How horror and suspense are created in the opening sequence of 'Scream'

During the opening sequence of 'Scream' we see that the setting is very isolated - the perfect and stereotypical environment for a murder to take place in the horror genre. There are various objects which help reflect the genre of the movie, such as the phone, the knife and the swing-set. The phone ringing signifies danger as we know the person on the other line is the killer. The use of the knife is an example of dramatic irony as it is clear while she is playing with it that it will be used by the killer as a weapon which brings tension. The swing-set also does this as it is swinging without any wind, which isn't normal and shows that a serious threat is coming.

The music during this scene is intense, sinister and dramatic, signifying the genre and that the film will be scary. The screeching sound within it fits with the film's title, 'Scream'. The music increases in tempo as she becomes more scared and the pace indicates her heartbeat which also shows this. Suspense is created when the music stops and there is silence, suggesting that something dreadful is about to happen.

There are different camera angles used in the opening scene. A tracking shot follows the girl and shows her importance in this scene and also allows us to see that she is on her own. There is a close-up shot of her face at some points which connotes her fear and magnifies it for the audience. Additionally, a crane shot is used which lets us see that she is in the middle of nowhere and emphasises her isolation and the danger of the situation.

The lighting gets darker as her death is impending. The lighting also signifies her fear as the darker it gets, the more frightened she becomes.

As mentioned, during this scene alone a lot of suspense is created. It is also formed when they talk on the phone about horror movies as we know that this conversation means something as it is a horror movie itself. The film 'Halloween' is mentioned when they are listing their favourite scary movies which foreshadows how she will die as the mask the killer wears is from that particular film.