Scream textual analysis

Scream Textual Analysis

Scream: The Introduction This will be know as my third and final Textual Analysis for the horror genre. I have chosen to watch a film that is close to me, many of times have I sat with friends and family to gaze upon this unforgettable horror that draws you in no matter what time of the day.

Scream, is known by countless of people that thrive for horror. It’s a unique and yet predictable film that fans love. The film was released 1996, and takes place in the early 90’s. Directed by Wes Craven this underestimated little production is something more than just the ordinary slasher. This remarkable film is something to remembered as it takes aspects from slasher, mystery as well of a hint of comedy and combines the three to form a film the is gruesome, intriguing and sometimes comical.

This film belongs to the ‘Teen Age Cycle’ in which young viewers where so desperate to watch a film with a scare or two, that the plot wasn’t necessary. However, as the ‘Cycle’ started to die, Scream was introduced. Brining a new leash if life Scream introduces a great narrative that can be recognised by any 90’s fan. Following with numerous sequels, Scream is a massive hit however, like all great's the eventually fall into a spit of despair. Scream has now been mimicked dozen of times, epically within the well known ‘Scary Movie’. This outtake creates a new look for the murderous foe that drives the film, and terms him into a more “laid back” Despite this, scream does seem to making a comeback as it popularity is beginning to slowly climb up the tower, due to its own series on ‘Netflix.

The Scream: The Narrative

The way that this narrative is told is fairly straight forward however, it may appear quite daunting further down the line.

Since this is film s based heavily around teenagers the narrative itself is built up around a group of teens, yet it focus directly towards the ‘Main Girl’. The opening scene is a bizarre in some ways, in reality its not needed nor is it necessary to the plot itself. The film starts of with a girl home alone, she receives a phone call from the murdered herself.

The phone then ring continuously as he talks the girl, then she witnesses her boyfriend being murdered before her eyes, shortly before being brutally murdered herself. This to me is a set up, we are getting a basic insight to the physco of this film and how he works. The only relation this has to the plot is when the ‘Main Girl’ sits next to an empty desk in her classroom, indicating that she might have been close with her.

This set up, could be seen as events foreshadowing the plot as it thickens. We are introduced to our main character, she opens up to her boyfriend that her father is leaving town and that she is home alone. Later on that night she is then pursued by the murderer as the same acts as before repeat themselves although, the only difference here is that this time the victim survives.

These events cycle around again and again. Each time they do, someone else might de before hand, or we are given more clues are leads to who the killer might be. This is the sense of mystery we get within this film, we are directed in different direction to whom the killer might be, even if they have no significant correlation to the story whatsoever.

Scream: The Narrative – Part Two As these failed attempts continue to happen, we learn a little bit about the murderer as he's personality slowly reveals, this then also leads us to our suspects more and more until the final events take place. The last location of the film takes lace in a large house part filled with drunk and delusional teens, a perfect setting for a murder to take place. Countless of killings take place as people attempt to stop the murderer or are simply helpless against him. Yet finally, the ‘Main Girl’ manages to kill her predators in a final hope of desperation leaving her covered in blood.

This is just a short insight of the film itself as I go through this presentation I will be linking events that take place within the film back to the narrative and how they are Significant for when it comes to the mystery of the plot.

Of course I did mention within the introduction that there are comical elements to this brilliant yet cheesy film, and that is how much it references other horrors. The characters throughout this film all seem to have a strange obsession with horrors evidential its because of the recent events taking place within their home town. Despite this, we are then introduced to a series of quotes and clichés that mimic the original films and provide a great laugh due to its predictability.

Scream: The Mystery This slasher is diverse and unique in many ways that an ordinary slice and dice film wouldn’t be. What we have here is something bizarre and unusual it just works in every way. Scream, follows a serious of events that drop hints to the audience that change the direction of their thought train to a whole new theory entirely. What I mean by this is that just when you have your mind set on who the killer really is that is terrorising the town, the directors will alter that thought by throwing in a link between the killer and an ordinary civilian. This technique keeps the film alive, there is never a doll moment as we as an audience are finding ourselves determined to piece together to missing links.

The links between the killer is followed from start to finish, new plot wholes open up throughout the horror, this effects the way we think, this idea is why I believe Scream can sometimes be seen as an underestimated film that doesn’t get enough recognition by people with higher expectations. The film itself may come across cheesy at times but its rich story has potential to become something of pure brilliance.

To start with we have the links to other horrors. From the very beginning we learn that the killer has a strange obsession with scary movies, he is constantly referencing them and asking queries to his victims about their favourite horror film.

