A Nightmare On Elm Street 1984 Opening Credits

A Nightmare On Elm Street is unusual for horror films of its time as it uses two opening scenes to create suspense within the audience. The first scene is the most common and uses the "flashback" conventions of psychological horrors to show the creation of the antagonist (Freddy Kreuger) whereas the second focuses on the victim which we know is set in a dreamlike state as she wakes up at the end of her scene.

• The production company titles use a flickering effect which reflects the static commonly seen of old televisions at the time of the films release (in 1984). The effect changes the typography and background of the titles from black to red and vice-versa, making the audience uncomfortable as the text is obscured.

• This red - black colour scheme is a convention of horror movies as it connotes blood and death whilst red lighting is effective for conveying ideas of heat or confinement.

• Initially, diegetic footsteps can be heard to time with the feet entering the frame from the right.. The noise is distorted and hushed, reflecting Kreuger's mental state and continues as the camera pans left to follow the feet in an extreme close up shot.

• Extreme close ups of feet and other body parts (besides the face) are prominent throughout this clip which creates an enigma as to what Freddy Kreuger looks like and also creates tension as we are able to see what he is doing with his hands, even before we realise what he is creating. 

• Non diegetic whispering voices and high pitched synth is overlapped onto the diegetic sound, these are both conventions of supernatural or psychological thrillers as they make the protagonist/antagonist seem delusional or mentally unsound.

• The very first opening shots make the audience nervous as they do not understand what is occuring within the scene though by the ed of the scene specific iconography like the gloved hand is created.

• Titles are shown in a white font over a black background. This is especially noteworthy as the actual footage occupies a small portion of the screen and has been diminished in significance by the size of the titles.

• The typeface is a rounded sans serif font that is uncommon horror movies as it it plain and usually gothic style is used. Additionally, capital letters are not used at the start of a title and only occur when a name or company name is shown. This is a convention of horror movie titles and draws the attention of the audience onto the capitalised words rather than the less significant text.

• Strong, industrial sounds like bashing metal and a blow torch are introduced alongside the already existing sound track as diegetic sound. These noises connote to factory, medical or mechanical work though sound sinister as they are muted and match to the grim, dark lighting and mise-en-scene.

• By this point, the audience feels anxious about what the faceless character is doing and why he is relevant to the plot narrative. This is a necessary effect upon the audiences as it will make them much easier to scare as the film continues as they know the origins of the "monster"

We will incorporate:

• Lots of relevant mise-en-scene
• A mix of similar shots taken from different camera angles
• Hiding the characters face from the audience to create an enigma

Camera Angles Deconstruction - Bailey May

Camera Angle Deconstruction

The Ring

Here we have a close up reaction shot of the man/victim which helps to create tension for when the antagonists in the film appears.

Additionally, it subverts common media image that men aren't victims making the audience feel uneasy due to the male role as the 'hero' being undermined in this shot. 

Next, there is a over the shoulder shot of the man looking at the TV. It illustrates how he is transfixed to the impending danger and therefore has become a victim.

Moreover, this shot suggests he's insecure and scared due to the over the shoulder shot giving a different chilling perspective of the events occurring as if it is from someone's POV looking at him form behind adding to the tension.

Now, we have a pan mid shot of the scared man. The fact the pan started from behind the wall where the TV is situated gives this shot an eerie sense that its from the POV of the evil antagonist. As a result of this it illuminates the man's vulnerability in this scene being completely alone and isolated. Additionally, combined with the over the shoulder shot above adds to the connotations of the surrounding evil presence the man is victim of. 

In this POV shot from the Grave Encounters, the effect on the audience is it gives them a more personalised, engaged part in the film viewing the events unfolding in the film.

Additionally, the fact the shot is limited in view from the POV can also create mystery and tension for the audience as they would be guessing and trying to anticipate what might happen so in this adds to the scare factor for a supernatural horror

Evaluation

Having analysed this camera angles we can see that shots focusing on the protagonist with limited view on the rest of the set work well in supernatural horror as it allows the audience to speculate and try to anticipate whats going to happen next, if anything. As a result of this the audience are always on the edge of their set which is the films purpose.

