This document analyzes and compares the opening title sequences of the television show American Horror Story and the film Seven. Both openings set the tone for their horror genres through similar techniques. They use fast cuts and unsettling music to build anticipation and excitement. While American Horror Story is overt in establishing its themes and setting, Seven is more mysterious and open to interpretation to engage the audience. The document examines how elements like darkness, violence, mystery, and discomfort are conveyed through the visuals and audio of the openings.

1. Mediac's
Max, Harvey, James & Joseph
Present
OTS analysis
Assignment 2

2. Our opening title sequences
Seven
American Horror
Story

3. What we see
American Horror
Story
Fire
Blood/Indirect weapon

4. What we see (seven)
Identifying God as
significant and
foreshadowing theme of
religion in the film
Use of indirect weapon
connotes theme of
violence/horror.

5. Seven
Darkness and deliberate disguise
of character engages audience
and creates theme of mystery.
Pictures of young children
increase suspicion and makes
the audience feel uncomfortable

6. Similarities and differences in what we
see
American horror story Seven
• As shown in the screen grabs both films
have similar themes which suggests that
these are convections of a horror genre.
• Both have fast cuts to increase
anticipation and excitement.
• American horror story is very obvious as
to the themes and setting of the film
whereas seven is more mysterious and
open to interpretation.

7. What we hear?
• The music is designed to connote the
themes of the film such as suspense and
mystery as its fragmented.
• The contrapuntal sounds may represent the
disparity between reality and what we are
shown throughout the film, adding doubt
into the audiences mind on who they can
trust.
• The techniques used in American Horror
Story match these, showing this is a generic
convention of the genre, and is an effective
way of creating discomfort, particularly
through the use of discordant, incongruent
music.