This Is no ‘gage’ in which the producers attempt to gain a laugh from the audiences instead, this is a opening to a potential culprit. The ‘Main Girls’ ex boyfriend (whom I will go into more detail with later on) is a employee at film store.

He has a keen interest in horror films and seems to know all the ins and outs of how to create the perfect horror. Its also worth while to point out that he still has feelings towards his ex girlfriend and has a particular grudge towards her new boyfriend. On a few occasions he seems to be driving the blame to the murder towards his ex’a new boyfriend and becomes angered when people do not have a clear understanding of classic horrors. This strange obsession makes us belie that he is using he's knowledge of the horror genre to his advantage. Creating a cunning plan to kill his ex because if he cant have her then known one can, therefore pinning the blame on the boyfriend and continue living in his fantasy land.

Scream: The mystery – Part Two

Another link that is significant about this attempted murder on the girl is her own boyfriend. Earlier on in the movie the girl states that her dad is leaving town, the boyfriend is the only person to mow about this and leaves the house. The following night the girls house is broken into and she is chased down by the killer. It is also worth mentioning that the killer always calls his victims before he kills them. After catching the killer in the door, he attempts to break through it whilst she calls ‘911’. However, the killer vanishes and the boyfriend miraculously turns up at her front door in a rush. He convinces her the killer is gone but before we know it, a mobile phone falls out of his pocket, which is a direct link to the phone call she just received before the attack.

This link is further backed up by the boyfriend personality, in which I will go into more depth with later on in this presentation.

Although, the killer still managed to make contact with the ‘Main Girl’ whilst in custody, which then changes the audiences perspective to who the killer really is. These crazed killer also creates his own link due to he's dress code. A scene that takes place within an isolated bathroom shows us a direct shot of the killers boots that he ears before revealing his whole costume.

This shot is significant as a cop who had just retired after letting the boyfriend go turns up wearing the exact boots. This could be seen as a coincidence , but the shot itself is made up of slow shot tracking a cigarette which he had just dropped, intense music building up in the background and slow-motion shot of the exact same boots the killer wore putting out his cigarette.

A side by side shot, of the antagonist shoes, and a scene following after in which I believe is a suspect wearing the same style of boots.

Scream: The Mystery – Part Three

Finally we have two other links to bring up before bringing this section of the presentation to an end. Our first link is the dad, now this one isn’t so obvious at first , instead we get a slow reveal that still isn’t so convincing but is heavily mentioned throughout the film. The ‘Main Girls’ dad, at the start f the film we learn that this character is leaving the town making his daughter home alone. This is doesn’t seem to have any importance during the build up of the film but later is something to take into account. Secondly the father is no where to be seen when the girl is first attacked, no contact can be made whilst the girl sits waiting patiently in the police station. Then we are given some background information as we learn that a book has been written about him which states he killed his own wife, this is noteworthy as we discover that his wife's anniversary is coming up to which the day she died. To me personally I still didn’t suspect the father, I felt that this wasn’t built upon enough since we haven’t seen any personality traits from the character that could be used as further evidence. Instead characters from the film where repeatedly making the point that it could be her father. Lastly, we have the car, during the party we witness a death of a character, shortly after a police officer gets a call saying a suspicious looking car is parked in the woods near by. Once the car had been stumbled upon by accident, we are informed that it is the fathers car, this last piece of evidence is supposedly the final act to make us believe that he is the killer yet somehow, I still wasn’t convinced.

Lastly, our final link to the killer was by far built up on personality. The boyfriend had one friend that stood out in particular. He was the host of the party and was psychotic in everyway. The way that this character came across was always something to be weary of. He's intense behaviour and his reaction towards the murders are most certainly absurd, he doesn't seem to take anything serious and instead finds it funny. He's hyperactive traits gives the character insane personality that screams killer. He also has a menacing appearance and is extremely close to the boyfriend. He's clumsiness also associates him with the killer due to the fact he is also forever tripping over whilst pursuing his victims.

All these links come together to act as a ‘murder mystery’. We are constantly pin pointing who we think the killer is whilst we watch this film, I find this technique isn’t used enough especially within the slasher genre; this is why I believe that that the Scream is a great horror, it keeps us glued to the screen and requires us to pay closer attention to the plot. It stands out due to the fact that most teenage films aren't fully thought through and the plot itself is just uncanny as well as cheesy. Yet, this slasher isn’t just gore, and that is why I find it to be so appealing.

Scream

Here we see both Billy ( the boyfriend), Stu and Randy. Randy has created a scene as he screams In anger about the predictable style of horror movies. Yet before this, he was talking behind Billy's back about how he is the prime suspect.

