The opening scene of The Thing establishes the setting of Antarctica and introduces the main characters and conflict. It shows a spaceship crashing to Earth, then cuts to two men in a helicopter pursuing and shooting at a dog across the icy landscape. Visual and audio techniques like high and low camera angles, non-diegetic music, and diegetic helicopter and gun sounds are used to create tension and portray the dog as the victim being hunted by the antagonistic helicopter. The genres of sci-fi and horror are signaled through the isolated Antarctic setting and the spaceship crash from outer space.

1. TEXTUAL ANALYSIS 2

2. INSTITUTIONAL CONTEXT
• Surprisingly none of the company logos or introductions are shown. Instead a series of
titles all in the same font and roughly the same size.
• The distributors are presented at the beginning.
• The producers’, composer’s, editor’s, and screenwriter’s names follow.
• The last name before the title of the film (The Thing) is the director’s (John Carpenter).

3. NARRATIVE
• A spaceship crashes on Earth.
• Two men travel across Antarctica in a helicopter following a dog in an attempt to shoot
and kill it.
• The opening is chronological as far as can be seen.
• One setting is established (the American base), as well as a larger encompassing setting
(Antarctica).
• A possible 3 main characters are presented in the opening, but very briefly.

4. REPRESENTATIONS
• The helicopter is presented as the antagonist as it preys on the victimized dog. To create
this representation the helicopter is framed in the upper right, and the dog is framed in the
lower left. The right of the frame symbolizes antagonistic qualities, and the top of the
frame shows the power of the helicopter as it fires at the dog.
• However our allegiance is with the men in the helicopter for we are first introduced to
them.

5. GENRE
• The genres are sci-fi and horror.
• The setting is Antarctica, in the middle of nowhere. This is a convention of horror is it
plays on the fear of isolation and the unknown.
• The beginning scene shows a spaceship landing on Earth – a clear indicator of sci-fi.

6. USE OF CAMERA 1
• Mainly long shots and extreme long shots are used. However medium shots and close-
ups are used occasionally to highlight specific events or objects.
• High angles are used on the dog as it runs across the ice and low angles are used as the
helicopter flies over to shoot the dog.
• Panning shots track the helicopter in the center of the frame.

7. USE OF CAMERA 3
• For the majority of the shots, the helicopter is framed center to show how the pilots are
the protagonists of the opening.
• The helicopter is also framed at the top to show its menacing qualities in relation to the
dog.
• The helicopter and dog are framed in the right and left respectively to suggest the dog is
the victim of the helicopter but in fact it is the monster.

8. SOUND
• Non-diegetic score is used throughout the entire opening. Minor key notes create an
ominous effect and a foreboding one.
• Torch sounds are used as the title (The THING) burns into existence.
• The first diegetic sound is that of the spaceship flying to Earth.
• The sounds of the helicopter are heard throughout, varying in pitch and volume depending
on how close the helicopter is to the camera.
• There are gunshots and gun meeting snow sounds to show how the sniper cannot hit the
dog.

9. EDITING
• Continuity editing such as 180 degree rule and shot reverse shot is used.
• All cuts are straight cuts apart from in the scene with the spaceship, where a 3 second
fade out is used as the title appears.