Analyse the opening of the horror film 'Scream'

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Introduction

My assignment is an analysis of the opening 12 minutes of Scream, staring Drew Barrymore. I need to describe how the opening title comes into the film. Then I need to state what happens in the 13 minutes and describe it, then describe Drew Barrymore and how she acts.

Scream was produced in 1996-1997 and released in the U.S.A. in 1997. Scream was targeted at teenagers around the age of 15 in America, however; when being released in Britain the certificate was changed to an 18 due to the second section in the film. The first section I am writing about still holds the certificate of a 15.

Opening Titles

The film Scream which I have already introduced begins with a large amount of detail in just the opening title.

The first phase in the opening title is spelling the name of the film SCREAM in block capital white letters. These letters start stretched from the top and the bottom of the screen then compress into the centre of the screen. When they close down it happens fast and there is a loud bang. This is set to be like the noise of a prison door slamming shut to make the audience watching the film in a cinema feel enclosed and locked in, unable to get out, as if they are now in the film. The audience will obviously not feel this but their sub conscious makes it real without the person knowing. This puts you in the position of the victim in the film (Casey). As the letters are white this shows it is going to be a scary movie because white is the colour for fear and innocence. Again the audience won't know this but their sub conscious will. The audience is now trapped in this phase. As the letters have moved in it moves to phase two where there starts to be the ringing of a telephone as sound effects and also a slow and normal heartbeat and screaming. This is another sign to show that the film is going to be scary. After this phase all the sound effects carry on but the letters of the title become red. This happens by the very start of the heartbeat where the red letters are beating in with the speed of the heartbeat, as this happens there is also a very loud bang and loud screaming, also a slicing of what sounds like a large kitchen knife. The scream is for when Casey has seen the knife that the killer is holding and the slicing is for when Casey is penetrated with the knife and it is plunged into her chest. As there is the sound of a heartbeat the red letters are also beating in the title telling the audience to be scared. The beat of the heart reflects on the idea of Casey being murdered. Again they don't know this but their self conscious does. As the red letters are beating with a sound of a heartbeat too when it first comes in, it starts to get faster and the screaming which has happened since the very start of the opening title gets a lot louder and the ringing of the phone gets louder as well. This is set to scare the audience which it most likely does; the feeling of tension is rising. When the letters disappear all the sounds go with it, and now it has obviously led into the film. The ringing of the phone continues into the film which is the only sound effect that doesn't end as soon as the opening titles end. Now it is the film and you see Casey coming to answer the phone which has been ringing through the whole opening title.
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Casey

The main character of the opening scene in SCREAM is Casey (Drew Barrymore). As it is Drew Barrymore in the film the audience would recognise her and would have sympathetic feelings for her when she is murdered. Drew Barrymore was chosen to be the first victim in the film Scream because the directors know that she will be remembered throughout the film, she was very famous at the time.

Casey who is played by Drew Barrymore is set to look like an innocent victim. She has short, bobbed blonde hair, meaning she is always neatening ...

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