Textual Analysis - No Way Out

The short film No Way Out (2001) is 9 minutes long with a $3,000 budget which I'd say is a responsible average budget for an Independent, short film. The pot for this film is about a man isolated in a place where twisted creatures torment him from the dark, a man desperately tries to find an escape. The creators 'Arcanum Pictures' had previously helped create ' My Sucky Teen Romance' and then gone on to create 'GiverTaker' all of which were moderate success. This short film was released through a film festival where it was also entered into competitions and has been rated in the top 10 best Independent short horror films.

The first shot is the production company's name which is 'Arcanum Pictures' after looking up the definition of Arcanum I found that it means 'A deep secret, a mystery' something that fits into the plot of this short film but also the conventions of horror but it also shows the creativity of the creators for creating a name which such a twist linking to the genre. Their ident which is simple and not too over-powering. By having the white text on the black background there is nothing else for the audience to focus on meaning they only see the name, meaning there's more chance of them remembering and recognising it, the colours also fit into the codes and conventions of the horror genre as they're both dark and mysterious. Both the ident and the title sequence use the same layout and font making the two shots flow and transition easily, it also gives it some consistency which is seen as an audience pleasure. A series of string instruments which is non-diegetic sound, began when the ident faded in and got slightly louder as it transitioned to the title sequence, this build tension up as though the tension they felt when seeing the title is how the audience should feel the whole way through, this itself is a conventional thing within horror films for example, Jaws with it's classic string instrument soundtrack as the shark approaches, the closer it gets the higher to and louder the instruments go connoting danger and the anticipation that something is going to happen.

Usually an establishing shot is used to show the location which an exterior shot that the production is taking place which ultimately sets the mood for the production however, the first thing the audience see of the location is an interior shot of a cluttered, dark corridor/room which is still a typical convention in the horror genre even though how they've shown it has gone against the codes and conventions. This shot doesn't give away anything as to where the location actually is, adding mystery and enigmas setting the mood for the production, so this shot has the same result as an exterior establishing shot without having to reveal the location, this is something that the Saw films tend to use as it creates a sinister effect.  There is little lighting in this scene but the parts that are lit are on the floor connoting that there are windows or holes in the wall (low key lighting) but this also shows that this scene is taking place during the day, it also connotes that the Protagonist/victim is almost being taunted where they can see the light which connotes the outdoors and escape yet they have no way of getting to it giving the unknown Antagonist an evil first impression without having to even meet them. Also, the glass in the door is lighter compared to most the wall around it making it standing out in the shot, this will draw the audience focus towards it connoting it's importance or possibly emphasising it. In this shot the camera is moving towards the door, this is known as a dolly shot as the camera would be on a track being pushed so that the movement is smooth and won't be mistaken for a point of view shot, with the camera moving closer to the door this also connotes its important and makes the audience focus on it even more. The music in this shot has a lower pitch compared to the ident and title sequence which it smoothly faded to as a dramatic change in pitch would of broken the audiences focus in the scene ruining the mood.

So far all the shots have had a sepia, brown and dark tone layered over, in the previous shot the camera was slowly moving towards the door by doing that they caused a tense and anxious atmosphere and the audience are mainly focused on the door, the shot stops for a couple of second at the door almost leading the audience into a false sense of security but then the door flew open and a loud noise followed which would shook the audience acting the same way symphonic sound does with a sudden change in pitch but in this case, a sudden burst of loud sound, followed by some non-diegetic sound of a squelching noise, this makes the audience feel unnerved and it also signifies the introduction of the Antagonist and the protagonist. As that burst of sound happens the soundtrack from before fades out slightly with only a faint violin to be heard, instead of the soundtrack you can hear a lot of noises mix together such as, footsteps, scrapping, groaning, animal like screeches, things falling etc. by having all these sounds mix together within the scene it reflects and connotes the tension, fear and panic in the scene, this is conventional of the horror genre and therefore, the audience could be entertained by this based on the Uses And Gratifications Theory. In the following shot is a close up shot, this is the first time the audience see the characters face which is shown to be human, giving them some clue of their identity, the fact that he is human could connote that he is the protagonist and from the unnerving noises from before connotes that the antagonist is that human, through this the audience are able to identify a sub-genre of a possible sci-fi genre. The audience can also see the mans face which shows struggle and fear so even though the audience can't see what the creature is they feel they should feel afraid of it too. The only visual the audience have of the creature is the rope like thing wrapped around the mans arm connoting it is not human, this is back up but the growls and screeching added in as sound effects.

