Title Sequence Analysis - The Conjuring

The Conjuring - 2013

http://www.artofthetitle.com/title/the-conjuring/ 

In my group we watched the opening of the film 'The Conjuring' which was created in 2013. We also created a timeline to the opening of it showing what order the titles come up and the font size.

Here is the time line which my group created:

The Conjuring is a 2013 American Supernatural horror film which was directed by James Wan. The timeline above shoes the order of names through the title sequence. The title sequence starts with low pitched music which has a creepy ring to it. After the music has started the first title which appears is 'THE PERRON FAMILY' I personally believe that from the first title that the film is a horror which involves a family as that is the first title shown along with a family photograph. Then at 0:11 another family called - The Warrens is shown in capital letters along with another photograph. This could mean that the film involves two different families. Throughout the title sequence the same music is continuously played and as different titles come up, a different photograph appears on the screen. The whole title sequence is black and white.

I believe that this is a Horror because it creates tension by using the photographs for the opening sequence, I believe it is also effective as it begins to tell a story of the film, as the photographs could be characters within the film and it could be their history behind the family or the characters past.

Title Sequence Analysis - Signs

http://www.artofthetitle.com/title/signs/ 

In my group we watched the opening of the film 'Signs' which was created in 2002. We also created a timeline to the opening of it showing what order the titles come up and the font size.

Here is the time line which I created for our group:

Signs is 2002 American Science Fiction thriller film which was written and directed by M. Night Shayamalan. The timeline above shows the title sequence to the film I have selected, the music starts instantly but it sounds like a extremely quiet violin, but 26 seconds into the title sequence the music starts to pick up pace and begins to become loud and the music gets faster. Throughout the title sequence the music changes and towards the end drums are added to the current music that was playing. This music type built tension for the audience as it starts with slow, quiet music then ends with loud and fast music, but this has slowly developed throughout the sequence. This could makes the audience suspect that this could be a Gothic Horror as the slow music could be suspected to be a build up to a key event within the film, or it could be used to create tension before the film starts so the audience are attracted to the film. 

Title Sequence Analysis - The Shining

 http://www.artofthetitle.com/title/the-shining/

In my group we watched the opening of the film 'The Shinning' which was created in 1980. We timeline the opening of it showing what order the titles came up.

Here is the time line which I created for my group:

The Shining, is a 1980's British-American psychological film produced and directed by Stanley Kubrick. The timeline shows that the music starts straight away when the title sequence started, the music sounded like trumpets being played, this is then played all through the title sequence. Throughout the opening sequence it is showing different angles and camera shots of a mountain through all different types of weather. This creates mystery and you can start to think about the film and what it is going to include in it. The car going around the road creates tension for the audience as they may believe that something is going to pop up and due to the music that goes along with it the possibility of it increases. The director might have done this so that the audience would realise that this is a horror film full of mystery.

The font used through the opening sequence of The Shining, is plain and simple which doesn't create an affect that it is going to be a Gothic Horror as the writing is in a bright blue and it is in a clear font and it is capitalised. 

Analysis of Three Different - Van Helsing

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QIBTN3qSB44 

Notes I took from watching the extract:

• Costume - Waistcoat, old fashioned clothing,
• Setting - Woods, forests
• Props - Cage, ropes, gun, sword, werewolf

In the extract from Van Helsing, there is a large wolf with shows Gothic Horror clearly, this is a big part of the scene as it is what the scene is based on. I believe that using the were wolf is effective because it looks realistic which may scare members of the audience. The extract was filmed in the forest as that is stereo-typically the natural habitat for a wolf. The clip I selected attracts peoples attention as the audience see something interesting and they want to see more.

In the extract I selected from Van Helsing the costume was a key theme in the clip, the costume which the characters was wearing was old fashioned. For example, they was wearing waistcoats with with buttons on which reminds me of a pirates clothing, as there is floaty shirts, with waistcoats and all the characters have long wavy hair, usually hair would be matted and untidy due to them not being able to go back to their homes and wash correctly due to hunting. This could represent that they aren't able to receive haircuts as they are in the forest. 

In this extract, the director has focused on the wolf as it is the key feature of the clip which I selected from the film. It shows the Gothic Horror genre, as it is focusing on an animal which look like it has the ability to kill. I director may have wanted the audience to focus on the animal more than the characters as it may be the main character within the film.

