The document summarizes the creative choices made in developing the opening title sequence for a supernatural horror film. It introduces the main character as a teenage girl performing a spell, challenging conventions by not featuring the more typical male protagonist. Through editing, camerawork, sound, mise-en-scene, and representation of the character and her interests, the sequence aims to subvert stereotypes of gender and teenagers. Key influences on the sequence included the use of music to set atmosphere in Candyman and representing the character's interests and age through shots of her personalized bedroom.

1. Conventions and
representations

2. Genre of the film
• The genre of the film that we made for our
opening title sequence is a supernatural horror
where a girl is seen doing a spell.
• The iconography of a supernatural film is usually
sparks, flames, wands and spell books.
• The iconography of a horror film is big knives
and blood.

3. What other films we compared to:
1) Candyman (1992)- simple ariel shot of cars driving but the music tells audience that it
is a horror – Directed by Bernard Rose
2) Insidious (2010)- Shows the setting and a silhouette of man is seen – Directed by
Patrick Wilson, Adam Robitel, Leigh Whannell and James Wan
3) The conjuring (2013)- Gives a backstory about who the main character is and what his
job is. (seekers of the supernatural) – Directed by Michael Chaves and James Wan
4) Paranormal activity (2009) - Introduces setting, suggests home based film (Handheld
camera) – Directed by Oren Peli
5) Lights out (2016)- Titles appear over montage showing themes for the film – Directed
by David Sandberg

5. Characters:
• Teenage girl
• In Insidious a child/teenage boy is seen sleeping at the
beginning
• In Lights out no characters are introduced and is just a
montage creating tension
• We chose to introduce character- it tells the audience
more about the backstory and makes them intrigued
on what will happen
• Her room gives the audience an idea about who she is
like this example of the boy (age)

6. Narrative:
• In The Conjuring pull focus is used to draw the audience
attention to poster (Seekers of the supernatural)
• We used techniques like this: montage of objects around
her room (spider and skull) and put posters in her room to
show what she is interested in
• Gives the audience background information about the
character so they will be able to follow the storyline better
• Editing pace changed throughout- keep audience interested
• Her makeup and clothes in our opening sequence told
audience that she was interested in spells.

7. Intended audience response
• We wanted the audience to feel on edge through the tense atmosphere and music
• We looked at Candyman (1992)- it only uses one long shot, but the music creates
the tense atmosphere that shows the audience that it is a horror.
• We used this as inspiration when
editing our sequence because
the music can say as much as what
is happening.

8. Titles- Font, colour and
animations
• We used a white font that reminded me of a
spell book and mystery
• For the title ’Consumed’ we used a sharp
capital letter font
• Capture attention
• We fit how the titles appeared with the cut of
the edit so made sure that a title was always
only in one cut
• We also made sure that it was never over what
was happening on screen

9. Titles- Order of the titles
• We looked at examples and used their
order to help ours
• Professional films
• I looked at The invisible mad and Cruella
• They are both high budget professional
films so we could refer to them when
editing the titles

10. Challenging
conventions
• Compared to other films ours is
different because in most horror films
(Insidious and The Conjuring) a boy is
normally introduced as the main
character.
• We used a girl because it isn’t seen as
much especially as she is into spells
and interested in dark topics (death)
• This is shown by what her room looks
like
• We did this to not conform to the
stereotype of boys only being
interested in dark topics

11. Social groups/issues that are presented in our
opening sequence
• The social group of teenagers are represented through
her room
• Stereotypical with posters on the wall and lots of
objects around the room
• We chose a girl to act in this
• It goes against Butlers' theory
• We only see one character in our opening sequence,
and she does not fit into a stereotype
• We reinforced the representation of her not being a
stereotypical teenager (interested in magic)

12. Representation through
editing:
• We represented her age through editing because near
the end we made a montage of different objects around
her room including posters, a spider and a skull (typical
teenage crowded room)
• Quick editing pace of montage
• Represented her being a woman but also into dark
themes through editing by using shot reverse shot to
show her looking at her book of spells and the audience
can also then get a clear idea of what she is doing.
• At the start of the sequence, it starts with a wide shot
then switches to a close up to show the audience
clearly what she is doing and intrigue them.
• Editing was extremely important when editing the spell
in order to make it look smooth

13. Representation through the camera:
• A wide shot was the first thing that the audience saw because it
represented that even though she is a girl her room isn't ‘girly’ which is
helping go against cultural hegemony.
• At the end of the opening sequence, her chanting went from a wide,
medium then a close up of her mouth then eyes opening at the end
• This gained the audience attention because it was a build up of
suspense
• It also reenforced the representation of her not conforming the the
usual teenage stereotype as she is interested in spells and Witcraft.
• We used POV shots so that the audience could start to relate to the
character from the beginning

14. Representation
through sound:

15. Representation
through Mise-
en-scene
• Her outfit contrasts the spell she is doing
• Would stereotypically be seen as gothic
• We chose an outfit that anyone could wear
• She had minimal makeup with black eyeliner
• Goes against the stereotype that when women are shown in film they always want to look ‘perfect’
• Her room was dark colures with posters that reflected spells and death on the wall to juxtapose a
‘girly’ bedroom
• Her room doesn’t challenge conversions

16. Theorists:
Our opening sequence is opposing Mulvey's theory of the male
gaze because she is not seen as an object or something to look
at, but she has interests and a passion for spells.
Butlers' theory of gender performativity is not shown in our
opening sequence because she is not a stereotypical girl with
perfect makeup that loves pink.

17. Adhered to or subverted
any stereotypes
• We adhered to stereotypes
because we showed a female
character that didn’t act how
usual female characters do
• But we set her room up filled
with spiders and skulls
• This added to the stereotype that
people who are interested in
spells are also interested in death
and unusual objects.