Art of the Title Evaluation

1. Summarise your film idea. Provide a brief synopsis and outline what happens in your film opening.

The idea of the opening sequence is that the killer finds and kills innocent people in a secluded environment so that he remains unnoticed. The opening scene presents an average setting (school) and the victim being watched, followed by the disposal/neglect of the body on the stage. These scenes connote horror as they do not directly show the victim being killed, but the removal of blood from the weapon. The final shot includes the killer exiting the building without being seen.


2. What kind of information has been included in your film opening? 

The purpose of the opening sequence was to establish the normality of the setting and how it is disturbed by the killer's presence. We used long shots for the first two, and close-ups as the killer approaches the victim. In our opening, the nature of the murder is revealed and the isolated setting in which it occurs. This adds to the ominous nature of a horror film.


3. How do the titles link the main film idea?

The titles are in white (typical of horror films) and are shown mainly in the long shots. The final title is shown with a black background as the opening finishes and cuts away from the action of the scene.


4. Summarise the expected audience reaction. What should the audience be thinking by the end of your opening? Is your opening clear or ambiguous?

The initial reaction of the audience would be fear as they cannot clearly see the killer at the end of the hallway, the actual murder is not shown, which adds to the fear of the audience as only the compass is shown afterwards, leaving the audience to imagine how the victim had been killed. This allows more of the narrative to be revealed later on in the film by withholding violent scenes in the opening, which builds tension throughout the rest of the film. The audience should be anticipating the killer's attempts to find more victims and how the murders can be covered up. The opening is ambiguous as the audience is uncertain of the motive of the killer and the role of the girl in the opening scene.


5. Identify three things that you included in your grid that are important in the construction of an opening sequence and explain their role in understanding the film.

• Establishing shot of hallway is significant in showing the emptiness and isolation of the setting, helps audience to understand the normal environment that the film takes place in. The use of opening credits is crucial in an opening sequence as well-known actors/directors can imply the genre of the film
• Close-up of the killer after the murder helps audience to understand his intentions and instil fear
• Washing weapon in sink suggests the concealment of murder and attempts to remove signs of presence in the setting, as well as linking to the final shot, as he must wash away the blood before leaving the building

6. How effective is your project as a film opening? Explain your answer.

The genre of the film is evident through the use of wide shots in the beginning to close-ups and cutaways from the main action. Most of the shots are taken in darker settings and the use of blood on the weapon and hands is effective in conveying the struggle endured before the victim's death. However, the use of opening credits on the 5th shot is ineffective as it distracts the audience from the action and the font of the opening credits is not identifiable with horror films. The shots could also have been darkened to establish the setting as more isolated.