When the film begins, the camera goes back and forward between Katie and Becca’s faces as the urban legend is being told. This is to show both of their emotions and reactions, making us as the audience understand how they feel, and putting us in the same state of fear that they are in. Close ups are also used here to show this and have the same effect on us. As the phone rings, the girls are shown in a long shot, but the main focus is on the telephone, in order to build up tension (the urban legend involves a phone). My three most memorable shots were the focus on the phone with Becca and Katie in the background as I feel it builds tension well. The high angle shot, with Katie at the bottom of the stairs and the camera pointing down on her, so we perceive her as being vulnerable, and finally the focus on the clock showing ten o’clock, as it related well to the point they were talking about.
The music and sound effects vary throughout the whole opening sequence. To start off with, there is no background music, just the everyday sounds, such as the TV, although the way it crackles does create a sinister atmosphere, as well as the rain sounds on the window which is traditionally associated with horror films. Whilst Becca is telling the urban legend, there is a quiet, low pitched music in the background, creating an even creepier feel to the story. In the duration of this scene, the music and sound effects are very subtle but have a great impact on us and create a good atmosphere for a horror film such as this one.
The director has purposely put clever little incidents into this scene to get us on the edge of our seats, such as Katie’s fake death, when she grabs her throat and pretends to choke. It builds up tension and makes us panic but when she laughs and we realize she was joking, we calm down again. Another good example of this is when the phone rings, and Becca answers it, and looking terrified, hands it to Katie, however it turns out just to be Katie’s mum. I feel the best technique the director has used to make us terrified is at the end of the opening sequence when Katie slowly walks to the door, and as she opens it, the camera zooms in on the TV Katie opens her mouth to scream. This ends this scene in a very effective way.
The fact that the two main characters in the opening sequence are two teenage girls in school clothes makes them seem even more vulnerable, and creates an even bigger atmosphere of panic as we are more inclined to believe that something horrific will happen to them. The fact that it starts off on a dark, rainy night, with two young girls in a huge house alone, is typical of a horror film. It is also and important factor that the room they are in is dark and dingy, as it looks even more suspicious that something will happen. We see flashes of red constantly throughout the film which we associate with blood and deaths, making us feel something will happen to Becca and Katie.
As the film has a supernatural theme to it, a lot of symbolism is used to represent different aspects of the storyline, and in particular, the urban legend. For example, the clock ticking in the background as the tale is being told symbolises that time is running out for Katie, and that something will happen to her soon. The water on the floor as Katie reaches the top the stairs at the very end of the scene, can be related to the fact that this whole urban legend is about a girl who drowned in a well.
I feel that over all, the opening scene is very traditional compared to the beginnings of other horror films such as this one. I feel it is in keeping with the rest of the film and that it establishes the audience’s expectations of the horror genre, as it gives them exactly what is intended from a horror. There are a lot of shocks and scares to show the genre of the film and how it is meant to be perceived. All together I feel it is an appropriate opening scene for a horror film, and very well done.
