Plot
Three friends, Dan, Joe and Dan's girlfriend Parker, spend a Sunday afternoon at a ski resort. They don't to pay full price for three ski lifts, so the bribe the attendant to let them all go on one. On the way up the ski lift stops, but it quickly restarts again and they enjoy the whole afternoon skiing. As the evening draws closer, the resort decides to close early as there is a storm coming. Wanting one last go on the slopes, they remind the attendant of the bribe from earlier and convince him to let them have their final go. The attendants then switch, and thinking there are no more skiers left on the slopes, he shuts the whole thing down. This causes Dan, Joe and Parker to become stranded on the single ski lift, cold and frightened. The ski resort does not open during the week, so they must find a way of getting to safety before they die from frostbite and starvation.
Enigma Codes
In contrast with Scream, there are fewer enigma codes raised the the opening sequence of Frozen. The main characters are established straight away, so there is little doubt over who's who. Nothing horror related happens in the first part of the film, so the questions the audience can ask are limited. However, a few questions are in need of answering. Will Jason be an important character later in the movie? Why does Dan look up at the ski lift? Is the three of them on one ski lift dangerous? The audience have not been given a great deal of information in the opening sequence, therefore there are not too many questions that can be asked. Character Establishment
Within the the first few seconds after the titles, the three main characters are established. They are comfortable speaking to each other, so it is obvious to the audience that they are friends and know each other. The relationships they have with each other are not known straight away, however it soon becomes clear that there is a couple in the trio. There is limited character development in this first part of the movie, although the learn that the Dan and Joe are willing to use Parker's sexuality to get the things they want. All three characters are represented at easy-going, relaxed young adults who are enjoying an afternoon out together. As the opening sequence progresses, we see that they three characters are not afraid to manipulate others, such as the ski lift attendant. Location, Location, Location
Like in most, if not all films, the location for Frozen is established through the use of an establishing shot. The location is a ski resort, so the shots of the mountains and slopes deffently help to create that setting. In a many ways, the ski lift itself is also a location. It is fairly key, as the characters will spend really all of the film on it. The audience does not know it yet, but this establishes and foreshadows the location in the rest of the movie. This importance is shown through the shots at the beginning of the opening sequence, where the camera tracks the movements of the ski lift wire. The location suggests that there are lots of people around, so if a killer was looking to murder these three characters everyone would see. This makes the audience feel at ease and not on on the edge of their seats, like they would be watching Scream.Editing
Going against the conventions of a horror movie, the editing is not fast to match the action. This is simply because there is no action! There are no transitions between the shots, just simple cuts which match the simple story line that has been played out so far. Nothing dramatic or horror related has happened yet, so the editing does not need to be anything different from average. Continuity techniques have been use in this opening sequence, such as shot/reverse shot, but nothing that particularly stands out. Can you hear that?
Unlike in Scream, there is a mixed use of diegetic and non-diegtic sound. It is mostly diegtic sound that is used through dialogue, however there is backing track playing when there are establishing shots. This is a very simple way of using both sound types, as it is effective but does not over-whelm the the audience. The dialogue is heard form all three characters perspectives, making the audience feel no alliance with any one in particular. Titles
Directly opposite to what happens in Scream, the majority of the titles in Frozen appear at the beginning. This is a typical convention and characteristic of a film. Most of the titles appear before the 'main' film begins, allowing the audience to see what the film is called and who stars in it. The name of the movie appears in white, linking to the snow and ice, and is in the centre of the screen so it is the main focus of the audience. It is a bold, large font therefore fills up the majority of the screen, standing out greatly against the black background.Iconography
Going against what we would expect to see in a horror movie, the opening sequence contains no blood, death or horror of any sort. This is very unusual, as there is only the slightest hind that something might go wrong with the ski lift wire.
It looks like it could be a good film, however it seems to be a bit slow in getting the ball rolling.
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