Insidious (2011) Title Sequence Textual Analysis

The font is blood red- conveying a convention of the horror genre. In addition the 'smoke' effect on the text resembles spirits, which conveys the supernatural horror hybrid genre of the film. This createsa very dramatic atmosphere.

The background of the clip is still black, but the orb of light represents purity that is surrouned by darkness (which connotes danger.) james Wan is a veteran horror film director, so his name is focused in the centre third of the screen with a different background- notice how his name is larger than the other text, and has been placed over the white background whilst the other text is smaller and against a black background.

The protagonist of the film is introduced. He is a young, inncoent, vulnerbale child. A common convention of supernatural horrors is that vulnerbale people (such as children) are the most likely to be possesed. In terms of lighting, the shot is still quite dark. Despite being realesed in 2011, the setting of the film is not modern day. Another convention of horror films is that they are set in the past, but either within the last 30 years of in past centuries. Common time periods are the Victorian era, the 1960's, 1970's and modern day (2010's.)

A tracking shot allows the audience to view the whole house, which is the main setting of the film. The clips have limited lighting, which again is a convention of the horror genre. Using darkness in clips is said to enhance the other senses, which makes the viewers more sensitive to their surroundings. This would increase the 'scare factor' of the film.

 

The titles are red in colour which have connotations of blood, another convention of the horror genre. The font type seems to be Gothic-inspired, which has its of connotations and associations with death and the supernatural. In my main brief we will go with a similar colour scheme to further connote death and danger, and use a font that conveys the conventions of horror (either gothic-inspired, etched to resemble scratches or dripping to resemble blood.)

 

 

The titles reveal the names of the cast and crew in the same font as the main title which further suggests a gothic/supernatural horror theme. This is supported by the shadow effect that use to make the font appear and disappear off of the screen. This could be referring to spirits or apparitions as they are usually described as shadows. The still images move in chronological order around the house, starting with the exterior and moving into the hallway and living areas. This follows a common theme of horror openings for films that take place in a house. The camera will usually use a follow shot of a character as they walk around the house which reveals the main location of the film. By using still shots in the opening of Insidious, the audience will get the impression that the house is trying to hide something as the pictures can only show a snap-shot of time.

 

 

The footprints that appear on the floor confirm Insidious' genre as a supernatural horror because there is no one visible in the shot that could be leaving the footprint trial. This follows Barthes Theory of Enigma, as the audience will want to continue watching the film to see who or what is leaving the trail.

 

 

The colour scheme transitions from grayscale to colour. In horror films women are often portrayed as weak and vulnerable. In supernatural horrors it is more commonly seen for women or young children to be possessed by any supernatural spirits or demons (such as in "The Conjuring" or "The Woman in Black.") Traditionally the main character (can be either the protagonist or antagonist) is first character you are introduced to in literature and film. As we are first shown Renai, it would be safe to infer that she is the focal point of the film. Similarly in my main brief I will use the main protagonist in the first shot as this would enable the audience to identify that character as the main focal point of the film. 

The Gallows (2015) Opening Sequence Textual Analysis

The Gallows Opening Scene - Hanging (2015) Horror Movie HD

The opening is shot on a home-video recorder that includes the date and time in the bottom left hand of the screen. This makes the audience feel like they are watching real life footage, which would make them have bigger reactions to shocking events. The same effect is also achieved with films that state they are "based on a true story", which 'The Gallows' is.  It is also imitating the amateur 'found footage' filming style that was made popular for use in horror films following the success of "The Blair Witch Project" that was also shot in this style.

The jumping of the recording mimics modern-day jump cuts which are commonly used in horror films as they scare people. The setting of the scene is a high school production, and the production is set in the Middle Ages in Britain where hangings were the most popular methods of executions. This forshadows the events of the film and the key themes, as the antagonist uses a noose to scare the protagonists. The diagetic sound is dialogue from admiring parents and audience members and the occasional applause which add the amateur affect of the opening scene. The atmospheric music is ethereal which has connotations of the Church and religion. Religious iconography is a key convention of the horror genre.

 

"They did a great job on the gallows"- dramatic irony

 

The orange/red/purple lighting resembles natural lighting in the evening creates an ambient mood and relaxed atmosphere, which would then relax the audience. When the scene suddenly takes a dark turn it would have greater effect on the audience due to the contrast from a relaxed atmosphere to a sense of panic. For the reason we have decided to film my  main brief in the evening where the natural lighting will contribute to the atmosphere and levels of tension.

