Tuesday 29 November 2011

'1408' Notes (done)


  • 14 secs: Plain black background with small white font of the production company. The Black background connotes evil and the white font connotes good, which shows a contrast between the two. Their is also non diegetic sound of a slow merky sound in the background to connots evil and scare the audience.
  • 30 secs: Their is a slow fade into the first shot. Their is a Extreme long shot on a car driving towards the camera. The low key lighting adds to the genre of horror and also creates a bit of tension for the audience, and it is also stereotypical in a horror film to have low key lighting. The Extreme long shot also works as a establising shot and the audience can see the whole enviroment. It is a deserted night with heavy rainful. This is known as 'pathetic Fallacy', which is were the weather represents the mood of the film and/or the actor. On this shot their is a small white font of the first actor in the bottem left hand corner.
  • 31 secs: The camera pans across the screen to show another actor.
  • 33 secs: The name of another actor appears on the screen.
  • 40 secs: The title comes up on screen. The title is written in a simple font, but with a ghostly shadow effect around it. Just this effect alone connotes to the audience what the film is going to be about.
  • 45 secs: The car is getting closer and closer and eventually stoppes. It then revereses, this connotes confusion and also shows that he is lost as he reverses to look at the road sign. Their is a high angle shot of this. This type of shot shows that he is vulerable and a easy target.
  • 50 secs: diegetic sound from the radio of the car says "open the gates of hell", this will create tension to the viewer and can also connote that he may be entering the gate of hell. Actors are still coming up on the screen in a small white font. Their is a close up on his face at the end of this shot, which shows his emotion to the audience. 
  • 56 secs: Their is a point of view shot of the road sign saying "now leaving" , he shines his flash light on this to the audience can also see what it says. 
  • 1:02 secs: Close up on his face looking at the map, this shows he is still lost and connotes confusion. The rain is still hammering down which can connote the actors sadness of him being lost. 
  • 1:09 secs: Close up on car tire. This shows the audience that this is something important and something may happen to this later on in the film.
  • 1:15 secs: Still credits being shown, car pulls up at a house. Low key lighting. Aerial shot shows the surrounding vegatiation which shows that he is isolated.
  • 1:25 secs: Long shot of man walking over the bridge. This connotes the the viewer that their is only one way in and one way out. He is also surrounds by tree's, which is a stereotypical location for a horror film. Thunder and lighting has started, this can connote angry and power for the actor.
  • 1:30 secs: P.O.V of someone spying at a house through a bush. This creates tension and suspence. The house is a very nice, high key lighting, which is not stereotypical of a horror film.
  • 1:38 secs: The high key lighting gives the audience the feeling of safety. The man enters the house. Very old fashioned, which can connote the the viewer that they dont get quests.
  • 1:52 sec: Innocent looking old couple, very welcoming greet the man, can still see old fashioned furtintue in the background of the shot.


1 comment:

  1. Excellent analysis of 1408 opening sequence Kieran with good use of media language.

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