Analysis of Three Different Clips - The Conjuring

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOgC_YUyTYs 

Notes from the extract:

• Two little girls and a demon type girl
• Setting - Dark room, tatty curtains, old fashioned wardrobe, cat picture, girls bedroom
• Costume - old fashioned baggy night dress - white and pink
• Props - Wardrobe
• Camera shots 

In this extract I selected from The Conjuring,  I wrote notes about the short scene that I watched from The Conjuring. The extract started with a young girl banging her head on the wardrobe at the bottom of the room, the wardrobe looked old fashioned and that it had been in the room for a few years as it looked dirty, when there was a shot of the other young girl in the pink night dress, you could see the setting, it showed that it was a dark room to show that they are suppose to be asleep as it looks like the middle of the night. Also you can see the curtains and that they look tatty and ripped. This could represent the low class that they are in and that they don't have a lot of money and the curtains have been there for years.

In the short extract, there was a lot of props, for example the room was lit by candle light, this shows that the children should be asleep as you can clearly see that it is dark outside. Another prop used in the extract is the wardrobe; this is because it is the key object in the extract I have selected. I believe this because the video it starts with a little girl knocking on the wardrobe with her head. Then after the young girl is put back into the bed there is knocking from the wardrobe so the other girl approaches it and opens the wardrobe and nothing is there but there is a close up of the younger girl who is in bed, and her facial expression changes, afterwards there's a straight cut to the wardrobe again when there is a low angle and you can see the demon-like girl jump from the wardrobe.

In this extract it creates a scary scene for the audience to witness if they do not like things jumping out due to the girl jumping of the wardrobe. The director would of picked this for the effect of a thrill for their audience as it could be the reaction the director wants his audience to have when watching the film.

Analysis of Three Different Clips - Woman in Black

Woman in Black

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=POBDh1o-gE8

Notes from the extract:

• Monkeys/ China dolls
• Dark room
• Creaky floor
• Hand print on wallpaper - blood?
• Wallpaper ripping
• 'You could of saved him'
• Costume - Waistcoat, tie, shirt - smart clothing
• Props - Candle, Axe, Monkeys, China Doll
• Setting - old, abandoned, child's room, toys - monkeys, dolls, child photograph on the wall
• Camera shots - Mid Shot, Low Angle, Close up and a Long shot

As I watched the extract I selected I wrote down notes for The Woman in Black. I focused on the Mise-en-Scene throughout the extract along with the camera shots. The extract was filmed in a dark room and as the actor walked to the main wall, the floor boards creaked, this shows that the room is old and it may have been abandoned and that the actor on screen as found it and is investigating the room. As the actor approaches the room he sees the hand print next to the bit of all paper which has been torn, he put his candle and axe down and begins to rip off the wall paper from the wall, when he realises its in blood he begins to rip it off faster, once it is completely ripped off, there is a close up of the actors face then he begins to slowly step backwards and there is a straight cut to a long shot from behind which shows a monkey in the corner of the frame and the words 'YOU COULD OF SAVED HIM'.

Throughout the extract, there are child toys shown, for example monkeys are the key toy shown as they are shown up to 7 times, but when the actor is ripping the wallpaper there is a shot of a china doll, this along with the rooms surroundings of a child room, and with the use of 'him' on the wall, I believe that this could be a little boys room and he has died and someone could of saved him.

In this extract, the genre of Gothic Horror is shown through the mysterious music and the writen on the wall in blood, this creates a Gothic Horror genre because if the blood the tension it is building through the short scene which I selected to analyse. I believe that the director wanted the audience to since a Gothic Horror genre within the film so that is why they used slow mysterious music and had the writing on and the close ups of the different toys which shows that it is a child's bedroom. This could make the audience feel sorry for the character as it could represent a child's death that has happened through the film. 

Title Sequence Analysis

As a group, we evaluated three different title sequences from films and wrote down the ordering of the credits for the film so we can develop an understanding, so that when we create our final task we will have an understanding for the title sequence.

Why do films have Title Sequences?

A title sequence is used by films or TV programmes to present their title, key production company and a small list of actors. Films have title sequences because, it introduces the film to the audience. 

What's the point in them?

To show people main actors and the director of the film before the film, it doesn't give you the full credits but it gives you an overview of the film by who is involved in the film.