 

The iconography of the Gallows contributes to the conventions of the horror genre. Weapons are a generic convention of horror and key iconography is used to foreshadow forthcoming events of the film. In "The Gallows" the iconography of the gallows and noose foreshadows the upcoming death of the Antagonist (Charlie) but also makes indications that the noose will be used throughout the film as to intimidate the protagonist/s due to its reference in the films' title.

 

The audience are distracted by the dialogue of the play being acted out on screen. This would create a naturalistic feel to the film and make the audience feel like they were watching the performance in real life.  This would put both the audience in the right mind-set, so the action of the noose breaking would resemble a jump-cut and cause  the audience would react in the same way they would in real life, but also in the same way as the characters in the clip.

 

When the noose breaks we can head diagetic sound of audience members screaming and calling out the name of the Antagonist. This installs fear and panic into the audience because the break was sudden and the 'found footage' filming style puts the audience in shoes of the characters so they would react naturally.

 

The shaky cam is common with "found footage" films, documenting all of the events through POV shots. This technique places the audience in the position of the characters, so they can only see what the characters can see and can then only react how the characters react. The constant movement of the camera after the noose breaks is designed to disorientate viewers and confuse them so when the return to normality they will be thrown into the panic on screen. The sudden cut to black acts as a cliff-hanger and refers to Barthes Theory of Enigma. The audience will continue to watch the film because they are intrigued by the mystery of why there was a prop malfunction and want to know the outcome of the accident. The pause allows the viewers to reflect on the events that have occurred before them and holds them on an edge building up tension until the next scene begins and the tension is relieved. 

Media Synergy

Synergy- When two companies work together to mutually benefit each other.

Synergy works when different media conglomerates created linked products to promote their product.

Disney Synergy Case Study- High School Musical (HSM)

Disney had synergy following the release of 'High School Musical' in 2006. There were multiple products created off of its release and its franchise (including 'High School Musical 2' and 'High School Musical 3'.) These include:

-DVD Release (Disney Channel Original Movie)
-Official Soundtrack
-'High School Musical: the Ice Tour/On Ice (Feld Entertainment)
-Disney store merchandise such as Clothing, Dolls and Home ware.
-HSM Magic 8 Ball (Partner with Magic 8 Ball)
-Various videogames partnered with PlayStation and Wii
-High School Musical Top Trumps (in partner with Top Trumps.)

Skyfall Synergy

Skyfall was produced and released to mark the 50th Anniversary of Bond. Many industries and brands took advantage of the occasion and partnered with Bond to create products to promote the new film. These include: 

-O.P.I Nails released 12 new lacquers inspired by the film's blend of glamour and danger. From metallic and glitter to jewelled and jet black, the lacquers capture the film's glamorous and sophisticated look.
 

-James Bond 007 Eau du Toilette for Men was released, with the bottle taking the pattern/texture of a grenade.
 

- Bollinger partnered with Bond to create 007 Champagne called '002'
 

-Coca Cola created cans and bottles with the iconic gun-barrel shot from the opening sequence of Bond printing onto the outside. They also ran a competition offering people the chance to win tickets to see Skyfall
 

-Heineken sponsored the film and used Daniel Craig as 007 in a TV advertisement and poster. They also offered people the chance to win tickets to see the film.
 

-Adele partnered with Bond to create the theme song for Skyfall which was, ironically, called "Skyfall." It was published as a single on iTunes.
 

-The Omega Seamaster Watch has been worn by every 007 agent since GoldenEye in 1995. Omega created a new Seamaster to celebrate the release of Skyfall anda nother to commemorate 50 years of Bond. Omeha advertised their new product via TV and digital campaigns.

-007 Legends was released on PC, PS3, Playstation Move (with wand and carry case), XBOX 360 and Wii U.

Scream (1996) Opening Scene Textual Analysis

Generic Conventions

 

-In the middle of nowhere

-Kitchen knives

-Mystery (mystery caller)

-Blood

-Locked doors

-Wooded area

-Mist/fog (pathetic fallacy)

-Fire

-Black/white/red colour scheme for main titles.

-Threats of violence.

 

Sound

 

-Screaming sound effect in main titles.

-Heartbeat sound effect in main titles.

-Sound effect of knife sharpening in main titles.

-Sound bridge of phone ringing.

-Mystery caller-Enigma code, hooks the audience

-Repetition of knife sound effect when knife is drawn from knife rack.

-Vague diagetic sound (vague dialogue) from mystery caller.

-Atmospheric non-diagetic sound when the female victim hangs up for the second time on the mystery caller.

-Creaking swing

-Post-modernist references to other films in diagetic sound ("Never call out who's there-haven't you seen a scary film before?!")

-Cooking/burning/popping popcorn.

