Camera Work:

The film Poltergeist begins with an extreme close up of a pixelated face. Because the face is distorted by the way that it is presented, the audience feel uneasy as it is not a normal face because of the pixilation which creates tension between them. The shot continues but begins to zoom out and a cartoon zombie is shown, this still makes the audience anxious as zombies can be frightening but they begin to feel less tense because they can see the image is a cartoon. The camera continues to zoom out until an IPad and hands frame the shot. A pan shot is used to reveal the boy’s face, this makes the audience feel relaxed again as they know that the tension build up isn’t going to progress. Another pan shot is used to show the entirety of the car and all of the protagonists within it, this introduces them to the audience. The shot then cuts into an establishing shot of the housing estate that the family are moving into, this makes the audience feel slighting apprehensive as the shot shows some pylons. Pylons are sometimes associated with bad superstitions to some people and this is why the audience is made to feel slightly tense but not a lot. The final shot of the opening is an aerial shot used to show the family getting out of the car and looking at their new house. This shot makes the family look small and defenceless; this shot is carried on for a few seconds which makes the audience feel nervous. This is because the shot makes the audience feel as if they are watching the family and this feeling makes the audience feel uncomfortable as watching someone for a long period of time is deemed as weird and therefore makes them uncomfortable.

 

Editing and Graphics

When the titles begin to be shown, the screen distorts itself and crackles. This gives the impression that there is something wrong with the audiences screen and makes them feel tense and is unsettling. Many long cuts are used in the opening scene to Poltergeist, for example, when the image starts with a pixelated image and zooms out, this shot is one continues shot until the establishing shot halfway through the opening. The effect of having an extreme long cut on the audience is that it makes them feel quite unsettled. This is because they feel like they are watching the family for a long period of time which makes them feel as if they are the antagonist watching the protagonist. This feeling makes them feel unsettled and tense. The only credits used at the beginning of this film are the production companies - shown before the images starts - and the title. The title is shown during the establishing shot as a shadow on the grass. The way that the title is shown makes the audience feel very tense and uncomfortable. The title is hidden within the shot making it difficult to see, this makes the audience feel as if something is hiding and being secretive or mysterious. These thoughts make the audience unsettled as they do not like the idea of something hiding away from them.

 

Sound:

The non-diegetic noise of white noise is played when the screen distorts during the opening credits. This adds to the tense atmosphere as white noise is a harsh noise and creates more tensions within the audience. The score played after this is a choir and then crescendos into distorted electronic noises as the pixelated image begins, this makes the audience feel apprehensive as the two types of score are asynchronies to each other making them feel confused. The electronic noises become diegetic when the camera shows the boy playing the game, this is because the audience can now see where the sound is coming from on the screen. General dialogue is used after this sound is faded out, this makes the audience feel less tense and they begin to relax as the mood restores to a normal road trip. The Scene ends with fade in orchestra plays in major key, this provokes the tension again as this type of music played in a film suggests panic and distress.

 

Mise en Scene:

The lighting used is mainly high key natural lighting with is asynchronous to the mood of the audience. This makes the audience even more confused as the opening is giving them mixed signals on the mood and atmosphere of the opening. Similarly, the costumes used are all modern and normal casual clothing, which again suggests to the audience that there is nothing to be apprehensive about – confusing them further. The setting is in a Housing estate next to a field of pylons, this creates a relatively creepy atmosphere as stereotypically a housing estate is crowded with houses. The use of having the houses near a collection of pylons makes the houses seem more open and exposed. This makes the audience feel as if they are vulnerable as they are in the open and unprotected.  During the opening scene, the male protagonist always seems to be blocked so he is in front of the other characters. This allows the audience to notify him as being one of the main characters, it also makes the audience feel as if the male protagonist is the protector.