Aidan's Media Blog

Film Still Analysis

The camera

The shot includes a frame within a frame, as the door encapsulates the girl. This creates an atmosphere of claustrophobia and is intended to create discomfort within the audience, an effect often used in the horror genre. The sense of mystery is also increased as the audience are not given access to the full picture.

The shot is framed as a Medium shot and taken with a low angle. The low angle presents the girl as imposing. This contradicts the audience's conventional impression of a young, innocent girl and suggests that she may be possessed.

The still is taken from a participant's point of view. The participant is seen to be peering through a door, suggesting something secretive is going on in the room. The POV involves the audience and heightens tension.

Mise-en-scene

The shot is taken inside a house. The small slit through which the audience can see has connotations with secrecy and complements the enigma created by the light...

I used high key lighting in this shot. The artificial white/ blue light has associations with the unknown and the extra-terrestrial, connoting the horror genre. This draws the audience in as they begin to question the source of the light and the girl's apparent fascination with said source. The generally dark lighting is inextricably linked with all things horror.

People

The young girl pictured in my shot is typical of the horror genre, as it is conventional to take something innocent; a young, blonde girl, and turn it/them into something sinister. The childish clothing adds to the sense of innocence. This is juxtaposed by the dark room, low-angle shot and the enigma created by the high-key lighting. The element of juxtaposition and mixed representation often invoke fear from within the audience as something they think of as harmless is presented from a darker perspective. The audience cannot see the girl's face, heightening their curiosity and creating further mystery. Her upwards gaze suggests she is looking upon a higher power or something that is controlling/possessing her.

Composition

The girl is in the centre of the shot and takes up the majority of the frame. This ensures that the audience's attention is on her. Both the background wall and the foreground door are white and plain, again shifting focus towards the girl.

The Successes

I think the lighting is a successful aspect of the still. The unnatural high-key lighting is quintessential horror and effectively signifies the unknown and creates an enigma. I also think that the juxtaposition between the young, innocent girl and the low-angle shot and sinister lighting is effective. The claustrophobic feeling of the frame within the frame was also potentially effective.

Improvements

Although the intentions of the framing were good, the still was not taken with precision or particularly effectively. The framing was not really symmetrical as excess wall is visible to the right of the girl. The shot should also be taken landscape. Ideally, the still would also be framed tighter around the girl, with a smaller frame provided by the door, thus increasing the audience's uneasiness.