Paranorman Opening Title Sequence Analysis
- 2. 00:18 ParaNorman is an horror film for children. It is animated to make it different from typical horror films, and also to make it less scary and intense so that young children can view it. Parents will know that it is not inappropriate for children to watch it because it has comedic and light hearted themes throughout it. This is also evident through the use of brighter colours such as yellow in this shot. This shot is a mid shot and a reaction shot. Reaction shots are typical of the horror genre, giving the opening sequence authentic features.
- 3. 00:20 This Is a long shot into a zoom. The colours used in this shot are black, blue and white. These tie in with the horror genre as black connotes fear and darkness. This is good to have in a children’s horror movie because lots of young children are scared of the dark. This shot should make them relate to this fear and feel it whilst viewing it. The word ‘kid’ highlights that it is a children’s film. The zoom on this shot is effective because it makes the viewer feel like they are entering a different world.
- 4. 00:28 Anna Kendrick is a well recognised actress in children’s films. Such as her role in Pitch Perfect and Pitch Perfect 2. Her role in the film would appeal to an audience of young girls. Her character is wearing a pink tracksuit and has a pink mobile phone which are also used to attract this demographic and are stereotypical favourites. Her character is positioned to the left of the screen with light shining on her face. This causes the audience to focus on her facial expression and appearance.
- 5. 00:41 In this wide shot the mis en scene is of a grave yard. There is also a thick fog and dim lighting. At this point the fast paced music slows down slightly. All these elements combined create a spooky atmosphere and draw the audience into the story.
- 6. 00:57 In this shot props (such as the bed) are purposely placed to be related to nightmares. Nightmares are one of the most scary things in the world to kids, so this shot would really emphasise their fear.
- 7. 01:10 In the opening sequence of ParaNorman montage editing is used. This is where there is a series of short shots edited into a sequence to condense information. In this sequence it is effective because it introduces the film conventions and characters without giving away the plot. This type of editing also introduces a fast pace which evokes excitement in the audience for the beginning of the film.
- 8. 01:23 This close up is followed by a zoom into the face of the character. This creates a spooky effect upon the viewer as it is slightly disorientating. The character has large bold eyes and a pale complexion, highlighting that he is a ghost. Ghosts are typical conventions of horror genres. The light is focused on the center of the frame to make it seem like the ghost is lingering in the dark and make the audience scared.
- 9. 01:32 In this shot the music slows down from the fast pace it was before. This causes the viewer to pay more attention to the information on the screen. The font it red which connotes blood and gore linking to the horror genre. It is in capital letters to make it stand out and have impact. It is in the style of ‘bubble writing’ because the target demographic is children.