In order to really understand how to truly emulate the feeling me and my group are going for; I decided to study and analyze the film openings of some of my favorite horror-thriller movies. Starting with
"Get Out" (2017)
"Get Out" opens with a one-shot take of an African American man walking alone in a quiet suburban neighborhood at night. The camera follows him smoothly, creating a sense of realism, before a sudden shift to a handheld, chaotic shot when he is attacked. This was honestly a really nice touch, and I can 100% see myself using that in my own film opening. The sound design is eerie, with distant noises adding suspense before Flanagan and Allen's "Run Rabbit Run" plays from the sound system of the car nearby. This use of diegetic sound was the exact moment the film transitioned from paranoia to actual fear, which was honestly shocking because although it isn't a direct notice that something bad was going to happen, it was such clear indicator, and I really enjoyed it. Now I want to move on to
"The Shining" (1980)
The opening of "The shining" uses wide, aerial drone shots of a car driving through a vast, isolated mountain landscape, which I believe was done to represent how what occurs in the movie is a part of a much larger scope of things. I believe that the slow, floating camera movement creates an eerie and unsettling feeling, making the viewer feel small and powerless while at the same time presenting everyone that was involved in the film's creation. I think this is a really simple but effective way of doing this while still keeping the viewer engaged, it reminds me a lot of the Beetlejuice opening and that's one of my favorite movies of all time. The music is haunting, with deep, droning orchestral sounds that build tension before anything scary even happens, which I don't think I would do, since the kind of fear I want to emit from my opening should be concentrated in the moment rather than be heavily hinted at. The last movie opening I researched was
"Black Swan" (2010)
The opening scene of "Black Swan" uses a mix of close-ups and wide shots to show a ballet dancer performing in a dark space, with dreamlike, fluid camera movements. I really liked how this ballet dancer, dressed in all white, was almost being swallowed up by a void during her dance, the contrast between the black and white almost hint that this pure dancer is being corrupted by this evil, menacing antagonist. Soft but eerie music and whispering sounds create an unsettling mood, making it feel like something is lurking beneath the beauty. The lighting is dim, with spotlights highlighting the dancer’s movements while the background fades into darkness, suggesting hidden danger. Overall, the entirety of this scene portrayed the idea that there are hidden dangers beyond what we are currently seeing, despite the beauty and elegance of the dance, I plan to create this same effect in my own movie opening.