Close Analysis of Horror Openings

I am going to be watching 5 different horror film openings and analysing the action that takes place, print styles and sound in all of them. The films openings I have chosen are: 

o   Psycho
o   Dark Skies
o   Evil Dead
o   The Shining
o   House at the End of the Street 

Action
Horror films tend to be opened in various ways. We are usually opened with a prelude where we see the same character or location that we are going to see in the main film. This is to create dramatic irony for the viewer where the viewer may know more than the character in the film. However many films before preludes became popular, opened with credits, like Psycho (1960). 

In the opening to Psycho we are introduced to the main title credits. This is shown in a different and more interesting way than other films before Psycho were. Furthermore, the audience are able to establish the genre from the opening. We see fragmented bars that are splitting text in half that suggests Psychos fragmented mind and split personality. The way the lines and text enter the screen suggests a knife, linking to the theme and once again the genre. The names are also not revealed straight away reflected the concealed nature of the killer; Psycho hides his true identity as someone else. The opening of Psycho is very different to openings of films that are made today, for example, Dark Skies.

In the opening to Dark Skies we are introduced to a street located in Suburban America; suggesting this is where the action will mostly take place in the film. On this street we see how people imagine Suburban America to be; lively and sunny. This subverts the audiences expectations of a horror film as we expect the film to begin in a dark, isolated area which is the complete opposite of what we see. Then a straight cut is used and we see fire from the burgers the father is cooking on the barbecue. The fire is significant in the scene where we are introduced to the family as it suggests something bad is going to happen to the family as fire is usually linked to death. They all look happy and content with their lives, but knowing this is a horror film, all this is about to change. 

The opening to Evil Dead can be compared to Psycho as we are introduced to the main actors and producers with things going on in the background as apose to Dark Skies where we are introduced to the main film in the opening. In the opening to Evil Dead we see iconography used very effectively. According to Bordwell and Thompson’s theory iconography can be defined as “recurring symbolic images that carry meaning from film to film”. Red and black are the only colours used throughout the opening, with the orange from the fire used towards the end. Red connotes blood and can be associated with danger and war. Whilst black can be associate with power, evil and mystery. We see blood, spikes, knives and chains in the opening suggesting this film is going to be a slasher horror. The blood splashes throughout the opening suggests there will be some gruesome scenes ahead, for example, the tearing of limbs. Towards the end we see orange flames that suggest a theme of the devil and again establishes the genre of the film of horror. There is also a quick flash of a wall with the words "your soul" handwritten on again, suggesting to the devil. Iconography of a horror film has also been used in an earlier film, the Shining.

In the opening of The Shining the camera first zooms into an isolated island in the middle of a lake suggesting this film will be based around isolation (iconography). We are then introduced to a car driving up a mountain, getting closer to an unknown destination. We see the car drive through woodland areas suggesting the mystery of where he may be going and fear of the unknown. The audience does not know where the car is going and who is driving the car. Throughout the whole opening we only see a few other cars, the car the camera is following is almost alone and isolated. Although we do not see who is driving the car, we realise who ever it is, is the main character as the camera is only following them. We also realise the car has been travelling for a while as the snow on the mountain represents how high he has travelled; the higher the driver gets, the more isolated they are. At the end of the opening we see the hotel the driver has been travelling to, it is isolated and in the middle of no-where which meets the audiences expectations of a horror film.

Although we are introduced to the main film straight away in the opening to Dark Skies and The Shining, In the opening to House at the End of the Street we are introduced to a prelude. A method many 21st century horror films directors use. We first see a house and snow falling from the sky then a child’s eye in the background of this. We then realise that the house is in a snow globe that the child is holding. We only see one of her eyes suggesting the devil which tells the audience that she is evil, and we realise she is when she kills both her parents for no apparent reason. As she kills her father on his bed we see feathers from pillows hit the floor. The feathers go from white to red as they are covered in blood. This suggests the loss of innocence and childhood from the girl; the white connotes purity whereas red connotes danger. Throughout the opening there are glitches where it quickly changes to a thermal camera effect. This suggests what the girl sees in her mind as she is far from normal. At the end of the opening we see the girl run off into the woods, leaving many possibilities open for the audience to work out what happens next and to keep them on the edge of their seats. 