Moreover, the use of POV shots gives it a personal effect that engages the audience into the film and gives them opportunity to mentally engage with in film as it is as if the film on screen is from there perspective which I believe works well in supernatural horror.

The Hole Deconstruction

The Hole

The Hole is an action, fantasy, horror/thriller that was released in 2009 for a younger audience compared to other horror/ thriller films. The film follows three protagonists with their discovery of the hole in their basement.

Camera

In this scene the youngest brother is curious about the hole and wants to see it for himself however his worst fear appears when he opens it and looks in to the black void. The scene opens with a tilting shot that shows the boys feet walking down in to the basement, while he is walking down there is both diegetic and non-diegetic sound as you are able to hear a high pitched sound which is most likely violins and the sound of him walking down the stairs. While the child is walking down the stairs the camera changes to a point of view shot looking towards the hole. This is common in horror films as it makes the audience feel more involved, the camera switches to a tracking shot then returns to a point of view shot again. A high angle is used to show the child walking closer towards the hole and while he opens the hatch, however the camera quickly moves to inside the hole at a low angle looking up towards the boy as he opens the hatch. The camera stays in the hole for a large period of time before having a close up of the boy’s face, there is also some tracking during this shot.

When the boy turns to have a look around the room the camera pans across the room slowly keeping the torch light in the frame before panning back to the boy to show a reaction shot of the sound coming from another location. Once the boy has located the clown the camera moves in to a mid-shot then quickly in to a close up of the clowns face before returning and zooming in on the boy’s face. As the boy escapes there is mainly use of tracking shots following him to his freedom.

Sound

The sound of the non-diegetic violins plays continuously until it is broken by the opening of the hatch that leads to the hole, the lack of sound creates suspense as the audience knows something is going to happen. After a short while the sound of the violins fades back in however this time much louder yet fades again at 0:53. There is only diegetic sound of the boy moving his torch around and the sound of bells from the clown puppet, this once again helps to create suspense as non-diegetic sound is again introduced when the light is on the puppets face. However the sound of the non-diegetic becomes more frantic and warped as the child becomes afraid of the puppet, this is also shown when the puppet winks at the boy as a louder sound is played. This sound also adds to the use of a minor jump scare as it was not expected, the music stays louder and changes to a faster pace as the child tries to escape the clown. Diegetic sound is also paired with the non-diegetic to show that the child is in a rush as he struggles over objects and pushes things to the side.

Mise-en-scene

Within the basement there are many shelves and it is full of old house hold objects that no one uses anymore such as a toy doll, tools and an old barbeque. The basement has many items covering the area and makes it feel more like a confined and isolated place. Dusk covers most of the area to show that no one visits the basement. The child wears simple clothing and carries a torch as there is very little lighting in the basement. 

Shooting Script - 28/12/14

Shooting Script

We are planning to shoot at three locations for a range of shots. 

• Charing - shooting in the woods with the dog that is planned in our storyboard. 
• Aylesford - shooting at the church for the beginning scene and multiple short shots.
• School - close-ups of eyes and candles that can be done with a black background.

28th of December - CHARING 

Meeting at Maidstone East Station at 8.40am

Train arrives at Maidstone East: 8.47am

Train arrives at Charing: 9.07am 

Child return ticket: £3.60 

Walk to desired location in 30 minutes - 1.3 miles

Scenes being shot and times:

15 minutes for setting up equipment. 

3rd Scene (Dog) - 10am to 12pm

On our storyboard we have one scene in which the dog runs away, we will break this down into small scenes to improve the continuity and include a range of camera angles. 

