PUBLISHED BY BECKY GROARKE
The Vampire Diaries
The opening sequence of The Vampire Diaries (2009) starts out with a bird’s eye view of a car driving along with a diagetic sound of the car driving amplified. The camera is placed behind some branches of a tree which suggests that the audience feel as if they are hiding and the characters don’t know they are there. The way the shot focuses on the car could also suggest that the people in the car driving are intended targets for the antagonist. Also in this part of the opening scene, diegetic music is playing which the people in the car are listening to on the radio which is also amplified. This makes the audience as it suggests that the people are unable to hear if the antagonist is coming as it masks the footsteps. The immeadiate setting is used throughout the opening sequecnce: located on a road. The lighting is very dark (low key) which makes it seem mysterious and emphasises the tense atmosphere which suggests that it is of the horror convention. In the next shot the camera moves at the same speed of the car still using dark lighting, this is an example dolly movement. The camera is also positioned on the same level as the car which suggests that the characters inside are protagonists.
An over the shoulder shot Is used when the man and woman in the car are both conferring loudly using relaxed dialogue. The soundtrack has here changed its sound perspective to be quieter and can still be heard but indistinctly as the dialogue is heard over it. The fact that the characters are found here in a seemingly normal situation and seem completely oblivious to potential danger that the audience suspect, builds tension. The over the shoulder shot that is used suggests that the characters have an intimate relationships and therefore undergo a very colloquial conversation. Shot reverse shot is used more than once during this scene to show both of the people having the conversation. Furthermore, as the sound perecpective increases, this allows the pace of editing to speed up to enhance the tension and therefore engage the audience. A close up of the woman smiling is shown which is used to make the audience feel sympathetic and also shocked as it builds up and happy moment to be directly juxtaposed by the action to follow- which the audience have been taught to expect through the conventions used.
The setting changes as the car drives into fog, instantly making the audience anxious as fog brings about connotations of mystery. A subjective point of view shot is used of the man looking through the windscreen at the fog. By the use of a sudden jolt of the camera, fast paced cutting between 3 shots and soundscapes of a bang and tyre screeches, the audience and characters jump and it is implied that the car has hit someone. The music stops suddenly and a whoosh sound effect is used which suggests that the man came out of nowhere and also implies that the situation may be supernatural or not quite real. The man hits the windscreen and a close up is used of the cracked windscreen. The lighting that is used in both of these shots is low key and the only light used is by the car headlights. A series of jump cuts are used on the car spinning around as they would characters react. As soon as the car stops, a non-diagetic score is used which sounds eerie to emphasise the horror genre and build suspense.
Whilst the male protagonist tentatively gets out the car to examine the situation, the womnan calls for help, although visibly in shock indicated by the shaking, out of control breathing and fast paced speech. A close up of the woman’s face is shown as she is trying to call for help showing her expression which is worry and shock. The suddenness of the incident reinforces the horror genre.
As the male charcater is checking the other man’s pulse the eerie non-diagetic score gets louder. It is obviously non-diegetic which emphasises the tension as the audience are helplessly aware and guessing at what is going to happen next, building suspense. An over the shoulder shot is used which shows the man looking over the man he ran over.
The scene quickly cuts to an extreme close up of the antagonists bright white, and sharp teeth, which immeadiate you label him as a vampire. The lighting used is still low key but there is more ambient lighting highlighting the fangs. This suggests that the weapon is his teeth and that he is dangerous, considering the “gun on the mantelpiece” theory. At this point of the opening scene, the non-diagetic score stops and an amplified diagetic sound of the fangs biting the flesh is heard as a close up shot is used of the bite on the man’s neck. This is an example of stage make-up which is here use as a typical horror convention of blood and gore. The dead man’s body is dropped on the car bonnet, the sound o which is amplified to strike fear and dranmatise the moment. stage music here stops, which is used to make the female character feel isolated and the audience are also able to relate to her, more due to being able to hear her heartbeat and loud breathing.
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