Here we have a close up shot of an old fashioned shaving knife on the floor with the man reaching for it, in the shots before we saw that the place was very cluttered and by having this old fashioned shaving knife it would connote that the room is full of other old things which is a typical place for people to put their old items, this could also connote how the protagonist has had to go back to more basics in order to fight the creative which is a typical/conventional thing to happen in a horror film as modern technology often fails to work or defeat it. The lighting in this shot forms a spotlight around the knife itself helping to create a shadow of the protagonist reaching for it this emphasises the shadow of the mans hand which could be quite creepy as shadows are typically associated with ghosts and usually the antagonist.

Since the man burst through the door the following scenes have been very fast paced, this is a typical thing to do in a horror film or even just action scenes, by doing this it helps the audience feel the panic, rush and adrenaline the man would be feel, it could also help them connection with the man. In the dirt glass of the door the man in holding shut you can see a silhouette of the movement the creature is making yet again connoting further that it's definitely not human as you can clearly see that whats against the door is more like tentacles connoting that the antagonist is some sort of alien life form, the fact that it is chasing the protagonist and trying to kill him there's also some faint animal noises connoting that the antagonist is also animalistic and inhumane, beyond a human and possibly a monster. Screeching is much clearer in this shot backing up the suggestion of the thing after him not being human, it could possible be a monster which isn't a common convention in horror films as most gone for a more paranormal element however, it's found to be very effective in some. Also, looking at the door and how dirty and run down it looks it would connote that the place the production is taking place in is some kind of warehouse or run down place which is actually a typical conventional location for a horror film.

There's different ways symphonic sound can be used, at the beginning it was used with a sudden burst of sound, in this shot it's used to have a sudden quite that happens with the doors stop moving and the creatures sound effects stop, the only thing you can hear is the breathing of the man; this creates a nervous and intense atmosphere as the audience would almost be waiting for the creature to pop back up all of a sudden to scare them. By doing this the audience will be drawn into the film wanting to make sure they don't miss anything.


The scene seems to have calmed down as the soundtrack has balance out  the shots have become more slower in pace this connotes that he's alone and that the creature has gone away or it could even connote the build up to something. There's no non-diegetic sound in this shots just diegetic such as his breathing and him shouting. The first shot is a long shot of the man looking down the corridor connoting he doesn't know where he is, just like the audience don't know; this is something the audience can relatable to and possibly make them connect with the character even more, maybe even make them root for him. Most of the scene is dark with the only lighting coming from small areas in the wall and from the door behind the man which causes the man to look more like a silhouette   connoting that he's just like everything else in this place, old, forgotten and trapped. So far in the production there has been no dialogue up until this point where the man shouts help down the corridor by doing this it connotes that the man is desperate and it portrays him as more of victim now then a protagonist as protagonists are meant to be strong, overcome every challenge, independent etc. these are all things that Propp's character type says they should be however, this man has just got away from that creature however, he seems lost and confused and more like the damsel in distress who needs saving. The second shot is a continue from the first however it is a extreme long shot of the same thing, except this time the camera is shaky, hand-held and as if voice gets more distressed and shake so does the camera as though the camera is following his voice, this can be seen as an audience pleasure as if helps the scene flow another thing that helped the two shots flow was the shouting of help doesn't alter with the moving of the camera just after, this connotes that this corridor is longer that him and the audience know and no one is going to hear him and that he's all alone with that creature.  Also, in the first shot you could see the man slightly however, in the second you can't see him which would connote that he's now part of that room or the place he's in.

One of the biggest things to have in a horror film is blood and in this shot the man is crouched over coughing blood up on the floor this definitely suggests that something is seriously wrong with him as no one in the audience needs to be a doctor to know that coughing up blood isn't a good thing, this could cause tension as all the things done in the previous shots that make the audience root for him now but the audience in a position where they fear for him and it could make the film slightly more personal as they don't want this man to die.  In this shot you can hear a faint windpipe instrument possibly connoting that something is going to happen or something in getting close, this creates a sinister, intense atmosphere within the production and the audience.