• POV/Handheld shot of feet walking and route of walk
• Close-up of feet walking (tracking and handheld)
• Long shot, handheld from the side 
• Long shot, handheld from behind 
• High angled, handheld from front 
• Stepping over camera placed on floor 
• Panning shot of dog running away, wide shot 
• Close up of dogs legs running past 

4th Scene (Girl's shoulder) - 12.30pm to 1.30pm 

Again, there is only one scene of this on our story board, and to improve continuity and suspense we will have multiple shots of the girl looking at the main male character, using different camera movements and angles. 

• Over-the-shoulder shot of the girl looking at actor - level to shoulder (tripod)
• Multiple shots of girl behind different trees at different distances (wide/medium)
• Floor level, girl walking barefoot past the camera (close-up)

7th Scene (Symbol) -1.45pm to 3.30pm (depending on sunset hours)

This scene is more complex than the others as we need to show a multiple of different mise-en-scene pieces. We will have multiple wooden structures, ripped clothing and gore/special effects make-up. We will break the scene down into different clips. 

• Close-up of multiple wooden symbols 
• hanging from tree at different levels x 3
• stood up on floor and laid down on floor x 2
• Close-up of hands, shaking and twitching 
• Tilt upwards of back showing scratches and ripped clothing 
• Wide shot of whole scene

Deconstruction of The Walking Dead Opening

When making our own opening we want to use short clips of footage scattered thought to make the opening feel more intense. I wanted to focus on ideas that we could possible use when creating these small shots and therefore I am going to do a deconstruction of The Walking Dead opening sequence as it is created through the use of short shots.

Deconstuction of The Silence of the Lambs Opening

In the first two opening minutes of Silence of the Lambs an establishing shot is used to identify the location in which the film will be set. In this particular film the setting is commonly used for horror type films as it is located in an isolated area in the middle of the woods. The colour used when filming is quiet dark as to show that it is being filmed during the winter months, the mise-en-scene also identifies this as the trees are dead and leaves are lying on the floor mainly decomposed. Not only this however in this image a heavy fog lies across the woods creating further ideas of danger and mystery.

The establishing shot then tilts down slightly in order to show a female character climbing towards the camera. The camera then continues to follow the woman using a tracking shot, this helps the audience to identify that this is the main female character that the story will be following. The idea of isolation is then amplified when the camera slows while tracking allowing the scene to change from a medium shot in to a long shot. The surroundings shows that the female character is alone in the woods.

The camera then continues to follow the main female character towards a rope in which she climbs. This conveys that the female character is most likely to be in the military doing her daily training course, subverting the common representation of females being weak and dependent on others. However the female character also conforms to the common media image of women being attractive as the actress has very famine features.

During the first two minutes of the opening there is both diegetic and non-diegetic sound. The diegetic sound is the quiet noise of bugs such as crickets in the background accompanied by birds flying away occasionally. Not only this, however there is also diegetic sound of the woman breathing heavily due to the woman completing her exercise, the sound of her foot steps on the leaves bellow is also used during this time period. Non-diegetic sound is also used throughout the scene and increased when the woman is seen to be climbing the rope netting. The non-diegetic sound is most likely created by string instruments such as violins and a lower sound of wind instruments played bellow the violins.

Bedlam Opening Credits Deconstruction

Supernatural

• In between some frames, a white-orange flash is introduced. This provides a contrast to the dark green and blue tones used primarily throughout the opening credits which are common conventions of psychological horror movies as they suggest isolation and themes of good vs evil.

• A wide shot of a boy in a straight jacket in an abandoned cell/room can then be seen, the boy looks young and does not move whilst the building he is in looks run down and derelict; both are common conventions of psychological horrors as it creates an effect of suspense and danger because it does not continue in parallel editing from the previous picture.

• A fast zooming in shot of a young girl on a hospital bed is shown quickly before it pans around her. The hospital iconography suggests that the girl is vulnerable though as we do not see her face an inhuman, dangerous effect is instead created.

