The document discusses how the psychological thriller genre is constructed through visual elements in the opening titles of films. It analyzes how hiding the protagonist's identity through close-up shots of hands creates mystery. It also examines how the music, typography, lighting, and editing techniques convey that the protagonist is meticulously planning disturbing acts, and that disturbed religion may be a motivating factor, without revealing full details. Overall, the opening sequences aim to make the audience uncomfortable by providing glimpses into the protagonist's plans and psyche.

1. By Claudia Carter and
Olivia Delaney

2. How is the genre of psychological
thriller constructed??
• The identity of the protagonist is hidden and all
we see is hands, this creates mystery therefore
constructing the genre of psychological thriller.
• Psychological thriller genre is constructed
through internal manifestation of the
protagonists psyche. All we see is the
protagonists plans and what he is trying to
achieve. This makes the audience feel uneasy and
uncomfortable because we get to see into the
protagonists mind and see his thoughts.

3. What do the opening titles show, visually?
How is narrative enigma created?
• Narrative enigma is created in the way that the opening
is a picture with gaps. The audience get the picture of
how there is someone planning all these murders
however they have to watch on to fill in the gaps about
who the protagonist is and why he is planning theses
murders.
• When we see the tweezers, it gives the impression that
the protagonist is very precise in what he is
creating/constructing.
• At the end of the credits we see the protagonist cut out
the word God, this implies to the audience that this is
what the character is about and this is what influences
him.

4. Why has Kyle Cooper chosen to use CU shots
which hide the identity of the villain? Where do
these shots position the viewer?
• The CU of the protagonists hands and the
hidden identity ensures that all the audience
is watching are the plans and what the
protagonist is trying to achieve.
• The CU also show the close proximity between
the audience and protagonist. It makes the
audience feel like they are in his presence,
making them feel uncomfortable and at
unease.

5. What is the effect of music?
• The music is very psychotic which could reflect
his personality and make the audience more
fearful of the protagonist.
• All the way through the sequence, the music
builds up in pace and sound, at the end of the
sequence there is a crescendo of all the music
coming together. This implies to the audience
that the protagonists plans have come together
and he is ready to achieve his goal and put his
plans in place.

6. How has typography been used?
• The jagged rough lettering can portray how his
mind is disjointed and rough.
• The lettering flashes across the screen, this
could show how ideas are flashing through his
mind constantly thinking of different acts of
torture to persue.

7. How is the mise-en-scene conveyed?
• The needle and thread convey a sense of
patching something together, like forming
ideas in his mind to create a plan.
• The dark and dim lighting represents his dark
and evil thoughts.

8. What information is provided in the
opening sequence?
• The information provided is that there is a
character who seems to be planning acts of
torture and planning to eliminate people, we
know this because of the drawings that we
see. We also get the impression that there is
something to do with religion that is effecting
the protagonist.

9. How has the sequence been edited?
• There are short jump cuts that flash across the
screen which creates analipsis which creates a
sense of narrative enigma and mystery.
• The long length shot at the end when the
protagonist is taking out the word God
emphasises what he’[s about and maybe what
the film is based on.