In the opening scene, two younger girls tell the story of how they let a demon possess a doll named Annabel that begins tormenting them. This seems to be part of the movie "Annabel" which connects the two films. From this introduction, the rest of the film is expected to involve the doll causing problems. However, the story changes from what is expected based on the opening. The opening establishes the film as a horror genre through visuals, sound, and the storyline involving demonic possession. It successfully hooks viewers with tension and suspense.

1. Opening sequence and titles research task.
Yasmeen Berardo-Abdali

3. What narrative is given to you in the opening sequence?
In the opening scene the narrative is directed by these two younger girls that tell there story about how they let a
demon posses a doll and live in there home, this backfires on them and the doll (Annabel) ends up messing with
them. On top of this, the scene seems to be apart of the movie “Annabel” which then makes us think that both
movies are somehow connected.
From this, what do you expect the rest of the films narrative will be? From the little information you have been
given?
From watching the opening scene I would except the film to have something to do with the doll, but as Iv
the movie I know that doesn't’t happen and the story line changes, but at the beginning the movie opens to a
subtitle explaining that its an Annabel case and that its in the year of 1968.

4. Who is the target audience for this film? How do we know this from the opening sequence and titles?
I think that this movie is directed to everyone that is older than 15 (elderly might not want to watch this) but in
general its directed to teens and older adults, we can tell this by the people acting in the movie, they seem quiet
young.
How is the genre of the film set up in the opening sequence and titles? What key conventions have been used?
(remember iconography, narrative conventions for the genre etc)
The film uses a lot of visual images to show genre, for example the first shot we see a extreme close-up of
face which slowly starts to zoom out, this on top of sound lighting and the story line all add up fir this movie to be
horror.

5. How many characters are introduced and what information do we know about them? What assumptions can you
make about these characters? How do we know this about them? (How has their representation been constructed
through the technical elements?)
We are shown with 5 characters sitting on a couch, 3 friends and opposite them a couple who are trying to crack
case of Annabel. We can understand the couple are trying to help because they keep asking questions. We know
that the two girls which are getting messed with by Annabel are nurses as they stated this, we can also tell they
might be hard working and nice. Hard working because they come home late but what makes it more convincing,
that they said they let Annabel in because she asked she wanted to live with them so the girls let her. The other
friend is a man and doesn't say much so we can understand that he is more shy and quiet.

6. What camera work has been used, and why?
Extreme close-up was used to create tension at the beginning when its showing Annabel´s face and the camera is
moving very slowly this can create suspense the camera movements are also very unstable which focuses in the
realism if the shot. It also has many of the shoulder shots to show the dialogue and that (the dialogue) is a very
impactful in the opening scene.
What sound is there? What effect does it have on the narrative and characters?
The sound that is mostly used is music, and this is used very effectively because it creates tension and suspense
leaves the characters frightened (in the movie) which makes us scared, it also worked well with the narrative
it fits in well, all the scary parts the music becomes more tense.

7. What editing techniques have been used and why?
They’ve used many jump cuts where they change to the next scene this could be done to create tension and make
audience watching think what´s going to happen next this is extremely effective because this is a horror film and
is what they should have you think.
Do you think this is a successful opening sequence and titles? Discuss.
I think that it was very effective because it hooks the watchers in with a mini skit and this already makes the
feel on edge and uncomfortable (which is the whole idea to do when watching a horror film) They use of camera
angles and movement also helped in making it seem scary, but what helped the most was the music and creating
eerie, uncomfortable, scary atmosphere.

9. What narrative is given to you in the opening sequence.
In the opening scene we can understand that are in the middle of a war because of how they are dressed, they are
also carrying guns and wearing helmets, what what really gave us the ides that they were in war was the sudden
shooting. We also know this about the subtitles that appeared a couple of times.
From this, what do you expect the rest of the films narrative will be? From the little information you have been
given?
I expect the rest of the movie to have to do something to do with war because of how it ended. (although the
opening scene had to do with war) the end scene you see him running away from the people who tried to shoot
him (they thought he was the enemy) him running away could mean that he´s running from a little part of the war
he´s running to something much bigger.

10. How is the genre of the film set up in the opening sequence and titles? What key conventions have been used?
(remember iconography, narrative conventions for the genre etc)
With the actions and how the scene is shot, for example we know the genre is war because of how its set, that
have guns and their costume and it follows the stereotypical type of a war movie.
Who is the target audience for this film? How do we know this from the opening sequence and titles?
From what I have seen from the opening scene I think this movie is for everybody, maybe it can be directed to
people who like to watch war movies or even someone who has experienced war themselves.
We know this is fire most people because nothing bad has been said, it is a bit violent but so far from the opening
scene you don’t see anything too big.

11. How many characters are introduced and what information do we know about them? What assumptions can you
make about these characters? How do we know this about them? (How has their representation been constructed
through the technical elements?)
We are introduced too a few character at the beginning who are in a small village (most properly hiding from the
enemy) they all get killed except one who runs away, they dint say anything but we can tell that he is extremely
scared.
What sound is there? What effect does it have on the narrative and characters?
The sound in this opening scene lacks but not in a bad way it makes the scene much more intense, but as the
continues the sound becomes louder and this hooks the audience more into the scene and at the end when he
away the sound starts to fade out but we can hear it subtly in the background.

12. What camera work has been used, and why?
The camera use that is used the most here would have to be tracking because through most of the scene we
the group of men in the little town until they all get killed except of one, the camera then follows him so that he
try to escape but this could be done so that it seems like, us the audience are with him to make the action seem
realistic.
What sound is there? What effect does it have on the narrative and characters?
There is very little dialogue, the only time they speak is at the end of the scene when he tells the people trying to
shoot him that he Is not the enemy, the rest of the sounds are just screaming, gun shots, heavy breathing, and this
very effective because its setting the scene making it seem like they are in the war that those are the only sounds
can hear. At the end of the scene when he´s In safe ground the music starts to fade out as if he´s blocking out the
sounds in his mind.

