Scream Opening Scene Analysis

Opening Scene

The film scream was directed by Wes Cavern and creates the horror theme by using a variety of different techniques. The first noise the audience hears in the opening is a high-pitched scream and relates to the title of the film and gives you an idea already of what the film is likely to be about. The scream creates tension, suspicion and keeps the audience anticipating what is going to happen next. From this scream and the way the title of the film flashes onto the screen in a white, almost scary looking font, implying the genre is a horror/thriller. The white title turns to red and is enlarged to take up the whole scream which connotes there is plentiful danger to come. 

The blonde girl who answers the phone is introduced as the main character. Stereotypically, having female protagonist suggests vulnerability and her incapability to protect herself. The girl is shown to be alone when answering the phone and picks up a knife foreshadowing something bad to happen later on.  This also represents danger and murder suggesting this could happen to her soon. The camera shows a close up face of her on the phone to display her emotions  and expression indicating she is the villain of the film. 

A crane shot is used to show the setting of the film, being an isolated house, to create the tone and quiet whereabouts by panning across an empty wooded area and the outside of her house. This signifies suspense, mystery and builds up tension. The sound that is apparent emphasises that it is a deserted area with no one else around to help the girl if something should go wrong especially because she is alone. These sounds of the outside being very calm and quiet and windy makes it much more dramatic.  The mood suddenly changes when the man on the phone says 'i want to know who i am looking at'  highlighting danger, and the audience can see this through the girls shocked facial expressions and the change of the music. As the man on the phone starts getting angry, the background noise gets louder increasing the tension.

When the girl screams as the doorbell rings, the audience knows this will be a regular theme to the film due to it linking back to the film title. Even though you don't find out what actually happens to this girl in the opening scene, the audience will have their predictions of what is eventually going to happen without carrying on watching it.