Print Styles

Horror films tend to use serif fonts for their print in opening scenes. For the print, red, black and white are commonly used as this is stereotypical for the genre of horror. Red represents blood and danger, two things horror films commonly use to scare their audiences. Black is used to represent fear of the unknown of villains whereas white is the opposite, representing innocence and purity of the good characters. White text on black backgrounds are commonly used to suggest good vs. evil. 

In the opening to Psycho there is a black background throughout featuring white text. The white on black suggests good vs. evil as white usually relates to the good as it represents purity and innocence whereas black usually relates to the evil as it represents fear of the unknown and mystery. Serif font is used to reflect the serious tone of the film and to establish the genre of horror. It is also clean and easy to read unlike fonts used in chick flicks, for example. 

In the opening to Dark Skies white text (of a quote) fades in onto a black background, again suggesting the good vs. the evil.  The black represents the fear of the unknown, linking greatly with this film. It begins in a similar way to how the whole Psycho opening is (white on black background). There is also red text used to give the suggestion that this a horror film as red connotes blood and danger; things we often associate with horror. The title of the film fades in from the darkness of the black background, almost like a space ship entering earth from space; linking in with the science fiction horror genre this film is. The opening credits all fade in throughout the opening in a white font, which may connote purity and innocence reflecting the neighbourhood. The fading in of the serif, white font may reflect the serious message and tone the film is expressing; children getting taken away by unknown figures. 

In the opening to Evil Dead the main title appears and zooms in on the audience. The font is red and is in a bold style. The director, Fede Alvarez called the opening titles “a homage to gore”. We also see silhouettes of tree branches coming from the black background and over the font. This links to the horror genre with not only the colours used but from the tree branches too. When the leaves fall off trees, they look empty and almost creepy, we can associate this with Halloween and dark nights. The red on black text also could be compared to the Dark Skies opening as they use red on a plain black background.

In the opening to The Shining we see blue text appear from the bottom of the screen and travel to the top in a typical way credits are usually shown. This reflects what the car is doing at this exact moment; much like the text, the car is travelling from the bottom to the top, in this case on a mountain. Blue usually connotes cold and isolation linking the hotel the driver is travelling to. The font is shown in a serif font reflecting the seriousness and formality of the film. Although blue is used to suggest isolation, it is rarely used in horror films as red, black and white are the main colours that they use in openings as they connote blood, death, fear of the unknown, power and  innocence.

In the opening to House at the End of the Street the main text is shown in a formal font that appears to be written by a typewriter linking with the horror genre. The font changes from this typewriter-like font to a young handwritten childlike font linking with the child that the film centres around. The font is creepy and fits well within the genre of the film; it almost looks confused reflecting the child’s mind. Much like in Psycho, House at the End of the Street use white text on a black background to suggest good vs. evil.

Sound

Sound is a key convention in helping the audience identify the genre of a film is a horror. Low pitch music is commonly used to reflect the dark element of horror films, suggesting there will be scenes where you will see blood, gore and demonic creatures.

In the opening to Psycho, dramatic music begins straight away. This establishes the tone of the film and suggests there may be jump scares. Staccato is used to emphasise a ‘jabbing’ sound reflecting the stabbing motion with a knife that is going to appear in the film, especially in the famous shower scene. The opening begins with a low pitch tone, which is dark, scary and even sinister then converts to a high pitch tone which sounds almost like screams again reflecting what will happen in the film. The music is quick paced that gradually grows just like the bars which puts the viewers on edge and creates a sense of panic. 

In the opening to Dark Skies we hear a futuristic screeching noise that you could relate to aliens and space suggesting what we will see in the film. When the main title appears, the sound gets louder and almost turns into a high pitch whistle, which may make audiences uncomfortable. Although what we are seeing throughout the opening are children playing, laughing and having a good time, the music does not quite fit the mise en scene. Violins play throughout the scenes of the neighbourhood, which gives the audience a sense that not everything is as it seems; something is going to happen. The violins create a dark and eerie vibe whilst we see the people out in the neighbourhood. 


In the opening to Evil Dead dramatic music begins straight away, much like in Psycho. This also suggests there may be jump scares in the film and establishes the overall tone. The harsh tones of the violins are used to reflect the genre of the film also. The music that plays is sang by what we assume is a choir. This reflects the sub-genre of supernatural horror as we relate a choir with churches, god and the devil. The high-pitched choir like voices turn into to a deep and aggressive tone when we see the fire; almost acts like the voice of the devil. The haunting voices from the choir put the audience on edge. 

