Analysing Opening Sequences
We have decided to look at a few examples of modern opening title sequences, in particular ones that include features of the paranormal or children. We wanted to see what worked well or was effective as a starting point for our own opening title sequence. We decided to look at The Woman In Black - 2012, Saw III - 2006, A Nightmare On Elm Street - 2010 and Paranormal Activity - 2007.
The Woman In Black - 2012
The Woman in Black starts with 3 girls having a tea party with their dolls. We can see the roof of the room they are in is slanting, indicating this is the attic room. The room they are in is also very clean and well lit. We often expect horror films to be set in very dark, abandoned and dirty surroundings, rather then a children's well-kept playroom. The 3 girls all turn to look at the camera, emotionless, just like their dolls.
The girls are wearing Edwardian style-clothing, making it easy for the audience to assume this is set in the past. The clothes are also similar to that of their dolls. The 3 girls then all stand up at the same time and walk towards the 3 windows at the front of the room, crushing dolls under their feet as they go. This is an example of foreshadowing, as when the girls jump out the window, they end up being "crushed." At this point, it is unclear to see what is making the girls jump out the window. However, whatever is controlling them, we can assume is treating them like dolls, as the girls are emotionless and unable to control themselves, like the dolls. The lighting of this opening sequence is also very bright, however the colours appear slightly washed out.
The digetic sound in the background throughout the sequence sounds like that of a music box. It is very light and simple, but also quite eerie as it sounds like it echoes The music stops when the girls are about to jump out of the windows, but a sudden burst of one, minor-sounding note plays for only a second or two when the girls have jumped. After this, there is no music, other then something which sounds like a groan.
There is also no language used in this scene, other then a woman's scream and "my baby." This emphasises how the girls are like dolls, as they also don't speak. The opening sequence ends with a dark figure looking over where the girls were playing.
The girls are wearing Edwardian style-clothing, making it easy for the audience to assume this is set in the past. The clothes are also similar to that of their dolls. The 3 girls then all stand up at the same time and walk towards the 3 windows at the front of the room, crushing dolls under their feet as they go. This is an example of foreshadowing, as when the girls jump out the window, they end up being "crushed." At this point, it is unclear to see what is making the girls jump out the window. However, whatever is controlling them, we can assume is treating them like dolls, as the girls are emotionless and unable to control themselves, like the dolls. The lighting of this opening sequence is also very bright, however the colours appear slightly washed out.
The digetic sound in the background throughout the sequence sounds like that of a music box. It is very light and simple, but also quite eerie as it sounds like it echoes The music stops when the girls are about to jump out of the windows, but a sudden burst of one, minor-sounding note plays for only a second or two when the girls have jumped. After this, there is no music, other then something which sounds like a groan.
There is also no language used in this scene, other then a woman's scream and "my baby." This emphasises how the girls are like dolls, as they also don't speak. The opening sequence ends with a dark figure looking over where the girls were playing.
(SC)
Saw iii - 2006
The opening title sequence starts off with a misty black smoke background with reluctant screams of pain while the titles appear. It starts off in pitch black until the camera moves down to the only light source in the room, the torch; the torch that the 'prisoner' is trying to grab, but unfortunately can't. He's helpless. He uses everything that he can get a hold of, even his own shoe to try and move the torch towards him. In a way, it's kind of tense for the audience (everyone has experienced something that isn't in their reach) as he's so close to getting the torch, but can't do it. He gives up, but has a gun, but ironically, the gun has no bullets in. He emotionally breaks down in tears and heavy breathing. He tries to reach for the torch one more time, and finally reaches it. There's a sense of relief as all you can hear is his heavy breathing as he thinks he's going to get out of this - alive.
He moves straight onto trying to break the chain that has suspended him from moving. The walls are tiled, and the chain is tied to a rusty pipe, as if it's a bathroom or utility room. He's trying and trying to break free from the chain using a saw, but it just doesn't work. He gives up and throws it away as if he knows he's not going to get out. The point of view shot shows dead bodies around the room, this is when he realises he's going to die.
He then sees a chain, with just a foot - someone's sawn their own foot off just to escape, it's the only way. He's staring at the saw with just the only light source in the room focusing on it; this gives the audience the idea that he's going to try and cut his own foot off. He puts the saw in place on his foot, but he can't do it and understandably throws it away one last time. He knows if he doesn't do something soon, he will die, just like everyone else.
