The opening credits of the Omen set the tone for the rest of the film by establishing a sense of dread. It contains haunting music to pair with the credits followed by eerie abstract images of landscapes and mysterious symbols. They use Latin phrases and biblical references which adds to the sense of ancient and cruel forces. The credits play on the left side of a black screen which slowly has a red light fade into the left side of the screen. The red reveals the silhouette of a small child and its shadow which is an upside down cross. As the credits roll it leaves the audience preparing for the terror to come.
Techniques I can use from the Omen's film opening are unsettling sounds during the credits to create unease and incorporating abstract symbolic imagery that just barely dips into the horror. Having this with credits allows the main people in the film to be acknowledged while keeping the attention on the film. This keeps the film foreboding and audiences still in the scary horror world during the credits, establishing the audience's dread for when the film actually begins. So for my film I can use these sound effects and imagery that keep the emphasis on the film during credits, keeping the focus on the story.
The Omen opening credits
Dawn of the dead (2004)
The opening credits of Dawn of the Dead are crucial in establishing the setting and building tension for the zombie apocalypse. It features a montage of chaos and disturbing images including many different types of media portrayed like news reports and newspapers. It actually makes it seem like the end of the world in a very realistic way by also including footage of riots, civil chaos, disturbing images, news footage, and shots of empty/desolate landscapes. They use a haunting/pulsing score which adds a sense of unease by creating a sense of impending doom. It shows the credits as bloody text pulling away to the side as a drip, with graphic images, reports, and landscapes flashing in the background. As these credits are rolling the audience is ready to experience the descent into chaos/carnage.
I can use the techniques from the opening credits by making a montage of flashing disturbing/unsettling images that go with the eerie sound chosen to give audiences an intense stressed feeling that repeatedly shocks audiences to create unease. I can also do what they did with other media which makes the resources shown appear more realistic by giving a sense of realism to the film. I can also use pulsing and unsettling music to create tension and consider incorporating abstract imagery to hint at future horrors. I can also consider types of fonts that go with the film and add to its horror like Dawn of the Dead did with their bloody font.
Dawn of the dead opening credits
SE7EN (1995)
The opening credits of SE7EN is an unsettle sequence that sets the eerie tone for the rest of the film. It features a montage of grainy, mostly b&w images including shots of decay and a stressed man. It also includes disturbing and surreal imagery. Its use of haunting sound adds to the sense of unease and creates a suffocating feeling. The credits look handwritten and sketched through the use of eerie fonts, this yet again with fonts emphasizes the films horror theme and makes the credits better fit in the scene. As the credits roll the audience is preparing to dive into the world of darkness and madness.
I can use similar techniques like using grainy or noisy images to make the opening feel more ominous and mysterious. I can also incorporate images that may seem irrelevant in the beginning but later have a larger purpose. As well as using a minimalist environment for filming that creates a bleaker setting. I can use these unique types of fonts and mystery within settings to make opening credits that emphasize the film itself.
Here I listed 3 different horror film openings that I think could inspire my portfolio project. I will be talking about each of the openings and how they can impact my project.
The opening scene of A Quiet Place uses the film opening create mystery to set the tone for the rest of the film. The opening introduces the viewers to the post apocalyptic world where the alien like creatures hunt through their acute sense of sound. The film begins with a shot of a deserted street with a family walking barefoot. They are in an abandoned store collecting supplies, they are walking on their tip toes insinuating that they are trying to be as quiet as possible, however they are acting as if these errands are regular. This and their panic when the little boy almost drops a toy causes the audience to wonder what is going. Finally the opening ends with a brief moment as the boy is killed by the creature and the screen goes black the audience is left frozen in shock which sets the theme for the rest of the movie. The use of sound is the most important element in this film/opening. Having such minimal sound places the audience into the characters world, by having only diegetic sounds used and emphasized in moments where the characters need to be quiet shows the impact of sound in their world. This specific use creates a sense of uneasiness and tension, preparing the audience for the horrors to come.
There are many ways that techniques from A Quiet Place that can be utilized in the project, especially the utilization of sound. For the project we can work on highlighting sound, experimenting with foley, and creating a sense of discomfort through visuals. For example, we can use some longer shots with slow camera panning to create tension while also allowing the audience to embrace the setting. Moreover, we can use diegetic sound instead of just music overlay to create a sense of realism and make the horror aspect seem more believable/plausible. We can also experiment with foley to create unique sounds for what visuals are being displayed such as some foley techniques used in the quiet place. These techniques can be used to create anticipation and tension to make the audience feel off/uneasy even if all the aspects aren't yet reveled.
This is a video showing techniques that were used to create some foley sounds for A Quiet Place which can help influence and inspire us in our project.
