James Dewell Film Studies

The scene begins with diegetic Christmas music, however the sound has a haunting tone and an odd progression, which makes the audience uncomfortable. The music is played alongside diegetic movie clips of a family on Christmas morning. The clip features no dialogue, and is instead played wholly against the music. The diegetic music comes from a gramophone, giving the sound an aged, crackling effect.  The sound then increases in volume to emphasise the distressing visuals of the clip. The music remains the same as before, a Christmas sound, however due to the visuals, the music is emphasised and made much more uncomfortable to the audience. Church bell chimes are also dubbed over parts of the music sequence, this emphasises the time of year and creates a link with religion. The juxtaposition between religion and the unsettling visuals again makes the audience uneasy, and emphasises fear within.  Sounds are played against th...

Prisoners  The scene begins outside a café, with a car central to the frame. Sounds of heavy rain and thunder can be heard, which, alongside the low key lighting outside of the café, creates a mysterious, eerie tone. The contrast between the high key lighting of the café and the low key lighting outside emphasises the weather conditions, and aids with the context of the sequence.  The scene then cuts to the inside of the café, where the sound of the weather is present, but muted much more than outside. The café is lit with high key lighting from all angles, making the area seem a refuge from the external world. The camera begins to pan in on a character (Jake Gylenhall), who sits at a table with his back to the audience, dressed in black attire and reading over a newspaper. The shot is interrupted by a waitress, who walks in front of the camera, and begins to talk with the unknown character. The shot continues to pan in as the two characters talk, and begins to raise...

Crimson Peak The scene begins with a close up shot of the protagonists face. This draws attention to her facial expression, showing pain, which intrigues the viewer as to why. The scene is shot at neutral angle, framing her face centrally. The lighting, which is low key, reveals little of the room where the protagonist is situated, this creating tension and worry for the audience.  The camera then rises from low angle to neutral angle. This reveals a wide shot of the room, and goes into a close up of the protagonists face. The lighting is generated from a candle, making it low key. This leaves the audience wondering what lurks in the shadows, creating suspense.  Mise en scene includes period features, such as deteriorating curtains, unwashed bedsheets and candle light. This reveals the time period, and creates an atmosphere like that of a horror convention.  The camera follows the protagonist down the hallway, into enclosed sp...