Micro ElementsCameron Scrimgeour – Dark Skies (2013)

Tilt Shot This shot brings us into the setting of the film and shows the starting location.

Music

The music used in the opening of the film is quite opposite to the imagery we see. It is slow, eerie music, mainly played with violins and occasional chimes that are now associated with horror films to be scary sounds.

Medium Shot This shot shows us a man using a leaf blower to clean the streets. From this we learn that although he is the first character we see, he is not prominent from the lack of screen time he gets. The man cleaning the street re-enforces the idea that everything is normal and calm.

Long Shot This angle allows us to see more of the area in which the film will be set. The shot of the boy on the bike once again shows us that this is a normal suburban area, with seemingly nothing wrong.

PerformanceIn this shot, we see a family happily playing with water guns and a hose, and we can hear the sounds of the children laughing too, which is uncharacteristic of a typical horror film. We may see this though as this is a sci-fi horror hybrid, so films start with a normality.

Pan ShotThis pan shot follows the girls as they walk. The consistent shots of children in the opening reinforces the safety of the area, but could also hint at the vulnerability at the same time.