The opening scene in Jaws is a conflict opening of Character vs. Nature, the opening is iconic in building tension and suspense. It begins with a shot of a young woman swimming alone in the ocean at night. The camera pans across the water, showing the darkness of the environment and how isolated the girl is. Suddenly the music changes to a score, and ominous two note theme that increases in intensity. This score signals the presence of the shark, it attacks quick and brutally, dragging the woman underwater. The opening ends with a shot of the shark's fin gliding through the water and leaves audiences with a sense of shock and dread. The setting/envirorment is a huge aspect of the opening as well as the shark itself. The dark and mysterious enviroment already creeps out viewers, making them stressed even before the theme changes to one of danger. The films main atagonist Jaws is reveled right away although its figure is kept more hidden to allow a more intense revela later but it still strikes fear through its harsh kill right in the begginibg of the film.
Techniques that can be used from Jaws opening is creating vulnerability and isolation. For example having victims in a vlnerable state where they are alone or helpless can create more anxiety and suspense for the audience who already feel that their is no hope for the character. Additionally using music and sound effects can help influence the audience into feeling a certain way, especially by giving the antagonist a theme song/score which signals their presence so whenever the audience/characters hear it they know that something is about to go down, this creates anticipation and dread. WE can use these techniques with enviroment, sound, and character developement to create an opening that causes anxiety and fear before the main aspecs are even fully revelaed.
This artices dives a bot deeper into the developement of some of Jaws features as well as sercing as a resoure for futher research or inspiration: Jaws Article. This video is a about some of the effects used in the movie that we can look at when working on the project.
The opening scene of scream is an establishing background opening that seems earily possible to occur and makes viewers feel uncomfortable and anxious which sets the tone of intrige and analyzation of who coud be the killer for the rest of the film. The scene begins with a shot of a woman making popcirn and asnwering a phone call from a mysterious stranger who seems to be charming at first. The conversation starts out friendly but quickly turns sinister and nerve racking as the stranger reveals he is watching the woman and has killed her boyfriend. It ends with the woman being murdered and her parents coming across the scene. This leaves the audience wondering/investigating who the killer could be and what are their motives for the rest of the film. This opening scene does an amazing job of capturing a horrified teen faced with the chance of being murdered. It creates a very stressful experience for the audience as they the scene is so realistic they can emphasize with the girls emotion. It also is very unique in the way that it has audiences trying to predict the plot and investigate every detail of the film moving forward to find the killer.
These techniques of starting of the film with a character that the audience feels emotions towards and then immediately killing her off sets the ruthless tone of the film and how the movie dosent mind killing off ny characters they please. It creates a sense of unpredictability as you never know the possiblities of what could happen next. The film also makes characters seem obvoous to be the antagonist only to kill them off and have viewers start investigating all over again. This uncertainty, questioning, and mystery can be used in the film opening by making teh antagonist seem less evil only ti later reveal the full extent of their ruthlessness later or to create a stiry that seemsto be predictable only for shocking revelas amd plt twists t occur. Also making the situation seem overall poretty realistic is a hood techniwue for the opening as it makes the audience feel that this horrible act could happen to them and creates a real sense of fear and dread towards the viewer.
This is a video about some of the behind the scens of scream that can influence the film Scream Behind the Scenes, and this is a vdieo about the location of the scream house that can help inspire us when decideing on a location for a horro film opening.
The two possible genre choices for my project that I will be researching are horror and crime. I choose to research these because they appeal to me, and I think they would be fun and interesting to make a film opening of. My other group members are researching similar topics so that we have the most possible available information to use when we are deciding our film opening.
Horror:
Horror movies are designed to scare and unsettle audiences. They usually use elements that are terrifying or supernatural such as monsters, ghosts, or serial killers. They do this by creating sense of tension and fear that keep audiences on the edge of their seat.
Techniques:
-Jump scares: Sudden loud noises and unexpected imagery that startle viewers. (Ex: Antagonist jumping out from a hidden spot)
-Tension: Gradual build up of music, camera angles and lighting to reveal something. (Ex: Music getting louder)
-Unsettling atmospheres: Creating a disturbing or eerie environment to make viewers feel uneasy. (Ex: Foggy graveyard with dim lighting)
These films usually begins with a calm and peaceful setting that tricks audiences into a false sense of comfort which makes the future elements that much more disturbing. The calm environment is interrupted by a terrifying event or discovery. The contrast between security and chaos creates shock and fear. (Ex: Scream begins with a girl peacefully making popcorn talking on the phone like something that could happen in real life which is soon disrupted by the discovery that the stranger on the phone is watching her.)
Some examples of popular horror movies are
-Scream (and the series)
-Halloween
-Pennywise
-The Exorcist
Horror movies provide a thrilling experience that tests viewers courage and fear tolerance.
Crime:
Crime movies focus on investigation and consequences. They usually feature detectives, police officers, or criminals as main characters. Crime films range from gritty and realistic to stylized action packed thrillers.
Techniques:
-Non-linear storytelling: showing events out of chronological order to build suspense or create surprise for the films plot later on. (Ex: Showing a crime take place or criminal locked up and then showing the process.)
-False information: Placing false information or misleading clues to keep the viewers engaged and guessing. (Ex: Showing a character trapped, impossible to escape only for them to find a way.)
-Morals: Sometimes these films blur the lines between good and evil manipulating the difference between right and wrong. (Ex: Giving the criminal a good reason for their wrongdoings.)
