Codes and Conventions By Phoebe Woodward

Films I have chosen: Thriller/suspense. The Winter’s Bone Ree Dolly is a seventeen year old teenager raising her younger brother and sister in the Ozarks while her father was in prison. Her father is now on parole and has disappeared. Ree (Jennifer Lawrence) soon learns he has put their house up for his bail bond and it will be taken from them if he does not show up to court. Shutter Island Edward "Teddy" Daniels and his new partner, Chuck Aule – travel to the Ashecliffe Hospital for the criminally insane on Shutter Island located in Boston Harbor. They are investigating the disappearance of patient Rachel Solando, who was incarcerated for drowning her three children.

Winters Bone opening scene The opening scene begins with a two shot of children playing on a trampoline,. Along with the empty, slow non diegetic music, the children appear very innocent. The slightly creepy music suggest that this is a mysterious film. The mise-en-scene of the setting is very grey and dismal, setting up for a creepy, mysterious film.

The next scene shows another two shot of the children playing on the same trampoline, just with a closer shot. The first text is introduced here as ‘anonymous content’ , the name of the production company. Although, the name adds to the mysterious element coincidentally as ‘anonymous’ is intriguing and sets up for the eerie atmosphere of the film plot; a girl is in search of her lost father.

The mise-en-scene of this scene shows a mid shot a girl behind bars, perhaps a baby's cot. This could be a foreshadow for what happens later; linking the idea of prisons and being locked away. The non-diegetic sound of the soundtrack adds an eerie and almost sinister feel to the film as the lyrics say, ‘hush-uh-by baby, go to sleep’. Adding a creepy atmosphere, leaving the audience anticipating what is going to happen to the young children.

The next scene shows a two shot of two sisters, the older sister is hanging up clothes and essentially taking care of her little sister, showing power and support. The non diegetic sound of the soundtrack says, ‘ it seems like your mother, was there once again’, linking to the idea of the mother and daughter relationship. These lyrics intrigue the audience and leaves them wondering how the sisters will be affected later on in the film.

In this scene, the title of the film is introduced with a bold font and a slow fade into the title. Along with this faded introduction of the title, the non diegetic music fades out, leaving the scene empty and silent; adding to the mysterious atmosphere of the film. The mise-en-scene of the tree branches in the background compliment the eerie sound, adding the creepy feeling of being lost in the woods.

Opening Scene Comparison The winters bone The opening scene of the winters bone is dimly lit, with children present and the mise-en-scene shows a grey, overcast moody sky, evoking mystery. Shutter island The opening scene to shutter island is also dimly lit, but conveys a feeling of no human existence; making the atmosphere much more intense, eerie and creepy, more so than the winters bone.

Title Screen Comparison Shutter Island’s title screen is accompanied by a build up of intense music and the sudden appearance of bold, red letters against a plain black background. Similarly to Winter’s Bone, the font is bold and in block letters, capturing the audiences attention and evoking fear. Winter’s Bone title screen differs from Shutter Island because the title is accompanied by non diegetic music that stops playing when the text appears. Unlike Shutter Island, the title of Winter’s Bone is not against a plain background, but instead the mise-en-scene shows branches of a tree against a grey sky, evoking mystery.

This opening sequence begins with a shot of low key lighting; a darkly lit corridor, setting up the film to be scary and thrilling. The bold red text creates a tense atmosphere for the audience along with the non diegetic sound of suspenseful music in the background. The red, bold text also evokes fear from the audience, connoting images of blood and danger.

The scene quickly fades to a shot of a spiral staircase, with the camera spinning around and creating an optical illusion that confuses the audience. This feeling of being hypnotised could foreshadow the danger and confusion that happens later in the film when the protagonist is unsure of his own identity. Along with the intense non diegetic music, this scene makes the audience anticipate the film and what will happen.

The mise-en-scene of this shot shows a dark room with the lighting only focused on the door ahead, creating anticipation of what is behind the door. The mise-en-scene of the rain and the intense non-diegetic music creates an eerie and creepy atmosphere. The addition of the bold red text creates connotations of blood and fear; resulting in an anxious audience wondering what will happen next.

In this shot, the mise-en-scene shows a close up shot of a hand, to which the identity remains unknown. This unknown identity thus creates added tension as the audience anticipates who it is. Along with the dramatic non diegetic soundtrack, this scene conveys a feeling of an eerie atmosphere and horror. The low key lighting of the hand also creates a tense atmosphere.

Following a loud crash of non diegetic music, this scene cuts to a long shot of a gate. The camera then rapidly approaches through the gate, creating tension as the audience anticipates what will be behind the gates. The non diegetic music build s up and reaches its climax as it enters the gates.

This scene follows after an intense build up of non diegetic music, the low key lighting and mise-en-scene of fire in the background creates a suspenseful atmosphere, with the fire connoting danger and fear.

The mise-en-scene in this shot shows a close-up angle of a foot standing on a gun, evoking a sense of fear and foreshadowing crime and punishment later on in the film. This close up shot intrigues the audience, and the intense non diegetic music creates fear.

In this scene, the mise-en-scene shows a slightly canted angle of what looks like a prison room, containing handcuffs and chains. This shot can foreshadow the crime and prison-like theme that occurs in the films, and a feeling of being isolated and locked away. The non diegetic music also creates a tense atmosphere.

This establishing shot of a dark, dismal island creates sense of isolation and fear as the low key dark lighting makes the scene scary and eerie. The mise-en-scene of the wide, open ocean also creates a sense of feeling exposed and empty, foreshadowing the fear and danger that happens in the film.

The scene cuts to a black screen, with the appearance of ‘shutter island’ in bold, red letters along with the sudden crash of non diegetic music. Through the use of editing, the title then appears as if it is veering towards the audience, captivation their attention and building the suspense, along with intense non diegetic music in the background.