This document analyzes and summarizes horror film openings from two films - Women in Black and Se7en. For Women in Black, it starts with three young girls having a creepy tea party. Shots are initially close-ups to build suspense before revealing the old, plain setting. The girls' pale faces and innocent bows make the scene even eerier. Their slow, emotionless movements to look at and walk to the window add to the creepiness. Lighting dims as they are controlled to jump out the window, representing death. Scary music with ghostly winds and screaming builds tension. For Se7en, the opening uses mainly close-ups and extreme close-ups of

1. Analysis of existing horror
openings!
By Amelia Barrett

2. Women in black film opening
In this film opening it starts of with three young girls having a tea party. This may seem normal but the creepy looking dolls and old fashioned tea sets
create this scene to be very frightening. The clothing the girls are wearing is very old fashioned as well which I feel makes the scene earey . The first 4
shots in this film opening are close up shots this is affective because it doesn't’t show the setting straight it builds it up. Then the establishing shot is
after this is to show where the action takes place. The setting it is very old and has huge beams, plain walls and old fashioned furniture for example the
pram. I feel that the setting is very cold and sets the scene for a horror film. The young girls have pale faces and cute bows in there hair which shows
there innocents which makes this opening even more creepier. I feel that the mise-en-scene in this opening film is very affective and creates this film
opening to be the genre of horror.
When the young girls all look towards the door you cant see who there looking at. This gives the enigma which is who are they looking at. The young
girls all looking left then right and get up and walk to the window and the same time. This is affective as it brings a shiver down my spine and carries on
the enigma of is the person they were looking at controlling them. There faces are very emotionless when they do this. This adds to the creepiness of
the film opening. When the young girls look at the door for the first time from then on the movements are very slow. As they walk towards the
window they stomp on there dolls and tea sets this could represent a sign of death which it leads to. The last shot of is a close up of one of there dolls
this could indicate that the doll was controlling them or a women has. The camera travels backwards to show a cold and empty room afterwards.
The lighting starts of very bright as the young girls are happily playing with there toys. However once the young girls have been deeply controlled to
jump out the window the light begins to dim and then when the shot travels back into the empty room the lighting is very dark to show death and to
link back to the title which is women in black.
There is no credits or titles in this film opening. However titles and credits are a main convention for a film opening therefore I will be using them when
I create and construct my horror film opening.
Lastly the music in this clip is very slow and scary. The music builds up slowly and reminds me of chimes in a church. As the young girls jump out the
window a strong ghostly wind sound is used. Once they have jumped there are voices of the mum screaming “my babies” and crying this is echoed out
and then finished with a high pitch noise. This music and all this sound contributes to the horror conventions and makes this film opening very intense
which will make the audience want to watch more.

3. The film opening for se7en
The shot types in this film opening are mainly close up shots and extreme close up shots. These are of someone’s hands cutting and
drawing in this washed out book. The shots contains this hidden person crossing out certain images and writing and sticking pictures of
people who us as a audience have no clue who they are and why this mysterious person is doing this. This hidden person has very dirty
and beaten hand with