Research Language Register

Edit: Disregard this entire post

In order to decide on an appropriate language register for the opening, we decided to do some research into the appropriate uses for each of the registers and find the one that’s most fitting for the film…

Language Register	Description	Uses
Static Register	Rarely or never changes “Frozen” in time and content	Pledge of Allegiance Alma Mater Laws
Formal Register	Formal setting One-way – impersonal and formal	Speeches Sermons Announcements
Consultative Register	Standard form of communication Formal, follows societal expectations	When strangers meet  Boss to employee Teacher and student
Casual Register	Informal setting (friends, etc.) “Group” language – must be ‘member’ to engage	Talk with friends Blogs Letters to friends
Intimate Register	Private setting Reserved for close family members, etc.	Husband and wife Siblings Parent and children

Films and the like don’t have to keep to one register, they can transition between them at various points, but it’s suggested that they transition to adjacent registers as opposed to skipping between random ones – this is often considered inappropriate, or even offensive.

Seeing as our film opening doesn’t actually have much, if any, dialogue, it’d be hard to apply these registers to anything more than the way the characters interact. For the opening shot, where the victim and his friend are together, an intimate register should probably be used between them, but the interaction between the killer and the victim afterwards should probably be applying the consultative register, due to the way that the killer controls the victim as would be expected from a superior interacting with a subordinate – however, several elements that were added for comedic effect would probably fall into the casual register, such as the approach the killer takes to murdering the victim (fairly laid back).