Narrative Codes Essay

Paranormal Activity is an American horror thriller, directed by Oren Peli and released on several dates from 2007 to 2009, the film finally hit the UK in 2009, and was distributed by Paramount Pictures and DreamWorks. The film see’s Katie Featherson and Micah Sloat playing the role of a young couple, who have recently moved into a two-story home of there own together in suburban San Diego. Katie claims that a ghostly presence has been haunting her ever since she was little, and that it has followed her to this new house. Boyfriend Micah buys a camera so can record footage 24/7, to try see what this ghostly presence is, even leaving it on as they sleep. The film is set up as found footage from the couple, giving it a very raw effect, as it is all hand held.

In the beginning sequence of Paranormal Activity the director has decided through the use of superimpose to set up the illousion that the footage we see within the film is real life footage, and hasn’t been directed or edited in any way. The writing on the screen says ‘The producers would like to thank the families of Micah S. & Katie F. and the Rancho Penasquitos Police Department for providing this footage.’ This straight away brings the narrative codes into play, as the reader is intrigued as to why its there families providing the footage? Why not themselves? Were they killed? Where do the police come into anything? Many questions arise from simply reading this short statement. This is an example of the Hermeneutic Code being used, with eqivocation being the device used, we are told the facts, but we are not told why we are being told.

After this writing on the screen fades out we see the footage that Micah is capturing, from his perspective, on the handheld camera, we see him look into a mirror, showing us what he looks like as a character. His partner Katie turns up in her car within this opening sequence, straight away introducing us to the two main characters, and giving us an idea of there personalities and an in-look into what there like. We see there home as Micah is walking around with the camera, the house is very purposley set up to look like an average home with all of the usual things you’d expect to find within a home. The mise-en-scene is very good, the director has left out open cardboard box’s, indicating to us that they are still un-packing, they have only recently moved into this home, also as we see him pick up the phone a load of leaflets and brochures have been scattered by the phone, giving it a more authentic look. 

Once Katie is home and has seen the camera she starts having a very blievable conversation with Micah, almost as though it hasn’t been scripted, continuing to make the reader think this is real home recorded footage. She asks Micah ‘So do you think this’ll work?’ and he replies saying ‘I think, we’re gonna have a very interesting time, capturing whatever supernatural phenomenon is occurring or is not occurring’. This brings in another narrative code; the Proairetic Code. With Micah saying this, it implies to the audience that they will capture footage of this ‘supernatural phenomenon’, but when and what is captured still remains a mystery that the audience is eager to find out, creating suspense. 

The opening sequence to Paranormal Activity uses different narrative codes well, to make the audience think, and ask themselves questions, that they anticipate throughout the film for these questions to be answered.

Jake Stout.