My Film Still

(Nosferatu shadow recreation)

1. The shot clearly depicts a dark and mysterious looking figure which signifies both the genre and theme. The shadow resembles darkness and evil which further enhances the idea that the shot is from a horror or thriller film.
2. The ghostly shadow effect was created by directing the light in front of the actress. The frightening profile was achieved by positioning the actress' body in a certain way; the unnatural arrangement of her hands resembles claws and they are extremely noticeable as a result. The medium close up has added to the dark theme as we can see a little but not enough to know completely what the character looks like, creating tension.
3. The dominant reading of the shot is that the character is evil and his/her/its intentions are bad and that they are up to no good. The character is likely to commit some sort of crime, or cause trouble but as the audience do not know what is coming, there is a sense of foreboding and anticipation. The image hints at a horror based narrative.
4. The main reason why the shot is successful is because it is simple and blunt and therefore there is no need for confusion when interpreting it.The framing of the shot is successful for a collection of reasons. The only object in the frame (excluding the wall) is the shadow which means this will be the ultimate focus of the audience. Instead of having a mid shot, the character is positioned to the right, which implies they are in the process of an action. For example, walking to murder their target. Thirdly, as it is a close up, it seems particularly chilling as the audience gets a sharper and more detailed view of the character. The artificial lighting enabled the shadow to look as scary as it does and suggests it is a summer night. Finally, the body language is good as it heightens the ominous atmosphere.
5. In hindsight, a darker room as a set may have produced an even better shadow as the blue coloured wall in the background makes the setting softer and less scary due to it not being very dark. The lighting effect was good to an extent, however, it could have been more subtle to avoid it showing so brightly on the wall. Finally, I could have had stairs in the background or a door so that it is more obvious to the audience that the character is going to do something.