Codes and Conventions : Opening 1

Technical codes are the lighting, focus, denotation (what is in the picture) and connotation (interpretations that might be linked). 

The use of hand-held camera work forms the feel of running along with the character and giving it an action mood to the scene. Moreover, close-ups and extreme close-ups were used to show the character's facial expression to the audience. 

To display more of the setting of the scene, establishing shots were taken of the forest to help the viewers take in on the area where the current scene is taking place. 

High angle of camera was used on the ditch to show how dangerous of an obstacle it is for the character to go over. The dead end is also shown from the low angle, where it's on ground level looking up towards the character, giving the audience a better feel to the danger of the ditch. 

As soon as the action was picking up the pace, long shots quickly turned to fast cuts to match the speed and the action taking place. 

When there's a pause within the action, heavy breathing of the character can be heard so audiences can feel the fear rising in him or sense the amount of running he's been doing to get to safety. 

The birds as diagetic sound helped to establish the isolated forest to show that its an innocent place before the plot is twisted and action takes place. Along with this, leaves and twigs can also be heard when the character is running. There's also the faint sounds of river when it gets to the ditch area to suggest water down below. also, when the character has paused before the obstacle to look at his surroundings, there are faint effects of thunder that could suggest danger closing in. 

Non-diagetic sound has also been included like the piano at the beginning. Focusing on the tempo, it's slow in the beginning but speeds up as soon as the character shows up in the scene. This is where more violins come in to add to the action. 

Symbolic codes show beneath the surface of the things we see. 

Mise-en-scene: blood and mud on character suggest the struggle to this survival against this beast he's attempting to get away from to safety. He's wearing a hawaiian shirt that can show he's a party person who's relatively laid back. This sort of enhances the fact that he's the first victim to go. He's also wearing white trainers and chinos, and this can show that he's not dressed for camping. This can also show how unorganised of a character he is. Alternatively, the girl is dressed more sensibly in dark colours and not sexualised. 

The tent is small so not many people can fit it in for protection. The tent itself is not very protective either, putting the girl into a very vulnerable state. 

To suggest the fact that the male character being attacked has died, he has blood come out of his mouth. 

Conventions are the ways of dong something that us audience accept. 

During the movie, the character trips over to slow him down and make him much more vulnerable and easy for the aggressor to catch him. Character also seems slightly overweight, making him a slow runner. He eventually meets a dead end; another unfortunate event. He's to overcome an obstacle but fails to make the jump over the ditch. He now becomes an obvious meal to the cannibal.

What makes the character even more extremely vulnerable is the fact that the forest is an isolated place and that the only safe place is the tent. But, it was to his reach before the beast attacked him. His friend comes out of the small tent in the reaction to the attack but no response. She becomes vulnerable.