Research

Phoebe and Harriett

The Woman In Black

We will analyse different film opening sequences to ensure that our film opening will convey the same conventions of thriller. By doing this, the audience can identify our genre.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1UZC-tzbm8k

The Woman In Black: Mise- en- scene

• The props that are used in the opening scene are china dolls, a teapot and tea set. As they are fragile it represents the children in the scene and suggests that something will be broken.

• A hair brush is also used when the child brushes the dolls hair. This could portray that the young girls have a motherly instinct. However, the fact that they stand on the dolls and crush them gives us a negative view of what's going to happen later in the film.

• The costumes were Victorian suggesting the film was set in that era. • The lighting is slightly dim which implies mood which will be

experienced further on in the the scene. • At the end of the opening scene, the audience see a glimpse of the

evil character- they are dresses in black which symbolizes death.

The Woman In Black: Camera work

• As the film starts a close up a girl pouring 'tea' into a tea cup for her dolls falsley fooling the audience into thinking nothing is wrong.

• When the first bad event happens in the opening, the girls look at the camera as if they are looking at something, they then look to the window and walk towards it. Due to this, the girls in the scene looked as so they were told to jump out of the window by someone or something.

• As the girls walk up to the window match on action is used by showing an inside perpesctive and then outside pespective showing a medium shot to highlight the girls dazed expressions.

• At the end of the opening sequence, the camera shows n over the shoulder shot of the 'Woman in black' looking at the emty room and then fades. This enhances that she is the villian as she is looking at the damge she has caused.

The Woman In Black: Editing and sound

• There is no dialouge in the opening scene but the music that plays throughout starts off high pictched but as the tension builds, the music starts to slow down and towards the end church bell sounds are introduced with an echo of the notes. The music is used to intruige the audience and frighten them as it is haughnting and chilling.

• After the girls jump our of the window, a sream followed by "my baby" is heard which is upsetting for the audience. The word "baby" further stresses the theme of inocence.

• When the audience see the three windows, the sky outside is very bright wich could represent heaven.

• At the end of the opening scene, there is a slow fade so the audience can understand and absorb the event that took place in the sequence.

The Woman In Black: Representation

• The characters in the scene were three young girls suggesting they were inocent and the fact that they died in the first scene suggests that the same event may happen to other characters in the film.

• As the girls in the film were so young, the audience are shocked that they are killed emphasising that the character shown after is evil.

• The girls are all shown to be playing with dolls together highlighting that they are all accepted in their friendship group.

• There is a juxtaposition in the opening scene as the girls represent inocence and the 'Woman In Black' represents death, therefore showing that their will be a battle with good and evil in the the film.

Todorov's narrative theory

• The opening scene of 'The Woman In Black' follows the first three rules of Todorov's theory;

1.At the begining of the scne there is an equilibrium as there are three girls playing happily with their dolls and tea set in what seems a normal room in a house.

2. In the middle, another of Todorov's conventions are obeyed as the equilibrium is broken when the girls jump out of the window.

3.Finally the third rule is followed as the disruption in the scene is recognised when somebody screams as the secne closes.

Propp's character theory

• The types of chracters the audience are introcuced in the opening scene according to Propp's character theory are:

• The villian who is quickly shown but not clearly. This is because the camera shows her from behind and the shot of her is a medium close up so only part of her was shown. This gives the audience a sense of mystery and builds the tension.

• The other character in the opening sequence are the victims but none of the other characters were revealved. This could be to ensure the audience were gripped because the victims were very young so they may feel that is even that the gero is more important. Later in the film the villian will eventually battle against the hero and the hero will reintroduce order if Propps character theory was followed.

Barthes codes of narrative• Hermeneutic/ enigma code:Intruige is created in the opennig sequence of 'The Women In Black' due to

the enigma code. Clues are given to the audience in regards to who or what the caused the events in that scene, however they are not fully revealed.

• Proairetic/ action code:This code is also used as there is action in this part of the scene. This is

shown when the girls in the scene jump out of the window. • Symbolic code:The symbolic code was demonstrated in the first scene because; when the

girls are harmed due to the villian it highlights that good vurses evil will be carried through the film. Also, the villian was wearing black which has connotations of death.

• Referential:Historic events of which 'The Woman In Black' plot is based aroundbecause

the opening scene is based in a room in a old house sugesting that it could have a sinister past.