This document provides an analysis of the opening title sequence of the 2012 animated horror film ParaNorman. It summarizes various shots from the sequence and explains how they establish the film as a children's horror movie through uses of brighter colors, reaction shots, zooming, and a focus on the actress Anna Kendrick's appeal to young girls. Shots of the graveyard with fog and dim lighting create a spooky atmosphere, while nightmarish props in a bedroom shot emphasize fear for kids. Throughout, montage editing introduces characters and conventions without revealing the plot, at a fast pace that builds excitement.

1. ParaNorman Title
Sequence Analysis
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2. 00:18
ParaNorman is an horror film for
children. It is animated to make it
different from typical horror films, and
also to make it less scary and intense
so that young children can view it.
Parents will know that it is not
inappropriate for children to watch it
because it has comedic and light
hearted themes throughout it. This is
also evident through the use of
brighter colours such as yellow in this
shot. This shot is a mid shot and a
reaction shot. Reaction shots are
typical of the horror genre, giving the
opening sequence authentic features.

3. 00:20
This Is a long shot into a zoom. The
colours used in this shot are black,
blue and white. These tie in with
the horror genre as black connotes
fear and darkness. This is good to
have in a children’s horror movie
because lots of young children are
scared of the dark. This shot should
make them relate to this fear and
feel it whilst viewing it. The word
‘kid’ highlights that it is a children’s
film. The zoom on this shot is
effective because it makes the
viewer feel like they are entering a
different world.

4. 00:28
Anna Kendrick is a well recognised
actress in children’s films. Such as her
role in Pitch Perfect and Pitch Perfect 2.
Her role in the film would appeal to an
audience of young girls. Her character is
wearing a pink tracksuit and has a pink
mobile phone which are also used to
attract this demographic and are
stereotypical favourites. Her character is
positioned to the left of the screen with
light shining on her face. This causes the
audience to focus on her facial
expression and appearance.

5. 00:41
In this wide shot the mis en scene is of a
grave yard. There is also a thick fog and
dim lighting. At this point the fast paced
music slows down slightly. All these
elements combined create a spooky
atmosphere and draw the audience into
the story.

6. 00:57
In this shot props (such as the bed) are
purposely placed to be related to
nightmares. Nightmares are one of the
most scary things in the world to kids,
so this shot would really emphasise
their fear.

7. 01:10
In the opening sequence of ParaNorman
montage editing is used. This is where
there is a series of short shots edited into
a sequence to condense information. In
this sequence it is effective because it
introduces the film conventions and
characters without giving away the plot.
This type of editing also introduces a fast
pace which evokes excitement in the
audience for the beginning of the film.

8. 01:23
This close up is followed by a zoom
into the face of the character. This
creates a spooky effect upon the
viewer as it is slightly disorientating.
The character has large bold eyes
and a pale complexion, highlighting
that he is a ghost. Ghosts are typical
conventions of horror genres.
The light is focused on the center of
the frame to make it seem like the
ghost is lingering in the dark and
make the audience scared.

9. 01:32
In this shot the music slows down from
the fast pace it was before. This causes
the viewer to pay more attention to the
information on the screen.
The font it red which connotes blood
and gore linking to the horror genre. It
is in capital letters to make it stand out
and have impact. It is in the style of
‘bubble writing’ because the target
demographic is children.