Deconstruction American Horror Story Asylum

Deconstruction American Horror Story Asylum

• In 'American Horror Story Asylum' there are many convention codes to represent the genre. Through the use of miss-en-scene the genre can be inferred as a horror because there is consisent dark lighting, continuous reference to surgery with a patient bandaged up and covered in blood. This suggests that the genre is a horror because because of the gore shown in the 41st second and how the characters are shown as they are dressed to scare the audience and all signifies that the genre is a horror.

• The types of sounds used in the opening conform to the genre being a horror because we hear non diegetic music which has a low pitch and a slow tempo which runs throughout the entire opening. The tone of the music is very enigmatic which suggests that the genre may also have an element of mystery. There is also non diegetic that sounds like an old door opening which is loud and sudden. This suggests the genre as being horror because it has the key convention to thrill the audience. Non-diegetic sound effects, such as the woman screaming in the very last scene of the opening conveys the audience as it identifies horror because a scream (Particularly a woman's) is a common convention of horror because it signifies that the film contains horrific thrills that are used to scare the audience.
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  The editing is a major use of iconography that represents the genre. For example, in the opening the editing techniques includes cross cutting which is used very effectively. Throughout the opening there is a constant reference to the man bandaged up. His constant presence creates narrative as we first see an extreme close up of his eye being taken to the surgery room, we then see him in the room surrounded by 'doctors' where we soon see gore, as if he has been cut open, as well as mounted by Nun. In the last part it is the man bandaged up, but in one piece where he is seen as dead on the table, but being kissed by a Nun. This shows narrative as the opening shows different stages of what has happened to him. This, therefore suggests that the genre is horror because the inclusion of gore and surgical use indicates that there may be scene that will thrill and horrify the audience. Another example of this is at the beginning of the opening where there is a sudden shot of a woman directly looking into the camera with bright lighting. The duration of the shot is very short and gives a scary effect by giving the element of surprise.
• Camera shots and angles also highlight the genre as they are used as iconography to make the opening seem more frightening. The camera shots link to horror because close ups, or extreme close ups are used in the opening to scare the audience as they last for a short time to surprise. An example of this would be a close up of someone peering through he window, whereas medium shot or long shots last longer to give an element of mystery. For instance, on the balcony there is a tall, black figure which creates an enigma because it questions what will happen.
• To finish, the genre of 'American Horror Story Asylum' is a horror because the conventions shown through the use of camera work, editing, sound and mise-en-scene infer the genre as horror, as well as mystery as a sub genre.