Essay

Film studies

Scene selected: paranormal activity 3

This scene is briefly the end of the film, showing of the two children in their room at night sleeping in their beds. They awaken through sinister effects happening to them. One of the girls is target mainly by the ghost and gets dragged away from the scene after 2 minutes.

I have selected this scene to analyse as I believe it has many micro features which I can spot out and analyse clearly with full understanding- through the response I plan on presenting. The two micro features I will investigate In this scene will be sound and light as I believe they are very popular in sinister scenes like paranormal activity, insidious, etc. in any film, sound and light play a massive role, after all the definition of a film, is the presence and absence of light and sound.

0.00-0.32 seconds

[The girls are sleeping in their beds, which are placed on the right hand side of the room. Against the left side is the wall with paintings and drawings, which gives evidence this is their room, alongside is a dim lamp, which brings a gloomy light in the room. The ghost lifts up the girl’s duvet and drops the duvet back onto her, girl wakes up}. The setting of the room is one of the key micro features called ‘mis-en-scene’, which sets us in the setting and shows us an opening intro of where we are in the film. Another key feature would be cinematography, in terms of camera angle, paranormal activity presents the whole movie as CCTV footage in each room and camera stays in certain corner of the room, this could indicate what the director wants us to particularly see in each scene- camera angle in the girls room could give us an indication that something will happen to the girls; a sense of foreshadowing the outcome of the scene. Furthermore another micro feature would be sound, I discovered in the opening scene there was an absence of sound and is diegetic, which could suggest the director wanted to build up tension and make the audience make predictions of what’s going to happen to them. Additionally, the usage of light was quiet dim and gloomy, which sets the scene and foreshadowing a sense of sinister presence appearing. Also, there was only light coming from a lamp, which indicates to the audience that it is night time, alternatively it could suggest that the lack of light makes the audience try to focus on what’s going to happen to the girls; again building up pressure. Lastly, a micro feature that hasn’t been enhanced yet is ‘performance’ and there’s not much of it, besides the girl waking up in horror, however this movement is a good act to focus on as it makes the audience aware that is alarmed and terrified.

0.33-1.30 seconds

[Girl awakens and sits there in silence, an object beside her sister drops on the floor and sister wakes up. The paintings start flying up and down and the light above them moves, girl watches this in horror and screams for her mum]. The micro feature ‘mis-en-scene’ uses the props as a significant part of the play as sinister movement makes the audience aware of a sinister presence as the objects are moving on their own.  Throughout the scene the camera angle remains in the same place. Another micro feature would be sound and absence of sound makes the objects noise enhanced for the audience as well as the girls, the use of the creaking door noise makes the scene more daunting and shows that something beyond the girls is present in the room. Furthermore, the use of the micro feature ‘light’ is still gloomy, yet the sinister being turns on one of the toys in the room which plays almost an instrumental lullaby song with a limit of light turning clockwise, which is almost spooky. I believe the director did that so the audience can focus on the object so that next thing to jump out on us, will have a massive effect on us and frighten us. Lastly the performance of the girls shows the audience that they’re frightened of what’s happening around them, which also plays an impact on us as the audience as we begin to grow worried and anxious.  She begins to scream, which indicates to the audience that she is scared and could foreshadow that the one screaming is going to be targeted.

1.30-1.40

[Girls screaming and then they go silent] the micro feature ‘mis-en-scene’  hasn’t really changed as the girls are still in their rooms, but the moving objects indicate a sense of repulsion and gore approaching the scene. The still movement from the scene intensifies the act further, by building up suspense to the audience to make them question what is going to happen. This is a way of pulling the audience’s attention more. Additionally, the use of the sound being silent impacts on the upcoming scene and makes the audience alert; this could suggest that the dead silence is a way of grabbing the audience’s attention and that silence speaks louder and gives a vast explanation to the audience of what to and not to expect to happen. Also, the use the lamp light is seen as a micro feature of light, which again indicates that something is going to happen near the target of light. Alternatively, the light could signify peace and tranquillity; that the light is form of hope for the girls and to make the audience feel they’re at ease. Lastly, their performance specifies that the girls are scared and confused, which links to how the audience must feel.

1.40- 1.50

[Silence continues and girl’s duvet gets pulled off her, she runs and she gets dragged away, another camera in another room is shown where the mother is sleeping on her own]. The use of micro feature ‘mis-en-scene’ has changed as the duvet was pulled away from her by a ghost, which indicates that she is being attack/targeted. Furthermore, the use of showing the mother’s room shows us that reality, the house and that the mother is unaware of what is happening as she is asleep. This also interlinks with the micro feature ‘performance’ as the mother is showing the audience that she can’t do anything and that she is helpless in her sleep. This makes the audience more alarmed that the girl can’t be saved. In addition, the performance of the girl screaming and trying to run away shows her vulnerability and that she has no control of the supernatural being that’s trying to attack her. Even when she is being dragged, the effect makes it looks so real and tries to show the audience the reality of supernatural company in the scene. Likewise, the use of sound enhanced when the duvet got thrown was a shock as it happened suddenly after a moment of silence; gives the audience a bit of a jump.  This is also shown when the girl was screaming; using dialogue shows the audience her fear and distress. Moreover, the angle of the camera is used the same again, but also in the mother’s room. But the use of where the camera is placed shows us exactly what is happening in this room, and plays significance as the duvet was thrown onto the camera, as if we are the ghost. Alternatively, it could suggest the audience is being attacked.

In conclusion, all the micro features are used in the two minute scene of paranormal activity 3, and I managed to analyse all aspects of the scene. From analysing the scene, paranormal activity consists of them theme of death, possession and self-destruction. The genre is self-explanatory- horror. This film is also non-diegetic, which makes the film more effective by making the film with micro features that plays a massive significance to the film.