Whereas Psycho and Evil Dead use fast paced staccato music in their openings, In the opening of The Shining we hear slow, deep, low-pitched music that is similar to music that may be played at a funeral. This is a key convention of helping the audience establish the genre of horror. It makes the audience feel uncomfortable as it is mysterious which fits with the mise en scene; we do not yet have an idea of the car’s destination. When the car is getting higher up the mountain a scream-like noise is introduced giving an idea of what we may happen in the film.

In the opening to The House at the End of the Street there is dramatic instrumental music that gets louder and suddenly stops when there is a cut from black to close up of a snow globe, what the girl is holding. Music is not used throughout the whole opening like in Psycho and The Shining, we hear various sounds. The sounds we hear all fit in time with the action we see. The hallway is silent where we see the girl except from her footsteps and the sound of thunder coming from outside, which is an example of pathetic fallacy as the weather is reflecting the mood. The opening is very quiet, apart from the thunder outside, until we hear screams coming from both parents as the daughter kills them. Screams, thunder and footsteps from creaky floorboards are all typical in horror films as it helps establish the genre and makes the audience uncomfortable. When we see the girl alone in the hallway, whilst we see close ups of her eye, we hear mumbled voices and various creepy noises; we get the sense these noises are all in her head as she is clearly troubled.

 

Completed Preliminary Task

Planning Preliminary Task

 Shot List

Storyboard

Codes and Conventions of Film Openings

I will be watching 6 very different film openings and exploring the conventions of credits, narrative, styles of font and sound featured in these films. The films I have chosen are:

• Monsters, Inc.
• Pride and Prejudice
• Dark Skies
• Legally Blonde
• Kung Fu Panda
• The House at the End of the Street

Conventions of Credits

The conventions of credits vary from film to film, however many film openings as a whole share a general pattern of how the information is given in text to the audience. The production company tends to appear first in the opening of a film, with the cast names and the name of the film following from that.

This pattern is shown in Pride and Prejudice. The film shows the production company, Universal Pictures at the beginning of the opening. The title of the film, Pride and Prejudice, the fades in and back out again. This is the only text shown in the opening however, cast names are not given straight away with this film.

Monsters, Inc. however, has a complete different opening scene. It is animated and is more of a title sequence then the other 2 films. It begins with showing the audience the production company, Walt Disney Pictures and Pixar Animation Studios. Many doors open to reveal random letters then they are correctly rearranged to spell ‘Monsters, Inc.’ the title of the film. The rearrangement of letters is done to appeal to the main target audience of children.

The Dark Skies opening credits are also set out slightly differently to the majority of films, due to the genre of film (horror). The first text shown is a quote by Arthur C. Clarke that reads “Two possibilities exist… either we are alone in the Universe or we are not. Both are equally terrifying.” This was put at the very beginning, even before the main title of the film, to get the audience thinking about what else could be living in the universe and to put them on the edge of their seats, possibly scared, which is what you want to be when watching a horror film. It also gives the audience a teaser of what is to come in the film. After the quote, the title of the film fades in from black then fades out again, a typical horror convention. The opening then begins to show information in the form of text about the production company and cast.

Narrative

A film opening usually introduces us to the main character or the main setting of the film. A general idea of what will be happening is usually hinted in the opening. We are normally dropped straight into the action of the main film however in horror films, the opening is usually set some time before the main film is (prelude). This is to give the audience some background knowledge of the location or characters before the main film has even begun.

In the Pride and Prejudice opening, the credits are shown in front of the sun rising through the trees onto a field. The scene cuts to the main character of the film, Elizabeth Bennet, who is reading a book through the field. The audience realises straight away she is not from a wealthy background, we can tell this due to her costume and the way she carelessly walks on the narrow bridge across a dirty river where ducks are swimming. We then see her walking through white sheets, which reflects the purity of this character. The audience may also establish the genre of the film from the opening scene (period drama) due to what is shown.

