Opening Sequences/Credits

Title sequence definition: 
A title sequence is the method by which cinematic films or television programs present their title, key production and cast members, or both, utilizing conceptual visuals and sound. It usually follows but should not be confused with the opening credits, which are generally nothing more than a series of superimposed text.
Opening credits definition:
In a motion picture, television program, or video game, the opening credits are shown at the very beginning and list the most important members of the production. They are now usually shown as text superimposed on a blank screen or static pictures, or sometimes on top of action in the show. There may or may not be accompanying music.

Here are some examples of opening sequences I have looked at and will consider when we create our own:

Scream: Opening scene

This opening sequence from 'Scream' is effective because it is memorable. It immediately introduces the killer to the audience but not in the usual way, the audience immediately wants to know what happens to rest of the characters and find out who the killer is, the creepy phone call grips the audience to the screen, making them want to watch more.



Halloween: Opening credits/scene



This opening sequence is brilliant because you don't expect it at all. It shocks the audience into watching the rest of the film and leaves them on the edge of there seat with the dramatic story line. The camera angle is from the point of view of Michael, the killer. This is effective because it makes the audience feel like they are the killer, and feel an emotional attachment to the character. The credits are done at the start of the opening sequence, the bold orange font ties to the 'Halloween' theme and title. They creepy non-diegetic background music is effective because it sets the the audience up for the scary story line.



The Ward: Opening credits



The images of torture being shattered by glass under-laying the credits is brilliantly effective because it slowly grips the audience and sets them into a horror state of mind. the music in the background is weirdly creepy and makes the audience feel uneasy.  




The Woman in Black: Opening scene

The Women in Black's opening scene is effective because the first victims are three young female children. the plays with the audiences' first immediate response, to protect, once they realize they can't, they are in shock, and want to continue to watch the film to find out the outcome and to see the 'killer' (the women in black) be defeated. 



The Ring: Opening scene



The dark lighting in The Ring's opening scene makes the story line more effective and creepy because it reflects the emotions of the characters onto the audience. The fact you know something is going to happen to the character makes the audience sit on the edge of their seat, and want to watch the rest of the film to go into more depth about what happened to the young female victim. the reaction shots of the victim when the phone rings adds significance to the event, and makes the audience fear for her. 




In our opening sequence we want to:
- Include several codes and conventions of the horror genre
- Make it gripping and appeal appropriately to our selected and targeted audience
- Use lots of different camera angles and movements to get a wide variety of points of views and shots
- Contain credits(Use effective and appropriate fonts, non-diegetic and diegetic sounds, and backgrounds)
- Use editing and special effects

Horror Films, Examples?

Drag Me To Hell

A Nightmare On Elm Street

Alien

Frozen

The Ward

Chucky

Mirrors

Paranormal Activity 2

Scream

The Silence of the Lambs

Sinister

The Last Exorcism

The Howling

The Ring

The Possession

Codes, Conventions and Camera of Horror Films

Codes and Conventions are the elements you expect to find in a horror film, the way things are usually and typically done, or the things that are included.



For example, 

• Death
• Victims and Villains - Binary opposites
• Blood and gore
• Masks 
• Isolated settings/locations to show the characters as alone and vulnerable
• Weapons/ Tools of torture or death to give the killer a signture, eg, Ghost Face (Scream 1-4) - Long blade/Knife
• Violence
• Chase sequences
• Screams/Crying
• Creatures, to take the audience out of their comfortable reality and prevoke our inner fears
• Attempts at romance
• Female or young/teenage victims showing their vulnerability or naivety. 
• An introduction to a typically normal day/lifestyle, then to be abruptly interrupted  
• A heroine, usually the male character attempts to save the day and is killed/fails, whereas a female character battles through and ends up surviving 

In depth examples:

Masks:

Masks are a typical or common convention of a horror film. It provokes the audiences fears of the unknown. The masks are usually scary or creepy, leaving a permanent impression on the audience.

'The Collector' - The mask from this horror film is creepy because the mouth carved in it looks like a half smile, making in sinister and terrifying to look at.

'Scream' - GhostFace from scream is a great mask in my opinion because it is different and memorable. 

'Friday the 13th' - Jason's mask in Friday the 13th strikes fear into the audience because they are looking into both the face of the killer, and the unknown, making them feel uneasy and scared for the characters.

'The Orphanage' - This mask is sinister in the way it plays with childish conventions. It looks like a disturbed and distorted child's toy, making it imprint on the audiences mind and terrify them because a child is being harmed.

'The Silence Of The Lambs' - This make is particularly scary because you are able to look into his eyes, but not discover his full facial identity.

'The Cabin In The Woods' - These masks are simple, but really effective! They're plain white and simple, but are so creepy and plunge us into the fear of not being able to see who we're looking at.