Both Billy and Stu begin to intimidate Randy, this draws our attention towards the two characters as we begin to think that either of them can be primes suspects.

Scream: The Genre As I've already mentioned this film is clearly a slasher, this style of horror dominates the set of the film and traits of this can be seen throughout the film. What really gives this away is the main antagonist, he's distinctive costume as well as his weapon instantly tells us we are watching a slasher. Dressed in black and wielding a sharp blade this film instantly starts of as a blood bath as we witnessed two killings within minuets both brutal and vivid. We don’t see that much violence within this film however, a sudden outburst takes place towards the end of the final chapter which gives this film its title. We see numerous killing, all explicit and violent for instance, a girl getting her head crushed in garage door, a stabbing with an umbrella, the killers continuously stabbing each other out of spite and a head being crushed flat with a television.

Even though this film is directed to be a slasher we are introduced to different traits of other genres that can be found within the film itself. Preciously I have mentioned that this film has elements of a mystery weaved into it. Even though this is not common among horrors it has been executed well within this film. Leaving audiences confused and filled with accusations Scream directs our attentions towards a hand full of different suspects each with their own unique qualities. As I've mentioned before I find that tis draws audiences in and leaved everyone to their own opinion as they each try to piece together to clues in which will help them discover the killers true form before he is revealed to the public before the end of the final chapter.

Scream: The Genre – Part Two Lastly we have Comedy Horror. This isn’t used as often but it can still be found within the film. An example of this would be when characters constantly reference other horror films and clichés are repeated throughout the film. There's a scene within this film that is remarkable clever, whilst a group of teens are crowded around the television watching a horror, one teen stands up and lists all of the rules to survive a horror. This is ironic as they are all In that scenario know but are completely unware of this, they all break the rules whilst he is sitting them out and they seem to find this extremely hilarious. Then the scene in the film they're watching links perfectly with the following actions that are taking place upstairs, this timing is also perfect as it foreshadows the following events, especially since they have also broken the rules. Shortly after these rules where listed a phone rings, and everyone leaves the scene to rush over to there teachers corpse which has been left hanging of a football post. This left the teen alone watching the rest of the movie, whilst doing this he is telling the character in the film to turn around, as he repeatedly announces that the girl should turn around we as an audience find ourselves humoured as the killer is behind him, unaware of his actions someone who claims to be an expert on horror movies is now taken the role of the ‘Idiotic Character’ that can be seen in all horrors.

A comical scene as Randy is shouting at the television to tell the girl to “ turn around” yet, he is unaware that he also needs to turn around. I believe that the humour is created here since Randy thinks he knows everything about movies, yet he has just proved himself wrong as he is in the exact same situation but is making the same mistake as the character on the television.

Scream: Location and Settings The locations of this film are very limited, however they all follow traits of a typical horror. Throughout this section of the presentation I will talk about some of the most iconic settings and locations that can be viewed within this film, I will discuss what effects they have and what they tell us about film.

To start with the film itself is set in an small town, where its location is unknown however, due to the forests and vast hilltops we can make the assumption that it is a very isolated area possibly away from the big cities. This is also further backed up by the fact that news reporters all flood to the scene when rumour of a killing takes place, yes this typical of any reporter but they are always lurking within the film and the town itself. This also backs up the assumption that the area is isolated, the lack of excitement could be caused by the town being away from everything hence why a massive uproar is formed when word gets out that someone has died. It is also significant that word gets out so quickly, this might be due to the lack of people in such a small community, their only source of news comes from other people since everyone is isolated from the outside world, so the natural thing to do is to talk amongst one another. This also sets the seen the town appears t be have a good hospitality, we see a few overview shots within parks, and within these shots we always see people riding bikes, playing with each other, or just having a ‘general chit chat’. This choice of location is key as people wouldn’t expect as pshyco to lurk in the shadows of such a quite and friendly town, although it could be the perfect location due to its lack of connection with the outside world. Since world wouldn’t spread outside the town there is no way any heavier source of law and order would be able to interfere with the murder case, thus making it easier for the killer to out wit the local police then leading to an easy escape.

Scream

This pan shot giving an overview to the setting. As mentioned before, the town seems to have a warm atmosphere as everyone appears to be getting along. As you can see, there are people riding bikes, talking, be friendly and moments before the screen shot was taken, people where playing catch with one another.

