Analysis of a Title Sequence

Title Sequence analysis - American Horror Story Asylum

The title is sequence shows that this TV show is a twisted and mysterious, horror genre. The viewer is able to tell this as the majority of the sequence is dark with little colour being shown throughout and if so it’s of a darkened red colour connoting blood and death. One way of connoting this mysterious is that many of the people lurking in the title sequence are silhouetted out with dim lighting making it harder for them to be viewed and then creating an extra level of eeriness. This also hides a lot of detail as many thing being moved are also silhouetted allowing the viewer to have to think what is going on with many limb like shapes being dragged or carted away, asking the viewer, “Are those Limbs?”. I get the Impression that this film is about a murder or cover-up of a mass serial killings, I get this impression due to the number of shots which feature what looks like blood splatters and limbs or dead bodies being carted around the ‘Asylum’. The Title sequence also give the impression of a horrific accident and this sets a mood for the area and sets it for throughout the series.

 

There are many uses of pure white biblical like figures, that have no damage on them whatsoever, this suggests that there is a hint of something that the asylum people pray to almost like a cult. This would also explain the upkeep of the statue whilst also performing unholy deed such as cutting or what can be interpreted as killing. The title also uses the movement of dark figures to suggest hidden secrets allowing the reader to interpret this has something. Making it already subconsciously effecting the viewer before the program has begun.

Through the title sequence the viewer can see a contrast of things happening with religious like figures being shown directly before some form of surgery about to go ahead suggesting some form of science Vs. religion view on this asylum. This really has the ability to retain the audience as it confuses them with what is right and wrong questioning their true moral beliefs, which sets down strong foundations for a psychological horror.

The picture to the right shows what seems to be a deformed figure clambering up a stairway. The image is in a poor lighting, to fit with the theme, but uses white to highlight and contrast the movement. This draws in the viewer also making them ask questions such as: ‘Who is that?’ or ‘What’s wrong with them?’ setting a away for them to be answered or left a mystery by the show.

The sound used in the opening sequence features unusual static-like sounds accompanied by an actor’s name. This helps to invoke a feeling of unusual and strangeness into the opening sequence. The sound also features infrared sounds that cannot be heard but help invoke a physical feeling such a terror and fear. A lot of the sound is also digitalised and is repeated throughout the time actor names appear. Other noises that are heard are distorted and could connote muffled screams of pain of despair possibly foreshadowing the events about to occur.

The audience is retained by this thinking that it will keep happening until something happens it is a good way to make something seem important to a story using types of sound and edits to fit that.