• A long shot is shown of a girl of a girl in a dirty shift dress. 
• She is in a long corridor with open doors on each side which let in dim, purple light and give the shot a purple tint. This colour suggests supernatural occurrences and makes the audience feel uneasy as we assume the young girl is victim. 
• Initially, the girl is shown pushing herself away from the corridor wall and walking backwards to the middle of the corridor; this footage is in rewind and suggests she was pushed by an invisible force or person or that she had voluntarily thrown herself against the wall. 
• Just after this action, the girl is seen looking over her shoulder up the corridor and down the camera barrel, this establishes an emotional connection with the audience and highlights her vulnerability.

Setting

• The initial shot is an extreme close up shot of the top of a stone wall. The layout of this shot draws the audiences eye upwards and to the right of the frame which then goes out of focus, this immediately creates an enigma as the audience is unsure why the wall is significant and what could be seen to the right of the frame or in the background.

• The disequilibrium continues as a low angle shot with purple tinting shows the castle turrets and a cloudy sky after a brief jump cut mid-shot of a man in spectacles. 

• A wide shot pans left quite slowly revealing the lair in  dimly lit conditions. The camera is based initially behind a stone column or pillar which creates suspense as the audience does not know what is behind it and as it is slowly revealed they realise the lair is empty. The vacant room is a common convention of psychological thrillers and horrors as it shows that the "villain" is harder to pin down and suggests they can evade capture.

Introducing characters

• At 0:10, a wide shot of a smartly dressed man sitting at a desk is shown. The room is filled with burning paper which is falling to the ground and the man is not reacting. The lack of emotion and the fire are both common conventions of psychological/supernatural horrors as it suggests possession or inhuman qualities within a person who is otherwise (usually) mentally sound. 

• Another man is then shown straight after who is walking away from a fire/explosion in a calm and collected manner. The man is dressed in casual clothes including a jacket and sweater, this is unusual as the orange tint creates the idea that the scene is very hot (due to the fire) though he is otherwise unaffected.

• Another smartly dressed man (this time with safety goggles) is shown with a low angle close up. He is looking down, out of the frame, and seems to be holding a notebook or small folder in his hand. The camera pans very slowly around him though the angle we see of him does not change, only the background does. This implies that the man is absorbed in studying the object and is oblivious to what else is occurring around him. This idea is reinforced by the blue tones and low contrast within the scene which is not a common convention of supernatural horrors and we do not expect to see.

Jacob's Ladder - Opening Credits Deconstruction

Deconstruction: The Possession Film Opening

Film Opening Deconstruction: The Possession 

Opening Titles:

• When the titles begin a slow piano melody begins. It is low pitched which creates a dark, mysterious effect. 
• The titles are simple and grey scale. There are shadows present on some of the letters which creates the thought of something coming out of the dark. 
• A slow, quiet voice begins to sing after “the following is based on a true story” appears. The singing is of a high pitched woman whispering which creates tension for the audience as the screen is predominately black therefore unknown. 
• The voice increases in volume so the audience can recognise that the singing is of another language, creating enigma around who the voice is and what it has to do with the story line.

First Scene:

• The first scene is used to set the location of the film opening. A left moving tracking shot is used to show the contents of the hallway.
• The walls are lined with photos in pictures frames. The photos are old, and contain mostly families – a common convention with horror films.
• The music stops as the camera reaches the entrance of the living room. This is to create suspense for the audience as it usually signals that something is going to happen. 
• There is a slow zooming in shot of the wooden box creating an emphasis around the connection of the box and story line. 

Between the possession and the first scene there is a scene in which the woman turns on music through a tape player and picks up a hammer. The music is old, could be from the 60’s, it is quite fast paced with a male singer. I didn't include this part in my deconstruction as it does not contain any common codes or conventions of horror movies which is what I am analysing.

