How does the director use Media Language to communicate messages and engage the audience?
Camera
The director uses a variety of shots, ranging from birds eye view shots (which establish the large size of the ship), to pan and dolly shots (which also establish size but also set the scene by familiarizing the audience with the ship and its layout). They help to foreshadow whats about to happen next as one of the main aspects of the ship that can be seen from this distance in these shots are the fairy lights, which play a main roll in the deaths of the passengers. In the opening scene, especially in the beginning of it, a lot of the takes are long. This gives a relaxed effect and paints the atmosphere as comfortable and calm which later contrasts with the fast paced choppy straight cuts of the wires slashing through the passengers. This effect of calmness prepares the audience to be caught off guard by whats about to happen next. Throughout the scene there are constant shot reverse shots which switch from the inside of the ship where the women is singing to the outside deck where the passengers are dancing. This creates a divide between the two groups of people, and because the women is encouraging this divide by persuading people to go dance on the outside deck, it suggests that she holds a certain power. At the end of this scene when the action is taking place the size of the shots changes constantly from close up to medium long shots which creates a sense of confusion, imitating what the passengers may be feeling due to their sudden death.
Editing
The director uses contrasting transitions and paces between scenes to create a sense of shock and confusion. In the beginning of the scene the pace is slow, the transitions are smooth as the scenes blend or fade out into each other and the very first scene which shows an overview of the ship is in slow motion.
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