Wrong Turn - Film Analysis

Exploration of how the micro features editing and sound create meaning and provoke response.

My film opening starts similar to the film ‘Wrong Turn’. Every opening in all series start with a previous person being attacked pretty fast in the screen duration before they show another story of people starting with normality, emphasising what is going to happen to them by the opening of the film. I have edited the dream sequence so that there are many cuts between the aerial shot of my character sleeping and the actual dream. So that my audience realise that I am showing what the main character is dreaming about. It could also be interpreted as someone is watching over her sleeping. The dream starts with a long shot of the main character walking towards the camera as if it was getting closer to the audience. Giving the effect of inviting them to come with her to see what is behind the camera because, the character looks like she doesn’t recognise the place. It is also showing the clothing and location of the character; a graveyard. This is introducing and making the audience realise that it is a horror genre. I also edited cuts of a girl covered in blood appearing behind her from nowhere. This gives out information to the audience that the character is not yet aware of. When the character spots the girl, I have used a tracking shot that follows the main character so the audience feel like they are following her and that they are there to find out who it is. The girl lifts her head up which is only seen for a second because it has been edited to cut in with my main character waking up. Doing this at the right time can make the audience jump.  I carried on with an over the shoulder shot to portray what the character is seeing after she woke up. This created and effect for the audience so that they still feel like they are involved.

When my character is trying to chase where the noises that she hears are coming from I have used conventional horror places for her to check, for example; behind the closed doors. I filmed a shot of the characters hand getting closer to the door to check what is there. I tried to trick the audience there because knowing their prior horror knowledge there is always behind the doors.

Directors usually film the actor’s hand coming closer to the door handle very slowly to build up tension. It is very slow and almost frustrating for the audience to find out what is hidden behind there. I find it as one of the popular conventions of portraying a horror film. It makes the audience engage with the movie. Another way that I tried to trick the audience was adding a sound that is a lot calmer when she finds nothing behind the door so that they think it’s over when the worse is about to come. I also picked a spot under the bed, which as I mentioned before, is one of the conventional places. Children are usually scared of monsters under their beds. In addition because the character had to bend down it looks very vulnerable and weak. Especially when she turns around to get up and spots a live doll out of nowhere, looking similar to a girl in her dreams. Because of the position she is in it would take longer to run as she has to get up and the doll is positioned in the way of her only place of escape. This is the reason why I have placed the bed, actress and the doll in the positions they were in. I have used a low angle shot to make the doll look big and dominating over the character. It makes the audience think that the doll is very powerful. In addition, I used an effect that makes my shot a little bit darker so that it is hard to see the dolls actual face. This builds suspense.