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He grabs a heavy object that he notices by a dead body, and lifts it just above his forehead, as if we think he's going to try and break the chain. Instead, he hits his foot repeatedly which automatically sprays blood everywhere, making the audience hide in disbelief and cringe that he would do such a thing. He's screaming and screaming in pain. He snaps his foot in half. To finish the opening sequence, he pulls his bleeding disfigured leg from the chain leaving his foot behind. Showing that he's escaped - or has he? It finishes with the main title 'Saw lll' and the original background of misty black smoke. But, this time it's quiet.
He moves straight onto trying to break the chain that has suspended him from moving. The walls are tiled, and the chain is tied to a rusty pipe, as if it's a bathroom or utility room. He's trying and trying to break free from the chain using a saw, but it just doesn't work. He gives up and throws it away as if he knows he's not going to get out. The point of view shot shows dead bodies around the room, this is when he realises he's going to die.
He then sees a chain, with just a foot - someone's sawn their own foot off just to escape, it's the only way. He's staring at the saw with just the only light source in the room focusing on it; this gives the audience the idea that he's going to try and cut his own foot off. He puts the saw in place on his foot, but he can't do it and understandably throws it away one last time. He knows if he doesn't do something soon, he will die, just like everyone else.
h
He grabs a heavy object that he notices by a dead body, and lifts it just above his forehead, as if we think he's going to try and break the chain. Instead, he hits his foot repeatedly which automatically sprays blood everywhere, making the audience hide in disbelief and cringe that he would do such a thing. He's screaming and screaming in pain. He snaps his foot in half. To finish the opening sequence, he pulls his bleeding disfigured leg from the chain leaving his foot behind. Showing that he's escaped - or has he? It finishes with the main title 'Saw lll' and the original background of misty black smoke. But, this time it's quiet.
(TA)
A Nightmare on elm street - 2010
The opening title sequence of A Nightmare On Elm Street starts off with names written on the ground with chalk. They use low-key lighting so that it looks dark and gloomy outside. It then goes on to a child playing hop-scotch in slow motion with leaves blowing by the child's feet. This looks effective because it looks creepy in slow motion and it's what a typical little child would be doing.
The next shot is more names written on the ground. The names written on the ground look like a child has written them which is effective because the opening title sequence is based on children so it fits in. Then it shoots to a shadow of somebody walking slowly which is effective because you cannot see who the person is which makes you want to keep watching to find out what is going to happen and you get a sense of fear.
The next shot is the name of the school which looks warn out and it is scratched out. This looked effective because you now feel more fear as you know that something bad is going to happen. After that camera turns to a school photo of children, but the school photo has some of the children's faces scratched out. This also makes you feel scared and confused as you want to know what happened to those children with the scratched out faces and why they have been scratched out. The next shot is children's building blocks on fire.. The room is dark so only the blocks and the fire can be seen.
The shot then quickly changes to a children's rocking horse in a play area moving back and forth by itself. The next few shots are quick shots of children playing hop-scotch again and trying to balance on a wall, but then a shadow looks like it took away the child. Then the shot goes back to the building blocks on fire and then a child swinging on a swing quite quickly. The shadow keeps coming back to where the children are playing which we still do not know who is behind the shadow.
The next few shots are of children playing. The carera is a point of view shot which makes you wonder who is watching the children. Then the shot changes back to the school photo with the scratched out faces. The children are swinging on a swing and holding hands. The next shot is of a person walking across the leaves but you can only see their feet. This is efective because the suspension makes you want to know who that person is and what they are going to do.
The next shot is more names written on the ground. The names written on the ground look like a child has written them which is effective because the opening title sequence is based on children so it fits in. Then it shoots to a shadow of somebody walking slowly which is effective because you cannot see who the person is which makes you want to keep watching to find out what is going to happen and you get a sense of fear.
The next shot is the name of the school which looks warn out and it is scratched out. This looked effective because you now feel more fear as you know that something bad is going to happen. After that camera turns to a school photo of children, but the school photo has some of the children's faces scratched out. This also makes you feel scared and confused as you want to know what happened to those children with the scratched out faces and why they have been scratched out. The next shot is children's building blocks on fire.. The room is dark so only the blocks and the fire can be seen.
