Horror genre: The conjuring

Sound is an important aspect with a horror genre as it helps set the mood and the atmosphere. Non diegetic sound is used to reflect the narrative to the events such as, at the beginning of the opening, we hear a very low pitched sound, with a loud trumpet noise with it as well, which starts to set the scene and links to a convention of a horror film as they will have very low pitched music, and tension starts to build with the audience. We also hear a piano playing at 2 minutes on wards, and building tension within the audience has the camera shows a variety of images/photos on the wall, showing the past. Diegetic sound reveals the dialogue between the characters personality and starts to give the audience information to a hint of what the film could be about. We start by hearing a women/ family  talking about an experience she has had with the doll, and what looks like they were talking to investigator, and it looks like he was asking them question and taking a statement about what they saw. As the opening scene starts off as a blank shot but with the characters are talking. This is effective because it focuses on the dialogue which is an example of diegetic sound, which helps to set the scene of a horror film, it allows the audience to get involved and to know what is going on, so it gets straight to the point of which it tells us that a family have heard something strange and unexpected.

During the opening scene to the conjuring we see a variety of camera shots. Close ups have been used at the beginning as the family are talking about there experience with the doll and shows the characters expressions. We see this as there extreme close up of the dolls eye, and the camera slowly zooming out, and showing us the characters. Extreme close ups are effective because it allows the facial features and expressions to be clear and show the detail of the mise-en-scene i.e the dolls, with all the marks on its face, which would add to the effect of the audience, making it more of the scare factor, as the doll is also signifying that its going to quite dominant throughout the film, so it creates a dramatic effect for the audience, as it known as intimate shot,  including the audience making them feel uncomfortable and scared. Also close up shots shows the characters innocence's so we are shown this through at the end of the opening as the women asks for help to try and solve there problem, this would make the audience feel sympathy for that character, and make them feel sorry for the character. Annabell is a complimenting film which comes with past story, which the audience would know about, which would make them more eager to watch it, and so there has been a continuation. Medium shots have been used in the beginning showing the 3 people talking, this is effective because it allows the audience to see the characters body language, showing that this event is something that is worrying them. We also see a medium shot of the doll as well as it has been placed on the sofa, so the camera slowly zooms into doll. This is effective because during this scene it looks like the doll is part of the conversation, as it is sat on the sofa, making it look as if it listening in to whats going on around them. We are then shown flashback to an important part, which shows how the people have experience this event, showing how they have experienced this. Low angle shots have been shown, through as the camera shows the persons facial expression at a different angle. This is effective because the height of this angles makes the audience feel fear and insecurity as a viewer, also low angles shows the characters confusion, so we see this as the women hears a noise from somewhere.

The main characters have been introduced near to the end of the opening scene when the girls asks for there help. These main characters are investigators who appear at the end and agree to help that family with there problem. The audience could recognize this by what they say, as they look like they are more experienced in these spiritual problems, and could also show that they have helped other people, so it might show there journey of solving these types of problems.

The opening scene features certain narrative events such as a abandoned house which a new family decide to live in these conform to the genre to the opening scene and it shows a typical way of opening a horror film as it allow to set the mood and atmosphere of the film, so the audience would expect a house which is haunted. we are also shown the doll, which shows the dominance and the importance through different camera shots, to show its importance in the film. We also see that the people living in the house start to search when they hear something unexpected, which is another typical thing to expect as it makes the audience curious along with the characters to find out what is going on.

Enigma codes are used to tease the audience and engage them in the narrative so they carry on watching the film. Certain enigmas are included in the opening such as puzzles about what may be bothering the doll that it has made a second appearance in this film also the props and costume may add to the puzzle has it may have had a large impact, bring this doll back for its own reason. Questions are left unanswered about why these things are occurring, which makes the audience more eager to watch the film, as they want to know the reason why these events are occurring.

Symbolic codes have been used for the audience to identify some of the codes and with what the audience expect in this type of genre, it also encoded meaning, which the audience can connote from, a lot of these are from the mise-en-scene. Lighting is one aspect or a code, because during the opening scene we see a lot of dark lighting and so this is effective because it shows creates a moody atmosphere, and builds tension within the audience. The dark lighting continuous through the opening which then builds fear and insecurity within the audience, making them fell uncomfortable. The investigators also signify that they know a lot about spiritual events, which makes the audience sense that they will also be the main character which will unlock the enigma codes.