13. Do you think this is a successful opening sequence and titles? Discuss.
I think this was a good way to represent the fear but also how when his ”friends” or whoever he was with when
died he didn't have any reaction his first instinct was too run and I think that shows the realism of the shot.
What editing techniques have been used and why?
The use many jump cuts to change from shots to other shots they do this to make the scene smother so it doesn't
look as chunky, they also do this because if not then they would to film everything at once. They would have also
done this because then the illusion of time moves much faster, like this they can just cut out any and move to
whatever time period they want it to be.

15. What narrative is given to you in the opening sequence.
In the opening scene we understand that they are in a dream, in one of the men's heads and they have to get out
the dream before something bad happens, the reason why the dream is collapsing is because whoever's mind they
were in is now was killed.
From this, what do you expect the rest of the films narrative will be? From the little information you have been
given?
I expect the rest of the film to follow the outlines of what's happening in the beginning scene, and this is just
continuing going into other peoples heads and not getting killed. We also know the main character risked his life to
find out something on a piece of paper so maybe that also has something to do with the rest of the film.

16. Who is the target audience for this film? How do we know this from the opening sequence and titles?
I think this movie targets can be targeted for most people but if you enjoy the action and the theory behind the
perception of what´s happening in the mind so if you were into that I would recommend watching this movie.
How is the genre of the film set up in the opening sequence and titles? What key conventions have been used?
(remember iconography, narrative conventions for the genre etc)
We can tell this movie is a thriller because of the main actions and how they set up the shot in their first scene. This
follows many stereotypical “rules” so that it can be classified as a thriller . For example, the narrative is clearly
espionage or has something to do with that. We also have a lot of action.

17. How many characters are introduced and what information do we know about them? What assumptions can you
make about these characters? How do we know this about them? (How has their representation been constructed
through the technical elements?)
We are introduced too four main characters, which are three men and one women, One of the men and women are
introduced as the “evil” ones because because they have guns pointed to one of the other men and is black mailing
other one to put his gun down or they shoot his friend.
Do you think this is a successful opening sequence and titles? Discuss.
I think that this scene is very effective because it challenges the person who is watching but also because the movie
a lot of action and the camera work, editing is all done very well and it doesn't’t look messy.

18. What camera work has been used, and why?
The camera use
What sound is there? What effect does it have on the narrative and characters?
Most of the sound effects are the sounds of the “world” (mind) there in breaking and this creates tension and this
the scene together and makes it move very fast.
What editing techniques have been used and why?
There are jump cuts to different shots,

20. What narrative is given to you in the opening sequence.
The first scene opens with a family in a car in the middle of nowhere, we can tell this because there is nothing
them, very few houses they are surrounded by crops. At the beginning we cant really tell its sci-fi but then we see
drown or a little aeroplane that looks very different than normal, but the father doesn't seem too be to impressed
it, (maybe because he knows what it is).
From this, what do you expect the rest of the films narrative will be? From the little information you have been
given?
From the opening scene I wouldn't’t expect the movie to be about space because it doesn't give that
at the beginning, although at the same time I knew it was going to have to do with something with technology
because of the plane.

21. Who is the target audience for this film? How do we know this from the opening sequence and titles?
Once again I think this can be targeted towards most people but if u enjoy watching things about space and the
universe then you would enjoy this movie more, we know this from the opening scene when the aero plane lands
dint known it’s a bit space but something to do with technology.

22. How many characters are introduced and what information do we know about them? What assumptions can you
make about these characters? How do we know this about them? (How has their representation been
constructed through the technical elements?)
We are shown with a family of three, a father and his two children (at the beginning we see an old man this could
have been the grandfather) we know that they live on a little farm in the middle of nowhere and from the
scene we still don't know why they are there or who exactly there are it gives us a but of mystery so that we
continue watching to know more.
Do you think this is a successful opening sequence and titles? Discuss.
I think that this is a good opening scene because it gives us a few idea and thoughts so we can understand the
but not too many and this leaves us thinking, it mysterirous.

23. What did the opening sequences and titles all have in common?
The movies opening scene don’t let out too much information out out the film so it leaves the audience in a bit of
suspense so that they would want to watch till the end and find out what happens next. They also all, have a at least
than one character in the scene, none of the scenes have “nothing” in them they are all quite full and a lot is
All the films also seem to have a ”main” character or someone that is seen more during the first shot this is because
they want us to understand the character more so thst if anyting happens to them we feel more emotion towards it.
Where there any sequences and titles that were particularly different form the others and if so why do you think this
was?
I think that the genre that differs the most would have to be horror because the way that its filmed is very different
the way they might film the other films this is mostly because of the shot angles and movements, there are many
different ways to film a horror because you have to make the audience feel much more suspense and you have to
the audience watching feel scared (so that they wont joke about it). In other films, yes this is also important but not
serious.

24. In your opinion which is the most successful and why?
In my opinion the most successful would have to be interstellar, this is because I love how the title sequence
give up much about the film. You can watch this opening scene and then not think it would be about space and
and the reality of things, and I feel like this makes it much more intresting for the audience.
In your opinion which is the least successful and why?
In my opinion I think the least successful would have to be the conjuring because its very predictable, like many
horror films are , its more of us (the audience) scaring ourselves with the hype of the movie rather than the actual
movie being too scary. Horror movies in general normally follow the same sequence with what happens because
the lack of creativity and this in my opinion just doesn't make it very interesting to watch.