The Cabin in the Woods Opening Analysis

1. Step outline for film opening of: The Cabin in the Woods
Genre: Horror (cert 15)
Description of action Timings Mise-en-scene Sound Camerawork Editing Typography
Fades from black
showing the ident of
Lionsgate. Also fades out
to black
0:00-0;22 Lionsgate ident Mechanical clogs
and choir singing
an eerie song, in a
minor key.
Fade to and from a
black transition.

Extreme close up shot of
dark red dripping blood
against a black
background.
00;23-00:24 Slamming noise
and a sound track
starts to play, its
slow paced.
Extreme close up Fade in from black
background to
blood.

Extreme close up of
blood, within the
dripping blood a image
of Egyptian engraved
images are revealed.
Shown on the bloods
reflection.
00:24-00:27 Black
background
and dark red
blood drips and
flows on screen.
Slow drum beat
and wind
instruments are
heard, making up a
slow dark
soundtrack.
Extreme close
up.
Overlaid imagery
on top of blood.

Another section of the
oozing blood is focused
on. A different image
linked to sacrifice and
religion is denoted on
the bloods surface.
00:28-00:32 Red, brown
blood with a
black image.
Extreme close
up. Camera
slowly pans to
the right and
then down,
denoting blood
pool.

„Lionsgate presents‟
fades into the shot, over
the imagery of blood
and the black
background.
Various images are
linked to religious texts
00:33-00:40 Blood red
capitalised font
shown on the
bottom right of
the frame.
Camera
continues to pan
to and from
different blood
drops.
Blood and font
fades in from and
out to black.
Capitalised
simple, simple
emboldened
font, similar to a
tailed Serif font.
All letters are the
same standard

2. and sacrifice from
scriptures etc are shown
on top of the blood.
size. The red font
connotes that the
film could be
very gruesome
and the storyline
explores themes
of violence and
death.
Blood continues to
spread out onto the
black background.
Illustration of a person
being killed by hooded
figures is shown.
Illustration looks like a
ritual sacrifice.
00:41-00::45 Black
background
and red colour
scheme font
and blood.
Extreme close up
of blood.
Camera
continuously
pans to the
different blood
drops.
Blood fades in from
black background.

„A Mutant Enemy
production‟ is typed out
on screen over laid on to
the blood. Illustration of
a human being
murdered by a caped
hooded figure.
00:46-00:50 Drums in the sound
track become more
prominent and a
screeching sound
also becomes
apparent at this
point.
Text and image
fades in from black.

Text fades out to black.
The camera pans down
and then the blood
spreads out, filling up
the frame.
00:50-00:57 The sound track
grows in pace as
the illustrations
become more
prominent and
detailed.
Panning and
zoom in.
Illustrations of
religious paintings,
angels and demons
are depicted on the
bloods surface. The
imagery fades into
the blood.
„A Drew Goddard
Film‟ text is
denoted on
screen in the
same founts as
before. Text
fades in.
Close up of a coffee
machine.
00;58-1;00 Coffee machine,
office
Digetic sound,
background piano
Close up. Quick cut to the
coffee machine
Coffee machine
text/slogan

3. environment. type music, is
played in the
background. The
music relates to an
office type
environment.
from the titles.
Long take of the
coffee machine and
it‟s „slogan.
„Enjoy a cup of
fresh coffee‟
white
emboldened
script font is used
against a blue
background. A
contrast is
created between
the previous
bloody dark title
text and
typography.
Frame cuts to someone‟s
hand inserting a coin
into the coffee machine.
1:00-1:02 Coffee machine,
in an office.
Sound of a coin
clinking into the
coffee machine
Close up shot. Quick straight cut
in.

Two shot of two men
dressed in formal white
shirts and black trousers
talking what looks like a
cafeteria with a coffee
machine and other food
machines. One of the
men is getting a coffee
in the shot. One of the
men is talking about his
partner childproofing
and having children.
1:02-1:11 Office, food
room
Dialogue between
both characters.
Digetic sounds of
coffee machine
clinking and
humming.
Office piano
background music.
Two shot
showing the two
characters from
above the waist
standing
together in the
food room.
Match on action
from the earlier
shot, quick straight
cut out.

The men are still talking
about childproofing and
babies in their work
environment.
1:12-1:16 Humming of the
coffee machine.
Digetic sound of
coffee dripping into
Over the
shoulder. Bust
shot
Quick straight cut
in and out.

4. a cup
Shot is cut to the other
man‟s face. He asks the
other character about
not being able to open
his drawers at home
while he gets his coffee.

1:17-1:18 Dripping of the
coffee. The sound
of an office
announcement
fades into the
scene.
Over the
shoulder. Bust
shot
Shot reverse shot.
Camera goes back to the
man whose partner has
gone overboard with
childproofing. He
continues talking about
the drawers not being
able to open.
1:18-1:21 The announcement
rings louder in the
room.
Over the
shoulder. Bust
shot
Shot reverse shot.
The character who gets
the coffee, starts to pick
up his food and drink.
The other character is
leaning against a water
machine.
1:22-1:23 Sound of one of
the character‟s
picking up their
cups of coffee.
Medium two
shot of both
characters.
Straight cut in
Shot shows the two men
leaving the room and
walking into the hallway
with their coffee and
food.
1:24-1:29 The food room
to a hallway.
Medium two
shot that pans
across the room,
following the
character
walking out of
the room.
Panning.

5. A shot of an office
environment with a very
blank cold colour
scheme. There is a lot of
people walking around
in white scientific lab
coasts which connotes
that this is a scientific
research facility.
1:30-1:34 White hallways,
office
environment,
white lab coats,
a large research
building.
Announcement
voicing “Attention”
in the background.
Diegetic
background sound
of workers in the
building talking.
Asynchronous
sound of the two
men from the
earlier walking
down the hallway
and still having
their conversation
about children and
child locks.
Extra long
shot/establishing
shot used to
denote the
building.
A long take of the
shot

The two men are walking
down the long hallway,
which was shown in the
extra long shot. They are
still engaged in their
earlier conversation.
1:35-1:47 Announcements
and conversations
can be over heard.
Asynchronous
sound of the
character with
glasses slurping his
coffee.
Two
shot/medium
shot
Track technique is
used to follow the
men walking down
the hallway
together.

A female worker in a lab
coat approaches the two
men.
1:47-1:48 Research centre,
office
environment.
White and grey
colour scheme,
cold.
Dialogue from the
woman „Guys‟.
Background chatter
and sounds.
Extra long
shot/establishing
shot.

The woman is denoted
excitedly talking quickly
to the two men about
1:48-1:59 Bust shot Match on action at
the start of the
shot; the woman

6. „Stockholm‟. The three of
them continue to walk
down the hallway.
was denoted
walking towards
the men in the shot
before and walks
towards them from
another angle at
the start of this
shot. Tracking is
still used as they
walk down the
hallway.
The three co-workers
continue to walk down
the hallway.
1:59-2:02 Sound perspective,
as the three
characters walk
closer to the end of
the hallway and
closer to the
camera their voices
get louder.
Long
shot/extreme
long shot.
Worms eye view.
Match on action,
the characters are
denoted walking
down the hallway
in both shots.