YM- Genre Analysis 1

Signs (Shyamalan, 2002)
This is a sub-genre of Psychological Thriller.

Camera:
- Long shot through the window, sets the scene informing the audience that the house is the setting.
- Camera follows the men as they run, placing the audience with them.
- Long shot of room when man wakes up to show the double bed with only him in it, after the close up of the family suggests mother figure isn't around and raises questions from the audience.`



Sound:
- Selective sound of his sharp in take of breath as he wakes up.
- Child screaming followed by the reactions of the two men being worried is motivation for the audience to continue watching.
- Selective sound when men are running through the crops dramatises the hurry they are in to find the children.
- Girl's tone of voice is confused and questioning.


Editing:
- Cutting rate increases after the child's scream to show the dad rushing across the hall; represents his increasing worry and the audience is motivated to know what has happened.
- Motivated cut when children scream 'Dad'.
- Motivated cut when boy turns his dad's head towards the camera; makes the audience want to see what is happening.

Mise en Scene:
- Dull/muted colours throughout, including lighting, matches with the theme and atmosphere of film.
- Bright colours of the child's drawing stands out among the muted colours, reinforcing the dominant ideology that children are care free.
- Drawings on door tell audience it is a child's room.


Conventional Features:
- Titles
- Dialogue and sound are typical of genre
- Varies cutting rate
- Different camera shots and angles, with many close ups

574