Seeming as throughout all of the previous shots the lighting has been minimal having a sudden burst of light coming from this door would cause confusion and mystery. The light under the door could connote the way out and it's the daylight shinning through the door however, the way that it was shown flickering on could connote that it was more like a light switched being turned on then daylight. In this shot we see the mans feet which are usually bare, this connotes that he didn't plan on coming to where ever he is as if this was planned he would be prepared for the adventure and wearing shoes, you can also see his trousers which look like pyjamas, this is exactly the most typical protagonist outfit which yet again suggest that he is more of the damsel in distress then the hero.

The lighting in this shot is set so that everything is else i the room is black which the emphasises the white squared that the light is coming from, making the audiences main focus, this could almost make them forget about the darkness around it which is typically known for where the monsters and antagonists hide/lurk. The colour of the light is very bright which usually connotes a way out, an escape which gives the audience hope for the man and could have then on the edge of their seats waiting for him to run towards it. Then as if to snap the audience back into reality the light fades away making the the whole room dark as this happens a choir of instruments slowly starts to build this could connote that something is the darker and is after him, then as he starts to look around with a panicked expression the same animal like noise start to get build up again in time with the music, this would cause tension and would have the audience on the edge of the seats, this time because they'd want him to get out of that room. By taking away the bright light and replacing it with the darkness it almost takes away the audiences hope of the mans escape.

In this shot they have the man running out of the room and re-entering the corridor all in one take by effectively moving through the wall by panning from right to left, by doing this it makes the action of leaving the room, it acts as a transition but it is more effective and dramatic then just cutting away. It also gives the scene some variety because if the same shots were used for when he entered the room to when he left then the audience are more likely to get bored and disengage from the plot which is something no film wants.

As the man walks down the corridor there's a faint windpipe instrument slowly getting faster however, it is then cut off by a loud clang of metal giving the audience a shock and possibly making them jump which for the horror genre is an audience pleasure. Just as if would the audience, it makes the man jump and yet again the audience can relate to the character in the film making then connection between them stronger and the audience more involved in the film. The clang of metal continues several times which 1 second between each one, this way the audience can predict when it will happen yet each time it gets louder still causing them to jump, this creates tension and confusion as to what it getting close to the man, whether it's going to hurt him or be someone to resume him.

This shot is a birds eye view of the man falling into the frame after tripping which is known as a cliché action to happen when being chased or running away from something however, clichés can be an audience pleasure as they cause suspense within the shot. This shot also makes the audience feel as though they are looking down at the fallen man, it could almost remind them that they are the viewer/spectator and not actually in the film which could cause even more tensions the know there is nothing they can do to help the man. As the man then sits up the camera follows him in another one take, the camera arcs up showing what is infant of the man which to begin with it nothing but the usual clutter but then the soundtrack pick up and there's a sudden burst of noise giving the audience a shock as I've said before this is symphonic soon, this is used a lot in this product which ones for lots of horror films as it a popular and effective thing to do. Following the burst of noise a metal claw like object slams down infant of the man connoting that whatever the creature is, it's found him and he is now in danger again, causing tension, worry and suspense as the audience are on the edge of their seats waiting to see what will happen.

With all the chaos the shots have gotten faster which just emphasises and reflects the panic and chaos. In this shot the depth of field is very large as the whole shot is in focus showing both the creature and the man however, because the man has his back to the camera this doesn't make him a main focus point for the audience, the creature is. This is the first look the audience actually get of the creature so they're already be fixated on it, the way that it emerged from the shadows goes along with the horror conventional of things lurking and hiding in the shadows which has been a constant theme in this production, as if to confirms it's identify the creature screeches the noticeable screech that we've been hearing faintly throughout the previous scenes, all of the instruments that have been playing faintly all now join in with the screeching to add to what is the end of the build up and what the suspense has lead up to, now it adds to the reflection of panic and fear. This shot is also at a low angle making the creature look at a higher position then the man, more power and intimidating connoting that the creature has won and will possibly kill the man now. Before any of the audiences questions could be answered the creature launches towards the man and the screen goes black and all non-diegetic and diegetic sounds stops and there's nothing, this would cause confusion in the audience and they'd want to continue watching to see if the man is alive or dead.

