Lights Out

Lights Out - Who's There Film Challenge (2013) from David F. Sandberg on Vimeo.

Mise en scene
Editing
Sound
Camera

Media Language 

The sequence begins with diegetic sound of heavy rain falling. There is low key lighting as the atmosphere is dark, conveying an eerie feel. The shot is of the outside of a house, which is not very visible due to the low key lighting. Titles fade in 'lights out'  in small white font. The font is slightly wobbly, suiting the horror genre. 
 










The diegetic sound of rain stops as it cuts to the hallway of the inside of the house, where we're introduced to a female character. There is on-screen diegetic sound of a door opening, and the female character opens the door and walks in (MS). She turns away from the camera and then there is a cut where we see her from the front as she walks towards the camera (LS to CU). She is wearing a long checkered shirt which gives the impression that they are her pyjamas. She stops at the end of the hallway and switches the light off, there is on-screen diegetic sound of the light switch being turned off. The women is looking down the hallway and there is a vague outline of a person in the darkness. This creates enigma and suspense for the spectator.
 













There is a cut to a POV shot of the female character (LS), from the unknown person's perspective as it's from the other end of the hallway. She turns the light on and it cuts back to the camera being behind her from the other end of the hallway with no sign of anyone else being in the house. This repeats itself as she turns the light off again, and the figure appears. It cuts to a CU of the female character looking down the hallway with a confused facial expression. She turns the light on again with on-screen diegetic sound of the light switch, and squints with confusion as she stares at the spot were the figure was. It cuts back so that the camera is behind her (BMS) and the figure reappears however its gone again when she turns the light back on. This repeats itself until she turns the light off to see that the figure has become closer to her, it is a female with her back to the female character. We can see her more clearly this time as there is more lighting. She appears to be naked with cuts all over her body which creates mystery and spectator positioning as we're unaware who this women is and why she is wounded. Non-diegetic sound plays as the figure appears which is very sudden and scary, with the intention to make the spectator jump. 
 













The female character gasps in horror and jumps back. It cuts to the female character (BMS) who looks shaken up and scared. There is non diegetic sound of a buzzing noise and diegetic sound of creaking floorboards to add to the suspense. It cuts to a high angle close up of the female character ripping off duct tape, with on-screen diegetic sound of it being ripped off. It cuts to a close up of her putting the tape over the light switch as she looks behind her warily. There is a cut to the women getting into bed, there is low key lighting, only light from her bedroom lamp (MS). It cuts to a CU of the women wrapped up in her duvet in bed with her eyes closed tightly. It is clear that she is scared from her twitching. 
 










It cuts to a shot of the bedroom door which is slightly open and there is off-screen diegetic sound sound of something dropping on the floor, and creaking floor boards which creates enigma as you can't see the cause of the sound. It cuts back to the women, and her eyes are slightly open with an eye line match to the door. There is a shot reverse shot sequence as it cuts back to the door, where the off-screen diegetic sound of creaking floorboards become more continuous and louder, to signify that the antagonist is becoming closer. The camera zooms in closer to the door and it cuts back to the protagonist as she lifts her head to look at the door properly. It cuts back to the door and keeps zooming into it whilst the creaking floorboards become louder, creating suspense. The light suddenly turns off, which means that the antagonist is very close to the door in order for it to take the tape off the light switch and turn it off. It cuts back to the women who is rising from her bed, panicked and back to the door which is opening wider. The off-screen diegetic noise of creaking floor boards is becoming increasingly louder and more significant as the suspense is building and there is a rhythmic thumping noise as if someone is running towards the bedroom. It cuts back to the female character as she gasps (on-screen diegetic noise) and throws her duvet over her head in desperation. It cuts and we see her under the duvet with her eyes tightly shut, she opens them occasionally to check that no one is there and she is shaking with terror. It cuts to a high angle above her as she removes the duvet from over her head to look around the room, and cuts back to the door which has opened completely. As it opens there is non-diegetic sound of a short scary sound clip to add to the suspense. It cuts back to the protagonist as she cries out and puts the duvet back over her head. It cuts back to under the duvet where her eyes are shut again and she is whimpering. There is a sound bridge as there is a buzzing diegetic sound as it cuts to the lamp flickering. It cuts back to the protagonist under the duvet, where the light flickers from dark to light. It cuts to a POV shot of the plug sockets and back to the female character as she reaches her arm out to put the plug socket back in to stop the flickering. This creates spectator positioning as they're wondering if the protagonist is going to appear or grab her arm.
 










Once she secrures the plug into the socket it cuts to her gasping as she quickly brings her arm back under the duvet, as that's her safety net. It cuts as she removes the duvet over her face and looks around. She laughs (on-screen diegetic sound) and smiles slightly as she thinks that she is safe however she looks to the other side and it cuts to a scary looking women staring at the female character with her mouth open and no pupils. There is on-screen diegetic sound of the scary women making an unpleasant noise as she appears and a non-diegetic screeching sound as the lamp turns off. It cuts to credits on a black screen in white wobbly font. 

Representation 

The representation of femininity is portrayed in this short film. The character is a middle aged female and she supports the femininity stereotype of women living alone being vulnerable and helpless from her cowering under the duvet when in danger with no male to protect her.

Narrative 

David Bordwell and Kristen Thompsons theory:
The short film is presented in a linear structure as it is in chronological order. The plot is that the women is being targeted by a scary looking women. The story is not clear to us as we don't see what happens to the women before or after. We assume that she lives on her own which adds to her vulnerability.

Roland Bathes theory: 
His theory of enigma codes are present in this sequence as enigma is created through-out, causing spectator positioning. Action codes are also conveyed such as the flickering lights, the thumping noises.
 
Genre 
The genre is a horror which is signified through the screeching, high pitched sounds and use of low key lighting. These are semantic codes, introduced by Rick Altman.