 

The sound in the opening scene of 'Scream' conveys the conventions of the horror genre effectively. As the film title appears we hear the sound effect of a knife being sharpened which immediately connotes danger and foreshadows events to come. A scream is audible after the first knife sound effect which refers to the title of the film. A heartbeat can also be heard. When you are scared you secrete adrenaline which makes your heart beat faster. The use of a heart beat sound effect in the main titles implies that you (as the viewer) will be scared by the events that happen in the film as well as the characters. Non-diagetic sound continues to convey the horror genre as atmospheric/orchestral music is used as the female victim rushes around her house locking all the doors. The music is used as jump noise, so when a jump cut is used (such as when the female looks out of the window in the door or the mystery caller starts talking and issuing threats.) The sudden 'burst' of string music builds tension as string instruments (such as violins and cellos) are commonly used to build tension. The viewer will start to wonder what is going to happen to the blonde female following the hints of danger (SFX of screaming and knives) and the gradual build of tension and suspense further draws in the audience as they wish to find out who the mystery caller is (Barthes Enigma Code) and the outcome of the female victim.

 

Camerawork

 

-Follow/tracking shots of the female victim walking through the house.

-Jump cuts at multiple moments.

-Various zooms into the female victims' face, usually when the mystery caller reveals something to her on the phone.

-Zoom/ reaction shot of female victim.

-The Rule of Thirds is a key element in all of the camera shots.

-Establishing shot and pan showing location of the house/scene.

-Point of View shots.

-Filmed at awkward angles.

 

The use of follow/tracking shots is effective as it allows the viewers to witness and event within a scene un-interrupted. However it means the viewer can only see what the camera shows them, which provides multiple opportunities for jump cuts that are necessary for horror films. The follow/tracking shots also follow the rule of thirds, but the protagonist in the scene (the blonde female) is not always in the centre third. For example when the female walks around the house whilst talking to the mystery man over the phone she pauses by the back door. The female is in the right third whilst the door handle is in the centre third and the glass pane of the door is in the left third. This allows the viewer to focus on the dialogue and the female character, but it has heavily implications that the view outside and the door itself will play an important role within the plotline of the narrative. The viewer will then turn their attention to the door, anticipating the events that will take place further on in the scene.

 

Editing

 

-Jump cuts.

-Match on action (cooking the popcorn, looking out of the windows, locking the doors.)

 

There is not a lot of editing techniques in the opening scene of 'Scream' as many of the used camera shots were follow/tracking shots. However the use of jump cuts is appropriate as these are common conventions of the horror genre. The jump cuts are designed to scare the audience and build suspense and tension. Typically one is used at the start of a scene and another is not used for awhile and gradually the interval between each jump cut is shortened which represents the growing tension and builds suspense. The match on action simply allows the scene to flow more easily, and allows the audience to witness and action from two different angles. We can see the female victim go to lock the backdoor from inside her house and it switches using match on action to witness the locking of the back door from the garden, which implies that someone is always watching her from both inside and outside the house, leaving the audience questioning the location of the mystery caller and further creating tensions and building suspense.

 

Mise-En-Scène

 

-Blonde woman- stereotypically an innocent, naïve victim in the horror genre.

-White jumper conveys innocence and purity

-Caller is male- stereotypically strong and dominant.

-Alone in a big house.

-House is in the middle of nowhere (as stated by the mystery caller.)

-Ever-growing popcorn tray resembles the explosive narrative.

-Sharp knife sound effect and kitchen knives foreshadow events to come.

-Multiple doors to lock.

-The female always answers the phone even though she knows she will but put into even more danger if she does.

 

 

Blade (1998) Opening Scene: Textual Analysis

Generic Conventions

-Blood

-Vampires

-Slow Motion Editing

-Location associated with death (butchers)

-Weapons (meat hook)

-Blonde, clueless character 

-Sense of doom

-Vague references

-Shadowed areas with bright lights (Club)

-Key iconography (fangs)

Sound

-Diagetic atmospheric, electric, synthesized club music.

-Foreign language (vampires stereotypically have Eastern European accents. This also addresses the audiences' fear of what they cannot understand and the unknown.)

-Diagetic, vague dialogue "It's him" makes the audience question the importance of the mystery figure that has appeared on screen.

-'Chomping' sound effect when Blade enters the club.

-Screaming (convention of horror/thriller)

-Non Diagetic, atmospheric, orchestral music when Blade (Protagonist) is introduced, which indicates he is a vital character to the plotline.

