Technical Analysis Evaluation

As part of our coursework, we had to do a technical analysis of an opening of a film. This involves looking at all the technical aspects used in film production, such as camera techniques and lighting. I chose to do my technical analysis on the film 'The Orphanage', Juan Antonio, 2007.

For the first minute and a half, most of the camera shots are medium shots, so as to be used as establishing shots. These are used os that the audience starts to get familiar with the surroundings and the characters involved. For the next 30 seconds, the shots are mainly focused around the children of the orphanage playing in the garden. A variety of close ups are used on the children, to depict their innocence and purity, often a convention of horror films. There is also a zoomed in shot of a scarecrow in the garden, also a convention of horror films. There is also non-diagetic music featured in the opening, a soft piano piece, which may be present to lull the audience into a false sense of security. There is then a sound bridge of a telephone ringing, and there is a jump-cut to a woman in the house talking on te telephone. The shot is a CU of the back of the woman's head, which is also a well used convention of horror films. A CU shot is then used throughout this scene, so that a sense of mystery is present, as the audience do not know fully what is happening and are left wondering. There is then a tracking shot of the woman walking out towards the front door to watch the children playing, and the camera zooms out to give another medium shot, which gives the adueicne a chance to again review the surroundings and form any ideas of what could be happening.