This shot is close up of the man's face, this let's the audience know that the man is alive however, the lighting in the scene is all dark with a faint light coming from above him making the scene sinister and instantly making the production take a darker turn. The expression of the man's face doesn't seem to reflect any fear like it did before connoting that the creature has gone or he isn't scared of it anymore, this would make him seem more like a hero also, the way that he man is position with his head down with his eyes look up, this is a classic antagonist pose which would make the audience feel uncomfortable and connote that he's turning dark or possible giving up, so we have two things connoting two different things which would cause confusion and worry within the audience. Compared to the lighting in the first shot the lighting in the second shot is the complete opposite, it's very bright connoting that it's the way out/the escape. The way the two lights contrast together could connote that he is trapped in the dark, the evil and can't reach the light, heaven, where everything that's good is and by him reaching out towards it connotes that he wants to go there however, no matter how hard he's trying he doesn't seem to be able to, also with the camera being position the other side of the wall and having him stare directly at it makes it seem as though he's reaching for the audience, as if for help, this would make the the shot feel more personal to the audience as it seems that the man is asking them for help yet they cannot not do anything.

The soundtrack leading up to this shot has gotten faster and a higher pitch, this acts as a build up creating suspense. Up until now there hasn't been much blood or any gruesome scenes however, like any horror film there's always some gruesome scene to come, in this productions case it's the man breaking his skull to reach his brain. The process of this alone would have the audience shocked, confused and on the edge of their seats but it also connotes how desperate this man is to escape into the light and out of the darkness. This shot is a close up of the man touching his brain and as he touches it there are faint, echoed noises that have been previous used when the creature appears then as he takes his hand off they fade away, this connotes that maybe all these creatures and all this darkness is in his mind, that the production itself has a deeper message of the Man's thoughts and mind not being in a good place but rather a dark one and he's struggling to get back to all the good in the world.

This shot is a medium shot of the man passing his brain through the hole in the wall, the hole is positioned exactly in the middle just like it was when we saw the man reaching through it, by having it in the middle it makes it easy to focus on it but also with the lighting around it, it makes it stand out massively. Taking the suggestion that this was all about the man's mind not being in a good place, this backs that up. Someone who'd just taken their brain out wouldn't have the capability to move, especially not do what the man is doing. By the man passing his brain over to the lighter side it connotes that throughout all the struggle he sees that what he is doing its the only way to pass through to the better, brighter side even if his body has to stay in the dark however, that could even connote something else such as, how he has to leave a part of him behind in order to be happy or seem happy. The audience can interpret what is happening in their own way which could end up being personal to them, meaning they connect to the production on a much more personal level then they did before but also it doesn't just connote one thing it connotes many even if it was done in a gruesome way which is a typical convention in the horror genre. The process of the man removing his brain and then him passing it through the hole in the wall would act almost as a plot twist as the audience couldn't of predicted that he was going to do that, this in itself would of provided a shock but also have been an audience pleasure as a predictable storyline is a boring one.

In this shot we see the aftermath, someone who has just removed their brain shouldn't be alive yet this man is still breathing and even crying which connotes to the audience that it isn't based around reality. The mans position shows him hunched over and almost huddled into himself which makes him look distressed and as though he's finished now, now that he's done what he did, this mixed with the cries you can hear would take all the tension away from the scene and replace it with a mixture of emotions within the audience such as, sadness, worry, anger etc. The lighting in the scene acts as a spotlight around the man making him the main focus point and this doesn't change as the camera moves backgrounds away from him, this is a dolly movement, by doing this it makes the shot longer which also lets more darkness into the shot making the man look alone with only the dark to keep him company connoting the mind/psychological element in the production that maybe even though he's struggled that hard and done something that took all his strength and that even then the darkness is still there however, the light around him would also connote the light protecting him and that him passing his brain through the wall really has made him happier.