The use of diagetic and non-diagetic sound helps to convey the conventions of the horror and thriller genre to the audience. The vague dialogue "Where are we going?"  and "Its him!" convey Barthes Enigma code- that the audience are compelled to carry on watching to discover the truth and solve the puzzle of where the two characters are going and the identity of the man wearing sunglasses inside of the vampire cave. Furthermore the atmospheric, non-diagetic music when the movie's protagonist (Blade) enters helps to convey the action adventure genre. The music playing beforehand was electric, upbeat club music and juxtaposes the string/orchestral music that is heard when Blade's feet are first seen in shot. This reveals a change in atmosphere- from energetic and happy to ominous. It causes the audience to feel a sense of anticipation and build up tension, leading to the big reveal of the protagonist.

Camerawork

-Follow/tracking shot of the blonde male as he enters the dancing crowd.

-Close up shot of the blood dripping (and then spurting) out of the sprinklers.

-Zoom onto the rising hands of the crowd (towards the sprinklers.)

-Low Angle shot that pans up from floor level to Blade's torso.

- Shot reverse shot of conversation between blonde male and crimson hair female vampire.

-Long shot/tracking shot following the blonde male and female vampire through the butchers.

 

The camerawork helps to convey the genre conventions as it shows the audience important details which are necessary to the plotline. For example the pan from the torsos of the dancer inside the club to the sea of hands in the air reveals that something key in the scene is about to happen. The panning shot finishes with the hands taking up the bottom third of the shot and the sprinklers taking up the top third of the shot. This infers that the sprinklers have some significance in the scene, which further relates the Enigma Code. The audience will try and solve the enigma of the importance of the sprinklers before it is revealed on screen, therefore keeping the audience attached to watching the film. The shot then goes to a close up of the sprinklers that are dripping blood drops, which is foreshadowing events to come in the film. The enigma is solved when blood spurts from the sprinklers as the climax of the music is heard, which meets the conventions of tension (the panning shot), blood and the stages of the Enigma code.

Editing

-Fast paced editing when the two focal characters enter the club (dancing crowd shots)

- Slow motion (close up's and mid shots of people dancing.)

-Jump Cuts when the blonde male is being chased through the crowd of dancers.

-Starts in 'Media Res', goes straight to the action with no establishing shot.

 

The editing techniques are effective as they keep the audience on the edge of their seat, anticipating what will happen next. The fast paced editing joined with the strobe lighting effect makes it seem like time is going by faster. It can also be used to build up tension towards a climactic event. In the club fast paced editing is used when the blonde male and red-haired female enter the club and start dancing. In contrast slow-motion is used when other dancers are shown, which creates an energetic atmosphere. Furthermore the jump cuts that are used when the blonde male is running through the crowd (after the enigma has been solved) are conventions of the horror/thriller genre. Jump cuts are designed to create a massive build up of tension which results in either a climatic or anti-climatic event. Each time a jump cut is used the viewers will have an overwhelming sense of fear and/or relief. The vampires hunting the damsel in distress are introduced through jump cuts which builds up tension and introduces a new enigma- will the damsel escape from the Vampire lair or will the Vampires chasing him catch him? And if they do, what will they do with him?

 

 

Mise-En-Scène

-Generic colour scheme of black, white and red.

-Male is blonde and appears to be unaware of the situation he is entering.

-The woman has pale skin and crimson (or blood red) hair,  which matches the stereotype that vampires have pale skin due to lack of sunlight exposure.

-Location has obvious links to death.

-Iconography of body bags, corpses and meat hooks.

-Metal gate implies danger and are designed to keep people away and/or stop them getting out.

-Locked door to the vampire lair opens to reveal darkness, which implies travelling into the unknown.

-Strobe lighting in the club.

-Sense of anticipation as the dancers raise their hands towards the sprinklers.

-Lighting reveals the name of the club is "Blood Bath" just as the blood starts spurting out of the sprinklers.

-Blood pours out of the sprinkler system.

-Weapons (meat hooks.)

-Vampire Fangs

-Sense of fear (when the human male is chased through the crowd.)

 

 

 

 

Main Brief Research: Narrative Structure

Narrative Structure

 

Narrative structure contains traditional elements of a storyline in a specific order. These elements traditionally include an exposition or beginning, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution or denouement. Depending on the genre of the film, the narrative structure can take different forms. The two main forms of narrative structure are:

 

Linear Structure-Where the events of a film happen in chronological order, starting at the beginning of the story, moving to the middle and finishing at the end. This is the most common form of narrative structure in film.

