R8- TEXTUAL ANALYSIS OF VICTIM (TITLES AND CREDITS)
Victim is a short horror film, which has won a student award. It is
based on 'Slender Man'. A film about a boy who becomes a victim to being
stalked by a mythical creature 'Slender Man'.
Analysis of the titles and credits
The film begins with a series of shots which are all interlinked as they are iconic to the forest imagery in which the film is filmed in. As the shots are presented in a fast pace, the audio used in the beginning of the film correlates with the scenery as the music which is low pitched and increasingly loud, as well offering a static and unusual feeling which constructs a tense atmosphere. Perhaps the director chose to start with a range of shots creating a montage, to foreshadow the scenery which will be clearer in the film.
At 14 seconds the production title 'GEO Films' is presented in a background which is supposed to represent a grotesque and scary scene. The font of the title is faded into the background, creating a sense of unease. Also, the colours used which are old golden crispy and earthy colours such as black and brown create a vivid imagery of the woods and nature. This is followed by an establishing shot and ambient sound creating a sense of realism and reinforcing the idea that this is a normal, foggy winter morning. As an audience this makes me feel intrigued and a little unsettled as the scenery of the fog and the ice cold branches of the trees is what I witness on a cold winter morning myself, attracting my attention to see what will happen.
At 48 seconds the titles begin with 'JEO Films present'... 'A Film by Eddie Anderson'. The director chose to keep a simple yet sophisticated house style, which appears both professional and presentable. This is then followed by the actors and actresses names and a sting which was heard when the film first started. The director uses both ambient and non-diagetic sound which instills fear in me as the realism and the fear of the unknown are combined together, this is a key convention in horror films. By doing this the director immediately gives an insight into the setting and atmosphere of the film, in which the audience create an expectation of what they will see in the short film.
Finally, at 1:27 the title of the film 'VICTIM' is presented which with the sound and imagery of the woods keeps the audience amerced and interested to see what this is about. My initial thoughts, until the title of the film at 1:27 was that there will be a heinous act in which a person (the victim) is left traumatised, I gathered this information because of the method the director uses, without revealing the plot, the sound made me feel afraid expecting gore and the imagery of flat land reinforced the idea that there will be a sense of lonely and aloneness.
The film ends its credit with the title of the film.
I think is is an effective way to introduce the tittles, the typography follows a consistent style it's edgy and expresses harsh tone to the film. Also it grips the audience's attention from the beginning, portraying the horror theme through the extreme close ups of particular wood/forest imagery. The titles have a consistent house style which is easily recognisable.
This helps me understand how to present my titles in a creative way which the audience are going to be captivated from the beginning of the film, setting the scene of a horror themed film and presenting the cast members at the same time.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EsC1_PCOGos
