Blog Post #23 - Heightening the Emotional Impact

 

    

    The picture above is a close up angle of a character struggling to open the door, fiddling through many keys before finding the right one. This was done in order to add suspense, increase the sense of danger, add to the sense of helplessness, and to sort of reveal some of the character's traits. Below I will dive deeper into the elements I just listed.

 

  Creating Suspense: By showing the character struggling to open the door, the scene is prolonged and the tension is heightened. The audience is left wondering whether the character will make it out in time or not.

    Increasing the sense of danger: The fact that the character is struggling to open the door indicates that there is something dangerous and threatening on the other side. This creates a feeling of urgency and danger for the character and increases the tension for the audience.

    Adding to the sense of helplessness: The fact that the character is struggling to open the door also creates a sense of helplessness and vulnerability. The character is unable to escape the danger, which creates a feeling of powerlessness and adds to the overall horror of the scene.     

    Revealing character traits: The way in which the character struggles to open the door can also reveal their personality and character traits. For example, a character who is resourceful and quick-thinking may be able to find an alternative way out, while a character who is panicking may become even more flustered and unable to think clearly. The scene in the movie clearly shows that the character is panicking, which can even reflect onto the audience by further immersing them into the position of the person on screen.