Opening title sequences can be viewed in very few different ways, here are a few ways in which they can be presented:
In class as a whole group we watched a few opening title sequences to movies and TV programs in which we analysed and picked out key parts of the opening that we found were related to the movie or if it implied anything in particular.
- Symbolic: where you suggest death in your opening credits with things such as: blood, knifes etc.
- Linear: chronological order
- Non-linear - not in chronological order
In class as a whole group we watched a few opening title sequences to movies and TV programs in which we analysed and picked out key parts of the opening that we found were related to the movie or if it implied anything in particular.
The Nightmare on Elm Street opening showed children playing in a playground, playing hopscotch and double dutch. Also, filming of kids playing blocks of the alphabet are shown. This idea of little children or children in general show that the story has something revolved around children. Freddy Kreuger's purpose is to haunt children in their dreams and kill them. And the opening of the movie Nightmare on Elm Street has shown that by showing children playing games, and the idea of hopscotch, double dutch and alphabet blocks show the age range of the children 5-7.
The idea of Freddy Kreuger haunting and killing children in their sleep links well with little children, as dreams are relatively child-like (although everyone gets them), children are most likely to be easily excited by dreams and can be most common to have nightmares and be most afraid of nightmares. And to top off a nightmare with Freddy Kreuger included is definitely an even worse nightmare.
The idea of Freddy Kreuger haunting and killing children in their sleep links well with little children, as dreams are relatively child-like (although everyone gets them), children are most likely to be easily excited by dreams and can be most common to have nightmares and be most afraid of nightmares. And to top off a nightmare with Freddy Kreuger included is definitely an even worse nightmare.
Dexter is a TV program of a forensic scientist who is also a serial killer, hunting down criminals who have slipped through the cracks of the justice system. The OTS of Dexter is cleverly created, it shows his morning routine before he goes to work but how his morning routine is shown is silently showing different ways of murder.
The first way of death shown in the opening of Dexter is the mosquito sucking the blood of Dexter himself. Mosquito's are one way of spreading diseases, as they jump from one person to another taking in their blood. And from one person they could be sucking their disease they are carrying, and as they go to the next person to take in their blood they are then passing the disease on. In the two frames on the left you can see that the first shows the mosquito sucking the blood, and the second showing the mosquito splatted on his arm. The sign of red goo after splatting a mosquito is blood, shared between your own and others.
The next three frames show the idea of cutting ones throat. The first of the three frames showing him shaving, blades are used to cut the hairs.
The second showing that he has cut himself whilst shaving and the blood is running down his neck. Showing the idea of a cut throat.
And the classic idea of drops of blood in the sink.
The following method of death/murder is shown when he cuts his meat up. The meat symbolizes human skin, and he is cutting the meat up which implies cutting up skin/bodies.
This frame of grinding of coffee beans can imply grinding of bones/bodies. In a way to dispose a body or inflict a way of torture.
Here we can see that he pushes down on a handle which applies pressure on what must be the grinded coffee beans mixed with water to create his coffee. The pressure of him pushing down could imply that he is forcing something (most likely a weapon) into someone. Or that he is forcing someone down, in which relates to the following frame.
In relation to the previous frame, the bubbles coming up from the applied pressure could be that he is drowning someone.
Here we can see that he is cutting up a blood orange. We can see that he is sawing into the fruit and the fuits juices are splattering out of it, as if to imply in a murderers POV blood splattering out of the victims body.
The blood orange can be seen like skin in this frame, so then the sawing of the knife could again be cutting through human skin.
Dexter is squeezing the blood orange and from it the juices are flowing out, and that technique could imply being squished by force and the blood oranges juices can be the victims blood pouring out.
The left overs of the blood orange can bee seen as a mangled body or guts.
As Dexter wraps the floss around his finger, it gives off the impression of tying rope of some sort around someones neck.
Yet again the idea of tying rope around ones neck is shown as he ties his shoe laces up. But this time we see him pulling tightly on the laces as if to imply him choking the victim.
And the last implication of murder is when Dexter puts his tee over his face to allow him to put on his top. He pushes his face into his tee a little which gives the audience the idea of a body which has been found and covered for examination OR a sheet over ones face to suffocate them.
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