The document analyzes the openings of three horror films - Saw, The Woman in Black, and Se7en. The Saw opening uses unsteady camera work and disturbing music and imagery to create tension. The Woman in Black opening seems normal at first but uses lighting and the behavior of the children to introduce mystery. The Se7en opening shows someone researching disturbing topics and leaves the viewer questioning their identity and purpose through the use of jarring editing, music, and shots from their point of view.

1. ANALYSIS OF FILM
OPENINGS
By Amber Bush

2. Horror film openings
I will be analyzing these three film openings
• Saw
• The woman in black
• Se7en

3. Saw
The film begins with the camera showing weapons of hammers, guns ect, with
blood all over them this instantly tells us the genre of the film giving clues of the
up coming events which will include gore and lots of blood which indicated by the
violent weapons. This gives the connotation of death and threats, which are
conventions in horror films.
The camera is unsteady which makes the audience feel on edge as it gives the
feel of a more real situation as if we are actually there as it is hand held looking
at the floor from a point of view shot. The music builds up in the film opening it
sounds busy and high pitched which sounds like the screams of people in pain,
which relates with the blood on the floor. The titles are over the top of the blood
and weapons in the background, the font of the titles is scary big bold letters the
way they fade in and out gives mystery to the film.

4. The woman in black
The film opening is all very normal, you have three children playing contently with
each other having a tea party with their dolls, this seems like an ordinary scene. The
lighting gives an edge to this as it is dull which contrasts with the children being
happy. The dullness keeps the theme of horror while making the audience aware of
the dark events up coming in the film.
You can tell that this isn’t just a normal happy tea party, the dolls are creepy like, the
room is dull which contrasts with the girls outfits of ribbons and pretty little dresses.
When they all look up as if someone is speaking to them then look at the window
then to jump out of it, we do not see who speaks to them but the three girls look in
the direction of the camera this scares the audience which makes them question
why they have done this or who has made them do this.
This is the convention of mystery which we was in the pervious film opening and
this one, this keeps the audience interested in the film.

5. Se7en
We are first shown a book, this book looks old and
authentic it is also very big so may have some importance
to the film. From the other shots we see it looks as if
someone is doing research, we are shown lots of different
books and pictures, with various different equipment that is
unusual and the precision of moving bits of material is
interesting. The person is cutting things up, looking at
pictures, writing things down, highlighting words in a book,
as if this person is creating something. We also get the
impression of intelligence which is slightly scary as the
person seems to know what he/ she is looking for. This is
something the audience is asking questions about and
wants to be enlightened of what is going on. The mystery
keeps the audience watching the film, so it is very
important the start leaves some unanswered questions.

6. The camera shots are very fast moving adding pace to the
film opening. This adds suspense and keeps the audience
interested in each shot. Quite a lot of these shots seem to
be from this persons point of view as if we are them looking
down at all of these things. This is quite scary for the
audience as they do not know what they are looking at or
what they mean.
The fact the identity of the person has not been revealed in
the opening keeps the audience wondering who it is adding
to the mystery

7. The editing in this is very jolty and unnerving to the
audience with the credits sometimes fading to black with
just the name, and the name moving around the screen
with no pattern to it. The names are sometimes on the
actual screen with the filming in the background. There is
lots of writing and things going on in the background which
captures the audiences attention all the time. The fading to
black is very common in horror film openings and is one of
the conventions of this.

8. The music is the same through out the start, with a steady
beat which is quite fast and scary, the use of instruments
sound like creaking doors and screams. When there is lots
of editing of fast moving writing the music sounds fast so it
relates to the editing. The line at the end talks of god, this
makes the audience think that there could be religion as a
theme in the film, as it is sung in a rocky theme it could also
mean the opposite that this person is going against religion.