Chase sequences!

I personally love chase scenes, when acted well they can make the whole film, here are a few examples!

Scream 3 - In this chase scene, the victim fights back! It's brilliant.

I Know What You Did Last Summer - This scene is really good because it plays very well on the female victim stereotype, and the stereotype of the horror killers being clever, quick, and you not being able to escape them.

Prom Night (1980)

Halloween 2 - This scene i personally think is brilliant. It's not your typical chase scene, and leaves you on the edge of your seat the whole time, you sympathize with Laurie, the victim and want her to escape, getting the audience involved in the film.

Signature Weapons:

Halloween - A kitchen knife. Simple, but effective. 

Texas Chainsaw Massacre - Chainsaw. Different, and terrifying.

Nightmare on Elm Street - Freddy's claws.

Scream - Ghostface's blade. 

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Typical Horror Camera Angles/Shots:

Extreme close up:

Extreme Close Up ("ECU" or "XCU"): As its name suggests, an extreme version of the close up, generally magnifying beyond what the human eye would experience in reality. An extreme close-up of a face, for instance, would show only the mouth or eyes, with no background detail whatsoever. This is a very artificial shot, and can be used for dramatic effect in a horror film. The shot is so tight that only a detail of the subject can be seen. 

Close up:

Close up (CU): This shows very little background, and concentrates on either a face, or a specific detail of mise en scène. Everything else is just a blur in the background. This shot magnifies the object (think of how big it looks on a cinema screen) and shows the importance of things, be it words written on paper, or the expression on someone's face. The close-up takes us into the mind of a character. In reality, we only let people that we really trust get THAT close to our face - mothers, children and lovers, usually - so a close up of a face is a very intimate shot. A film-maker may use this to make us feel extra comfortable or extremely uncomfortable about a character, and usually uses a zoom lens in order to get the required framing.

Extreme long shot:

This can be taken from as much as a quarter of a mile away, and is generally used as a scene-setting, establishing shot. It normally shows an EXTERIOR, eg the outside of a building, or a landscape, and is often used to show scenes of thrilling action eg in a war film or horror/disaster movie. There will be very little detail visible in the shot, it's meant to give a general impression rather than specific information.

Reaction shot:



A reaction shot usually implies the display of some sort of emotion on the face of the actor being shown, and is thus most commonly a close-up shot (although a group of actors may be shown reacting together). A reaction shot is also generally bereft of dialogue, though this is not an absolute rule. Its main purpose is to show an emotional response to the immediately preceding action or words of another character in the scene, or to an event in the immediately preceding scene which may or may not involve another actor (e.g., an explosion, monster, killer, etc.)



Introduction to Horror

What is horror?
- The dictionary describes horror as : An overwhelming and painful feeling caused by something frightfully shocking, terrifying, or revolting; a shuddering fear.
- Horror films are designed to captivate their audience and plunge them into an alternate reality of fear and terror. They are designed to shock, overwhelm, scare, thrill and entertain us all at once. 

Sub-Genres of horror films are:

- Possession, such as 'The Possession', 'The Devil Inside', and 'The Exorcist'.

 

- Animated such as; 'Hellboy:Blood and Iron', 'Fears Of The Dark', and 'City of Rott'.

 

- Slasher, such as 'Friday the 13th'.

 

- Supernatural, for example, 'Paranormal Activity', 'The Blair Witch Project' and 'The Haunting'.

 

- Extraterrestrial such as 'Alien' and 'The Thing'.

 

- Zombie 'Resident Evil' and 'Daun of the Dead'.

 

- Ghost, for example, 'Ghost Ship', 'The Apparition' and 'Paranormal Activity'.

 

- Comedy, for example, 'Zombieland' and 'Shaun Of The Dead'.

 

- Teen; 'Scream', 'I Know You Did Last Summer' and 'Final Destination'.

 

- Monster; Such as 'Cloverfield', 'Van Helsing' and 'Eight Legged Freaks'.

 

- Natural, for example, 'Piranha', 'Jaws', 'Shark Night', and 'The Nest'.

 

- Sci-Fi; 'The Thing', 'Bad Taste', 'The Blob' and 'The Fly'.

 

- Psychological, for example, 'The Ward', 'Funny Games', 'The Ring' and 'Session 9'. 

 

- Gothic, such as, 'Dracula', 'Sweeny Todd', 'Sleepy Hallow' and 'The Women In Black'.

 

- Gore, such as 'Saw', 'Cannibal Holocaust', 'The Hostel, 'Frozen', 'The Hills Have Eyes', 'Texas Chainsaw Masacre', 'Wrong Turn', 'The Ring' and 'The Human Centipede'.

 

- Reincarnation such as, 'Reincarnation' and 'Dead Silence'.