Activity 6.5 (Analyzing the First Scene in Annabelle)

 Activity 6.5 (Analyzing the First Scene in Annabelle)

Generic Conventions: 

1. Setting: The setting of the film is dark, in the home of two nurses, Camila and Debbie, where the doll, Annabelle is haunting them asking for advice from Ed and Lorraine Warren. 

2. Lighting: The lighting used was natural lighting in the beginning of the scene to make it seems more realistic, low lighting was used when the nurses came home from an event highlighting that they arrived home late in the night, and high key lighting was used to highlight the doll’s face to bring horror and discomfort to the audience.  

3. Sound: Silent with dialogue was used mostly throughout the scene to make it feel uneasy, eerie foreshadowing music was used to create suspense for the audience for Annebelle’s (the doll) actions, and pounding on door sound effect was used when Annebelle broke into the nurse's apartment causing fear for the characters and the audience. 

4. Characters:  The characters in the scene consisted of the nurses, Camila, and Debbie, that lived in the apartment that was haunted, Annabelle the doll that reeked terror on the nurses, Ed Warren, and Lorraine Warren the mediums that came to inspect the apartment to help the nurses and their issue. 

5. Themes: Were dark, possession, uneasy, and paranormal 

Technical Codes:  

1. Camera Angles: Low and eye level angles were used to enhance the fear of Debbie and Camila as they were the focus of the opening scene 

2. Editing: Jump cuts, handheld, two shot, zoom ins were the shots and editing techniques used throughout the scene helping intensify the mood of the doll’s presence and terror on the nurses 

3. Special Effects: Practical effects and CGI are used to create supernatural occurrences inside the apartment. 

4. Mise-en-scene: The props that were consistently used throughout the scene was the red crayon that Annebelle used to communicate with the nurses and used to write on their walls causing destruction. The doll was the most focused prop as it was what was causing the terror and mishap in the scene. Finally, the notes left by doll to ask the nurses repeatedly if they missed her. 

Effect of Breaking Codes and Conventions: 

1. Confusion: The audience may be confused by the opening scene as it does not exactly address who is who, what is their purpose, and the issue until the very end of the scene. Specially, there is a character in the opening scene who is not named or addressed and sits with the nurses as they talk to the Warrents about their issue.   

2. Decreased Tension: The film does not use the typical fear tactic as other horror films but gradually builds on it, causing it to create suspense more than fear in the audience. 

3. Innovation: Though on the other hand, breaking normal conventions can lead to innovative storytelling and a unique movie experience for the audience. 

In conclusion, the film does not follow the normal horror genre conventions like addressing what is causing the terror for the characters in the first scene and what kind of horror sub-genre the movie is. But also, the film had different conventions in horror films which caused confusion for the audience but in a positive way making the viewers want to continue watching to understand farther.