Example Low Level 3 Film Analysis
Discuss how both editing and sound construct meaning and provoke a response in a film extract
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3CAQ0iZKP08
In this essay I will be analysing editing and sound are used to create meaning and provoke audience response in Saw 2 (2005). The scene I am going to analyse sees Jigsaw’s latest batch of victims exposed to a deadly neurotoxin. This forces each of them to search for their antidote through personal trials. This trial is specifically for the drug dealer among the group. He faces a needle pit of used syringes, which hides the key to open the door to the antidote.
Initially the scene grabs the viewers’ attention through the accompanying non-diegetic soundtrack. The non-diegetic soundtrack engrosses and subconsciously grabs the viewer’s attention through its dark elements and tones, the music draws the viewer in generating a sense of ominous dread and tension. The opening sounds consist of a series of tones that are played faintly to further enhance the tension of the scene. this draws the viewer in with the shrill tones, suggesting that something horrifying will happen soon and this generating the tension through the music makes it hard to look away. Each revelation made by the characters is accompanied by a much louder sound, each getting louder and more aggressive each time, with the escalating severity of the sounds it gives the viewer the sense that it’s building to something horrific. The soundtrack consists of very wispy tones played very quietly in the background before Jonas notices the tape recorder and the music escalates. Due to the rising tension and almost silence, the mere noticing of a tape recorder seems abnormal and scary which throws the viewer into the horror of the house which hints to the viewer that the tape recorder is a sign and means trouble. The music itself seems far away and played very softly almost as if it was haunting the group. Initially it sounds like nothing more than an ominous wind but the more the viewer tunes into the sounds presence the more horrifying the scene actually becomes. The music itself feels empty to start with and as the scene builds to the discovery of the pit the music provides tension for the scene generating a harsh and horrifying atmosphere to the scene.
The shots all have a yellow tinge added (see Picture), and It reminds the viewer of a plot device (the Neurotoxin Gas) but colour in this sense can be used to show character emotions and in this case each character is experiencing the fear of the situation and the lingering colour reminds the viewer that this fear is haunting them no matter where they are in this house.
A deep modulated and distorted voice, which is spoken slowly and with a complete lack of tone making his emotions completely innate while speaking. This is done to Scare and perplex the viewer every time they hear the voice. The voice itself is far from anything that can naturally be produced by a human creating a surrealistic image of almost a demonic being setting up these traps. Naturally it disturbs us, coupled with the complete lack of the tone, the viewer can't pick any emotions from his voice. No satisfaction or sadness only a bland and distorted voice which further takes away his human factor, further amplifying this surrealist image for the viewer for what the killer may look or be like physically. Whilst asserting dominance and inspiring fear just through his voice, contributing to the rising tension in the scene.
The Pit is then uncovered and a camera zooms into the pit and into the depth of focus is adjusted to make the drop seem further is applied, this is a classic horror film technique, used commonly in relation to heights to make the drop feel huge and intimidating referred to as a Dolly zoom where the camera zooms out but the camera changes its depth of focus. The effect is often replicated; but was pioneered in classic Hitchcock films such as vertigo (https://youtu.be/je0NhvAQ6fM?t=31s) and in this instance here it’s used to amplify the fear of the needles for the audience,the needles are shown in a quick montage which are complimented with a consistent bright transition, this is similar to a camera flash further disorientating the viewer. The purpose of the flash transitions between the shots is to confuse and startle the viewer; the viewer is exposed to the graphic shots to make the audience uncomfortable. (see image) Capturing the needles with this level of detail allows the viewer to experience the fear and to further see that the needles have fluid in meaning that they have been used. The cutting at this stage is exclusively showing the needles which makes the shots more uncomfortable for the viewer, giving the viewer no escape as the film relentlessly shows the needles in greater detail generating a sense of horror for the viewer.
The camera zooms in on the pit and then on Amanda and the others, to mirror the rising panic and fear in the group at the discovery of the pit, in and around the pit there’s the non-diegetic sound of a camera shutter on cutting between each shot. as the pit is uncovered the needles are shown from different angles including panning across the needles in slow motion and detail, seeing the needles this close up and the panning shows the sheer number of needles all with the purpose of making the viewer uncomfortable. The sound of the camera coupled with the montage, of quick pictures and clips of in and around the pit, gives an almost voyeuristic element to the scene. Establishing the fact that they are being watched from some perspective, this kind of effect applied here can show to the viewer that they have not only been stripped of their basic human right of freedom but also their right to privacy. Stripping them of basic human rights makes the viewer sympathise and grow attached to the characters, making their want for the characters to live increase.
Xavier throws Amanda into the needle pit to look for his key, instantly the change in editing is noticeable. The shot deviates from the yellowish tinge to a red tint, through a colour correction process, when Amanda is in the pit. The Instant change in colour is Used to represent the burning red pain of the needles as she moves around in the pit, the editing also deteriorates the film quality through the use of a filter, introducing very mild static to make the shot seem fuzzy. The fuzziness can represent the fear and panic of Amanda and complementing the rose tint it reflects the pain and the utter hysteria that the needles are inducing.
