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Horror Opening Scene PP

A PowerPoint Analysis of the Opening scene of Jaws.

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Horror Opening Scene PP

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  1. Horror Film Opening Scene Analysis JAWS

  2. The Scene…

  3. The Narrative (What are they going on about!?) The main narrative that we get from the opening scene is that there is a dangerous man- eating shark terrorizing the seas killing people! Okay, maybe that is a bit vague, but we defiantly get the scene of prominent danger within the scene and a threat to human life. The opening scene also sets off the linear narrative of the film (it’s chronological) as it has no flashbacks etc. When it comes to the narrative of the entirety of the movie- its simply a bunch of middle-aged toxic men trying to save innocent people from being eaten when taking their family vacation. So just your classic Horror with blood, death and terror- what's not to love!

  4. Was it made for you? The target audience of this movie was originally advertised and appealed to anyone of the ages 15+. Steven Spielberg's main aim was to target audiences that are seeking thrill and terror- the classic audiences of Horror movies! However, the films success meant that not only a wider audience was reach but that it became one of the most iconic horror movies all time- and all of that in 1975. Pretty impressive! Meaning that even in todays film industry where technology is exponentially more advanced than at the time the film was made, it is still s

  5. What genre is man eating sharks!?? It all about the HORROR! Jaws is one of the most classic Horror movies of all time. At the time of release, it was extremely impactful and high- tech for the film industry and although it may not now look scary (due to the depth movies now acquaint to)- just like all Horrors it was made to create fear, stress and shock. And even more representative of a Horror movie was the classic use of tension within the scene, which is a continuing feature within the rest of the film.

  6. Who are those idiots swimming in the sea? There aren’t many detailed human character introductions within the clip as we are not presented with any long-lasting main protagonist characters at this point. However, we are placed in a scenario where we get multiple (yet brief) representations of young adults (perhaps 17-21). In the clip they are represented as immature and idiotic due to their excessive drinking and decision making to swim in the sea late at night when intoxicated. This could hint to ‘age’ being a key representation within the clip. However, I feel the most important character introduction within the opening scene of Jaws is the shark. Although we do not get a detailed visual representation of this character it is heavily implied to be of an aggressive and dangerous nature. They therefor cleverly established the shark's presence without needing to show it! Pretty cool right! Therefore, we soon realise the girl swimming in the sea has become subjected to a shark attack- ultimately resulting in her death. Not the smartest idea! This quickly sets the narrative and key themes of death and supernatural danger for the movie.

  7. How have they used the Cameras? I feel the camera work within the scene was very well chosen to create the suspenseful atmosphere within the scene and then nearing the end mimicking the franticness of the shark attack. Some of the camera work used within the scene was: • Close up of underbed of sea in POV (of shark) shot in opening title sequence. • A panning shot at medium close-up to set the scene of the people around the fire. • Shot reverse shot mimicking the gaze between the male and female characters. • High angle shot to show the whole campfire scene- long shot. • Tracking shot horizontal man and women running along side the sea switching between shot sizes of long shot and medium shot with slight canted angle to show their drunkenness. • Extreme long shot showing women swimming and the sunset over the sea creating a calm mood. • Worms eye view shots (POV of shark) showing women swimming above and starts to create the idea that she is in danger. • Close up to women thrashing around in the water when being attacked. • Establishing/ extreme wide shot at high angle to show contrast of a beautiful landscape of the sea and cliffs. • The scene ends with an over the shoulder shot of the man staring out to sea.

  8. Say what you see… The Mise-En- Scene within the clip is also greatly effective at creating a naturalistic appearance and creating a relatable scene for the audience which would result in a opening sequence which would likely be more emotionally impactful and scary to the viewer. For example: • The lowkey lighting (set at nighttime) with a warmer tone of light set by a fire creating an atmosphere of comfort and safety and the dark black and blue tones later in the scene used to contrast this and show the prominent danger. • The clothing that the people are wearing is typical of a young adult with brighter colors and multiple layering connoting their age. • Alcohol cans and cigarettes which connote immaturity and rebellious behavior.

  9. CUT!!! Editing techniques have also been cleverly used within the scene to represent the pace of the opening and set it up for the rest of film. They did so by using a contrast between short and long takes to mirror the pace of the scene and action occurring. For example, they used a long take at the begging of the scene matched with panning of the people around the campfire which has low suspense and set the scene. However, they later contrasted this with much shorter takes with faster cuts when the women is being attacked. But perhaps the most effective editing within the scene is the jump cut (which is repeated) from the shark attack to a silent establishing shot showing the view of the calm and picturesque sea and landscape before cutting back to the terror occurring bellow. The use of this editing once again creates an effective tension building scene.

  10. Those dreaded two notes… I think its safe to say when I mention Jaws the classic score written by John Williams with the unforgettable two-tone rhythm likely pops into your head. This non-diegetic sound plays within the opening soundtrack in the titles but repeatedly appears throughout the movie to create increased tension which is paired with a crescendo and addition of harmonic layers and higher pitched instruments (such as strings) to also increase suspense. This makes the viewers uneasy and in the knowledge that something bad is going to happen (they know the shark is going to attack!). There is other sound used within the opening sequence. Such as the live diegetic campfire guitar and harmonica which create a fun comforting atmosphere nearer the beginging- juxtaposing the end of the scene where the woman/girl becomes victim to the shark attack. There is then also the drunken dialogue between the two main characters within the scene and heavy breathing when running. As well as this there is the women's screams connoting terror and pain as well as the thrashing of water cleverly connoting the shark attack to the viewers.

  11. TO CONCLUDE… SUCCESS!!! Not only is it one of the most classic horror movies of all times with its unforgettable theme tune and tension but it was as successful by making 472 million USD!

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