1. Analysing Real OTS
By Ciaran, Jack, Harry and Jake

2. Name Type Interesting Stuff
True Detective Symbolic
Asynchronous sound / music, combination between
multiple images
The Conjuring Symbolic
Narrative enigmas, Headings of newspapers, synchronous
music
The Last Of Us Symbolic
News report, Asynchronous sound/music, prologue told
through sound
Evil Dead Non-linear
Title is first thing shown, The amount of blood, flashes
between shots
Bad Santa Linear
Voiceover tells his story, Comedy, good at establishing
character
Silent Hill Symbolic Freeze frame, good effects, fade to black for credits
The Walking Dead Non-linear Very good at setting the scene

3. Name Type Interesting Stuff
Zombieland Non-linear Comedy, lots of slow motion
The Thing Symbolic
Positioning of text, loud sound(overpowering),
text=irregular letter typography
The Fall Linear
Slow motion, Names are large and in capitals while others
words are smaller font and not capitals
Dexter Linear
Normal morning activities made seem violent (cutting
orange and meat + shoelace)
Dawn Of The Dead Non-linear Asynchronous sound / music, low quality camera footage
The Mothman
Prophecies
Linear
Shot as non fiction, main people (credits) are shown on a
black background

4. 10 observations we made from watching 15 OTS
๏Most opening title sequences are symbolic.
๏The OTS is used to create lots of narrative enigmas.
๏Often the names in the credits are bigger and bolder than
the persons job.
๏Mise en Scene is used to represent the characters.
๏5 of the opening title sequences were symbolic.
๏Framing is key in a symbolic opening title sequence.
๏Each of the title sequences clearly establishes the genre.
๏The music used in each of them is key in setting the tone.
๏Editing techniques are key in symbolic title sequences.
๏Each of the four technical codes play a key part in
representing the horror genre.

5. The Walking Dead
Ciaran Ahern

6. The walking dead
Its a non-linear OTS:
-This opens with 2 shots of overgrown, locations creating a dark atmosphere.
-This is very focused on locations, implying the characters will be on the move and therefore visit
lots of locations.
The OTS prepares for the film by:
- Using a dark and dirty/dusty colour palette to create a sense of abandonment.
- Create lots of narrative enigmas by not explaining any shots to keep audience engaged.
Creates narrative enigma?
-Showing lots of locations that the audience want to fin out about.
-Shows a few photos of characters who we will want to find out about.
-All of the locations have no people which makes the audience wonder why? or what caused it?
It both follows and challenges forms and/or conventions of the genre?
- There are no shots that emphasise blood or gore which challenges conventions
- There is a strong sense of abandonment as there are no shots with living people
- There is no violence or emphasise on weapons, again challenging conventions
- The title is in big, bold, sans-serif text which follows conventions

7. The Walking Dead
Characters represented and why the are in this way?
-There are no characters represented in the OTS of the walking dead
Present credits and the main title by:
- For actors/actresses the Forename is in regular text and their Surname is in Bold text.
- For the credits of the production team, their jobs are in regular text while their names are in
Bold text.
- The Title is in big bold text in the middle of the screen.
- The colours used are an off-white and a very dark brown.
- The text moves in the opposite way to the camera movement (Camera moves right, text moves
left)
- The title is a cream with lots of shades of brown to create a dirty looking effect.
- All text is sans serif
- Most of the text is in negative space

8. The Walking Dead
This symbolises that the area has been abandoned quickly as it shows crows pecking a
toy bear. This creates an uneasy atmosphere as a toy (Used to comfort children) is
being destroyed by birds and the bear is helpless as there is no-one around to stop it.

9. The Walking Dead
I like this shot as it creates narrative enigmas as
we don’t know who the person in the photo is.
This is used to hook the viewer and make them
want to keep watching
I also think the use of negative
space for the credits is effective
as the text won’t intrude on the
images.

10. The Walking Dead
I also think the title is effective as the background and the text is dirty, which continues the
theme of abandonment, while it follows the conventions of having the title in big bold text to
show its important

11. The Last Of US
Harry Gunner

12. The Last of us
Its a symbolic OTS:
- Introduces the film in a mysterious way giving small hints of what the film is going to be about.
The OTS prepares for the film by:
- Creating a dark atmosphere by using dark colour pallets and low key lighting.
Creates narrative enigma:
-Creates narrative enigmas like:
What are the news reporters talking about?
What is it that is spreading?
It mostly follows forms and/or conventions of the genre:
- This is due to lots of clips to represent the spread of the disease
- Several flashes of blood and gore

13. The last of us
Characters represented and why the are in this way?
- No characters are shown / introduced in this particular OTS due to the fact of it being symbolic.
Present credits and the main title by:
- Actors/Actresses names are in a white and black text to stay with the theme of the film.
- Clips are being speed up behind the text.
- Film roles are in a smaller font to show their importance.
- All text is in a Sans Serif style.