At this point Amanda is hysterical and screaming. The screaming is constant and piercingly loud, as she moves the needles to search for the key, it makes it impossible to escape the terror even if the viewer looks away. It seems like screaming and the moving of the needles has been amplified, post production, increasing the intensity of the movements and screaming, this gives the viewer a real sense of her fear and pain here and the volume of the scream is a constant reminder to the viewer that she is in agony. The screaming is accompanied with intense and dramatic music. It intensifies when Amanda starts screaming and consists heavily of heavy drumming and shrill notes played on stringed instruments, this creates a hellish and chaotic environment which the viewer can't escape from, they can hear the suffering and can visualise the pain being inflicted on the characters through the shrill screaming and hellish music. The purpose being to make the viewer feel uncomfortable while watching the scene. The music accompanied with the uncomfortable and horrifying imagery presented on screen the viewer feels extremely horrified generating a sense of horror from the situation.
During her time in the pit, the rose coloured tint intensifies as her movement becomes more erratic and quick. Red is traditionally associated with danger and pain and I think here she is experiencing a surge of adrenaline to get over the pain of the needles. The red shows the pain and rage she feels towards Xavier and utilising slow motion the clips speed is altered. Using this effect we can see the determination of Amanda frantically digging deeper into the Pit to find the key. The slow motion emphasises the horror of the scene, its a classic Convention to do with horror films exaggerating and emphasising the pain of the needles showing how much effort she is putting in, making the viewer cringe and almost feel her pain. The slow motion also generates a sense of sympathy towards Amanda.
We constantly hear the subtle electronic beeping of the 3-minute timer. Reminding the viewer that the team is pressurised and if it reaches zero one of them is dammed to die due to an antidote not being available. Each beep is audible amongst the chaos of the scene, but I think it was amplified in post production as it becomes less audible as the scene goes on and then returns in more volume towards the end when Xavier has the key, this effect allows the viewer to experience the horror. The timer’s main purpose through the scene is to build tension and keep the viewer guessing whether or not Amanda will complete the task in time, as well as reminding the audience that something bad will happen if it reaches 0 which amplifies the suspense of the scene instantly generating tension.
To conclude I feel sound and editing are used to create a manic and panicked scene where the viewer is so engrossed by the tension created through the music they can't look away even when what's on the screen is grotesque and horrific. The visual effects generated through the editing and camera movement both stimulate fear and attention in the viewer and especially with the colouring filters can help tell the real emotions of the characters and give subtle and lingering reminders of what drives them, for example the yellow tinge associated with fear and the red to represent the rage and pain Amanda suffers whilst in the pit.
(I have removed the images from this essay. Make sure you illustrate your work with appropriate examples!)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3CAQ0iZKP08
In this essay I will be analysing editing and sound are used to create meaning and provoke audience response in Saw 2 (2005). The scene I am going to analyse sees Jigsaw’s latest batch of victims exposed to a deadly neurotoxin. This forces each of them to search for their antidote through personal trials. This trial is specifically for the drug dealer among the group. He faces a needle pit of used syringes, which hides the key to open the door to the antidote.
Initially the scene grabs the viewers’ attention through the accompanying non-diegetic soundtrack. The non-diegetic soundtrack engrosses and subconsciously grabs the viewer’s attention through its dark elements and tones, the music draws the viewer in generating a sense of ominous dread and tension. The opening sounds consist of a series of tones that are played faintly to further enhance the tension of the scene. this draws the viewer in with the shrill tones, suggesting that something horrifying will happen soon and this generating the tension through the music makes it hard to look away. Each revelation made by the characters is accompanied by a much louder sound, each getting louder and more aggressive each time, with the escalating severity of the sounds it gives the viewer the sense that it’s building to something horrific. The soundtrack consists of very wispy tones played very quietly in the background before Jonas notices the tape recorder and the music escalates. Due to the rising tension and almost silence, the mere noticing of a tape recorder seems abnormal and scary which throws the viewer into the horror of the house which hints to the viewer that the tape recorder is a sign and means trouble. The music itself seems far away and played very softly almost as if it was haunting the group. Initially it sounds like nothing more than an ominous wind but the more the viewer tunes into the sounds presence the more horrifying the scene actually becomes. The music itself feels empty to start with and as the scene builds to the discovery of the pit the music provides tension for the scene generating a harsh and horrifying atmosphere to the scene.
The shots all have a yellow tinge added (see Picture), and It reminds the viewer of a plot device (the Neurotoxin Gas) but colour in this sense can be used to show character emotions and in this case each character is experiencing the fear of the situation and the lingering colour reminds the viewer that this fear is haunting them no matter where they are in this house.
A deep modulated and distorted voice, which is spoken slowly and with a complete lack of tone making his emotions completely innate while speaking. This is done to Scare and perplex the viewer every time they hear the voice. The voice itself is far from anything that can naturally be produced by a human creating a surrealistic image of almost a demonic being setting up these traps. Naturally it disturbs us, coupled with the complete lack of the tone, the viewer can't pick any emotions from his voice. No satisfaction or sadness only a bland and distorted voice which further takes away his human factor, further amplifying this surrealist image for the viewer for what the killer may look or be like physically. Whilst asserting dominance and inspiring fear just through his voice, contributing to the rising tension in the scene.