In the opening of Dark Skies, after we see the quote and the title, we are introduced to a busy street of suburban America. We understand this street is in America from the American flags hanging along the street and the bungalow homes. There are cars driving on the road, teenagers biking and walking home from school and younger children having water fights on the lawn outside their houses. This looks like a safe neighbourhood where everybody knows everybody. It is a bright sunny day and everyone is smiling and looks as if they are having fun. This subverts the audience expectations of a horror film. Although we are introduced to the street the aliens will soon invade, we are not introduced to any of the main characters at the very beginning.

In the Kung Fu Panda opening we are introduced to the main character, Po, straight away. He is wearing a conical Asian hat linking with the settings of the film, China. We also can establish the genre of comedy as a Panda wearing this may be seen as funny. We are dropped straight into the action as he is challenged to fight by another in martial arts. Wee see Po defeat the villain and become the town’s hero. Not only are we introduced by the main character wee are also introduced to the ‘furious five’ who play a big part in the film.

Style of Fonts

Usually in films, the style of font reflects the genre of the film is. Colours and the type of font especially are considered to fit in with the overall tone of the film.

The style of font in the Monsters, Inc. opening have been considered and are in a particular font type and colour to appeal to its target audience, children. When it shows the production company, Walt Disney Pictures, the text is in a childlike font that looks unformal, appealing to children rather than adults. Each letter is in a door, linking to the theme of the film. The title of the film is in the same font at first but then is in a different font, which is big, bold and blue. This, again, appeals to children, this time especially boys. The ‘M’ has an eye in the center, linking with the main theme of the film once again (monsters).

The style of font has also been considered in the opening of Legally Blonde. The white text is shown with a pink outline and looks as if it has been handwritten. This has been done on purpose to appeal to the films main target audience of girls. The handwritten effect links with diaries and the stereotype of girls keeping a diary and writing about their day in them. Whereas the other information in text just fades in, the title of the film appears as if it has just been handwritten. Pink (the main colour of the text) connotes love and passion and is looked at as a very feminine and romantic colour. This reflects the genre and plot of the film, and helps the audience establish this straight away. The ‘I’ in ‘Reece Witherspoon’ is dotted with a heart shape, also appealing for their main target audience of girls.

In House at the End of the Street, font styles have also been considered. The main text is in a formal typewriter like font linking with the horror genre. We also see the font change from the formal typewriter font to a font that appears to be written by a young child. The font also looks creepy and fits in well with the horror genre due to the letters being different sizes and it not being very neat. This links in with what the audience is about to see, a young girl with brain damage who ends up killing both of her parents.

Sound

Sound is generally used in film openings whether it is a song or sound effects, but it is always used to reflect the genre of the film. When watching various film openings I have found that films use sound that will appeal most to their target audience.

In the opening of Legally Blonde, the song ‘Perfect Day’ plays throughout. This goes well with the footage of girls doing their hair and makeup. This song will also appeal to the films target audience of girls. Girls, especially, may recognise the song and enjoy the film more than if an unknown song was playing. ‘Perfect Day’ also fulfils the audience expectations of a typical chick flick, romantic comedy as a girl sings it and has lyrics that a girl may relate to.

In the Kung Fu Panda opening there is a voiceover throughout. The voiceover refers to Po as a legend and we see other characters believe this as the opening continues. The audience can easily establish the genre of the film (comedy) from the voiceover that says “He was so deadly in fact, that his enemies would go blind from over exposure to pure awesomeness.” We then hear voices from reality over what we soon realise is a dream, hence why Po, himself is the voiceover; being part of the furious five is his only dream. Chinese music plays throughout in the background of the voiceover as linking with the setting of China and the theme of Po wanting to become part of the furious five (martial arts).

In the opening of House at the End of the Street, there is no running song playing throughout, as this is a horror film. At the very beginning there is dramatic instrumental music that gets louder and suddenly stop when there is a cut from black to close up of a snow globe, what the girl is holding. The sounds of footsteps from the girl are heard, as she is getting closer towards her parents bedroom. There is also the sound of thunder coming from outside, which is an example of pathetic fallacy where the weather reflects the mood; this is typical of a horror film. The only dialogue used is from the parents when they are awoken by the sound of their daughter smashing a light bulb when she knocks over the lamp. She whispers to her daughter that she must go back to bed before we hear screams coming from the mother as she has been stabbed; this is an example of non-diegetic sound.