Research and Planning

After careful thought and planning i decided to choose the horror/comedy genre for my film opening. In order for me to be successful i need to research films in this genre to see where their strengths and weaknesses lie.

I started off with research into horror films; A Nightmare On Elm Street was the first movie i looked into.

This film is a remake of the original which hit the box office in 1984, it resulted in seven sequels, a cross over (Freddy vs. Jason) and the remake which i will look into further, i have provided a link for the opening of the film below.

A Nightmare On Elm Street Opening

The opening of this film is very stereotypical of a film in this genre. The film logo New Line Cinema appears, along with it a quick burst of sound reminiscent of a girls scream. Film company's tailor their logo in accordance with the genre of film to subconsciously set the theme for the viewer.

After the company logos the background music edges smoother, to a consistent softer tone. I believe a piano is used here. The music is very simple if heard alone it would make one believe it’s a soundtrack for a children's show. However as each frame cuts into the next, it gives off a ripping sound. This fits into the story line of the film in which a group of teenagers are mercilessly stalked and killed by the protagonist who wields a glove with five knives attached to it. This combined with the uneasy visuals of children playing sets a dark satanic tone.

The viewer is well aware by now that this is a horror film.

The opening features broken glass over a portrait of a young girl, this represents pain and destruction. Another technique used is the wording the camera tends to pan into. The words 'stop' and 'bad' come up, implying to the viewer these children are being subjected to abuse. Its also important to note that the camera angles are used in a manner which limits exposure to the faces of the children playing, it focuses on their shadows and toys reinforcing the idea that something is very wrong here. The film makers did not want the children to be the focus in this scene, but wanted to illustrate the fact that they seem happy to the outside world but they are in fact very forlorn.

 

The most powerful technique used here is the diegetic sound. In every medium shot of the children playing the viewer hears gleeful laughter, cheers and screams, its important to note that these sounds are replaced by a small heart beat and a dark screen with a close up of a disturbing image. Once again indirectly suggesting something is going on with these children behind closed doors, I do not believe the scene would be as effective without this in place.