In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

What are the conventions of an opening sequence?

Earlier in my research and planning I discussed the conventions of an opening sequence. These things are: Narrative Enigma Titles Hint to theme/genre Introduction to main characters Type of narrative Credits Sound

Sound

One conventional element we used in our opening sequence is sound. We had to be careful when choosing our sound. We used a piece of music that was almost screechy and hurt your ears, it was also very slow paced and built up tension. This made the audience wonder what was going to happen. Also when the woman was about to turn around we used a breathing sound and a large crash. We did this so the audience were clear the character was eerie and antagonist in the film. Also when the teenagers discovered the building there was a strong breathing sound, this signifies the building is haunted or there is something bad within it.

Mis-En-Scene

When choosing mis-en-scene for our opening sequence we had to also be extremely careful as it enables the audience to gain an understanding of the film genre. In most horror films they tend to use abandoned settings and dark lighting to create an eerie atmosphere to the film. This is a conventional element we included in our opening sequence that was a strong hint to the theme/genre. The setting was I believe the most successful part to our opening sequence as it was a rusty and derelict building. This instantly made the audience wonder what was inside. We also altered the brightness and contrast so that it was a lot darker, this again made our sequence more scary to the audience.

Titles and credits

A conventional element that is essential for an opening sequence is titles and credits. This not only informs the audience but is also a hint to the theme/genre. We named our opening sequence Malignant as this meant disposed to do evil. This signifies the young female character that is possessed and goes on to harm others. When choosing the format for our titles and credits we had to also make sure this fitted in with our theme/genre. For our credits we used a scratched effect therefore showing evil and the white symbolised being in a mental state. Our title was also seen in white but the font was very different and looked almost old,this is a motif to her being trapped away for a long time and is no longer in contact with the outside world.

Narrative Enigma

Narrative enigma was something that was a strong point to our opening sequence and was persistent in our feedback. We used this conventional element by never really showing who the characters were or why they were there. This made the audience want to watch the film further to see who they were and also to see the face of the girl. We did this by only showing the mans feet and only seeing him from neck down and from the back. When the man is walking through the building, others may wonder if he is a victim or a killer and if the girl is in danger, but as he gets closer to the possessed girl they then realise she is actually the antagonist within the film. However, the audience are still unaware of what she is going to do with the male character.

Type of Narrative

A conventional element that is used a lot in horror films is non-linear narrative. One example is having main action at the beginning of the film which draws the audience in as the story line is so unclear and they want to know what went on and what leads. This is what we did here as there was strong narrative enigma at the beginning of the opening sequence with something about to happen to the male character, however after the title appears a group of teenagers find the building. The audience already know that this building is dangerous and want to see what happens to the teenagers who are unsure. Therefore drawing them in to watching the rest of the film. We made this progression clear by using the words Three months later and seperating the two scenes with the title between.

Introduction to main characters

We used this conventional element within our film. However you could argue that this was unconventional as the audience still do not know who two of the main characters are. However they still appear right at the beginning, therefore you associate them as the main characters. The teenagers also appear which makes them extremely important within the storyline and film overall.