Detailed analysis of the opening of the 2015 film The Pyramid. Specific examples included with descriptions of all topics of media language.

1. The Pyramid
Opening
AnalysisAnna Faud

2. The Plot
•
• An archaeological team travel to the Egyptian desert to discover a pyramid
that has only three sides unlike the other four-sided pyramids in Giza,
Egypt. The archaeologists discover a tunnel within the three-sided pyramid
by using modern technology. When the pyramid gets opened a poisonous
toxic air is released which infects a worker on the site. The archaeological
group is made up of a father daughter team as well as friends joining them
on their travels. After arguing about whether to enter the pyramid because it
is very dangerous inside, the team decide to send a robot in with a camera
so they can discover what is hidden inside. An unknown creature then
suddenly breaks the robot so in order to recover the robot the team decide
to enter the pyramid after it. The team then become trapped as well as lost
and horrific events take place throughout their escape journey by a creature
named Anubis.

3. Institution
• The Pyramid was made in 2014 and was directed by Grégory Levasseur.
The film had a budget of $6.5 million and generated a box office sum of
$16.9 million.
• The website foxmovies.com place the film under the genre category of
horror/ thriller/ action. This makes the film a hybrid because it is more than
one genre.
• The British Board Of Film Classification describe The Pyramid as gore and
a strong threat.

4. Genre
• The Pyramid is a horror/ action/ thriller film. When a film fits into more than
one category it is called a hybrid film. This is because it involves certain
aspects from all of these different genres.
• The poster for The Pyramid uses generic conventions to tell the audience
the genres of the film.
Dark lighting suggests the film is mysterious and
spooky.
The image if of a mummy- like figure. The face the
character is pulling is as if it is in pain.
The poster displays some important information about
the film. This makes the film look more suited to an
older age group.

5. Camera
• The film uses a variety of different methods of filming throughout the
opening scene. This is to keep the audience entertained and involved as
much a possible.
• Firstly here is a screenshot of where a pan was being used to show the
subject matter. The camera is in a very busy, loud crowd and is moving
very quickly to convey the feeling of chaos. During this moment the
camera is clearly being hand held. The audience can tell this because the
shot is very unstable. This has been used effectively to make the shot
seem more realistic and life like.
• Two establishing shots have also been used to show the audience the
location of the film. The location is in a desert in Egypt.

6. • The 180 degree rule has also been applied during this conversation
between two characters. It allows the audience to understand the
positioning of the characters because they will always appear on the same
side of the screen to avoid confusion.
Camera
• An over the shoulder shot has also been used here to make it clear which
character is speaking at that time and it clearly shows who they are talking
too.

7. Editing
• Cross cutting has been used to show the contrast between two locations.
Firstly the busy town with lots of people violently fighting to the calm silent
desert.
• A fade technique has been used during the opening. The screen suddenly
goes from a helicopter journey over the desert to a black screen with titles
and information on it. The information is important to the audience because
it sets the scene and tells them some information about what is coming up.

8. Sound
• The film begins with ambient sound, which is the
sound of the location. The location here is a very
busy, noisy city. The audience can hear chanting and
the sound of people hitting and smashing the vehicle
that the team are in. When the scene changes to the
site of the pyramid ambient sound is used again.
• Here is an example when a technique called direct
address has been used. It is when the character speaks
directly to the audience. This technique makes the
audience feel equal with the character and also more
involved within the scene.

9. Audience
• The target audience of this film is adults and
young adults. The British Board Of Film
Classification classed this film as a 15. This
is because it is not appropriate for those
viewers under that age.
• 15 rated films might contain some of the
following warnings; strong language, strong
violence, sexual activity, discriminatory
language or behavior and dialogue about
drug use.

10. Mise- En- Scene
• The lighting within the opening scene is mostly low key. This creates a
feeling of mystery and that the location is unsafe.
• Here the audience can see that a character is holding a gun. This
indicates the idea of danger. The character holding the gun seems to be
a security guard. This gives the audience the impression that something
very important is happening and security might be needed to supervise
is a problem occurs.

11. Representation
• The location of the film is in Cairo which is the capital of Egypt. It is also the
largest city in the Middle- East. Cairo has been represented as extremely
busy. The audience can tell this from the noise levels and chaos from the
traffic.
• The part of Cairo from the filming has been represented to have little money
and to be financially challenged. The audience can tell this from the clothing
that the characters here are wearing. They are wearing little clothing and
they are very dirty.
• There are very many workers on the site of the new discovery. This
represents the people of the area to be very hardworking because what
they are doing is a very challenging job.

12. Narrative
• The film does not follow the concept of Todorov's theory which was the idea that
every film follows these basic steps:
1. That everything is fine and normal,
2. A problem occurs causing lots of disruption,
3. There are several attempts to solve the problem,
4. A solution to problem is found,
5. Then everyone in the film has a happy ending and a new equilibrium is found.
• In the case of The Pyramid, the norm is that the archeologists have discovered
a new pyramid. Then the problem is that their robot becomes broken inside the
pyramid and they need to go inside and rescue it. Then there are several
problems which end in the majority of characters dying. No solution is found and
at the end no new equilibrium is found because one character almost survived
to escape the pyramid but then died when the creature named Anubis attacked
her.