Talking Head for Stay Alive

TALKING HEAD FOR

The film that I will be analysing is Stay Alive which is a horror/thriller film released in 2006. It was directed by William Brent Bell who co-wrote it with Matthew Peterman. The film was produced by McG and co-produced by Hollywood Pictures. This was the first film in five years released by Hollywood Pictures and is set in the United States.

Synopsis

A group of friends find themselves playing a underground horror game. The answer to the mysterious death of their old friend lies within the world of an online video game based on the true story of an ancient noblewoman known as the Blood Countess. The action taking place on their computer screens becomes a terrifying reality when they realize that each time a character dies during the game. 

The Characters

Hutch (Main character/Hero) 

Abigail (Girlfriend/Helper) 

Swink (Helper/Friend)

October (Friend)

Phineus (Octobers brother/friend) 

Elizabeth Bathory (Villain)

Loomis (Hutch's Best friend) 

Fidget (Game seller) 

Opening Scene -  Video link  1:02 - 1:45

The opening scene starts off with a sudden extreme close up shot of a creepy eye with blood all over and then cuts into a long establishing shot of the dark, deserted mausoleum and everything around it, followed by the gloomy, negative weather which is all computer generated. It zooms in at a medium pace from a establishing shot to a long shot all the way to the front door, which then is a close up shot of the player/man entering the mausoleum. 

At the beginning of the scene there is a sudden loud scream and glass shattering sound as the eye is shown. Both diegetic and non-diegetic sounds are used in this scene, for example the sound of foggy clouds whooshing past, which is a diegetic sound as you see the misty clouds while the camera zooms past. And the non-diegetic sound of a violin being used as the camera zooms down to the house from the clouds. The sound of the violin becomes faster and faster, which makes it sound very dramatic and also makes the scene look extremely thrilling as the camera reaches the door.
There is low key lighting used in the scene to create mystery. A mixture of black and grey colours are seen followed by misty white clouds which act as a frame to bring out the darkness.
The graphic display at the very beginning of the scene makes sure the audience know all the most important details such as the name of the film and the producers, directors, writers, characters, costume designers and make-up artists etc.

Second Scene -  Video link  0.00 - 0.27

The second scene fades slowly from a black blank screen to a wide shot of a city with tall buildings as it pans slightly to the right, it is also a high angle shot as it is taken from above. 

As the lift bell rings the scene cuts into a long shot of the lift doors opening and Hutch (Main character) walking out quite fast, almost towards the camera and walks right past which is a mid-shot of him. 

From a mid shot it becomes an over the shoulder shot since the camera is behind the character facing the same direction the he is. 

As Hutch walks through the corridor the camera follows him from behind at a medium pace. This is a tracking shot which gives the audience a detailed tour of where he is heading.

There are many sounds in this scene overlapping such as telephones ringing, people/officers chattering, cameras shuttering and a lady crying in pain which makes it sound awfully busy and intense. There are more diegetic sounds in the scene as you see the lift and the sound it makes once the doors open, many people talking to one another followed by the lady crying, but there are also some non-diegetic sounds for example you don't see any telephones or the camera/camera flashes.

Third scene - Video link  - 0.02 - 0.06

This is a reverse angle shot of Swink trying to stop the van doors from closing. and also shows the van and Swink from two perspectives.

The camera quickly shows a shot of him from the front and then the same shot from the back. 

Conflict Scene - Video link  - 0.28 - 1:41

This is the climax of the conflict in the scene, the only way to destroy the villain. This scene uses a close up shot of Hutch to show his facial expression which is extreme anger as he's eyes squint and mouth opens as wide as it can to release his anger.

The colour used in this scene is orange because the room is on fire so it reflects on the characters face and the walls. This  is a low key lighting as it is quite dull.

Here is a close up shot of Elizabeth Bathory (villain) burning to death which means it is finally over.  

The colour used here is yellow and orange since the fire has taken over the whole scene and also acts as a frame around the character.

This is an establishing/long shot which shows the the 3 characters Hutch, Abigail and Swink leaving the graveyard while the camera slowly pans down for them to walk towards. 

The shot also shows the location of where they are and the entire tower which is on fire while the ash is burning out the tower to symbolise the death of Elizabeth. 

The low key lighting also re-enforces the graveyard.

Final/Closing Scene Video link - 2:15 - 2:55

The very final scene shows the Stay Alive game beginning the same way it began in the opening scene, except this time it is seen from the a computer monitor showing the same long shot of the Mausoleum. 

This is a point of view shot because Fidget (Game seller) is watching the monitor the same way the audience see it.


The camera zooms in closer at a extremely slow pace all the way into the computer making it seem like the audience is in the game. 

It then pans up as it zooms to the tower where Elizabeth Bathory is looking out the same tower window where she was burnt to which means

the curse has began all over again...