Supernatural Horror - TITLE Sequences (INDIVIDUAL)

What is a title sequence?

A title sequence, also called an opening sequence or intro, is the method by which films or television programs present their title, key production and cast members, utilizing conceptual visuals and sound.

Every film has a title sequence so the audience know what the film is called and the main characters involved in it. The majority of the time, this sequence is at the start but in some cases they are positioned at the end of the film with the rest of the credits. These can be used to draw the audience from the beginning of the film through the words in the title sequences. Themes of the film can be shown through the words and the music playing through the title sequences. For example, if the words are red or black, there is connotations of danger, death and blood. If the music playing over the title sequence are screams, high-pitched noises and eerie noises, the audience will refer to a supernatural horror straight away.

THE NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET (2010) Has an effective opening sequence which is initially represented as a supernatural horror straight from the beginning. It has eerie music all the way through with sound effects like doors slamming, ringing bells, screeching children and gates squeaking. All these sound effects are successful in adding a sense of tension and mystery as all are related to the genre of horror.

This screenshot of the opening sequence helps the audience to get an idea of the themes of the film. For example, the two hands (can see from the clip they are children) are holding each other which shows a bond or friendship. However, what lies behind the hands in clear focus is a huge crack in the ground.  This gives the impression their bond will be split up or broken, which makes us wonder how and why. As an audience we know from the title sequence there is a large theme involving school and children. There are clips of educational play blocks surrounded by fire, rocking horses and toys, and children playing in school grounds.

The holding hands and crack in the background could represent problems that could occur in the film. 

The text in the title sequence is associated with supernatural horror. The words in the foreground of the clip are crisp fonts which look like they've been typed on screen. The colour of the text is white. However, behind the white font is the same words but in a scribbled, dark font. The contrasting fonts could give an underlying theme of the film. 

The nightmare on elm street title sequence:

Analysis Of A Title Sequence (Individual)

This is how the title of the film is presented towards the beginning of the film which shows their title, cast members, key production and their visuals and sound. The title sequence often sets up the entire film and gives the audience an idea of what they are in for. For this reason they are often elaborate and it has been around since the 1930's starting with Show Boat in 1936.

The music in the background of a title sequence can also show what kind of film they are in for. In supernatural horror it is often a low and sinister tone which can include screams or a growling sound which the audience will automatically associate with a supernatural horror. The font and color of the words can also represent the meaning of the film. If the words are black that represents darkness and isolation whilst red would represent blood and danger.

The Shinning (1980)

The Shinning is a classic example of a supernatural horror opening as the music in the background is representative of that genre. Because of the low pitch music at the beginning it builds up the tension in the audience as it appears as though it is leading up to something. As the strange high pitched noises come in it makes the audience feel afraid for what is going to happen to the family which is also added to by the voices that sound almost like screaming as well as an almost eerie laugh. The score is very unnerving which sets up the rest of the film perfectly.

Because the camera is following the car from a birds eye perspective it makes the audience feel as though the car and the family in it are very vulnerable giving the audience as sense of foreboding as it foreshadows the rest of the film. Due to the large landscapes and narrow roads it gives an ominous mood as the idea of isolation is very clear especially as it ends with the dark hotel in the middle of nowhere. The first shot shows a lake with a small island immediately making the mise en scene a juxtaposition of a beautiful thing with an idea of isolation and mystery.

 The car which is the main focus of the opening sequence shows it is important to the film as a whole as the birds eye perspective move to follow it. The color of the car is a contrast to the rest of the opening sequence as it is yellow which often symbolizes the sun and happiness making it stick out in a supernatural horror film.

Unusually the credits are rolling upwards instead of appearing which is usually what happens at the end of a film rather than at the beginning of a film. This may cause the audience to see a cyclical structure which may give a sense of foreboding as the audience may see this as an idea of isolation and there is no escape.

The text is a light blue color which gives the impression of cold and ice just like the mountains have on top of them. This once again pushes the idea of isolation but also being cold hearted which may be foreshadowing the rest of the film.

Title Sequence

Title Sequence

Genre

The genre of The Conjuring is a horror movie, and the sub-genre is a supernatural horror. The genre can be made evident from the title sequence as the frames are heavily grey and dark and appear to be eccentric with an eerie audio over the top. Furthermore, in some of the frames, the images contain suspicious photos of the supernatural ghostly world and match the genre as the alleged captured footage frightens the audience and provokes the belief or the paranormal world.

Music

The music to The Conjuring is a slow and dull piece that makes the viewer feel slightly discouraged to check over their shoulder with the slow pace contributing to the frightening factor of a spirit creepy up behind. The nervous feel from the music ties in to the horror genre as the music emphasises the scariness of the movie and further gives the images are more frightening appearance.

