Further evaluation of Delinquent

Sound
The diegetic sound of the news reader's piece stands alone - no other sounds can be heard aside from the news reader's voice. This was done in order to allow no distractions from the piece, encouraging the audience to concentrate fully on what is being said by the news reader.
When the delinquent walks towards the school building, the diegetic breathing increases the tension as the sound of the breathing creates an eeriness that could be symbolic of the delinquent's long journey from the 'secure unit'.

The lack of sound when the camera zooms in to the teacher's face is used in order to exacerbate the noise of the delinquent crashing against the door, creating a sense of foreboding within the audience, as the prospects of the teacher begin to seem increasingly negative.

The non-diegetic sound of Halloween by John Carpenter begins, layered with the diegetic sound of the teacher opening her bag. The high pitched and fast paced non diegetic sound of the piano reflects the high speed exit from the school that the teacher must make.
The synchronous sound of the door being opened corresponds with the image on screen and the creak heightens tension, however, restricts the continuity of the piece, as this squeak is not continued through to the next shot, detracting from the reality of the piece.
When the non-diegetic sound fades, the diegetic sound of other people around the school ruins the effect quite significantly, but the intention was to stop the music to signify that something symbolic was about to happen, heightening suspense of the film. The synchronous sound, alone, of her shoes also heightens this suspense.

The scuffing sound following this is almost evidence for the audience and for the teacher that the delinquent is there, and not simply a suspicion, emphasising the thriller genre.
The non-diegetic sound plays behind this, quite quietly, so that the teacher's shoes may still be heard over the top.

When the delinquent goes past the camera, shot from inside the room, the non-diegetic sound takes on more of a sollom tone; using lower keys in the non-diegetic sound. The image on screen is reflected directly and accurately with the non-diegetic sound, bringing a certain intensity to the film. As other instruments are added to the non-diegetic sound of Halloween by John Carpenter, the sound is made altogether, more complex, reflecting upon the increased complexity of the film. This is due to fuller body appearances by the delinquent, who remained more of an enigma to the audience until the intensity of the music increased.

The synchronous sound of the delinquent's feet shuffling along the floor heightens the suspense for the audience, and brings in a sense of foreboding. The shuffling sound also links back to the original script idea, of the in-genuine limp with the left leg.

The increased frequency of the teacher's heeled shoes means that the apprehension in the audience is increased and emphasised, as the dangerous position that the teacher is in becomes more obvious to the audience.

When the delinquent comes down the stairs, the lighting is very low, (inspired by Hitchcock's The Lodger). This means that the sound is relied upon to portray what is happening. The slow, shuffling sound of the delinquent's feet signifies what is happening in the scene, if it is not evident on screen. This increases suspense, as it creates a contrast with faster paced walking of the teacher and the slow, confident shuffles of the delinquent. This suggests that the delinquent has greater control over the situation, and creates a sense of foreboding within the audience.

The non-diegetic sound of Halloween by John Carpenter layered over the sound of cars going by outside of the main school building gives more verisimilitude to the piece, thereby giving the film more of an eerie effect.

Camera Work

The fixed, static shot of the newsreader enables the audience to concentrate fully on the dialogue and her facial expression, rather than being distracted with interesting camera shots. This enables the context of the film to be set.
Further context set is shown through the establishing shot to the zoom, which emphasises where the filming will take place.
The handheld shot from the point of view, supposedly, of the delinquent builds on the tension, as there is an absence of much understanding of who's viewpoint is being shown.
The mid shot of the teacher then a zoom in and then a zoom out ensures that the audience concentrate on the facial expression of the teacher when the diegetic sound of the books are heard, allowing the audience to empathise with the teacher, as her emotions are shown most obviously to the audience.
The mid shot of teacher putting her jacket on and then the pan of the camera, following teacher walking across the room shows the audience what the teacher is doing following the loud noise, the teacher supposes is the delinquent.
The close-up of hand opening door is a shot inspired by The Lodger by Alfred Hitchcock because this film showed some close ups in order to emphasise to the audience what was happening without the use of dialogue.
The shot taken from outside the room, of the door opening, allows the audience to see the wariness of the teacher, who cautiously waits within the door frame, suggesting an earlier experience with the delinquent.
The shot of the teacher walking down the corridor, away from the camera - walking away from the safety of her classroom, gives the audience the impression that she is being watched from behind, as it follows her quite intently, and ensures that her expression is shown clearly, when she turns around to see the sound made.
The point of view shot, when the teacher turns around to see the delinquent running away - long shot of delinquent quick shot allows the audience to empathise with the teacher once more, as it emphasises the intensity of the situation and literally puts the audience in her position.
When the teacher goes down the stairs, a high angle shot is used. This highlights her vulnerability and causes more tension to be created, as the audience may begin to see why she is so vulnerable.
Following this shot, is a mid shot of the teacher's feet walking down the stairs. As Abbie and I liked the effects of the use of this shot in 'The Rush', we decided that using it again would be beneficial as it allows the audience to follow the movement of the main character.
The next shot, from inside the closed classroom door, of the delinquent walking past the door heightens the tension of the piece as it confirms that the delinquent is indeed following the teacher. The shot of my the delinquent's feet dragging along the floor about to go down the stairs, matches with the shot of the teacher's, and shows that the delinquent is following the path of the teacher in order to catch up with her, heightening the intensity.
The long shot of the teacher walking through the hall way, towards the camera, allows the audience to see behind her. This shows that the delinquent is expected to be seen approaching her from behind and suggests that the chase is almost over.
The long length mid shot of the 'delinquent' slowly walking down the stairs heightens the tension to a significant extent, as the length of this shot contrasts with the short sharp shots used previously.
These shot reverse shots allow a significant tension to build and are therefore a vital part of the ending of the opening of the film as this creates excitement within the audience and convinces them to watch the rest of the film.
The shot of the delinquent standing in the road, directly facing the camera suggests that the teacher has no hope and no way out, concluding the thriller element of the film.

By Catherine Gough