Film Opening Research 1 - A Nightmare on Elm Street

Welcome back!

As mentioned in my previous post, my class is now preparing to begin research for our film opening projects (for more context, view the post titled "My Film Opening Project"), and this is the first of two video analysis assignments that I will be completing. Since my group's chosen genre is horror, my partners and I each chose two horror films to study the openings of. In this post, I will be analyzing the first few minutes of A Nightmare on Elm Street, followed by the same process in my next post for Scream. 

--Here's the link to the video I used--

My assignment required that I answer a list of questions, which, along with my answers, can be seen down below.

1. How many titles are displayed during the opening sequences to the film?

- "From New Line Cinema", "New Line Cinema Media Home Entertainment, Inc. & Smart Egg Pictures present", "a Robert Shaye Production", "a Wes Craven film", and "A Nightmare on Elm Street" are the titles displayed. The first and last ones listed are shown against a plain back screen, and the other ones are shown underneath the video showing the character's actions. Actors' names are then listed when the movie begins showing another scene.

2. What images are prioritized in the opening sequence?

- Character one's gloves and the metal (tools and products) he is working with are emphasized in the opening sequence. Knives are also emphasized in the opening sequence, as they are shown multiple times and specifically observed by the character (along with his gloves, once he attaches the two and puts them on).

3. What connotations do the images carry?

- Character one’s dealings with the tools and knives imply that he is an independent person who gets his own things done, and the dark colors of the setting and products, as well as the oddness and apparent danger of his finished product imply that the character is planning to do something bad. The images carry an almost sinister connotation, as it is implied that they will be used for a dark, dangerous task. 

4. How is genre reinforced through symbolic and technical codes from the outset?

- Unsettling incidental music throughout the opening establishes an uneasy feeling, which is added to in the scenes by the characters actions. The nightdress that character two is wearing implies innocence, and it also helps to establish that she is out of place in the location she is in. An innocent female character in a scary, lonely setting is a common feature of these films. The factory setting with metal bars throughout establishes the coldness and unforgiving aspect of the location that character two finds herself in, representing how she is alone in her fear and the implied dangerous situation she finds herself in.

5. How does the film establish an enigma [mystery] from the outset?

- Only character one's hands and what he is doing with them is shown at first, and the audience does not get to see his face or surroundings in the opening. The audience wonders who and where the character is, as well as why he is doing what he is doing. Viewers also don’t get to know why character two is in a nightdress running around scared through a factory building, and the darkness of the surroundings and character two’s evident fear create even more of an unsettling mystery. 

6. What strategies are used to ensure the film appeals to its target audience?

- The music in the background immediately helps to establish the genre, appealing to the target audience. Additionally, information is purposefully kept from the audience, such as who character one is and why he is using the tools, and who character two is, where she is, and what she is running from (although it is implied that she is running from character one).

7. How has technology been used effectively?

- The harsh lighting used for character two's scenes is unsettling, as is the uneven typing of the cast and crew names. Camera shots are often from directly in front of or behind character two, limiting the audience’s view of her surroundings and providing viewers with very limited information. In the title sequence, sounds, colors, and movement involved with the headings all add to the effect of the movie. Red flashing lights, blood-colored text, screaming, the sound of a knife, and the quick appearances/movement of text on the screen effectively established the genre and added to the movie before the content even began.

To be continued...