14. Effective shots
This is nice and simple due to its sans
serif typography and its centrally
positioned.
This is an effective shot because the
white trail symbolises the spread of
disease.
The rest of the picture is black to help
show that situation is not looking good
and that there is little hope.

15. Zombieland
Jack Gathern

16. Zombieland
Its a Non linear/Linear OTS:
- Introduces the film in first person.
- Introduces some parts as flashbacks to describe the situation.
The OTS prepares for the film by:
- Establishes the setting.
- Establishes the characters through the voiceover.
- Establishes themes.
Creates narrative enigma?
- How was the situation caused?
- Who else is involved?
- Will the situation progress?
- How will the situation progress?
It does not challenge forms and/or conventions of the genre?
- The setting is mostly deserted.
- Zombies are portrayed throughout.
- Reinforces aspects such as blood and gore.

17. zombieland
Characters represented and why the are in this way?
- Fat people are less likely t survive due to lower fitness levels.
- Women in the car panics and does not put her seatbelt on and shoots through the windscreen.
- Women are shown to not know hoe to use a gun.This means that they are more vulnerable to
attacks.
Present credits and the main title by:
- Actors/Actresses names are in a red bold text to stay with the theme of the film.This is Blood
and guts.
- Clips are being played in slow motion behind the text.
- Film roles are in a smaller font to show their importance.
- All text is in a Sans Serif style.

18. mEDIUM SHOT TO SHOW
Pandemic
The orange parts of the globe
highlight the infected areas and
the scarcity of the situation.
The rest of the picture is black
to help show that situation is
not looking good and that
there is little hope.

19. Low angle of chase
We like the slow motion used here because it
shows that the women is in danger.
The low angle shot helps to
imply that the chasing zombie is
more dominant.

20. Mid shot of special effects on
title
As a group we like this as the actions of the characters
in the film are portrayed in the real world.
This idea is again used as he is thrown over the balcony
edge. As this happens, the letters start to move as his
hand hits them.
Again, the as the riot shield is used, the letters move again. This
shows that the film credits are in the world of the film itself.

21. Evil Dead
Jake Golding

22. EVIL DEAD
Its a non-linear OTS:
-It shows this by blood spreading throughout the area in which it is filmed to connote gore and
violence.
-It foreshadows the violence that is going to be happening in the film.
The OTS prepares for the film by:
-The OTS prepares you for the film by giving you a short or in some cases long scenes as of what
is going on and a slight insight as of what the film consists of.
Creates narrative enigma?
-It creates a narrative enigma by showing some unusual flesh being cut up and blood is spewing
everywhere making you question what it is going to be about.
It both follows and challenges forms and/or conventions of the genre?
-It has element where it does follows conventions due to this kind of OTS being associated with
gory/slasher OTS’s, this is shown by blood and body parts being shown throughout.
-However it does challenge killer/horror/slasher conventions as it has switched the susceptible
and usual horror music with opera which wouldn’t usually be associated with this genre.

23. Characters represented and why the are in this way?
During the opening title sequence for evil dead there are no characters shown giving the film a
sense of mystery as the killer is not shown and in a way foreshadows that there is a murderer in
it.
Present credits and the main title by:
-The credits are the same colour as the blood this makes it iconic as it emphasizes that there is a
lot of blood in the film for various reasons.
-The main title has the biggest font as they want it to stand out the most to the audience of the
film.
EVIL DEAD

24. What else do you enjoy about this OTS? (Sound? Editing? Camera
work? MES?)
I enjoyed the way the camera speed slowed down to capture all of
the blood droplets spewing through the air and the casual music
whilst someone or something is being ripped apart which is very
unusual.
The camera has been slowed
down to show the blood
spewing out into the air after
the victim has been ripped into.
EVIL DEAD

25. Furthermore a lot of blood is used to symbolise gore and slasher
themes as blood is shown everywhere throughout the OTS.
Blood is shown
spewing out of the
victim which shows
the slasher theme as
the are being ripped to
shreds even though
the victim is already
dead.
Blood is consuming the floor
and droplets of blood fall onto
it showing the vast amount of
blood.
Blood is also shown coming through
the floor boards which connotes that
there may be more than one victim
being slaughtered.
EVIL DEAD