The shot then quickly changes to a children's rocking horse in a play area moving back and forth by itself. The next few shots are quick shots of children playing hop-scotch again and trying to balance on a wall, but then a shadow looks like it took away the child. Then the shot goes back to the building blocks on fire and then a child swinging on a swing quite quickly. The shadow keeps coming back to where the children are playing which we still do not know who is behind the shadow.
The next few shots are of children playing. The carera is a point of view shot which makes you wonder who is watching the children. Then the shot changes back to the school photo with the scratched out faces. The children are swinging on a swing and holding hands. The next shot is of a person walking across the leaves but you can only see their feet. This is efective because the suspension makes you want to know who that person is and what they are going to do.
(ME)
Paranormal Activity - 2007
This opening title sequence of Paranormal Activity starts of looking like home-video footage. This makes it come across as an average family, but they do have a large garden so we are led to assume that they live in an upper class house. The fact that the garden contains children's toys, such as; a play house, trampoline and hula hoops, show the audience tat there a children who come across as innocent, but this is clearly not the case as the clip changes to a short blue and black clip of a child who appears to be possessed.
Children often have connotations of purity and safety, which makes it more shocking to the audience when they see a child causing pain or fear in their home. The children's room in this sequence is used to allude to the feeling of security, this is effective as it makes the audience anticipate that something is going to happen. One of Clover's theories is that bad things happen in places of safety as when the victim tries to escape the killer, the usually end up trapping themselves in with them, therefore a child's room is typically used in any genre of horror including Insidious, The Woman In Black and A Nightmare On Elm Street.
This clip contains the sound of voices as the father talks to his children and they talk back, this also gives us the impression that they are in a warm,m family environment. There is also the sound of children's laughter which can be comforting for the audience because it connotes to the idea of innocence presented through children. The changes in this clip to the clips where the children are causing harm, the sound changes to the sound of white noise, this makes the audience feel uneasy as this sound is usually associated with horror because one of Clover's theories of horror is that modern technology breaks down or isn't present at all when horror occurs.
During this scene in the garden there is high key lighting, this shows the audience that this scene is supposed to be during daylight. This implies a feeling of innocence and safety as conventionally, bad things only happen at night or in dark places. However, the scenes in the house where someone is possessed uses low-key lighting. This enhances how sinister these scenes are compared to the ones in the garden.
The editing in this clip is quite fast paced, this makes the audience feel on edge. This effect keeps the audience hooked because they don't know what to expect next, and they become unsure of what they have seen. The speed of this clip also allows for some sort of adrenaline to occur as there is a chance for extra horror activity to happen quickly and make the audience feel scared.
Children often have connotations of purity and safety, which makes it more shocking to the audience when they see a child causing pain or fear in their home. The children's room in this sequence is used to allude to the feeling of security, this is effective as it makes the audience anticipate that something is going to happen. One of Clover's theories is that bad things happen in places of safety as when the victim tries to escape the killer, the usually end up trapping themselves in with them, therefore a child's room is typically used in any genre of horror including Insidious, The Woman In Black and A Nightmare On Elm Street.
This clip contains the sound of voices as the father talks to his children and they talk back, this also gives us the impression that they are in a warm,m family environment. There is also the sound of children's laughter which can be comforting for the audience because it connotes to the idea of innocence presented through children. The changes in this clip to the clips where the children are causing harm, the sound changes to the sound of white noise, this makes the audience feel uneasy as this sound is usually associated with horror because one of Clover's theories of horror is that modern technology breaks down or isn't present at all when horror occurs.
During this scene in the garden there is high key lighting, this shows the audience that this scene is supposed to be during daylight. This implies a feeling of innocence and safety as conventionally, bad things only happen at night or in dark places. However, the scenes in the house where someone is possessed uses low-key lighting. This enhances how sinister these scenes are compared to the ones in the garden.
The editing in this clip is quite fast paced, this makes the audience feel on edge. This effect keeps the audience hooked because they don't know what to expect next, and they become unsure of what they have seen. The speed of this clip also allows for some sort of adrenaline to occur as there is a chance for extra horror activity to happen quickly and make the audience feel scared.
(CT)