Scream: Location and Setting – The Bedroom The second setting I wanted to talk about is the ‘Main Girl’ bedroom. Even though this room is only looked upon briefly I felt as though it had some importance and helped give the viewers an insight towards the characters personality. In fact this whole seen gives a lot of information about the character and it even hints towards a backstory that we were yet to find out about.

To start with the lighting in the room was very soft, we tend to associate warm and friendly environments such as a home with soft lighting, this is opposing the school environment we see later on in the film which consist of a more intense light source. Within this scene we don’t get to see much of the room however, another thing that is significant to the girls personality is the colour. Much like the lighting in the room the colour that the walls have been painted is white. Now we usually associate white with purity, this is then further backed up by the fact that she recently stopped her boyfriend from making any sort of ‘move’ this further increases her innocents and backs up the point that the character we have just been introduced to is pure.

What we also have in the room hasn’t exactly got anything to do with the girl herself however, it helps provide a basic background which helps display what type of movie we are watching. The window, even though this itself has no importance or value to the film, it shows her boyfriend climbing through to come see her. This act is something we would see in a classic love story, and we would usually presume that this secrecy of hiding someone in your room as they climbed through a window is typically an act of a teenager. Some might make the stretch and say that this is t show the girls innocence as she's young and doesn’t know any better, but what I feel this does is show that this film is going to be following set stereotypes that we presume most teenagers would be doing.

The last thing I would like to mention is when her dad told her he was going to leaving the house , this wouldn't have shown any importance but its stated that she will be home alone. This makes the audience question about her mother, and where she might be, which I believe was a clever way of forming a strong foundation to the plot of the film.

Scream

In this scene, we can see Sidney's bedroom. Her costume is white with the expectation of a little bit of red, the curtains themselves also pure white. As mentioned in the previous slide, this indicates her character, and how she is portrayed to be this girl with purity and innocence.

Scream Location and Setting – The Bathroom This next setting showed importance due to fact it followed a lot of the qualities that we see in horror movies.

In this scene we are introduced to the ‘Main Girl’ yet again as she finds herself in the bathroom. She is hiding In the disabled toilets shortly after hearing two girls gossiping about her in the cubicles. This is already setting up more stereotypes as one of the girls is a cheerleader.

These judgments of cheerleaders being extremely spiteful has been around for years to come, by placing these characters in this setting allowed them to gossip in private; this act here is further increasing the style of film we are watching and how it uses stereotypes to create an atmosphere associated with the set (School Grounds).

This setting n particular stood out to me the most since it followed such a intense surrounding. The shadows within the scene and the setting itself was extremely grey and run down. The sounds where very eerie and since the girl was isolated it made her feel vulnerable . Whispers could be heard and creaking doors could be heard rather faintly. This effect is implying that the girl is not alone and that someone else is occupying the room with her yet, no one is to be seen.

The music becomes more intense and dramatic and we here even more sinister noises that increase the build up.

Already, the location is very enclosed and we feel as though the girl is trapped, it gives an impression of claustrophobia also, since the girl is alone and by herself there is no one around to help her or even witness what is happening. Then we get a low pan of the toilet stools and we get a shot of the killers boots as they slowly drop down to the floor, this slow movement increases tension as the killer appears intimidating and ready for what is about to happen next, its almost as if he knows that se is trapped and helpless. This to me was one of the highlights of the film this setting was a great location within a school and portraying the bathroom to be one of the darkest areas in the film really gave it sense of being a real horror and the feeling that nowhere is safe really comes to life.

Scream: Location and Setting – The Houses

The next location I will be discussing is more of a collective, these settings in articular are the houses that are scene throughout the film. There are three distinctive houses that the audience can view within the horror, the first being the opening scene, the second is the ‘Main Girls’ house, and the final is the house in which the party takes place in.

These houses all follow a set style and I felt as though it would be discuss them as a group instead of picking out the minor details that separate them from each other. Firstly the light, these houses all start of with quite a inviting lighting, it feels warm and ‘homely’ and its as though there is nothing to grow weary of. Although, as the scene progresses we start to notice a change in the tones, the lighting be colder and we start to see of lot of shadows appear in the building. Light pockets seek through the windows, long corridors which can be seen within all houses start to become deep pits of darkness and walking through it wouldn’t even seem plausible.

The sounds that are projected in these houses are almost non existent. Its almost possible to here a pin drop, with the eerie hollow that we here every so often the only time we here any sign of noise is when the phone rings. Speaking of the phone, this can be found in all houses and the majority of the time it signifies when killer is lurking within the woods. All of the houses are isolated, surrounded by thick woods that are almost impenetrable to get through this makes for a great way to isolate the area and add the sense that there is no one to here you scream. As I mentioned, the sound within these houses are almost none existence, yet as we progress within the scene the music become increasingly intense although, we don’t hear the traditional screeching instead, we are introduced to a deep, abysmal sound that echo's throughout the room. Action sounds are further amplified as the smashing of objects almost drowns out any of surrounding noise.

