The document discusses how the audience was addressed in a horror film opening sequence. It attracted the audience using typical genre conventions like narrative and suspense. Music was used to create an unnatural, scary feeling. The camera mimicked the character's heartbeat to make the audience feel their fear. It established stereotypical teenage characters to make the audience relate to them. It introduced a dilemma at the beginning through a cliffhanger ending to engage the audience and leave them with questions. Sound and editing were used to set the frightening mood and atmosphere.

1. How did you attract/address your
audience?

2. First of all we attracted the audience using typical genre
characteristics and conforming to the genre codes and conventions,
mainly through the use of narrative as we used enigma codes to
keep the audience thinking about what had happened previously,
this allowed us to create suspense and fear in the audience. We also
used music to establish an unnatural and scary feeling into the
audience, also as the music contradicts the actions which I think
makes the audience realise more the and it makes them question
more what is going on.
The camera and music mimicking the characters heartbeat, we
amplify the action which reiterates the fear in the character
allowing the audience to feel what the character feels. Most
thriller/horror movies, have some sort of dark aspect to them this
can take place through crime, psychological problems leading to
inhumane ways of treating others, or a source of supernatural and
our opening sequence has a crime, and a supernatural element to
it. Location wise its typical of films like this to take place deserted,
dark places often associated with danger for the example a
common location in such films is the woods at night. Also rather
than using typical fast cut shots, we subverted the genre stereotype
which allows us to create something a little different, which is
enjoyable.

3. Secondly we establish stereotypical characters, they are
typical teenagers which can allow the girls of the audience
to feel the way they do. Zainab's character is a very
talkative and bubbly person, she is shown to be the naive
one out of the two as she is lead to believe that a stranger
can be trusted, by establishing what kind of character she is
and also representing her as naive this gets the audience to
feel sympathy for her. Neeri is shown to be the typical
brave/nosy person in the thriller movie that looks for clues
to solve the issues in the movie.

4. Thirdly we introduce a dilemma/disruption in the opening sequence
right from the beginning gradually revealing the story I also feel that
the use of linear narrative also captures the audiences attention. As
we already establish that Neeri is running away from something and
screams however the audience is left in suspense and fear of what
it might be that is causing that sort of reaction. Leaving the opening
on a cliff-hanger/use of ellipsis leaves the audience thinking
whether Beatrice will actually get hold of Neeri? Will she stab her
too? Who is Beatrice really? This creates a lot of questions in the
audiences mind and it also allows to make a decision of what they
think might happen- hence will draw the audience in and watch
what happens next.
Finally we use sound and editing to create the mood and
atmosphere of the opening. Which help establish fear, and a strange
feeling in the movie- it helps to create that same sense in the
audience. The softness and ambiance of the music is soothing
however the visuals due to the murder and realisation of what
Beatrice's motives are scary which makes everything quite
disturbing and amplifies the creepiness of the situation.