Text 

The text used in the title sequence is ranges from black to white as well as the occasional grey, this could be due to these colours being regarded as 'dead' colours and lifeless. The grey is used to match and convey the age of the photos, the photos are old and grey and the ghostly grey writing adds to the portrayal of the haunting in the old fashioned house. Black is also a dull tone and is therefore used to represent the 'dead, haunted' feel, Black is regarded as lifeless so is therefore perfect for the horror film devised around the dead and haunting. White is used to stand out against the dark photos set as the background, the sequence would need to stand out and despite white being a brighter colour it still benefits the creepy feel to the movie and the element of the dead.

An Overall impression

The title sequence gives an overall impression that The Conjuring is a very scary and creepy film. The images in the sequence clearly convey what the film is about; a large family who report their house to be haunted and two, experienced paranormal investigators arrive to help them and document their case. The music conveys the genre with creepy __ music that gives the photos are more unnerving feel and further portrays the horror of the film. The images, as well as presenting the story, convey the horror of the film, showing creepy images of ghosts and an old fashioned family in New England, America.

Title Sequences Research

Title sequences are often the most eye-catching part of the film. It's what everyone sees during the trailer to remember the name of the film but it's also the first impression they get during the first few minutes of the film. It often comes after the opening of the film which is introducing the audience to a plot and before the beginning of the storyline after the plot setting at the beginning.

Supernatural horror films often include an attack or an event that happens before the main plot of the film such as a murder by a supernatural creature or the event that caused them to become that creature. This can be seen in films such as IT or The Nightmare on Elm Street which introduces the main aspect of the film to the audience and also immediatley tells them which supernatural being is behind the rest of the film. Also it allows the audience to immediatley be horrified giving the producers a good start for the rest of the film to keeping them scared.

Title sequences often have music behind them which people will begin to assosiate with that film such as the Star Wars theme tune or Indiana Jones. This means that the audience will be able to remember a film purely because of the music if they hear it when they are out or at home which is the beginning of a franchise for some.

Often the title sequence will show importaint or eye catching moments such as during the Avengers title sequence where its shows the marvel characters before coming up with the Marvel name which means everyone will immediatley know which company they belong to and the general genre of the film.

Title sequences also often introduce the actors and actresses of the film by putting their name underneath their counterpart on the screen. This can show the well known actors and actresses of the movie and give the audience an idea who they're watching so that it's informative to the audience.
Overall title sequences are just used to introduce the film and the main actors as well as the genral genre of the film so that the audience is prepared for the remainder of the film.

Distributor (Individual)

Possible Distributor for Film? (Individual)

For our film, an independent distributor for our film will be more appropriate as our film is on a small-scale with no famous actors/actresses involved. It cannot be distributed by one of the 'Big Six'  congolomerates like Universal or Warner Bros because this would involve a very large film production budget, famous characters and access to a variety of high quality cameras.

However, considering the aspects and circumstances of our film, an independent distributor will offer us more. They work with less experienced creators who are working to build up their experience and profiles and work towards making the final film prosperous and successful.

I have researched many different individual distributors using an online directory; by this I have found two possible distributors which would work well for our film. The first film distributing company I discovered on http://www.launchingfilms.com/links/  
was Axiom Films.

Axiom Films - http://www.axiomfilms.co.uk/

Established in 1997 and situated in London, Axiom Films is a leading independent label that brings together a range of film activities, including the production of feature films and a flourishing distribution division with a rapidly expanding library of high quality film content under direct ownership.

Over the past decade, Axiom has steadily built a reputation for taking creative risks, working with new talent and original ideas; producing a diverse body of work from directors from all parts of the world. Uniquely, each film project that the company has been involved with has been both a critical and commercial success, frequently winning awards, sold for distribution in most key markets and, without exception, selected to screen at the major international film festivals (Berlin, Cannes, Venice, Toronto).

E-mail:	mail@axiomfilms.co.uk
Telephone:	+44 (0)20 7243 3111

Information:

Press enquiries: press@axiomfilms.co.uk Booking and marketing enquiries: sales@axiomfilms.co.uk DVD enquiries: dvd@axiomfilms.co.uk    Verve Pictures - http://www.vivaverve.com/ At Verve Pictures, they specialise in the release of independent film in cinemas and on DVD, offering audiences the chance to enjoy original and thought provoking cinema from the UK and around the world. They are passionate about film and discovering new talent, and are committed to releasing films. Since the company was founded in 2003, they have released many award winning films which have later seen lots of success.    Email: info@vervepics.com Shop related queries: contactviva@vivaverve.com Registered address: Kenilworth House 79-80 Margaret Street London W1W 8TA U.K. Telephone: 020 7436 8001