 

Non-Linear Structure-Where the film often starts in the middle of the story line-usually in the height of the climax- and goes back to the beginning in a series of flashbacks. This is common in thriller films as it keeps the viewers on their toes. An example of a film with a non-linear structure is "Trance" by Danny Boyle

 

Another part of the narrative structure of a film is the conventions of the genre of the film. For example the generic conventions of a horror film include:

 

-Shadows/ Dark Lightning

-Blood

-Weapons

-Forests

-Abandoned period Houses

-Paranormal/Supernatural

-Iconography such as Bibles and Crucifixes

-Isolation

-Atmospheric Music (string instruments such as violins or cellos, or jewellery box music.)

 

The use of these conventions can help to imply the suggested genre of a film. This is called audience expectation. For example the first image on the trailer for The Woman in Black (2010) is of a child's bedroom with cobwebs and aged furniture in an old Victorian style house. Immediately the audience will get the impression that this is a horror film, especially as the picture come sup on screen at the same time the music starts, which is a song from a jewellery box (single tubular bell note, high in pitch) which is another generic convention of horror.

 

 

A repertoire of elements also helps to distinguish the genre of a film as it uses common conventions of the genre within the plotline. These are usually divided into location, iconography, characters, themes  and narratives. In horror films the repertoire of elements are:

 

Location

 

- Haunted house

-Abandoned/ derelict building

-Somewhere with little lighting (no specific size- it could be a shed, cupboard or cellar etc.)

-Castle/ Ancient Building

-Suburban Town

 

Iconography

 

-Skulls

-Kitchen Knives

-Blood

-Axes

-Bodies/Corpses

-Sudden loud screams

-Creaky floorboards/ creaky doors

-Out-of-the-blue knocking at the door

-Cold callers

-Crucifixes

-Bibles

-Gory, explicit injuries

 

Characters

 

-Demons

-Ghosts/The Paranormal

-Innocent Bystander

-House pet (usually dog or cat)

-Blonde Girls

-Young Children

-Vulnerable person

-Zombies/Vampires/Monsters

 

Narratives and Themes

 

-Spirit present in haunted house

-Psychopath on the loose

-Zombies/Monsters on the loose

-Revenge Killing

-Series of unfortunate events and coincidences

-Haunting of a single person

-Demonic possesion



 

 

 

Genre Research: Hybrid Genres

Hybrid Genre

 

Hybrid genre in film refers to a combination of two or more genres in one media product. Hybrid genre films create more opportunities for script writing and plotlines as it combines multiple elements and conventions of many genres. Some of the most common hybrid genres are:
 

RomCom-Romance, Comedy- "Bridget Jones' Diary", "Love Actually"
Action/Adventure-Action, Adventure- "Indianna Jones","Skyfall"
Horror/Thriller- "Final Destination", "The Cabin in the Woods"
Sci-Fi/Fantasy- Science Fiction, Fantasy- "Star Trek", "Avatar", "Star Wars"
War/Historical/Drama- "Saving Private Ryan", "War Horse."

There some new genre hybrids emerging in recent films such as:
 

Black Comedy/Drama-"August Osage County"
Comedy/Western/Action-"A Million Ways to Die in The West"
Disaster/Drama/Action-"2012", "San Andreas"
Family/Action/Comedy-"Kung-Fu Panda"
Comedy/Horror/Sci-Fi/Thriller- "Attack the Block"

 

Genre Research: Sub-Genres

Sub-Genres

 

A sub-genre is a subdivision of a genre in film, literature, music, art etc. Sub-genres help to focus in on the topic the film is discussing. Examples of sub genres include:

 

Comedy-Black Comedy, Parody, British Humour, Satire, coming-of-age

Horror/Thriller-Psychological, 'B-Movie', Supernatural, Gothic

Historical/Drama-Epic, Biopic, Medieval, Biblical, Melodrama, Ancient History, Documentary, Period, Costume

Action/Adventure- Crime, Blockbusters, Gangster, Martial Arts, Comic-Book Action, Spy

 

It is possible to have genre hybridity with sub-genres as many of these sub- genres compliment each other quite well. Examples of these include:

 

Crime/ Gangster Drama- "The Godfather", "Legend"

Ancient History/War/Action- "Clash of the Titans", "Gods of War."

Ancient History/Coming-of-Age/Mythical/Action/Supernatural-"Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief"," Percy Jackson and the Sea of Monsters.:

Psychological Thriller/ Romance/ Crime- "Trance", "Side Effects"

Political Drama/ Comic-book action/ Romance/Period- "Captain America: The First Avenger", "Captain America: Civil War"

Period/Military/Romance/Political Drama-"Suite Française"

Period/Military/Spy/Espionage/Political/Biopic- "The Man from U.N.C.L.E"," Bridge of Spies"