The document analyzes film techniques and conventions used in horror movie opening sequences. It notes that conventions like using the color red in titles, mid-shot framing, killings happening at night, knives being the weapon, and blonde female victims are commonly used. For their own opening sequence, the document discusses using some conventions like red titles and mid-shots, but challenging conventions by using a purple-haired female victim to make it feel more modern and realistic. Non-diegetic music and silence before killings are also employed to fit genre expectations.

1. In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and
conventions of real media products? - Technical Approach
Film Techniques Using Your Research Your Production – Use,
Findings – Note typical Develop or Challenge
generic conventions
Titling – colour, font One common convention We used similar
style, over image or was the use of red in conventions to the horror
black, timing, credits typography and also white. A movies we all researched.
presentation etc Nightmare on Elms Street, In the ones I looked at the
Scream and Misery all use common colours use where
red and white typography. red and white. We decided
Both Scream and A to use red because it
Nightmare on Elm Street connotes danger and were
change from white to red to found in most of the opening
signify that there is peace but sequences. We decided to
it turns to danger and death. use it on black instead of
The Shining uses an the action in order to not
unusually font colour of distract the audience in the
turquoise which is none most important part of the
conventional. Halloween killing at the end. All the
uses orange to represent the fonts used are very simple
time period the killings so we also used simple
happen which is Halloween. easy to read fonts.
Orange is commonly
associated with that time
period.
Camera Movement A wide variety of shots We decided to stick with the
(Panning, tracking, where used in all the conventional camera
crane shot and opening sequences. The movement. We used tacking
crabbing etc) most common camera in the opening sequence.
movement was tracking in
order to follow the
character.
Framing of Shot The most common framing Again we decided to stay
(CU, MLS, ELS etc) of shot was a mid shot so within the conventions of a
you could see the actor’s horror. We used a close up
movement as well as their to show her face when she
facial expressions. Extreme had died. We also used a lot
long shots where used in of mid shots in order to see
her movement as well as
The Shining in order to
her face. In parts we used
show the setting and
long shots to show she was
highlight the characters walking alone down the path
isolations. Close ups and establish her isolation.
where used at the time of Like in Halloween we used
killing to show a a point of view shot,

2. characters shocked however we didn’t use it for
expressions. In Halloween the whole opening
a point of view shot is used sequence only the
in the whole opening beginning when there is a
sequence so you don’t flash back. We used it so
know who the killer is. you couldn’t see who the
killer is.
Camera Angles (high The only angles noticeable Instead of using a high
and low angles etc in the horrors I watched angle shot we used a low
where high angles. High angle shot at the beginning
angles are used to show in order to show that the
that the person is inferior. other characters are more
For example in Misery and dominant. In the first version
of our film we did use a high
The Shining high angle
angle shot to show that she
shots are used but in a
had become inferior
different way, they have however we were unable to
been used in order to get a angle where you
show that no one is couldn’t see the cars it the
around and also the background which is what
setting. we definitely didn’t want to
be shown.
Selection of mise-en- In the opening sequences We chose to go with the
scène including colour, that contain killing, convention of having a
figure, pops, lighting, Scream and Halloween killing at night. We also tried
objects, location and both happen at night and to make it seem that the
setting; in a home or near one. victim was in the middle of
The victim is by himself or nowhere. We decided to
use a knife for the murder
herself in a secluded area.
because this is the weapon
Even the opening
commonly used. We used
sequences in the day the convention as having a
time, Misery and The white female has the victim
Shining the characters are however we challenged the
in the middle of nowhere. convention of her having
If something were to blonde hair to her having
happen to them there purple hair. This is to
would be no one to help highlight that she is a rebel.
them. A knife is commonly It also modernizes it and is
used in all the horrors I more of a development. It
watched. Victims usually makes the killing more
are wearing white or realistic because the first
brightly coloured clothes. victim in real life is not
In Saw they are both always going to be a blonde
wearing white, in female.
Nightmare on Elm Street
she is wearing a white

3. nightgown. It is also a
convention that the first
victim is a white female,
with blonde hair.
Editing directions In the opening sequence We used a variety of
(Match cuts, jump cut, of the films I analyzed the different editing techniques
reverse shots – cutting editing techniques that and decided to stay within
rthymn etc) stood out was the the conventions of the
motivated cut. In was horror. We used motivated
used in order to create cuts when the victim hears
leafs crunching behind
suspense and involve the
them.
audience. Matched cut
were also used again to
make the audience feel
like they are within the
action.
Sound techniques Non-digetic wasn’t used in The only clear convention
(Diegetic, non Scream but that was the was using non-diegtic at the
diegetic, silence, only one. Every other film I beginning, which is what we
dialogue and music researched used a used. The music had an
etc soundtrack in order to eerie feel, which connotes
create suspense. The the genre of a horror.
Silence was generally used
Shining didn’t use any
before a killing to create the
speech whereas the
sudden shock when the
others did. This shows that victims screamed. One
there isn’t a common common sound is the heavy
convention for sound breathing of the killer so we
techniques apart from the decided to use a shot where
fact that a soundtrack is it was the point of view of
used. There was generally the killer along with the
silence before a killing. In heavy breathing.
Halloween you could hear
the heavy breathing of the
killer.
Actor’s positioning and Actors where generally We used the convention of
movement placed in the middle of keeping the actor in the
the screen in order to middle of the screen to
draw the audiences eye show they have importance.
to the middle this means Also this means when the
when the killer comes from killer comes from the side it
is more shocking and
the side you get the
sudden.

4. sudden shock of it.