Question 1: In what ways does your Film Opening use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real Media products?

The production of our film opening was influenced by a few other horror films that we watched during the Production Process. We studied different films, analysing the codes and conventions used. This included the opening titles, types of shot and the uses of editing to create different emotions and moods in the audience. 

One film that heavily influenced us was Se7en. We took notes on the opening titles, looking at the colour, positioning, font and transitions used. The opening titles of Se7en have create unusual emotions in the audience, due to the flickering text and distorted font and positioning. As our film is a Paranormal Horror, we used the flickering Text technique to create a sense of uneasiness and fear in the audience. We also positioned the titles in the corners of the frame. This also creates uneasiness, as titles are mainly positioned in the centre of the frame.

Our opening titles were also influenced by the film Scream. The opening titles of Scream used a false jump, to instantly create fear and tension in the audience. I found this very effective, as it creates fear in the audience early on in the opening. Because of this, we added a loud static sound in our opening, acting as a false jump.

Another heavy influence on the production of our film was Dead Wood. The first shot in Dead Wood is a panning shot, establishing the secluded location where the film is set. The character then runs past, stamping in a puddle as he passes the camera. This also acts as a false jump, and helps represent the urgency of the character and the danger that he is in.