The way that these houses have been mapped out don’t have any sort of importance , they don’t follow the typical style of mise en scene that horrors usually follow. Instead of creating an setting that makes your skin cruel instead we a introduced to a typical friendly environment. Especially during the party scene. This house consisted of warm lighting that was inviting. The props weren’t to important either, instead we see some beer bottles lying around the house.

Scream: Age certificates Throughout the whole of my media project I have covered the age certificate within nearly all presentations, giving an insight to what it means and what effects it has. Well this will be the first film that I have covered that has a rating of ‘18’.

Like before, I have mentioned countless of times that slasher films usually repeat the same styles and techniques.

Like many slasher, especially this one we see on screen violence. Well you could argue that violence is seen on screen in all horror films however, since the film is rated 18 we essentially get front row seats to the splatter zone. Unlike ‘15’ rated movies we actually get the full viewing of all types of violence. So instead of the directors implying any sort of graphic scene by cutting to a different perspective at the last second, we get a clear view of all violent acts. For example, a set scene that takes place in a garage shows a teenage girl having her head caved in by the garage door as she is trapped in a ‘cat flap’. If this was rated a ‘15’ we the instant blow that would show her head being crushed would be cut of at the last second therefore, it would only be suggesting what has happened to the girl. This could be used to maybe introduce the character later on as we didn’t see their death, thus creating a mystery element to the film which can thicken the plot. However, this is not the case, instead we actually seethe characters death and a use of a close up is shown too make the audiences feel increasingly uncomfortable as they see the traumatising events up close and personal.

The last moments before a girls head was crushed by a garage door. This is an excellent example for the effects of the age rating. The reason for this is because, if the film was rated a ‘15’ the girls head being crushed would be cut at the last second. We could only imply what had happened and wouldn’t visually see it.

However, since the film is rated ‘18’we get a full viewing of the death and we see every moment of it.

Scream: Age Certificate – Part Two

This alone cant make a film an ‘18’ there would have to ne continuous acts of violence that are rich in detail to the audience.

Also a use of foul language has to be used frequently. I have to say that there wasn’t to make profanity in Scream, yet the amount of violence shown was enough to give the BBFC no choice but to rate this film as an ‘18’. We would often see an influence on drug taking, sexual acts and in some cases abuse. Although none of these where shown, there was some sexual activity that was referred to yet there was no evidence of drug taking as well as abuse. In final words I find that this film was built up entirely on violence, by setting this film to be a 18 effected it by justifying as must freedom to do what they please.

Without this freedom I don’t feel that the film would have been as effective since all graphic scenes would have had to be adapted to fit the horror rating.

This first shot is the end result of Stu, after attempting to murder Sidney, she fights back, crushing him with a television leaving him for dead. The Second shot is again another act of Sidney, she is pushing her finger into a stab wound to stop Billy from attacking her.

Scenes like this would not be seen within a horror rated ‘15’.This is because there is to much graphic violence. being shown, and by taking these away wouldn’t make Scream what it is to this day.

Scream: Stereotypes Even though this doesn’t have that big of an impact on the codes and conventions of this horror I do believe that it served some purpose to setting up the style of the entire of the horror. Since the time line of the film is based with the 1990’s by creating stereotypes that people would associate with the 90’s helps to produce a film that feels as though it feels the eerier its set in .

In terms of numbers there isn’t a vast amount of clichés that we can relate with but there is a few that are easily noticeable. I have already mentioned a few honourable ones that can be spotted instantly, especially for the die hard 90’s fan. To start with we have the boyfriend blinded by love, so much so he climbs through her window to see her. This can see been numerous times within all genres of movies but its most iconic within films based between the 80’s and 90’s. Clothing also follows the strict procedure of being strictly 90’s themed, so baggy clothing, polo shirts, chinos or checkered shirts.

‘Back stabbing’ teenagers can be found throughout the film, bickering about the gossip that is the talk of the town. Hair styles also follow the 90’s theme, particularly with the male characters within the horror, we either see buzz cuts, gel induced hair or long and swept back.

