Researching film openings

Hey guys! So me and my partner are both very interested in using a certain trope in the horror genre: the opening kill scene. We feel like this is one horror genre convention that never gets old and it's also even more common in the sub-genre we are interested in which is slashers! However, to do it justice, i've researched 3 famous opening horror scenes and analyzed what I liked and would want to incorporate into my film! The films are Scream (1996), Jaws (1975), and Suspiria (1977).

Scream

So the scream franchise obviously cemented the opening-call kind of kill scene into media considering countless movies made afterwards that were copied in the exact same way. But i'm not interested in including a call from an unknown killer into my opening because it's simply just unoriginal, so these are other things that I saw in the opening that I enjoyed even more!

Since the promos for the movie heavily used Drew Barrymore, I actually really liked that they killed her character off in the beginning. As the viewer, it made me excited to see in what direction the movie would go in, considering most people thought she would be the main character of the film. I think using an almost 'false' main character could be really fun for my film and I might include it!

I'm also a fan of how they included talking about horror films in the film itself. I've always enjoyed references to different other pieces of media in movies, but I think having a conversation or in this case a questioning about horror facts is smart considering your target audience is horror fans. It's also exciting and frustrating at the same time to see the characters in the film struggle to find the answer to the killer's questions when you know the answer! The movies plays on the viewer's knowledge of horror movie tropes by having the killer taunt the victim over the phone. This creates an eerie sense of suspense and self-awareness about the genre which is further enhanced by the scene's realistic portrayal of fear. Watching this scenes almost makes you wonder how you would act in this situation.

Jaws

The Jaws opening scene almost feels like a slasher with all the suspense and anticipation created for the first kill. Similar, to the Scream opening scene, these films take situations that you could very easily find yourself in, and adds a sinister twist to it.

 

However, on the contrary to the full victim POV that we saw in scream, I really liked the POV of the killer that was used in jaws. It's also proven that audiences fear the unknown rather than something they can see. I definitely want to to use that element into my film! I want my killer to remain mysterious to add more fear and anticipation into the scene. The camera’s point-of-view from the shark's perspective creates a sense of being stalked, and this absence of the killer forces the audience to imagine the danger, making the actual reveal more frightening. This strategy was also used in the film 'Longlegs.'

Also, the use of sound in this scene is very strategic. The famous jaws tune creates a signal for danger, which builds tension as the girl swims alone in the ocean. The repetitive, escalating sounds creates a sense of anxiety and dread. The music amplifies the fear of the unseen threat, making the audience anticipate the attack long before it occurs. I'd like to add a sound or tune in my film opening that will add to the suspense the audience will feel while viewing!

Suspiria

Although not a slasher, the Suspiria opening scene holds a lot of very unique and artistic approaches that I would like to include in my project.

Firstly, like Jaws, I think that Suspiria really does a great job with the use of sound. The chaotic noise in the opening scene of the rain, airport, cars, adds a lot, especially in horror movies. It creates an overwhelming feeling in the viewer and almost makes you feel overstimulated. Along with the dreamlike music, it makes the viewer feel disoriented, like they are in a nightmare.

However, the thing I loved the most in this film and it's opening, is the use if lighting and color. Nowadays, this isn't really seen in modern movies, but the use of the vivid and harsh red and blue lights, creates an unsettling environment. Maybe it's because it's so out of the ordinary, but it makes everything seem all the more dangerous and enhances the shadows of all the surroundings. The unique architecture and choice of color of the ballet studio however, also helps emphasize this and almost makes you feel like you are entering something hellish.