EVIDENCE OF MAIN TASK: OPENING SEQUENCE ANALYSIS

Maria Carter

"THE SHINING"

Genre:-
"The Shining" is a well known psychological thriller, that also makes use of many horror conventions.

Horror Conventions:-
Suspense and tension is the atmosphere within the audience due to the :-
-high pitched music
-flashing images
-bright lights
-dull colours
-mind games played

Cinematography:-
A mixture of different shots are used within the opening sequence of "The Shining". The director makes use of high angled shots and panning. These two types of shots follow the movement of one solitary car, driving through mountains.

Editing:-
During the opening sequence, the film credits are shown whilst the films storyline is being played. There is a contrast between the two; the bright colours of the nature and the widlife with the cold colours of the film credit, this creates a feeling of tension wihtin the audience, showing them the genre of the fim within the opening sequence.

Sound:-
In the title sequence, screams and high pitched noises are used, these noises slowly build up, becoming louder and more high pitched as the sequence progresses, finally ending on the loudest note as the scene changes. Using these sound effects creates a tense atmosphere for the audience as they do not know what's causing these screams or where they are coming from.

Mise-en-Scene:-
Throughout the whole of the opening sequence, only one scene is shown. This scene is a remote mountain range, introducing to the audience the feeling of isolation that the characters will carry throughout the whole of the film.