Within the world of film structuralism theory is the way films convey meaning through the use of paradigms (codes and conventions) it is an ideology (theory) that can be applied to film theory.
Genre is found when we identify Lots of key elements (Paradigms) in the film and in others of the same genre; Audiences can recognise these paradigms setting expectations for the film and its viewer. Paradigms can also be categorised...
Iconography | Structure | theme |
Signs, symbols and sounds. | The way it is put together and the editing plot. | The issues and codes it deals with. |
Scream (1996) uses many Generic codes and convention (paradigms) within the first ten minutes of the film (the opening sequence) the film scream is of the horror genre. Within the first few seconds of the opening titles WE see the films name, and non-diegetic sound of a telephone ringing, we then switch to the opening shot which is a close up of a telephone which we can here the diegetic sound of it ringing, this immediately makes us link the telephone with maybe the characters death or the killer. I strongly believe that the viewer makes this connection because there is more or less always communication between the victim and the killer, and seeing a telephone in the first shot more or less makes the audiences presume that this is how they communicate.
We then witness a conversation over the phone with Casey (drew Barrymore) and an unknown caller. After the second time she hangs up he rings back and they start to have a conversation although this man is a complete stranger to her, at this point I think that the audience have established that Casey is on her own this iconography then ties in with a another whilst she is on the phone she starts talking about horror movies whilst pulling a knife out from a knife block, this makes the audience think that this is the way she might die. At this point of the film I believe that the audience have already plotted out the rest of the film and already have a clear idea what happens next, but they don’t want to listen to their head as they want to be scared.
in horror films we don’t usually here about other films, but the director and writer found an opportunity for Casey and the person on the other end of the phone to have a conversation about their favourite horrors films, She mentions Halloween as her favourite “you know the one in the white mask that walks around and stalk babysitters” when she says this I think the audience may begin to think that she is babysitting She then guesses that his favourite is nightmare on elm street We can then make a direct link as viewers that both of those films are famous for killing teenagers and usually Promiscuous young girls for that matter. At this point she starts to get flirty with the unknown man down the phone denying she has a boyfriend as the tone of her voice changes. This is a major paradigms within horror films SEX = Death, the girl that act promiscuous or has a boyfriends is always one of the first to be killed where as the virgin (the pure girl) usually survives.
in horror films we don’t usually here about other films, but the director and writer found an opportunity for Casey and the person on the other end of the phone to have a conversation about their favourite horrors films, She mentions Halloween as her favourite “you know the one in the white mask that walks around and stalk babysitters” when she says this I think the audience may begin to think that she is babysitting She then guesses that his favourite is nightmare on elm street We can then make a direct link as viewers that both of those films are famous for killing teenagers and usually Promiscuous young girls for that matter. At this point she starts to get flirty with the unknown man down the phone denying she has a boyfriend as the tone of her voice changes. This is a major paradigms within horror films SEX = Death, the girl that act promiscuous or has a boyfriends is always one of the first to be killed where as the virgin (the pure girl) usually survives.
Casey Then realises that someone is watching her and it is the man on the phone. As she turns the patio lights on we come to the assumption that the house is deserted and that she is defiantly alone, which makes her the perfect victim for the killer. He then starts to threaten her down the phone telling her not to hang up and to start playing a game; she panics and locks all the doors then the doorbell rings and that when she knows that this is real and he is actually watching her. The killer then says “Don’t you know not to ask who’s there you might as well go out an investigate a unknown noise” these are some of the codes and convention that we see in most horror films but as the killer has mentioned them it make the film seem a little more realistic. She admits that she does have a boyfriend making her seem all the more promiscuous and that he would be there any second to save her but its o late because the killer got there before her and tied her boyfriend up and she had to play a game with him to survive, but the audience already know that no matter what she won’t win the games as the victims never do!
At this point we see another close up of the popcorn that she placed on the hob at the beginning of the film, the director used this prop as it acts like a timer once the popcorn was done it stated to overcook setting on fire and this is when the killer enters the house, and she starts to scream. Most horrors films are structured like this we find the girl/victim and home about to watch a film or have shower and there is some sort of communication whether it is through a noise or in this case a phone call, and the girl is always found to be flirty or promiscuous in one way or another. We then see the murder weapon or what we think is the murder weapon as well as finding out the house is deserted and isolated in the middle of nowhere making the audience believe that there is no help! These are the things that we usually see in every single slasher movie, the paradigms for this film where made up of iconography, structure and theme and this is what makes each individual movie. At the end of the opening we see a chase between Casey and the killer and as to expect we cannot see his face, the kitchen id made all Smokey because of the overcooked popcorn making it harder for the victim to see. The killer chokes her with his bare hands so when he parents arrived home they could not here her scream. This is also familiar with horror films there is always someone there to help by the end of the scene or movie but the killer will always find away so the victim cannot be noticed.
The structure of the opening of this film is used in near enough every slasher film, and in each film only a few paradigms every change and as the audiences we all sub consciously know this and know how people will die but we tend to still get scared as we don’t want to believe that this is what’s going to happen but the film makers are always coming up with new ways to scare people for example using double jumps. But I believe from the beginning of the film the audiences is scared from all the little clues that they get and signals that might indicate the killing.
At this point we see another close up of the popcorn that she placed on the hob at the beginning of the film, the director used this prop as it acts like a timer once the popcorn was done it stated to overcook setting on fire and this is when the killer enters the house, and she starts to scream. Most horrors films are structured like this we find the girl/victim and home about to watch a film or have shower and there is some sort of communication whether it is through a noise or in this case a phone call, and the girl is always found to be flirty or promiscuous in one way or another. We then see the murder weapon or what we think is the murder weapon as well as finding out the house is deserted and isolated in the middle of nowhere making the audience believe that there is no help! These are the things that we usually see in every single slasher movie, the paradigms for this film where made up of iconography, structure and theme and this is what makes each individual movie. At the end of the opening we see a chase between Casey and the killer and as to expect we cannot see his face, the kitchen id made all Smokey because of the overcooked popcorn making it harder for the victim to see. The killer chokes her with his bare hands so when he parents arrived home they could not here her scream. This is also familiar with horror films there is always someone there to help by the end of the scene or movie but the killer will always find away so the victim cannot be noticed.
The structure of the opening of this film is used in near enough every slasher film, and in each film only a few paradigms every change and as the audiences we all sub consciously know this and know how people will die but we tend to still get scared as we don’t want to believe that this is what’s going to happen but the film makers are always coming up with new ways to scare people for example using double jumps. But I believe from the beginning of the film the audiences is scared from all the little clues that they get and signals that might indicate the killing.
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