The Pit is then uncovered and a camera zooms into the pit and into the depth of focus is adjusted to make the drop seem further is applied, this is a classic horror film technique, used commonly in relation to heights to make the drop feel huge and intimidating referred to as a Dolly zoom where the camera zooms out but the camera changes its depth of focus. The effect is often replicated; but was pioneered in classic Hitchcock films such as vertigo (https://youtu.be/je0NhvAQ6fM?t=31s) and in this instance here it’s used to amplify the fear of the needles for the audience,the needles are shown in a quick montage which are complimented with a consistent bright transition, this is similar to a camera flash further disorientating the viewer. The purpose of the flash transitions between the shots is to confuse and startle the viewer; the viewer is exposed to the graphic shots to make the audience uncomfortable. (see image) Capturing the needles with this level of detail allows the viewer to experience the fear and to further see that the needles have fluid in meaning that they have been used. The cutting at this stage is exclusively showing the needles which makes the shots more uncomfortable for the viewer, giving the viewer no escape as the film relentlessly shows the needles in greater detail generating a sense of horror for the viewer.
The camera zooms in on the pit and then on Amanda and the others, to mirror the rising panic and fear in the group at the discovery of the pit, in and around the pit there’s the non-diegetic sound of a camera shutter on cutting between each shot. as the pit is uncovered the needles are shown from different angles including panning across the needles in slow motion and detail, seeing the needles this close up and the panning shows the sheer number of needles all with the purpose of making the viewer uncomfortable. The sound of the camera coupled with the montage, of quick pictures and clips of in and around the pit, gives an almost voyeuristic element to the scene. Establishing the fact that they are being watched from some perspective, this kind of effect applied here can show to the viewer that they have not only been stripped of their basic human right of freedom but also their right to privacy. Stripping them of basic human rights makes the viewer sympathise and grow attached to the characters, making their want for the characters to live increase.
Xavier throws Amanda into the needle pit to look for his key, instantly the change in editing is noticeable. The shot deviates from the yellowish tinge to a red tint, through a colour correction process, when Amanda is in the pit. The Instant change in colour is Used to represent the burning red pain of the needles as she moves around in the pit, the editing also deteriorates the film quality through the use of a filter, introducing very mild static to make the shot seem fuzzy. The fuzziness can represent the fear and panic of Amanda and complementing the rose tint it reflects the pain and the utter hysteria that the needles are inducing.
At this point Amanda is hysterical and screaming. The screaming is constant and piercingly loud, as she moves the needles to search for the key, it makes it impossible to escape the terror even if the viewer looks away. It seems like screaming and the moving of the needles has been amplified, post production, increasing the intensity of the movements and screaming, this gives the viewer a real sense of her fear and pain here and the volume of the scream is a constant reminder to the viewer that she is in agony. The screaming is accompanied with intense and dramatic music. It intensifies when Amanda starts screaming and consists heavily of heavy drumming and shrill notes played on stringed instruments, this creates a hellish and chaotic environment which the viewer can't escape from, they can hear the suffering and can visualise the pain being inflicted on the characters through the shrill screaming and hellish music. The purpose being to make the viewer feel uncomfortable while watching the scene. The music accompanied with the uncomfortable and horrifying imagery presented on screen the viewer feels extremely horrified generating a sense of horror from the situation.
During her time in the pit, the rose coloured tint intensifies as her movement becomes more erratic and quick. Red is traditionally associated with danger and pain and I think here she is experiencing a surge of adrenaline to get over the pain of the needles. The red shows the pain and rage she feels towards Xavier and utilising slow motion the clips speed is altered. Using this effect we can see the determination of Amanda frantically digging deeper into the Pit to find the key. The slow motion emphasises the horror of the scene, its a classic Convention to do with horror films exaggerating and emphasising the pain of the needles showing how much effort she is putting in, making the viewer cringe and almost feel her pain. The slow motion also generates a sense of sympathy towards Amanda.
We constantly hear the subtle electronic beeping of the 3-minute timer. Reminding the viewer that the team is pressurised and if it reaches zero one of them is dammed to die due to an antidote not being available. Each beep is audible amongst the chaos of the scene, but I think it was amplified in post production as it becomes less audible as the scene goes on and then returns in more volume towards the end when Xavier has the key, this effect allows the viewer to experience the horror. The timer’s main purpose through the scene is to build tension and keep the viewer guessing whether or not Amanda will complete the task in time, as well as reminding the audience that something bad will happen if it reaches 0 which amplifies the suspense of the scene instantly generating tension.
To conclude I feel sound and editing are used to create a manic and panicked scene where the viewer is so engrossed by the tension created through the music they can't look away even when what's on the screen is grotesque and horrific. The visual effects generated through the editing and camera movement both stimulate fear and attention in the viewer and especially with the colouring filters can help tell the real emotions of the characters and give subtle and lingering reminders of what drives them, for example the yellow tinge associated with fear and the red to represent the rage and pain Amanda suffers whilst in the pit.
(I have removed the images from this essay. Make sure you illustrate your work with appropriate examples!)