9 Key Shot Screenshots of The Shining

TASK 11

The film opening I have chosen to annotate is The Shining, this is because it in the genre of horror.

The film starts off with a shot of picturesque scenery and a peaceful lake. This is an establishing wide shot. This is a key shot because it shows the audience where the film is set. It also relaxes the viewer from the beginning, contrasting to what they may have believed the film to start off with. However, although the setting looks peaceful we can also tell it is an isolated area. We can also tell it is part of a forest, which I previously found out was one of the traditional settings for a horror film. From this shot I know that isolated areas are an effective setting for a horror film. 

Within seconds of the film beginning, the camera moves to strange angles. This shot is an establishing wide shot. This is a key shot because it is the first time the viewer witnesses the oddness of the film. This gives a distorted view which confuses the audience. The camera movement allows the idyllic view to quickly change to a confusing isolated area, where the viewer would most likely not want to be. This means that from the outset, the viewer feels that they don’t belong, causing them to be vulnerable to the film. This shot has shown me that distorted views will obscure the mind of the viewer.

After the viewer is giving a view of the isolated area, there is a shot of a car. This shot is a birds eye view. This is a key shot as it is the first time we see a sign of a character. As we have previously seen the inaccessible area, when we see the area a selection of questions are suddenly created in the viewer’s mind. We instantly start to think about why the driver is there, who they are and where they are going to. From this shot I know that mysterious images can engage the audience as they want to know what is happening.

There is then a shot of the road where the car will be driving. This is an asymmetrical shot.  The image denotes a long, narrow and wide road. This is one of the traditional settings that I found out in my earlier research which potentially sets the scene and will portray to the viewer where some of the action will take place. The winding roads make the viewer feel nervous about the journey and we begin to think about who is around the corner. From this shot, I have found out that this this could potentially be built around suspension and uncertainty about will be about to happen. It could also denote to the viewer that some form of adventure or quest will take place.   

This is a key shot because it includes the first credits of the film. This is an establishing wide shot which sets the scene of the action. The camera slowly pans in to a closer view of the car. This ensures the viewer that the character in the car may play a vital part in the film. As the camera gets closer to the car we feel like we are a part of the journey as well, which makes us feel as vulnerable as the characters in the car. In this shot the credits also begin to appear. They start scroll upwards and are aluminous blue in colour and in bold capital letters. From this shot I have learnt that making the viewer feel like they are a part of the film will make them vulnerable and more prone to be scared. I also know that the first credits should include the leading roles to interest the audience as they expect good acting in the film. 

The credits begin with the two main characters, then the title of the film, then the rest of the characters and producers. This is a key shot as we learn the name of the film and names of the main characters and producers. This shot is called an establishing wide shot. When the title of the film appears, it scrolls upwards slower than the previous credits. This is so that the audience remembers the name of the film. When reading the credits, the view of the car driving is still in shot. As we are reading the credits, it prolongs the length of the journey as we forget it is there.  From this shot I have learnt it is important to have the name of your film and the leading actor’s name included in your initial credits, so that the audience are excited about the level of acting they are about to watch.

As the shot of the car zooms out again, we see a typical horror setting. This is an establishing wide shot. Even though the car is very small in this shot, it shows the car going into the unknown.The view is of a snowy, mountainous location, which is still isolated. This view is quite a drastic change to the beginning view, even though they are both seen as traditional horror settings. From this shot I have learnt that making your character go to an unknown location can intrigue the audience, as they want to know where the character will go.

In this shot we see the first view of a building. This is an extreme long shot. The building is completely isolated from any type of shop or city. This makes the viewer concerned, as they know that if something bad happens no help will be easily accessible. In the distant there is a large, snowy mountain which looks like a holiday destination. From this shot I have learnt that the action will take place in the wilderness in a winter setting as you can see the snowy mountains and lush green forests. 

The last shot of the opening scene is of a close up view of the hotel. This is an establishing wide-shot. It looks grainy and dull and not somewhere that the viewer would want to stay. The structure of the hotel looks like a prison, which makes the audience instantly associate the hotel with violence and criminal activity. Although there are a few cars outside the hotel, it looks totally inaccessible. This is a key shot because it I the closest view of the hotel, which is the main location, that we have in the film opening. From this shot I learnt that the film opening should have some sort of cliff hanger to create enigma, for example ending the opening on a shot of the hotel intrigues the viewer on what will happen in the scary looking hotel.