mysteriously swinging swing. Camera angles and positioning of knives in shots further foreshadow danger for the blonde victim. Details of her appearance and the caller's responses also suggest a threatening situation is developing.

1. SCREAM 1996

2. CONVENTIONS The phone ringing has become a new slasher convention. As time passes, killers, it appears, favour the use of technology to let their victims know they’re coming e.g. The Ring, Scream, Saw etc. Here the killer calls the girl before later telling her he has her boyfriend tied up outside her house. The girl is blonde, which is typical of a victim and could be said to be punished for having a boyfriend and presumably engaging in sexual activity which is a common underlying theme in slashers. The location is in a suburban house, which is far enough for neighbours not to hear or see anything unusual, and the girl is completely alone – isolated, another convention. The caller’s voice is unknown to her, his identity a mystery – the killer having a concealed identity being a convention of slashers.

3. SOUND The film opens with thundery, discordant music which is unsettling. At the same time the title SCREAM appears, a phone starts ringing and then a girl starts screaming linking all three together; this hints that the phone call and so possibly the caller will be the killer. Following that the music goes in one loud BOOM, as if signifying the killing blow with a slashing sound played on top of that; the killing tool is likely to be a blade of some kind. The shot from outside panning down from branches to the house has the sounds of nature, birds and insects – this should lull the viewer into a sense of safety but instead it makes the setting seem too quiet, giving the sense that something is off. In that same scene the swing is swinging very eerily although the wind is not strong enough to push it alone, considering that the rustiness of the chains can be heard – and it’s made stranger still as there is no one to be seen around who could have pushed it. The blonde plays with the kitchen knife, sliding it out then back in to its container which is ironic as a similar weapon will be used to kill her later.

4. USE OF TITLES The production company’s name DIMENSION films appears first. Then film title SCREAM appears in white. Behind the main title, a duplicate of the title is in smoky ghostly white – this reflects how later the killer is always wearing a ghost mask. The title text flashes from red to white and back a few times as a phone rings and a girl starts screaming linking them all hinting that the caller is dangerous to the girl. The text turns to red and gets larger, closer to the screen and red is everywhere – it looks like a red bloody mist on screen, symbolising the way there is usually excessive gore in slashers.

5. CAMERA TECHNIQUES I There’s a slight high angle of the phone which is the first shot of the film, centre frame focus – it will be important later on There’s a slight low angle of the blonde as she talks on the phone, zooming in and giving the false impression that she is the one who is in charge of this conversation, of where it goes and when it ends. The second time the phone rings, the camera pans from the phone up to the girl picking it up and pans quickly as she looks annoyed – this is the first sign of aggravation between the caller and the girl. As she speaks on the phone, there’s an oblique angle focus on the double glass doors behind her but only slight – again giving a feeling that something is not quite right. She walks away but the focus on the doors remains, and the audience watches her reflection walk away in the glass which shows that anyone watching from outside would have seen the same thing..

6. CAMERA TECHNIQUES II The camera cuts to a scene of outside, showing the tree branches before panning down from a high angle of the white suburban house, empty front grounds and a swing moving by itself though there is no one there. This location shot shows that the blonde is completely alone here – no one to help her. There’s also the mystery of if the killer’s nearby and watching, and we can see the surrounding area, then where is he hidden? The camera pans across the table as she walks around it, letting the audience notice the kitchen knives on it for the first time as they are centre frame while she picks up her coffee. She leans on the table to speak and the knives are there again but in the foreground so that they are emphasised, further foreshadowing that she is very likely to die especially as she slides one out, the noise loud in the otherwise quiet kitchen.

7. MISE EN SCENE The blonde is wearing cream, made more noticeable due to her white trousers, and also wearing makeup of mauve lipstick – this suggests sullied innocence. This is because the cream is light but not quite white and it’s usually the more sexual or promiscuous girls in slashers who wear make up. There are no curtains on any of the windows or glass doors – the girl is very much exposed for anyone passing by to see, like a sitting duck. The caller’s words are ironic: “You like scary movies?” It foreshadows that he is about to turn her life is about to turn into one. She describes Halloween’s plot and asks if he knows it and his reply is most disturbing to the audience who have realised that the caller is dangerous; he took pleasure in hearing the horror story and replied with a very breathy, almost excited, drawn out “Yeah”. This suggests that he knows the film well, and likes it very much so; later, he too wears a white mask as does that film’s killer. Murder seems inspirational, admirable to this caller. The popcorn is rising slowly behind the girl, it’s getting ready (like the killer is getting ready with his plans for her) but she is oblivious to both, too absorbed in her phone conversation.