The genre is chose for my coursework is Horror.
For futher research apart ,rom the grid in the post below, We watched the openings to two films. These films where 1408 and Final destination 3.
First off we looked at a print out, giving a brief background to the horro genre. In this it states that the horror genre inflates any anexietes a society has. However in modern times it seems that the writers of horror films go for more of a shock factor, using gore and normal everyday people instead of werewolves or vampires. This my be because The genre also works on cycles and more often then not one film will "borrow" ideas from another film. The genre is also full of remakes ( my bloddy valentine 3D and halloween) or spin-offs from films or crossovers( freddy vs jason.)
The first film we watched was 1408. This is a film based off a book by stephen king. The opening begins straight away with the main character driving in a storm. The titles fade up onto the screen and then slide down as if they are part of the rain. As he pulls up to check a sign the glare from the headlights create the the title 1408. This too then fades away like the others. There is slightly creepy music playing, a convention of the horror genre. When the character arrives at his destination we can see that it is an old fashioned house and the welcoming couple seem odd. They talk about ghosts and the building being haunted , again another convention, giving the impression that he is a paranormal investigator. He also seems very calm and seems to take his job seriously. the film seemed to be aimed at young adults or adults. It is also obviously aimed at fans of the book or stephen king. The opening wasn't at all scary but it did set the scene and mood of the film quiet well.
The second film i watched the opening to was final destination 3. The first 5 minuets of the film was dedicated to the credits and titles. The names etc. faded up and then back off over the top of footage of various carnival things. These mainly centered around tarot cards or things that look creepy ie, strange clowns, freak show type posters ... a carousel. Throughout this carnival sounds can be heard along with the tense creepy music associated with horror films. The Main title of the film fades up onto the screen and is written in a circus style font. It then appears to burst and become a cloud of red dust or blood. The film then begins with teenagers at a graduation carnival. There are many different characters, each portraying a different representation, however the main ones are: sex obsessed, immature, violent and big headed. From the first 10 minuets i would have said the film was aimed at young teens. The constant referral to sex or obsession with the opposite sex made me think it was aimed at later teens maybe 16+. This is because no body actually dies or anything scary happens until about 25 minuets in. I personally thought the opening dragged on a bit with what appeared to be the main character just taking pictures, i now know though that these pictures play a key role later in the film.
Overall the two films presented two very different ways of opening a horror film. Personally i think that 1408 had the better opening but i don't feel that either have enough grip, shock factor or just general horror in their openings.
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