It FollowsBY EMILY HUMPHREYS

Mise-en-scene

setting The scene is set in an abandoned swimming

pool where the group of friends try to capture and kill 'it' {the unknown creature after them}. The swimming pool is isolated with only one exit, entrapping the friends so there is no escape unless they defeat this 'thing'.

This setting choice is so the audience knows that the characters are trapped and no one will be coming to help, making the characters and themselves feel isolated like the pool and the viewers distressful as they know that they `re now trapped.

Mise-en-scenelighting

The lighting in the abandoned swimming pool is very dark and low lit with cold blue undertones coming from the pool. This gives the impression that the 'thing' they are trying to capture is hiding in the dark shadows around the pool, emphasized by the fact that only Jay (the main character) can see 'it', meaning that it could in fact be anywhere.

This makes the audience feel tense as there is a build up to where the 'thing' reveals its self, and the blue lighting casting onto it makes you know that the group of kids are in danger as connotations of blue are cold and lifeless, which is also a factor of iconography as only horror films change moon light to blue instead of a white/silver.

Also the fact that jay is centered in the blue pool alone indicates that she is the most endangered, as the lights around he pool are directed to her as if she if the bait or the target.

Mise-en-scenecostume

The costumes of the group of friends are set In the 80's, with casual clothes such as hoodies, t-shirts, jackets and trainers, but unless you had seen the rest of the film, this wouldn’t be as noteworthy or noticeable. This is so the film doesn't give a specific time frame, and so that the 'thing' that is following the group of friends could be in the modern era, making the audience think that 'it' could be anywhere and at any time, conveying a sense of paranoia to the viewers.

The costume of 'it' is a set of plain white shorts and a vest. This dehumanizes 'it' as well as making it seem impersonal as it is seen as a human when it actually isn't, and the audience can identify the evil element easily. It could also show the viewers that the human who 'it' is, is innocent as the white costume portrays purity to the audience.

Jays costume {a swimming costume} also conveys to the audience that she is venerable as she is more exposed and not as covered up compared to her other friends. This shows the audience that jay is practically helpless as she has no protection from the thing coming for her and can be shown by her choice of costume. This gives the audience the feeling that something major is going to happen, effecting jay as she is the most exposed and open character in the scene. Not only this but her arm is also in a cast meaning she is once again defenseless without her friends as she is injured.

Mise-en-scene

props

In the swimming pool scene the group of friends have collected numerous electric items,such as a TV, an iron, desk light and speakers.This is because the group will be using them to capture the thing by electrocuting it in the swimming pool.The props, also like the costumes, set the time frame of the film with the old TV's and lamps. The use of these props is a way for the audience to see clearly how the group plan to kill the thing as the scene builds up.

Another prop in the scene is the gun used to try and kill the thing as a back up plan. This shows the audience that the group of friends feel like they are in real danger causing the audience to feel almost shocked by the fact that they have a gun when they firstly wanted to try to electrocute it, and is also to show the power the thing has over the whole group even when only one person can see 'it'. This emphasizes how threatening the unknown evil is to the viewers

Mis-en-scene

character movements In the clip I have picked there is a lot of action happening as the group

of friends confront the 'thing' following Jay.

When looking at the movements of jay, she changes her pace during the five minuets as she becomes panicked and frightened of the 'thing' they are trying to capture. This makes the audience feel anxious because she becomes frantic and scared making us as a viewer feel the sudden danger she is in.

If you then look at the thing that is following them, its movements are very precise and calculated making the thing seem less and less human even when looking like one. This makes the audience feel scared when it appears as even though it doesn't look like a threat the movements it shows tells us we should be scared as they seem more skillfully placed than a human giving off a dangerous feeling to the viewer.

The friends movements, excluding jays, are jumpy and static. This is because they cant see the 'thing' in the room like jay can unless its from her point of view. The fear of the unknown causes these movements from the characters and makes the audience feel nervous and apprehensive as we are in the same shoes as the other friends

Non diegetic and diegetic sound{the main sounds in the scene}

Almost all the way through the scene you can hear the non-diegetic sounds of humming and trickling in the background. This asynchronous sound causes tension to be built as the humming increasingly continues. This causes the audience to feel tense through out the scene as the music is an indicator that something is going to happen as the music is building up by getting louder.

Not only this but the humming sounds in the scene also have small spikes of louder noise when something happens, like when an object is thrown at Jay in the pool, causing the audience to feel worried as the music indicates that something sudden and usually dangerous has happened.

For diegetic sound, you can hear the movement of the water and how it goes from splashing to a clashing sound so that it indicates to the reader that the danger level has risen as there are more frantic sounds being made in the pool. It also tells the characters that she is in trouble as they cant see the thing following jay but she can see it and where or what it is about to do.

Also regarding diegetic sound, you can hear the synchronous sounds of the voices of the characters echoing off the walls in the swimming pool. This causes the audience to feel tense as it adds to the fact of how isolated and alone the group are in the scene.

Camera In the start of the scene you can see a dolly shot

of the camera in the 'things' POV as is it walks alone along an empty corridor to the swimming pool. This show the audience that in the next few minuets the 'thing' that has been following jay is about to catch up to her. Now that the audience know what could happen to her in the film, it causes the viewers to feel nervous as the scene continues because we know how dangerous the thing is and that there is now no escape.

Following from this there is a pan shot across the pool when Jay finally sees the creature. this shot is used to make the viewer feel helpless as they watch the scene unwind without being able to see the actual 'thing', Creating an atmosphere of isolation and helplessness as the pan is used to show 'it' could be anywhere the camera has been directed.

Camera When the creature finally starts to move it begins to

pick up objects and throw them at jay. Shots such as wide shots, whip pan and tilt shots are used to show what's happening in the water to jay and how she is trying to save herself, while they also show what's being thrown into the water or where the next floating object is coming from. This makes the audience feel anxious as they can see what's about to happen next but jay cant.

There are also a few over the shoulder shots so you can see what's happening from a characters POV but also seeing how they will react by being placed just behind them. These shots where used so it placed the audience in the film with jay, or the other friends, as if this thing was actually after you. This causes the audience to feel on edge as they don’t know how the character will act or if they will be injured.

editing

In terms of editing the way the clips are all put together was a way for the scene to pick up pace at different times. For example key points in the clip are when the creature finally enters the room and everything soon picks up pace, creating a tense atmosphere for the audience. Or when the scene ends and the pace slows down so the audience is left in suspense to see what has happened to the creature when its in the pool.

Additionally CGI Is also used, for example to make the objects float in mid air , so the viewers are feeling uneasy to where the creature will go next,or to show us what the other friends see when one of them places a blanket over it and we see a body under it. When this scene happens it makes everything seem more real as not only can one person see, but multiple people can see it.

Finally at the end there is a cliffhanger as the pool is submerged in red, presumably blood, or the actual creature. This use of CGI causes the viewers to feel a sense of dread as we don’t know wither the thing has been defeated or not. Also the use of red suggests that it is dangerous, also giving us a sense that maybe the creature isn't dead after all.