Opening Scene of The Conjuring

Enigma Code - What questions are you asking yourself?

 

• Where are they?
• What are they talking about?
• Who's doll is it?
• Who are they two girls talking too?
• Why did he sound so surprised when they said they gave the doll permission?
• Why is the doll on the floor?
• How did they doll get back into the house?

Sound - The sound at the very beginning of this film is a high pitched violin playing. I think they used this music because it comes across quite scary and high pitched noises are usually associated with horror films of which this is. This is non- diegetic as the characters cannot hear this, but it tells us that it is going to be a horror film because of the distinctive sound. Hearing this music already makes you feel slightly scared and its only the very start of the film. Also, whilst the scene of the two girls coming home from work is playing, there's talking in the background of the two girls speaking to the man and woman about the doll, this is non-diegetic as the two characters can't hear them speaking. The music plays again but this time its not the high pitched violins but a sudden piano sound, this is also a distinctive sound from a typical horror movie.

 

Editing - There is not much editing in this opening scene, it just flips from shot to shot. This carries out smoothly and changes each shot from each other and carries them on. The camera is concentrating on certain characters, and is showing you different incites to each persons view.

 

Camera - Frames

This is an extreme close up and its used to show the damaged, scary detail in the possessed doll. If this frame was maybe just a close up, it would have the same impact on the extreme close up that this is showing. It does zoom out slightly but you don't see the full face of the doll until a different frame.

 

 

This is a close up of the doll. They've used this frame as well as the other one to show the true look of the doll. After seeing the first frame of the doll (extreme close up) the audience wonder what the doll looks like, how big it is, what its wearing ect. After showing the audience this frame, its clearly showing them the true identity of the doll.

 

Movement -  At first the movement of this opening scene is zoom out. This is then drawing your attention to the focus and the main point, which in this case is the doll. It draws attention and builds tension to look of the doll. In the next scene it also zooms out giving the audience a full perspective of the surroundings in the scene.

 

Angle - The angles on most shots are neutral and quite focal, to draw your attention to specific props in the scene, for example the doll at the beginning.

 

Mise en Scene

 

 

Costumes - The costume in this opening scene varies as each character is wearing different things. The doll is wearing a little girls dress which has been torn and stained. Normally when there is a little girl in a horror film, they tend to be wearing a disturbing outfit to scare the audience. Whilst in the interview between the two girls and the man and women, the two girls are just wearing everyday clothed to show that they are still going about their everyday lives however, when the two girls come home from work, they are wearing the nurses uniform to clearly show what they do for a living.

 

 

Lighting - The lighting in this opening scene is very dark. In the interview, it seems as if they've purposely darkened the room too make it seem that little bit more scary. Its quite hard to see the characters face because of the facial shadows.When the woman goes into the spare room, a light appears on her face just like when a torch is held underneath a face when someone is telling a horror story. The light flashing in the room also adds a scary effect to the film. Throughout most of the opening the lighting is very dull and dark to add the scary effect.


Characters - The only visible characters at the start of this opening scene are the two girls and the boy. From right at the beginning the boy is in the scene but has no relevance to the film from what we know. The two girls are the main vocal point of this. We hear a male talking but we cant see him. At the very end we are shown the males face from a side angle. The camera pans around and we are shown his identity and then shown his partner.


Props - There aren't a great deal of props in the opening of 'The Conjuring' but a main prop in this opening scene is the doll. The doll is a major part of it as she is what they're talking about and is the main topic of conversation. Another small prop in this scene is the smashed photo frame. They use this to show that the 'Demon' has done this to the picture of the two girls.