AS Media, MICRO ELEMENTS - DOOM THRILLER

I will approach the micro elements  from scene “DOOM” by discussing how they create a response from the audience, explaining how cinematography, editing, lighting, sound, mise-en-scene, and character representation are used in this scene to create maximum effectiveness the scene starts when we see a zoom in of the male proteigonist’s eye, then fades to black to indicate new action will begin, and ends when the scene switches from point-of-view shot to a medium shot of the character.

The scene is seen in low key lighting which allows the dark muscular tones on the character’s body and face to be emphasised, and implies the protagonists feelings and emotions are that of someone who is wary and on the edge. The low-key lighting creates an uncomfortable atmosphere as it is associated with horror and fear, which is conventional because it is dark, scary and mysterious, highlighting the sense of alienation for the viewers, creating nervousness and suspense amongst them.

As the character stands up, he shouts his female partners name as we see him walk towards a mirror and he wipes blood off his face. This makes him look very serious, as he is on a mission to search for this woman at any cost, making the film apparent of an action film, and this also reflects his importance in the film.   As he wipes blood off from his face and looks sternly into the mirror, this represents him as very masculine and determined to accomplish his mission. There is no mark on his face which suggests that maybe he has killed before, and this mission is one of many that he has survived, and bloodshed is something that is normal for him. This gives the audience confidence in their hero and belief  that he will trumph in battling the zombies/demons. This representation is conventional because the character stands out as a believable hero, one that the audience will hold faith in.

The character is dressed in all black with a bullet proof body shield. This suggests that he is a mysterious character and it emphasises once again his importance to the film. The audience can assume that he is the hero, as his black, masculine attire reflects his strength and significance. As he is the only person fighting against a large number of zombies who enter the scene, it reveals to the audience that he is the last man standing in his team due to his army/clothing and because of other iconography seen in the scene, such as guns, dead bodies and high tech-equipment, which all suggest that he may have been part of a team. The character representation is conventional because it displays him im as a powerful male, also as he is the only person left in his team. Even though the audience are led to believe he is very strong, as he is alone fighting against many zombies, creating fear and suspense amongst them.

The mise-en-scene of this scene is conventional and creates an exciteable response from the audience as the character walks through the door after reloading his gun, he is bought into a total onslaught battle with many zombies/demons. This represents him as aware of his surroundings, suggesting that he is trained for this kind of warfare, again reinforcing our belief in him. His masculine representation and iconography that surround him shows that he is not scared of anything as he attempts to battle every zombie that approaches him. He does not take any chances during the battle, for example, at one point he shoots a reflection of himself, which infers to the audience he is a strong figure who shows no mercy.

Our protagonist is a unique individual, and conventional because his masculinty creates excitement and the atmosphere around him is violent, dark, and dangerous making the audience feel anxious as they want to see the hero win against the zombies safely. The low-key lighting enforces the clear representation that this male character will defeat anything for his woman, and he does not care about anything that stands in his way.
The icongraphy seen is conventional and aids our understanding of the scene. Blood, gun fire, dead bodies, zombies and demons are all things the audience would expect to see. The character’s gun is unique and his use of it is very fast and stable, as he has perfect aim in killing all the primary targets he comes across. This helps the audience understand that the character is fully focused on killing, and that he is a fighter. The action is located in a secluded area which seems creepy, and isolated. There are many dead bodies scattered around and some which are seen to be eaten by rats, informing the audience that this is not a very nice place to be. The dead scentisits make the audience think that an accident like mutation has occurred which has created the multiple number of zombies. As we see the character at the end of the scene, we see a lockdown sign which shows the whole place is on red alert and tells the audience that this place is dangerous, and the low key lighting is now accompained by red light which connotes danger and creates further suspense to the scene.

The cinematography used provides the audience with a first hand experience of what the character is going through. After the fade to black at the start of the scene, the scene is almost entirely in point-of-view. Nonetheless there is one point in which the character is briefly knocked out and the camera swings to show him on the floor which creates fear and anxiety amongst the audience. The point-of-view is used to make the viewer feel as if it them that is the character fighting the zombie/demons and to draw the audience deeper into the movie. There is a flash of light on the screen when the movie returns to the point-of-view, as the character gets up and wanders around for the rest of the scene fighting zombie/demons with the use of props being several guns, chainsaws, and bombs. This use of point-of-view creates excitement as the audience sees the events through the leading actor's eyes, as if they were experiencing the events themselves again, demonstrating our trust in the hero as we become him.  As we see everything first hand, this makes the audience repsond to the scene by feeling sheer exhilaration, as the audience feel they are in the shoes of the character. There is also a point in the scene where a variety of micro elements are used to create intensity. By using intense non-diagetic sound, a fade to black and a medium shot when he is battling, it makes the audience believe that he has died as the fade to black is a representation of his heart beating slowly, however he revives himself and gets back on his feet which relieves the audience.

In the opening of the scene off screen sound of a woman yelling “I’m your sister” is heard as an echo, which is speeded up to suggest time has passed along with the fade to black. This creates anxiety for the audience and creates empathy towards the scene as the audience can identify the storyline of this character trying to find “Sam”, his sister, whilst having to overcome zombies. During this scene, parallel sounds resemble electricity and water dripping making the audience aware that this is a forbidden, isolated room which supports the mise-en-scene and understanding of this horrid, dangerous place. We also hear diegetic sounds of gunshots being fired and the sounds of rats squeaking in the background. This makes the audience feel unpleasant as they understand that the character is in a dangerous place, nonetheless represents him as fearless as he doesn’t care what he faces and what conditions he is in as long as his mission is completed. When the character moves from the mirror and reloads his gun, the non-diegetic music turns into a fast tempo beat which creates a dramatic and excitable effect on the audience as he comes up against the zombie/demons. The non-diegetic music changes its tempo to match the editing as it gets slower each time he walks round the corners then it speeds up when he sees a zombie/demon which creates more tension and suspense in the scene. This is conventional to an action movie because the sound creates excitement and tension to help the audience follow the important action. The editing supports the sound and action because as the music speeds up, the editing gets more intense and this adds suspense for example by stopping when the character is unconscious and restarting again when he wakes up. The fast paced editing is used to achieve heart racing response from the audience.

The audience can relate to the character of being a lone wolf as he looks as if he is without his team. He must take action against the zombies/demons by himself in an environment which is enveloped by death, danger, and chaos by trying to find a way to escape as we can see him making his way through all obstacles to the lockdown area at the end of the scene. The character is someone who gives hope to the audience by showing them never to give up against evil and fear

The film offers excitement and breath taking action whilst the point of view adds a real intense thrill. I believe that the mirco elements used can allow anyone to feel escapism enjoying this breath taking fast paced film.