The opening is shot on a home-video recorder that includes the date and time in the bottom left hand of the screen. This makes the audience feel like they are watching real life footage, which would make them have bigger reactions to shocking events. The same effect is also achieved with films that state they are "based on a true story", which 'The Gallows' is. It is also imitating the amateur 'found footage' filming style that was made popular for use in horror films following the success of "The Blair Witch Project" that was also shot in this style.
The jumping of the recording mimics modern-day jump cuts which are commonly used in horror films as they scare people. The setting of the scene is a high school production, and the production is set in the Middle Ages in Britain where hangings were the most popular methods of executions. This forshadows the events of the film and the key themes, as the antagonist uses a noose to scare the protagonists. The diagetic sound is dialogue from admiring parents and audience members and the occasional applause which add the amateur affect of the opening scene. The atmospheric music is ethereal which has connotations of the Church and religion. Religious iconography is a key convention of the horror genre.
"They did a great job on the gallows"- dramatic irony
The orange/red/purple lighting resembles natural lighting in the evening creates an ambient mood and relaxed atmosphere, which would then relax the audience. When the scene suddenly takes a dark turn it would have greater effect on the audience due to the contrast from a relaxed atmosphere to a sense of panic. For the reason we have decided to film my main brief in the evening where the natural lighting will contribute to the atmosphere and levels of tension.
The iconography of the Gallows contributes to the conventions of the horror genre. Weapons are a generic convention of horror and key iconography is used to foreshadow forthcoming events of the film. In "The Gallows" the iconography of the gallows and noose foreshadows the upcoming death of the Antagonist (Charlie) but also makes indications that the noose will be used throughout the film as to intimidate the protagonist/s due to its reference in the films' title.
The audience are distracted by the dialogue of the play being acted out on screen. This would create a naturalistic feel to the film and make the audience feel like they were watching the performance in real life. This would put both the audience in the right mind-set, so the action of the noose breaking would resemble a jump-cut and cause the audience would react in the same way they would in real life, but also in the same way as the characters in the clip.
When the noose breaks we can head diagetic sound of audience members screaming and calling out the name of the Antagonist. This installs fear and panic into the audience because the break was sudden and the 'found footage' filming style puts the audience in shoes of the characters so they would react naturally.
The shaky cam is common with "found footage" films, documenting all of the events through POV shots. This technique places the audience in the position of the characters, so they can only see what the characters can see and can then only react how the characters react. The constant movement of the camera after the noose breaks is designed to disorientate viewers and confuse them so when the return to normality they will be thrown into the panic on screen. The sudden cut to black acts as a cliff-hanger and refers to Barthes Theory of Enigma. The audience will continue to watch the film because they are intrigued by the mystery of why there was a prop malfunction and want to know the outcome of the accident. The pause allows the viewers to reflect on the events that have occurred before them and holds them on an edge building up tension until the next scene begins and the tension is relieved.
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