Analysing Hitchcock The Birds: School scene

Melanie Daniels is the Protagonist portrayed in The Birds. In the clip she is unaware of what is going on and has her back to the birds. By doing this suggests she is exposed and vulnerable and open to attack as she is unaware of the further gathering of the birds but the audience can see.
The camera shots are used to enhance the still surrounding before the gathering of the birds. The long shot of her walking to the bench to show she is alone and the empty climbing frame in the playground. There is a rural peaceful countryside feel to the environment and she looks alone and vulnerable. The playground connotes a place of innocence so the audience consider it to be not a dangerous place. Typically of a thriller the still and ordinary setting is interrupted by something to create suspense for the audience. In this case it is the arrival of the first bird on the climbing frame. The camera cuts from mid shots of Melanie Daniels smoking to the accumulating birds, to increase suspense. This camera technique is frequently used, the camera goes from subject to subject this creates a sense of panic and urgency.
The mise-en-scene In Hitchcock’s films are very significant because he is well known for being very detailed in not just the camera shots but also the set up of the surroundings. The construction of the scene is vital in thrillers to create an atmosphere. The landscape of the school playground with the hills in the background makes her appear alone and vulnerable as she is in a wide open space open to attack.
There is no non diegetic sound in the clip, typically sound and music is used to create a tension and an atmosphere. However in this clip Hitchcock uses diegetic sound of the children singing a nursery rhyme inside of the school to create an atmosphere. The children are singing repeatedly this further increases the sense of innocence’s as they are unaware of the danger that is building up from the birds gathering outside.
Hitchcock is well known for his use of motifs and symbolism to portray meaning and messages to the audience. By using motifs makes the films more visually interesting and more simulating.

Write this before I realised the clip would not let me upload. sorry