Film Genre Research
Smile
(Smile Movie poster)
Camera Shots, Angles, Movements, Focus and Framing Observations
The amount of camera shots used in the opening scene of the film were incredibly preformed. The transitions were smooth, clean shots making the scene more interesting for the audience. The first shot used was an establishing show, establishing that this scene is being taken in a therapist room, with our protagonist, Rose Cotter, who also was included in the shot.
Over the shoulder shot was used next to present the second character in the scene, Laura Weaver, who looks distressed and has a high focus on her face and body language. Hinting that Laura is tired and scared of something that Rose, and the audience does not know about. Medium shot was used throughout the scene with multiple shots cutting to each character as they had a concerning conversation based on what Laura was seeing. There is an extreme focus on the characters' expressions and emotions throughout, showing how fast the tone and mood changes. Also, tracking shots were used multiple times as well showing the actions that both characters were performing. An example of this is when Rose closes the door the camera follows the action having focus on her hand then panning to a full shot of her body, as she walks to her seat. A zoom out shot was used when Laura was gaining clarity that Rose was a real person and not what she thought she was seeing, giving the audience the understanding of her feelings on a deeper understanding.
Lastly, eye level shots were incredibly important throughout this scene with the characters making eye contact with each other and focusing on what Laura was seeing at the end of the scene.
Editing Techniques and the Tone, Mood
Editing Techniques
Jump shots are used to create a sense of confusion and surprise, these were used at the end of the scene where Laura is overtaken by the entity, she was fearful of.
Match Cut & Seamless Transitions are used frequently to make smooth transitions to immerse the audience in the scene and make the hallucinations look like dreams.
The mood of the scene is overall concerning as we are watching a therapist try to diagnose a patent and fails to do so as the patient ends their life
The mood and tone after Laura take her life is then depressing as we can see Rose understand that Laura is dead, and grief hits her
Sound techniques
A dissonant and distorted sound design is used heavily throughout the opening scene after Laura opens about what she has been experiencing. The sound has an eerie, high –pitched, and distorted sound making it uncomfortable to listen to. A sudden jump in volume was also used in the scene after Rose calls back up when Laura starts having a panic attack and refuses to calm down. This sound effect allows the sudden sound to mix with the scene result in a shocking scare. This farther adds to the impact the frightening scene has on its views.
Mise-En-Scene Techniques: Lighting, Wardrobe, Make-up, Setting, Set, Props
Lighting
In the opening scene, the room is dimly lit, adding to the eerie atmosphere. Low-key lighting is also used in the scene, to add shadows and darkness dominate the scene to enhance suspense and unease. Directional lighting was also used in the opening scene to strategical use light to enhance
(Use of Low-Key Lighting)
Wardrobe
The wardrobe is very casual reflecting to the audience that what is going to happen later in the scene was not foreshadowed. As Laura’s wardrobe consisted of a button up shirt, jeans, and Uggs; Laura’s consisted of dirty sweatpants, an oversized t-shirt, and a large flannel.
Makeup
In this scene, the makeup was minorly used as this was the establishing scene and not a gory one until the end. The makeup used in the scene on Rose was quite common day-to-day feminine makeup to make it seem like a professional and natural scene. The makeup on Laura was quite different as hers was used to make her look sick and tired; they used darker eye shadow and concealer to add eye bags and dark spots. In the very end of the scene where Laura ends herself, the makeup used was considerable amounts of fake blood and SFX makeup to make the cut more natural and scarier for the audience to be more impactful.
Set
The opening scene was in a therapy office, which looks like a psych ward. As the walls are all blue there were no sharp objects in the room, and there is an emergency phone. Meaning this center must deal with individuals with strong psychological issues.
Setting
The film takes place in 2022 in the United States, New Jersey, Newark, and North Arlington
Props
The props used were minimal as there was only the use of a notebook that Rose used to jot down Laura’s thoughts and feelings, an emergency phone that Rose used to call for backup due to Laura's behavior, and a piece of glass/poetry piece that Laura had shattered to end herself.
Budget, Box Office Number Production Companies, Distributor, Director, Cinematographer
Budget: 17 million USD
Box Office Numbers: In the United States and Canada, the movie made $105,935,048
Production Companies: Paramount Players and Temple Hill Entertainment
Distributor: Paramount Pictures in 2022
Director: Parker Finn
Cinematographer: Charlie Sarroff
(Director, Parker Finn)
(Cinematographer, Charlie Sarroff)
Opening Credits
The film is different than others as its credits and title are not included in the opening scene, but at the end of the film. But the font of the title at the end is bold red letters spelling out smile that slowly zoom into the camera, with eerie music playing in the background. The genre of this movie is horror/physiological thriller as it contains elements of high gore, unsettling images, and mind games that are confusing to the audience.
Awards/ Nominations
The 2022 movie Smile has been nominated for and won several awards, including:
ASCAP Film and Television Music Awards: Won in 2023 for Top Box Office Films
Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films: Won two awards and was nominated for 22
MTV Movie + TV Awards: Nominated in 2023 for Best Movie and Most Frightened Performance
Golden Schmoes Awards: Nominated in 2023 for Best Horror Movie of the Year
Saturn Awards: Nominated for Best Horror Film
Horrorhaus Film Festival: Won Best Practical Effects in 2022 and was nominated for Best Director
The Reason Why I Choose This Film
The reason I choose the film “Smile” to do specific genre movie research was because it effectively performs the themes of responding to a traumatic event through chilling, and unsettling horror narrative, with a standout performance by the actress Sosie Bacon, and a unique concept that many horror films have not touched making it stan out from other movies. This movie had viewers including myself leaving the theaters feeling deeply disturbed and on edge due to the graphic scenes and whole concept of the movie.
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