http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eAkKyDfEUnU- stop at 2.30
The film opens with a black background and the logos of the companies involved with the production of the film fading in in white. The logos shake as though being filmed with a handheld camera-hinting at the style in which the film is shot. The shaking also gives connotations of being scared. The logos fade out and the title of the film appears again in white and in a simple font. This also fades out and a short background to the film appears. This is again in a simple white font on a black background and is still shaking as though being filmed. The effect of using white font gives connotations of innocence and naivety and the black background of evil and the unknown. It is important that a simple font is used so that the information is legible for the audience. The effect of explaining the outcome of the film at the beginning builds tension and makes the audience question when and how the characters will meet their fate, rather than what is going to happen. There is no soundtrack throughout this opening sequence which builds tension for the audience; it will make them feel uncomfortable, especially if they make a noise while the rest of the audience is silent and taking in the information. An additional reason why using silence is effective is because it enables the audience direct their full attention to the information being displayed on screen. As the information fades, the background stays black for a few seconds then cuts to a handheld camera being moved around, then focusing on the blurry outline of a girl.
We are aware from that outset of the film through the use of simple camera angles and editing techniques, the use of a handheld camera and no soundtrack or effects that the plot will be shot 'amateur-style', creating a greater sense of connection between the audience and the characters.
As the girl and the person filming her begin talking, the dialogue fades in creating tension as we see they are just normal friends and are completely oblivious to what is going to happen to them. As the camera focuses on the girl and zooms out , we see that she is in an ordinary living room with white walls and black furniture. This continues the colour scheme from the opening sequence and therefore the connotations of good/evil, that are associated with these colours. When the camera zooms out to a mid shot we see that the girl is wearing a black jumper suggesting that she is a fairly bold, confident character, but also hinting at her fate. The room is lit naturally from the window and from a tall lamp to the right of the shot. The lamp creates a subtle shadow making the situation seem slightly sinister.
When the shot cuts to the pile of books, we see that the top book is called ‘How to Stay Alive in the Woods’. The audience will understand the irony of this, having just been notified of the final outcome of these characters. The book has a black and white cover which continues the ongoing good vs. evil theme. When the girl reaches to move the book we see that she is wearing a white jumper and black gloves this again connotes to innocence and evil meeting. The book with the article about ‘what happened at Coffin Rock’ appears to have some kind of red smudge on it, giving obvious connotations of blood and danger. The girl’s field notebook is yellow- the first bright colour we have seen so far. The use of this colour makes the audience consider whether the truth of what’s going to happen will be revealed through what s written in this notebook. Through her tone of voice the girl is portrayed as very blasé when she talks about the books and what lies ahead, leading to an increase in tension as the audience cannot warn her of the dangers she faces.
When the shot cuts to outside the scene is much brighter although the car the character is getting out of is black hinting at the characters’ ultimate fate. By using a long shot as the boy gets out of the car we are made aware of the environment around him and can see that the characters live in an ordinary town and the colour of the leaves on the trees show that it is autumn. The season makes the situation more ominous as the audience are aware that it will be colder and darker than had the film been set in the summer. The boy is wearing a blue jacket which suggests despair or hopelessness. When the camera cuts to him filming the girl we see that he is shooting in black and white which again continues the black and white colour scheme and their connotations. Through this section of the opening, the use of mid-shot enables us to see that both the character's are wearing warm clothing, adding to their vulnerability and causing the audience to empathise with them.
When the shot cuts to the man inside the house the lighting is very bright suggesting that the characters are safe and protected whilst inside. When the friends drive to pick up the man providing the filming equipment, we see him leave the house through two red double doors which again denote blood, danger and evil. To the right of the doorway we see a skeleton making the audience realise it must be Halloween and causing the tension to rise significantly. The effect of the loud music blaring from the car shows that the characters are completely oblivious to what they’re getting themselves into and also coveys the fact that they are just normal teenagers-leading the target audience of the same age to put themselves in their position.
The scene inside the supermarket is very bright which is a complete contrast to the lighting the audience will experience when they characters are in the woods and the lighting that has been seen so far. The bright colours seem to symbolise comfort and safety.
Throughout the opening section of the film, the characters use colloquial speech and are portrayed as ordinary teenagers. These factors, as well as the effect of using a handheld camera to shoot the footage convey the feeling to the audience that the situation could have happened to anyone and helps them empathise with the characters and consider how they would react in this situation. It also helps the audience relate to the characters and feel more involved in the plot. The effect of the whole opening scene is that it builds tension right from the outset of the film. The 'Romeo and Juliet-esque' element of revealing the the outcome of the plot at the beginning sets the tone of the film and will build dramatic tension throughout.
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