In-depth intro analysis: Scream

Scream (1996)

Screams intro uses sound and dialogue to create a very effective intro that makes the audience want to watch on to discover what happens next. Silence in the beginning creates tension as it represents Ms Barrymore's loneliness and vulnerability. The phone rings distinctively as it is contrasted with the silence making it clear to the audience this call is very significant. After hanging up, the unknown character calls back the same number. The camera keeps a consistent mid-shot while the young women is on the phone, to capture her emotions and reactions to the unknown caller. This creates further confusion to the audience as both, the audience and Ms Barrymore don't know who the caller is and have no clues as to what his intention may be.

After hanging up, the shot switches to the exterior of the house in which there is a further exaggeration of silence and loneliness which hints at danger Ms Barrymore may be in. The next shot is a brief close-up of a lit stove in which Ms Barrymore is placing a dish of pop-corn. This shot foreshadows danger to come and this is further supported as she walks away leaving the fire unattended to pick up another phone call. She is greeted by the unknown caller again and they begin to exchange lines. She briefly re-visits her food on the stove until she moves towards the counter getting further from it. It is clear to the audience that at this moment,  Ms Barrymore is fully indulged in her conversation with the unknown caller and danger is furthermore foreshadowed when she starts fiddling with the sharp knives in the block. This builds up great amounts of tension as she then moves to the next room (still on the phone) getting further from the unattended food on the fire. 

The food left on the fire unattended is a convention you would commonly see in horrors along with sharp knives as murder weapons. Therefore it is very easy to present a sense of danger to the audience as it is what they would expect. 

The mood of the conversation over the phone takes a complete turn after Barrymore learns that the unknown caller is aware of her location. This immediately connotes danger as being imminent and Barrymore begins to panic. She becomes extremely paranoid peering through windows and locking the door. She re-visits the popcorn left on the fire which has now greatly expanded and is burning. This could connote the fear level rising in the scene and further more to come. The phone rings for the last time and the tension rises to hits highest as Barrymore upsets the caller answering the phone with 'Listen ass-hole'.

After that line, it was clear to the audience Barrymore had started some sort of 'war'. Non- diegetic sound of screeching violins had now infiltrated the scene and Barrymore was now in full alert and extremely scared, and producers continue to increase this fear as the caller calls her 'blondie', which provides confirmation that the caller is aware of her location. The sound of the non - diegetic sound further increases parallel to Barrymore's fast movements now with the implementations of drums. Rather than cuts the camera follows Barrymore's movements to make it look like she's being chased by something, this adds to the drama along with all the other techniques to fill intro with tons of fear and tension and create an experience for the audience.