In terms of location you could say that this was also generic as the film is set in a quite peaceful town that unfolds to become something quite chaotic. Lastly, we have the party, like many people, there is a statement that indicates that as soon as the parents leave town a party will take place and it will eventually it spirals out of control and becomes trouble for the whole neighbourhood. Well this essentially happens, we have a teen who holds a house party, there seems to be no sign of parents keeping an eye on the house hold and eventually instead of becoming “out of hand” the whole thing becomes a violent blood bath adding a twist to the stereotype which I found rather amusing.

Scream: Characters – Sidney Prescott

As it goes for characters the Scream does hold some memorable faces, some serve ore purpose than others, yet all and unique in their own way. This section of the presentation I will be analysing five of these characters, some in more detail then others however, these are the individuals that I felt stood out the most whilst watching the film.

The first character I will be analysing is Sidney Prescott. She is the main protagonist of the film and we follow her story all the way from beginning to end. She is a quite, shy girl yet becomes very violent when pushed to the limits. Her dress code doesn’t have any sort of importance, her costumed has been designed to maker her look like an ordinary teen, I wouldn’t say she stands out in the crowed the costume almost makes her feel as though she is invisible to most people that study at the school yet she has a selective group of friends.

Her background story isn’t revealed until later on in the film, she only has one parent due to her mother being murdered which is important to the plot due to the fact the one year anniversary of her death is closing in. Her character can be seen as a pure innocent girl, this is hinted throughout the film, by things such as her bedroom, and the way that she acts towards her boyfriend.

Due to the her situation Sidney's characteristics begins to take a different approach as she becomes more confident and aggressive towards the end of the movie. This can be noticed earlier on as well when she attacks a news reporter for provoking her every chance she got.

Although, this is nothing towards the end of the film, after finally becoming intimate with her so called boyfriend she witnessed a tragic death shortly after. Yet this only acted as an invitation to her true form as she was pushed over the edge when she discovers the death was fake and her boyfriend is in fact alive and in cooperation as they plan to kill Sidney. This heated situation brought out the natural instinct in Sidney as she brutally murderers both the killers, even when she had the chance to spare her boyfriend, she chose quickly to put a bullet between his eyes without hesitation. This only lead me to believe that the innocent girl that we was introduced to at the start if the film had disappeared, leaving us with a more brutal and confident character who is finally done with mind games.

Sidney Prescott – She is the ‘Main Girl’ in this horror movie. She survived the attacks of the murderers and can be seen in Scream one till four.

Scream: Characters - Gale Weathers-Riley

Gale Weathers is a new reporter, we see many of these in Scream although, this reporter in particular is key to the plot.

The character her self is dedicated and motivated to the story, her perseverance and devotion means she never gives up on trying to expose the story and letting the people of the town know what's truly happening behind closed doors. The character her self seems to come across as somewhat of an antagonist at first as she is continuously interfering with Sidney's life and using any opportunity she gets to question her. This may seem like any ordinary news reporter but Gale has an almost sinister approach, its almost as if she’ll go through any lengths what's so ever to get hats she wants and desires. Dressed in red, this could be a clear indication to her characteristics, and that her dedication isn’t necessarily a good thing.

Scream: Characters – Gale Weathers-Riley

Her relationship with other characters also has an impact on the way the audiences view her. She is responsible for the exposure of Sidney's mothers death however, she falsely accused her father to convicting the crime even in writing as she is publishing a book about her case.

She is also hated by Sidney's best friend, yet manages to use her skills as a reporter to convince a local cop to let her look behind the scenes since he had a former childhood crush on the reporter.

Tis rivalry soon comes to an end when Gale enters the house with a gun attempting to save Sidney, she reveals that she was wrong bout the story as she states what she is going to do after saving her yet is quickly revealed to be a unlikely hero as she gets knocked out after the murdered sees her gun is on safety. Yet her strong wiled character strikes again as she refuses to give up this time shooting the antagonist and evidentially saving Sidney. This performance essentially changes the audiences perspective on Gale as she redeemed herself as a character and helped saved the day.

Gale Weathers-Riley – First appeared as a antagonist however, she helps to save Sidney by shooting Billy. She can also be seen in Scream one to four.

Scream: Characters Dewey Riley

Dewey right is the deputy sheriff that helps investigate the murder cases at have mysteriously been popping up throughout the town. Dewey is a young officer and his age is shown heavily during the film.

We often see hints that indicate to the type of character Dewey is. For instance, when Sidney first was attacked she was pulled into the police station for her own safety. Dewey, is questioning her and just by the looks of his desk we can get an instance judgment on what he Is like. To start with, his desk is filled with toys, collectables and stickers, this shows that he has not yet fully matured and perhaps he hasn’t grown out of his childhood habits.