The Possession:

• As the woman approaches the box with the hammer, diegetic voices begin to increase in volume. The whispers are similar to those in the beginning of the opening but more demonic and that of a deeper voice.
• The voice sounds hoarse and has a more serious tone to those in the beginning.
• A jump cut from the box shows a close up of the woman who begins to shake and her face begins to drop. 
• A low bass rumble begins non-diegetically as her face continues to drop and bruise. 
• The woman gets thrown backwards onto the floor and then is moved around in multiple non-human positions. This is a common way to represent a possession in horror movies as lots of camera angles can be used edited together to make a good effect.
• An eerie, fast paced screeching begins, increasing in volume very quickly until it over shadows all other sounds. This continues for the whole of the possession. The only sounds that can be heard over the screech are bones breaking and smashes as her body is thrown around the room.
• At the end, the woman falls face first onto a glass table, at this point the screeching stops immediately. All that can be heard after the screeching stops is the original music from the tape player. 

Bailey May - Sinister Film Opening Deconstruction

SINISTER - FILM OPENING DECONSTRUCTION

In the first section of the opening we see 4 people, more or likely a family, standing up being hung round their necks attached to the tree.

This conforms to common representation as it is a family of 4 being killed in a slow torturous way which infects the reader with a sense of disgust.

Their is a suttle non-diegetic sound of film player in the background of it flickering through the film which dates this scene to be several decades in the past.

Its parallel to what's on screen as this type of killing was used many hundreds of years ago.

The setting of the pleasant green garden and clear sky juxtaposes the killing on screen which creates an eerie and uncomfortable sense for the audience.

This subverts common media image as killings and murders and normally taken place in dark,gloomy,stormy environments so the pathetic fallacy here is creating an uncomfortable, sinister edge to this killing.

In the next section we see the tree being cut by an unknown killer and the family struggling and wriggling in the air.

The fact that we don't see the killer gives the reader a reason to watch on to find out who killed the people. This cliff hanger conforms to common horror conventions on leaving the audience in the unknown.

The families clothing jeans,polo shirts, chinos exploits the stereotype of a common day American family of 2 children, one boy and one girl. 

The fact that the killer has chosen them as their target could suggest the even the most perfect of people/families aren't safe from danger and that no one is safe. 

Conforming to common media image in many horror films peoples ideas of 'perfection' are attacked to scare the audience and also to possibly send out an underlining message that not all of what you see as perfect actually is, which would give the killer some motive for their actions.

In the ending of the opening scene it is freeze framed with the image of the dead family

It is framed in the film roll style to highlight this is found footage.

Conforms to common conventions that found footage in a decent amount of horrors are central to the narrative of the film 

Additionally, the title at the end is seemed to be inscribed onto some sort of rock to give it a medieval, witchcraft sense to the film. Conforming to common representation that this type of killing is linked with medieval times and evil of that period of time.

Moreover, although it highlights the name of the film it also acts as a way to describe the sort of killing has to just appears because it had no diegetic or non-diegetic sound to anything that happened on screen giving it an uncomfortable, sinister edge. 

Continuing, the fact their is only the non-diegetic sound of the flicking film player through out the opening gives it an uneasy feel and makes the audience focus the whole time on the killing its self to really grasp the audiences attention to the sinister act that is taken place which most people would normally turn their eyes away from. 

Additionally from this end scene of the opening it establishes that it is found footage and is a  common convention of house/supernatural horror. This gives it an old feel to the footage which makes it even more unnerving for the audience as some people relate the past to tragedy and sadness through their experiences in life.

Potential Filming Locations - Aylesford Church

Evaluation

Pros

• Very little work on the mise-en-scene needs to be done
• Lots of possible shots and angles
• Limited public footfall so less interruptions

Cons

• Not easy to access
• The weather could change quickly (e.g. rain) which makes continuity between shots more difficult and could affect our costumes

What Lies Beneath (2000) Opening Scene Deconstruction

What we will incorporate into our work:

• Eye-line matches to show relationships between characters
• Changing the opacity of the text to make it an "effect" rather than an object
• Tinting our footage to create suspense and uneasiness