Movie Conventions Research: Scream

 Hey everyone, welcome back to another blog. For our final movie, we decided to watch the fifth 'Scream' movie, "Scream" . While we were aware that there a total of 6 movies currently out in the movie series, we believed that the one from 2022 might be the best to analyze.

1) What elements of the genre that you chose to base your final task on does this movie have? 

Within the first five minutes of the movie, 'Scream' exhibited several conventions typical to a horror movie. For example, only a few moments after the first character is introduced, the camera switches to the dutch angle as she picks up the phone and begins her first encounter with the killer. This disorients the audience and gives the impression that something is not right before anything has even occurred. In addition to the use of canted angles, the movie also incorporates tracking shots that follow the character throughout the house while she is on the phone. With the camera placed behind her as she takes numerous turns in the house, it keeps the viewer in suspense as they don't know what they might find at the next turn. This creates a buildup for jump scares as well. To further develop this suspense and build the fear factor, pov shots of what the characters are examining when they suspect that somebody might be there and closeups of the characters' faces to show their fear are used as well. However, the characters are not the only aspects of the movie that help establish suspense and fear. For example, towards the beginning of the movie, the camera tilts down from the sky into an establishing shot of the entire house and the landscape it sits on. This shows the setting clearly to the audience and creates an eerie and dark mood. 

Another convention we took note of was the costumes and props. Like many horror movies, the characters are seen wearing what is expected to be the typical fashion trend for teenagers their age in that decade. This creates a more realistic feel to the movie and makes it relatable for the audience. However, the killer, known as Ghost Face, is always seen in his designated Halloween-style costume except for when his identity is revealed. This makes the character Ghost Face memorable and easily identifiable to the viewers, allowing his presence to be the center of focus and thus increasing fear. As for props and the set, knives, ropes and phones were just some examples used in 'Scream.' Like most horror movies, the use of weapons or props resembling weapons is a typical convention. We also noticed that the set was typically large houses with several stories placed in the middle of nowhere or with a forest surrounding it. We assumed that the spacious areas allow for more movement in the movie, building adrenaline. 

We also noticed that the styles of editing used aligned with editing elements found in horror movies. This included the use of eyeline matches to place the viewer face to face with the killer and jump cuts, both of which were incorporated to successfully build the suspense and effect of jump scares. The pacing of the scenes also varies depending on the section of the movie. For example, during scene where the killer is chasing someone or someone is trying to fight back and there is lots of commotion, the scenes are edited to be fast-paced and ensue a state of high adrenaline. The non- diegetic sounds edited into the movie included stereotypical eerie soundtracks commonly found in horror films, sharp and higher pitched sounds for plot twists or beat drops, and the use of low brass instruments when suspense is being built. These musical additions add to the diegetic sounds found in the film, which we found to include things such as screaming or shrieking, slamming of door, glass breaking, squelching of blood, and the sound of knives being unsheathed. We didn't take note of a lot of incorporation of ambient noise, except for maybe the whistling of wind.

2) What elements of the genre did the movie have that you like?

Some elements of this genre that 'Scream' had that we enjoyed had to deal with the sound, pacing of the scenes, the canted angles incorporated, and the establishing shot. We felt that the majority of the horror aspect seen heavily relied on the music and sound in general, to which we believe was successfully done. Sound was used to both build suspense and reveal fearful truths. With the pacing of the movie, the viewer's adrenaline rises with the scenes and falls back down as the pacing slows and the action occurring relaxes. This continues throughout the movie, creating a roller-coaster experience of fear. What we believe substantially adds to this experience would be the establishing shot(s). The use of this type of shot truly set the scene for those watching and gave us a stronger understanding of what the characters in 'Scream' were experiencing with their surroundings. 

3) What elements of the genre did the movie have that did not appeal to you? 

While there were not many conventions that 'Scream' had that did not appeal to us, we were able to pinpoint a couple. This included the dark lighting used and the ambient noise. With the dark lighting, especially in the forest or outside for quickly paced scenes, it was difficult to see or understand specifically what was going on as it is dark and there is a lot of motion. The other aspect that we did not quite believe it served the movie was the ambient noise. We don't believe this sound stood out much to the viewer, but when it did, it felt cliché and slightly overused.