We also see him over react towards a phone call, as Sidney was just released from the station she stayed at her friends house which coincidently is Dewey's sister. The phone call was from the killer and it left everyone in shock however, even though nobody was in real danger Dewey stormed into the scene with a gun. This small act showcases how he is not yet fully prepared for the line of work he is perusing, he overacted to the scenario and by doing this he is showing us as the audience that his age perhaps effects his reactions.

Dewey Riley – He is the deputy sheriff of the town and helps to investigate into the person behind the killings, again this character can be seen in all sequels.

Scream Characters – The Psychopaths The Psychopaths are played by two characters Stu Macher and Billy Loomis. Both of these characters are by far nothing more than insane. Billy Loomis, Sidney's ex boyfriend is out to seek revenge due to the fact Sidney's mother had an affair with his father which then lead to his own mother being driven away. These event lead to a cunning plan as him and Stu created a secret identity which allows them both to commit crimes whilst remaining in the shadows. Billy himself appears to be the more menacing character. His body language appears forward and intimidating, a blankness expression on his face is almost nerve wracking as we are unaware of what his next act will be. Appearing as an average teen we could only be sceptical towards he's character as we had no real evidence of him being the killer. Also, by working in cooperation with Stu the killer could almost be in two places at once meaning our doubt could be relieved from either characters as a murder is committed even with them on scene.

Billy Loomis – A very forward and intimidating character. He was Sidney's boyfriend however, it was a trick to help him seek his vengeance. Billy was shot by Sidney and hasn’t appeared in any of the following Scream films.

Scream: Characters – The Psychopath

Stu, is an essence is the same character. They both play the same role and serve the same purpose yet, there are a few minor difference that separate the two. Stu, is quite clearly the more psychotic character between the two. His behaviour is rather strange. He's hyperactive movements almost make him clumsy as we see him falling over. He is also not very careful as he seems to show a keen interest towards the killer so much so Billy had to stop him from blabbering on to avoid attention. This is a key clue to later on as we remained ourselves that the killer is forever tripping over. He also has no need to be in the plot, he has no need to kill Sidney or to even commit these acts of terror. Its almost as if he is following Billy for no good reason, this could be because of Billy pressuring him into since he needed assistance however this is just my personal opinion.

As it goes for the costume they wear to kill their victims, it follows the typical standard that we would expect to see in all slashers. The costume is completely blacked out, this use of colouring draws our attention away from the body and directs it to the face. The mask itself is pure white with hollow eyes, mouth and nose. Theses hollowed out features may seem like nothing however by being forced to constantly look at the antagonists face staring into the bottomless pit of darkness it can be quite daunting for the audience and the victims.

Stu Macher – He helps billy with his plan to kill Sidney, although he doesn’t have any real reason to. His character comes across a psychotic yet it is short lived as he is killed by Sidney as she crushes his head with a television.

Scream: Lighting The lighting from the Scream doesn’t have much variation, compared to everyday horrors the intensity of the lighting in this film is kind of weak. There are a few changes that are noticeable yet, they change due to location, there isn’t any deliberate lighting directed to wards characters to add a dramatic effect. When it comes to housing the lighting is very soft which helps create an impression of a warm feeling that we usually get when we are in our homes. The schools lighting has more of a intensity towards the learning to help emphasise fact that it is a learning environment meaning its not supposed to be seen as something that is laid back.

Admittedly, shadows are used to help form an atmosphere that helps increase tension throughout the scene. This usually happens when the killer has entered the scene or when the day progresses alter on towards the evening.

There are some aspects or lighting that do change how we view the character however, I only noticed these a few times throughout the film. The first was when Billy, was being questioned whilst being held in the police station.

He's replies where short but effect, and it was almost as if her knew he was going tog et away with it. This was clear to see just by the tone in his voice yet, when he lent forward a cold shadow was casted directly upon his face. This almost made him menacing and he's confidence when answering the questions further changed how we viewed the character.

As you can see here this is the scene where the lighting is directed towards Billy. He is being held in the police station for questioning as he is the main suspect for a murder. This is where we see he's character start to develop as he becomes more forward, the use of lighting makes the character come across as more menacing as well as threating.

Scream: Lighting – Part Two

The second time the lighting had an effect on the characters appearance was when Gale Weathers approached Sidney in hopes she would answer some questions. A swarm of people crowded around the two and a strong beam of light shone onto Sidney's face. By the use of the lighting and by her act of anger as she assaulted Gale proved how the character was exposed. Her true personality was shown we could see a change in Sidney as she was no longer a quite innocent girl, now she was someone who had had enough and is now becoming more aggressive. This was also backed up by the ending of the movie as Sidney assaulted both killers and eventually killed them in horrific ways.

