The conjuring

Cinematography

The conjuring opening uses black and white photographic film. The use of black and white colour may be a symbol to subject a link to the certain characters in the photographs. The use of tinting can connote the film’s genre and create enigma codes of what may happen next.

There is no use of pro-filmic event as we do not yet know who the protagonist character is through the photographs seen. The images on the screen last for about 5 seconds each . A use of normal/wide lens and sharp focus. Special effects such as tinted shades of black and white used.

mise en scene

The camera angles are straight on angle with an eye level shot. The distance is an medium shot. There is movement of tilting up and down and forwards and backwards but no use of tracking and panning. The camera follows the action as there is not much action just a still image and in some cases movement. It continually offers new perspectives on the characters and objects as there is always a change of image. We can identify the time period of it being historical because of the images used and everything in the shot.

Editing

There is a use of transition techniques such as gradual changes like dissolving from one image to another. The images also use the editing skill of fade out and fade in which is where the lightening is darkened then lightened. The editing comments on the relationship of the characters in the image and the movie as it sets an enigma code for the audience and questioning of the images used. This can also connote on what genre it is because of the pace of the editing whether it’s slow or fast.

sound

The sound used is non diagetic as it is no visible on the screen. There is use of terrifying sound which indicates the time period because of the images as well. We know this because this type of sound is cliché in a lot of horror/thrill films. The sound also shows foreshadowing to the film which was probably put there on purpose to capture the audiences attention. The sound is artificial with no dialogue, voice overs and narration.

Exposition of character

The characters shown in the opening of the conjuring do not show who the protagonist is or who will actually be in the movie. We know this as there is a lot of different characters positioned, some in new paper articles and some positioned normally. This can give questions to audience as who is the main character? Why are there characters positioned in news papers? These all add up to giving a clue of what type of genre it is as well. The characters that are shown are presented as they are from a historical period.

Setting - where - what time period –is the exposition of place/time important in this film opening

The settings that are seen are shown to be set in a historical place which has been stylized due to the colours. Scenes like a dark haunted house is shown and grave yards which may indicate that the film is either a thriller or horror due to the type of settings shown. The settings are also symbolic to what the film will consist of. Is also expresses a terrifying atmosphere that also shows the type of genre it is. We don’t really know the timing of the opening seeing as the characters are introduced little by little.

Narrative

We do not identify the narrative of the film as it doesn’t show a sequence or trailer of what will happen in the movie. Though we may sense foreshadowing of what may happen due to the settings such as the grave yard might include that there is death in the film. There is no dialogue to identify the narrative neither any narration. The characters may show what the narrative may be through their costumes and the time period it was set in. The characters are portrayed as the normal nuclear family with the mother father and children. The title sequence resolves a bit of the narrative through the setting it is set in and the sans font giving an enigma code for the narrative.