Research on Film Openings
The two film openings that I have chosen to research and look at for this topic is 'The Woman in Black' and 'Insidious'. 'The Woman in Black' film opening is 1 minute 44 seconds long. Whilst the opening for 'Insidious' is only 1 minute 19 seconds. Both of these films are of a horror/thriller genre and share many of the same conventions of a lot of other horror films. These conventions include dark lighting, slow camera panning, and non-‐diegetic sounds such as eerie music that creates suspense. Props such as dolls and a vintage tea set are used to also highlight the horror/thriller genre and create suspense throughout the openings. I will be analysing specific media elements such as editing, mise-‐en-‐scene, sound and camera shots. So far I have looked at some narrative theorists such as Vladimir Propp and Todorov. I have applied these theories to my research on film openings. I have storyboarded the elements for the opening for 'The Woman in Black' and 'Insidious' using screenshots from different sections of the openings.
Edit/Length of Shot: 3-‐9 seconds
Shot No/Type of shot/Camera/ Movement: The film begins with a blackout that opens out into the close-‐up shot of the tea set. This shot is a close up of someone miming ‘pouring tea’ into a cup. The close up camera shot of the mise on scene represents the genre because it creates suspense as to who is pouring the tea. The close up shot creates mystery because you are unsure of who is there. The suspense that is created in this shot highlights the genre of the film immediately.
Sound – Dialogue/Music/Sound FX: There is non-‐diegetic sound in the background; the music is slightly scary and eerie showing the genre. There is no dialogue so far in the opening which creates suspense. The instrumentation is made up of either a flute or a clarinet which sounds haunting. You hear the china tea pot tap against the cup and the sound builds into an echo at a high pitch.
Edit/Length of Shot: 10-‐14 seconds
Shot No/Type of shot/Camera/ Movement: In this four second long shot we find out that it is a young girl playing with the dolls as we see a small hand and pink sleeves. The shot is a close up of the old-‐fashioned doll. The doll is very different to the ones we see nowadays making it evident that this film was set a long time ago. The close up shot still creates some sense of mystery as we haven’t yet seen any characters, only props have been shown in the opening so far.
Sound – Dialogue/Music/Sound FX: In this shot the same non-‐diegetic music is playing as in the first shot. It goes well with the type of shot and creates suspense for the audience. The music slowly increases in speed throughout the clip and another instrument is brought in. The instrument sounds like a piano and is played at a slow pace which slightly resembles footsteps. This non-‐diegetic music also makes the genre of the film evident as it makes the viewer feel on edge.
Edit/Length of Shot: 15-‐19 seconds
Shot No/Type of shot/Camera/ Movement: Here we see that there are three young girls in the room. They are all playing together making the girls look very innocent. The mise-‐en-‐scene here addresses the set design, props, costume and lighting. These things give the audience the impression that the film was set a long time ago. The camera shot is a long shot and doesn’t move throughout the clip.
Sound – Dialogue/Music/Sound FX: The same non-‐diegetic background music is still playing. You can slightly hear diegetic noises such as the girls giggling and playing innocently, but it is very quiet to not distract from the eerie music that is playing.
Edit/Length of Shot: 20-‐27 seconds
Shot No/Type of shot/Camera/ Movement: In this mid shot we see both the girls’ faces. They are smiling to the other girl showing innocence and purity. The camera zooms out slightly during the shot but nothing too dramatic. The camera shot is consistently at a mid-‐angle. The girls are wearing long high neck Victorian style dresses with bows in their hair. This represents the genre because old fashioned costume shows an element of mystery about the past that they were living in.
Sound – Dialogue/Music/Sound FX: In this shot we hear the same non diegetic music as in the first couple of shots. The fact that there has been no dialogue yet and only the same music throughout the film opening so far creates confusion for the viewer, as now we see the girls smiling and looking happy which makes the music seem more innocent and less scary.
Edit/Length of Shot:
Shot No/Type of shot/Camera/ Movement: This shot is an extreme close up of one of the girls boot crushing a dolls head. The shoe that she is wearing is very old fashioned and shows the time period in which the film was set. At this point in the film opening the girls have been possessed by something or someone who we presume is The Woman in Black. The extreme close up shows the dolls china head smashing in detail. The camera does not move throughout this shot.
Sound – Dialogue/Music/Sound FX: Here the tempo of the music increases as the opening is getting more intense. This creates a sense of drama for the viewer and increases tension. There is still no dialogue in the opening so far. The music is in time with the steps that the girl is taking, creating suspense for the audience.
Edit/Length of Shot:
Shot No/Type of shot/Camera/ Movement: In this shot we see a mid shot of all three of the characters. The mid shot shows the characters and their facial expressions whilst still showing the rest of the room and the things around the room. The lighting behind them is dark and dingy whilst the lighting on the girls is very bright as they are in front of a large window. The camera is zooming out as the girls walk forward closer to it.
Sound – Dialogue/Music/Sound FX: The music in this clip starts to slow down slightly increasing the tension as the girls slowly approach the window. The audience get the idea that something bad is about to happen as a typical horror movie convention is a noticeable change in music before something sinister/scary happens.
Edit/Length of Shot: 1:10 – 1:44
Shot No/Type of shot/Camera/ Movement: In this shot the girls jump out of the window. The camera slowly zooms out from the window revealing the empty room. The lighting is very grey and dark highlighting the genre. It also fits well with the fact that three little girls have just killed themselves. The lighting sets a very depressing mood. The camera shot goes from a long shot of the girls to an extreme long shot of the whole room.
Sound – Dialogue/Music/Sound FX: This clip is the only part of the whole opening that includes any dialogue at all. The dialogue is of a woman (mother) crying and screaming “my baby’s”. The non-‐diegetic music slowly fades out in this clip, leaving a silence at the end.