This use of intense lighting helped to expose Sidney's anger towards Gale Weathers.

As she strikes her after making a sarcastic comment, after this she then leaves the scene and stays at her friends house.

Scream: Diegetic Sound and Non Diegetic

The Diegetic sound is noise that can be heard by both us and the characters in the film. These don’t always need to add tension to the film as they are used in almost every scene. Throughout the Scream diegetic sound is used between the dialogue of character, the engine of a car, music from a party, the news from the television and many more ordinary elements that we would expect to any character to here. Despite this, diegetic sound can be used to over power all over sounds to signify the seriousness of the situation. An example of this would be when the murderer smashed through the glass, this sound was intensified and drowned out any other noise in the scene. This was done to direct our focus to what is happening as well as to emirs our self in the world that we are watching. This was also done with the ringing of the phone, since this was a sign that something bad was about to happen the phone became something to fear. Every time we herd the ringing the noise was amplified so that our attention is directed towards the phone. We knew something bad was about to happen and by having an over powering ring in the back of your head it creates tension as we await to who is behind the phone calling.

Non Diegetic sound is the what only the audience can here. I believe that this is one of the most important codes and conventions within horror and I believe that Scream made excellent use of it. Nearly every tense scene was exaggerated by the use of non diegetic sound. The majority of the time we here this music right before the antagonist appears or even whilst his present. This would usually include scenes here characters are isolated from the public or even where the killer is chasing them. This sounds themselves range from a high pitch screeching to a low and deeper sound. I found this technique to really create tension within the seen, whilst watching the characters emotion you could really connect with how they feel due to the fact the non diegetic music has been adjusted to set the mood.

Scream: Camera Work

The camera work here is varied from a vast arrange of shot. Instead of writing a continuously paragraph explaining each and every shot used in the film, I feel as though it would be better to just list selection of different shots and how they were used.

Camera Shot Used Shot reverse shot – This was used often in the Scream, it is used to show both the conversation that is happening between two different characters.

Tracking Shot – This shot was used both time when the victims where walking around their house. I believed t was used to give of the impression that the victims where being followed even within their own home.

Pan Shot – When we are introduced to a new setting, a pan shot was often used to give an overview of the surrounding area and where the following scenes will be taking place.

Close up shots – In almost every horror these types of shots are used, there priority is to show the emotion of the character and how they are feeling at that present time.

Extreme Close up – After the antagonist strikes again he towers over the teacher as he is laying covered in blood. We are introduced to an extreme close up of his eye to make the audience feel uncomfortable as we are to close for are liking. The teacher is facing the murderer as he lays helplessly awaiting death, and we as the audience have to stare into his eye before his demise.

Framing Shot – The framing shot is placing the camera so that there are subjects covering either the sides or the corners of the shot. This is used to focus our attention towards the focal point. In this case we view our protagonist talking in private, the use of framing makes us feel as though someone is watching the characters and that they are being stalked.

Scream: Editing and Special Effects

Of course we can expect to see the basic cut editing that takes place in nearly every horror movie. For example the cuts between shots, the mist rolling in the background and the fake blood that is used to show of the characters wounds.

However there are two specific scenes that I would like to talk about collectively.

The first scene we see towards the beginning of the film, the first victim of the killers is the girls boyfriend, as you can see he was tied up and eventually stabbed leaving his guts to spill everywhere. The way that this was done was by using a moulded body. This fake body was then filled with the guts, as well as corn syrup and food colouring to give it that realistic feeling. The actor that was playing the role was obviously still visible as the moulded body would have appeared to be to ‘life like’.

They managed to keep him in the scene by having kneel down behind the chair, by doing this he still had full control of his arms and head yet the rest of the fake body was hiding him. This allowed the model to still look realistic as we could see an genuine reaction to his body being cut open instead of just a fake doll being shown for a split second.

The second special effect I would like to discuss is Casey Becker. This was the opening character in Scream yet her role was short lived as she was brutally murdered by the antagonist. Like the moulded body, the same process was used within this part of the film, yet it was used to show only her face. Before the antagonists final blow, the camera quickly cuts to what I believe is Casey's parents.

We then see a final glimpse of Casey as her dead body is being dragged across the grass. However, this isn’t really Casey, this is a sculptured version of Casey's face. It was designed to replicate the character so that it was identical. The reason for using this ‘fake face’ was to get the murder victim looking as lifeless as possible. If the actor themselves where to be pulled across the grass she may have moved, even in the slightest which would instantly suspend the disbelief.