1. USE OF SETTING
Poseidon
The setting is used to increase the audiences fear for the team of people fighting to survive,
they are in affect trapped on the sinking ship and even if they do get out there is no guarantee
of them getting rescued. Early scenes in the film set up the setting as luxurious and spacious,
but after the wave hits and it the ship gets turned upside down the ship takes on a
claustrophobic feel. The size of the ship provides plenty of obstacles for the team to get
through which is one of the codes and conventions of the disaster genre, the setting also
provides an opportunity for people to get separated from the team allowing for tension
building rescue scenes.
The Day After Tomorrow
The two main settings that are used are Los Angeles and New York, these setting bring about a
sense of reality as they are places that the audience can relate to and recognize. Due to the use
of setting iconographic landmarks get destroyed such as the Hollywood sign, the Capitol
records building and The Statue of Liberty, these are significant and have been around for many
years and show that even they are not beyond destruction. The location of two cities
contributes to the number of victims being very high and adds to the devastating effect and
something to think about during the aftermath.