Scream - Opening Sequence - How was Tension Created?

The mise-en-scene helps to create tension because we see a young, blonde girl in a house that is isolated in a forest. This immediate creates tension as it is clear that her isolation makes her vulnerable  to attacks, no-one is nearby to save her if she is in  danger. The girl is also dressed normally, in casual clothes, and the inside of her house is like any other, creating a sense of familiarity, making the tension greater as although the audience know something will happen in this film's world, it creates tension within the audience's own home because they wonder if something similar could happen to them there.
    At first, the camera only shows us the inside of the house, suggesting that she could be anywhere. However, a slow crane shot from above the trees down to the house, gives a clear shot of the house and the vast forest surrounding it. This illustrates how the girl is separated from the rest of the world as the pan is from the world line, showing no signs of other houses. This shows how the film is a thriller because there is tension created as it becomes clear that something will happen to this girl, keeping the audience on the edge of their seats until this happens., The camera also follows the girl around the house, highlighting how isolated she really is, as it appears that no-one is home, creating tension as you feel as though someone could jump out at any moment. The close-ups of the girls face show her fear, adding to the tension, showing once again that this is a thriller as the audience are waiting for her to 'scream'. The close-ups of the popcorn further contribute to the tension as it is obvious to the audience that when the popcorn explodes, the bad thing will happen, again showing how this is a thriller as the audience is kept on the edge of their seats waiting for this to happen, taking them by surprise when it does. The shot of the car pulling in to the drive create suspense as it distracts from the real action, making it even more scary and shocking when the man in the mask jumps out.
    The diegetic and non-diegetic sounds also create suspense. From the moment we hear the diegetic sound of the phone ringing which only ends when the girl answers it, we know something will happen to this girl. The fact that we hear both sides of the conversation but we can only see the girl. This creates further tension because we don't know who the person on the other end of the line is, creating anticipation from the audience and tension until they are revealed. Thus, contributing to the fact that this is a thriller because the audience are on edge wondering who this creepy person is. The mysterious non-diegetic music that begins when the voice says 'who I'm looking at' builds up in tempo and in volume as the scene continues creating tension. The steady beat of the popcorn popping, even though it increases in tempo, creates tension as we know when we hear it explode, the real danger begins. This shows that it is a thriller film as the increasing tempo creates tension of its own which could exist without the use of video footage. Similarly, there is a heart-beat like sound which picks up as the girl runs frantically around her house which further adds to the tension created.
    The lighting only adds to the tension. The use of the bright light at the beginning of the film around the house suggests that the girl has no fear. This is because nothing bad has happened yet, adding to the tension, and the fact that it is a thriller as the audience is just waiting for something to happen. As tension builds, the lighting becomes darker and during the time the girl is panicking, her boyfriend is kept in the dark until a sudden spotlight is shone on him, showing what the man had done to him, which adds to the thriller effect because the audience wonder how much worse violence and horror is going to get.