They usually begin with a mysterious event or crime the sets the investigation in motion. Usually as story’s unfold tensions rise and clues are revealed.
Some examples of crime movies are
-The wolf of Wall Street
-The Godfather
-Inside Man
Crime movies give viewers a thrilling experience as they get to put together clues and try to think of possibilities.
Both of these genres are very interesting and would be really fun to make into a film opening, so it will be a tough final decision. Although this research had given me a clearer head spaces and has made me feel more secure about how to start the project.
This portfolio project is to create a 2 minute film opening of a specific genre. This week I have been considering potential genres and ideas for the film opening based on notes I took in class. I have been breaking down the project and its requirements, for the type of fil opening I have been really considering mystery and conflict, but I have not yet decided.
For this project I am planning on working with two classmates, Vicky and Juan. We are currently discussing potential genres/ideas. Since we have an assignment of researching 2 genres my group has been discussing what genres we should each resrch in order to gether the most information possible to use for our assignment. We are trying to come up with something unique and different than most projects Cambridge sees and hopefully we can.
For our media marketing project, we
began by thinking of the band (Indefinite)’s general theme to branch off of. We
landed on a rebellious, edgy theme with a consistent red, black, and orange
color palette. Due to our song selection, we think a demographic targeted
towards teenage boys would fit the brand of young singers.
We utilized our other Music
Research project to help us think of how our brand should be formed. We plan on
utilizing many social media platforms that our target audience would be
accessing regularly and fitting our content into the platform. For example,
when we market on Tik Tok we would follow the latest trends and attempt to make
our own trends using our music to help it grow in popularity. When we use
Instagram which is mostly photos and videos, we would have little trailers of
pour upcoming music videos, information on showings, dates for song release,
teasers and more.
We are currently branching off
these ideas to develop the rest of the brand. At the same time, we are also
creating our music video which ours is using the song (The Man, by the
Killers), we are being inspired and making sure to incorporate elements from
the song into marketing and vice versa to keep it cohesive and really develop
their brand through the song.
For our video we decided to have a
promo and storyline music video. We all met up at our first and primary
location which has an abandoned/warehouse/construction type look which gave us
the edgy look we wanted as well as some shoots in a prettier lakeside view to
complete the higher pitched parts and beauty of our song. We used this location
to first film the promo which we overshot in order to be able to edit more
freely. After we finished the promo, it was getting dark which is exactly we
wanted since our storyline is set to be darker and more mysterious. We filmed
in chronological order in order to maintain understanding and to ensure
everything needed was being shot. We included different shot types such as over
the shoulder, long shot, two shot, closeups, Dutch angle’s and some more. We
again overshot some scenes in order to make editing easier. We completed almost
all the scenes and just need to film a few pieces for the end of the video
which we have decided to make 2min 10sec instead of the minimum since that time
cut the song into a clearer spot.
In the exploration of the action genre has an audience of typically teens and young adults looking for excitement. They are known for their fast paced scenes, intense stunts, and heroes facing tough challenges against all odds. Featuring production techniques like quick editing and special effects to create a thrilling experience. Marketing strategies that are featured are trailers and posters the show the most exciting moments. Films like Guardians of the Galaxy and The Amazing Spider-Man are amazing examples of films in the action genre.
Genre Conventions (content) -
Action films usually include high energy, fast paced scenes, intense stunts/physical feats, and a hero who faces a serious of challenges and "unbeatable" opponents. Momens featuring chases, explosions, and fights are often used. The plot is usually centered around the "good" protagonist vs. the "evil" antagonist. Guardians of the Galaxy 2 chase scene
Genre Conventions (production techniques) -
Action films often use fast-paced editing with many cuts, dynamic camera angles, and special effects to create excitement and adrenaline. They use slow-motion to capture and emphasize key moments that have an important impact on the characters, ex: a car exploding causing harm or death to a character. Sound effects enhance the impact of explosions or fights. Music scores are dramatic and utilized to highlight a certain scene/character in order to build tension, ex: Darth Vader's music score any time he enters a scene. Darth Vader's Music Score
Institutional Conventions (marketing) -
Action films are marketed through trailers that show thrilling scenes, intense music, powerful actions/statements. Posters feature main characters in an action pose. Social media campaigns talking about actors in film and merchandise such as toys and video games are also used to promote the film.
Film sample 1 analysis: Guardians of the Galaxy -
Guardians of the Galaxy is the perfect example of an action film since it combines humor with thrilling action sequences. It features intense battles, space chases, a diverse, ragtag, odd pair of characters facing an extremely powerful villain. Its use of special effects and an upbeat soundtrack makes the action in the film vibrant and exciting.
Film sample 2: The Amazing Spider-Man -
The Amazing Spider-Man demonstrates the action genre through its thrilling scenes such as Spider-man swinging though Brooklyn and intense battles. It features spectacular stunts and effects that bring Spider-Man's abilities to life. It showcases Spider-Man's agility and strength focusing on his journey as he learns to control his powers while facing villains in one action packed film. The combination of deep emotion, action packed scenes, and a strong hero makes it an excellent example of an action film.
