Conventions of Horror Films

Choose ONE convention across at least TWO movies. Describe how this convention is used in this film. Use specific examples (textual evidence: techniques, details) and refer to your notes as necessary.

The convention of a female victim is used across the board in horror films. Two such examples are 1960's Psycho and 1996's Scream. In Psycho, Marian Crane is our female victim. Marian, the lead character in the start of the film, ends up dying within the first half hour. This is used to surprise the audience and lead them to believe that anything could happen. Before she died, Marian committed many acts which are known to be fatal acts in horror films as they ultimately lead to death as they are seen as morally wrong. In this film, Marian stole 40,000 dollars from her employer and was also having motel sex out of wedlock. A similar example was used in Scream. Drew Barrymore, one of the film's biggest names, was killed at the very start. Perhaps this was an idea borrowed from Psycho? In Scream, though, we see many more examples of female victims, Tatum is brutally murdered by Ghostface in the garage door and Sidney, the protagonist, is another victim of Ghostface's cruelty. Sidney is taunted by creepy, threatening phone calls from Ghostface who is seemingly stalking her as he always knows where she is and is also attacked by him on numerous occasions.

The female victim was used in Scream as a technique to shock the audience into believing that anything could and would happen in this film. Similar reasons are probably accounted for it being used in Psycho, also. In Psycho, Marian was the lead character and so it was very shocking and unusual for the audience to see the main star die such a short way through the film as it strayed from what traditionally took place in horror films. It reveals that both directors, in particular Alfred Hitchcock as he did this before his time, were ambitious to take such a risk and also that they were motivated and creative thinkers that just wanted to make the best of their films. The way that Hitchcock chose to show the scene of Marian's murder was also very revolutionary and has come to be known as the infamous shower scene. This scene was a classic example of the slasher violence that is very common in horror films. How it is interpreted, whether in a sexual manner or otherwise, is neither here nor there as the scene is one of the most famous in the horror genre and is used to cause the audience to think in a moralistic sense, that Marian is being punnished for her crimes. The audience's expectations in the film would have been very different to what actually took place. The money Marian stole which was the heart of her moral down-fall was killed off with Marian. What had been, up until that point, seemingly the main storyline, went down with Marian's body in her car.

Audiences of Psycho were warned before viewing it that something very shocking happened at the start of the movie. This made the audience a lot more skeptical and caused the mood to be a lot more ominous. Though the fact that such a famous actress' character was killed off so early in the film did not hinder Psycho's reception from the audience. After Psycho, the shower scene was altered slightly and used in countless horror films. In Scream, because another famous actress' character was killed so brutally at the start of the movie, even though she was not the primary character, it made the audience a lot more cautious and suspicious of the events to come in the movie. I think that the directors have used similar techniques because it had found to be a successful one and effectively sets up the rest of the movie. The fact that in both movies the killer goes on to strike down other dominant characters is also an effective technique as it scares the audience. I think that Wes Craven does not kill off Sidney's character as a lot of other characters die and he moulds the film so that the audience grows a strong attachment to Sidney which causes them to fear for her and hope for her survival which keeps them enthralled with the film. Both directors have used the convention of the female victim to reflect the way that audiences and their expectations and so to keep their audiences interested. The effects on society of watching these films is that it can cause them to reflect on the own moralistic actions because the films imply that if you commit sin then you will come to a grim ending, and also to wonder about the people around them and other members of society as in both films the killers are seemingly harmless characters. Experts have hailed Psycho as the first modern horror film and the mother of the 'slasher' sub-genre. Scream was a turning point in terms of casting for the horror genre which had previously involved relatively unknown actors. It was largely accepted with positive critical response as it provided a shift from the teen slasher films of the 1980s. Kevin Thomas of The Los Angeles Times called Scream "a bravura, povocative sendup of horror pictures" and complimented the film for being "scary and gruesome" while avoiding a sense of "morbidity". Which is why these films are both revolutionary and popular. Not because they're original but because they combine the elements of a horror film in an original way.

Animation.

The opening title sequence of the Return of the Pink Panther is done in animation although the rest of the film is not. It shows the main character, the detective, and also the missing diamond he tries to find in the movie, the Pink Panther, shown in the title sequence as the very literal interpretation of an actual panther that is pink.


Most of the opening shows the panther putting on a bit of a spectacle and later involved in a wild goose chase with the detective. Because the opening credits are shown as cartoon characters or in animation, it gives the movie that light-hearted, humorous feel.

Because the opening sequence is done in animation, it is made clear from the very start what kind of movie this is. The audience is aware that it is suitable for the entire family and due to the good use of animation to clearly portray the panthers whimsicality and the detectives daftness, they are made very aware that it is a comedy from very early on.

Examples of the animation having a comedic effect are when the panther leaves a button for the detective to push and when he does, ends up covered in a head of suds. Or even something as simple as just moving the eyebrow of the pink panther in a waggling motion.

Mise-en-scene.

Mise-en-scene. The arrangement of performers and properties on a stage for a theatrical production or before the camera in a film.


The director of the Return of the Pink Panther keeps things simple for most of the opening title sequence, with sometimes the only things in the shot being the cartoon versions of the detective and the pink panther. This helps to emphasise that these are the principle elements to the movie, or the main storyline. Because they are the only subjects on screen, it makes the plot very easy to understand as there are not other objects or elements complicating the scene and distracting the audience.

At other times, the director includes items to accessorise the panther. Examples include, a cowboy hat and a fruit head-piece and other hats which easily hide him from the detective and also tell the audience who the pink panther is acting as (a gangster, Charlie Chaplin, a cowboy etc...) just by adding a simple hat into the scene. This gives the idea that even though the pink panther may be right under the detectives nose, he won't be able to find it.

We are shown the panther cruising across the shot in a pink limousine. The detective follows on a precarious looking scooter. This gives the audience insight into the movie's storyline, giving them the idea that the pink panther is elusive and that the poor old bumbling detective is going to have some bad luck and some troubles along the way.

The fact that there is never too much going on is very effective and to the point and makes the concepts easy to grasp and the mise-en-scene is used to foreshadow the ideas of the movie.

Sound

Sound. Transmitted vibrations of any frequency.


The Return of the Pink Panther's title sequence uses both diegetic and non-diegetic sound to add to the effect of the movie.


The opening sequence of the Return of the Pink Panther has no dialogue. This is an effective technique as the animated characters make sounds which help us to grasp their moods and reactions. It also adds to the effect of the opening sequence as becuase there is no dialogue, we are not distracted by what is actually happening in the scene by trying to listen to what the characters say.

The main element of sound in the opening sequence is the song The Pink Panther which plays continuously in the background. It is a song which is very well recognised and is used in lots of other movies such as Charlie's Angels. But it is iconic to the Pink Panther and so it helps to set the mood. When we hear that song we can just imagine the bad sleuthy skits. The song allows the audience to grasp the tone of the film. That it is light-hearted and fun.

As the music accompanies the actions of the panther, it helps to make the panther the main focus of the audiences attention, again, foreshadowing the movie.

Colour

Colour. The aspect of visual perception by which an observer recognizes this attribute


One of the most effective techniques used in the title sequence is the use of colour. The movie is titled "The PINK Panther" and so the opening sequence is very appropriately rather pink. The pink panther is the title character (although not really a character except in the opening) and so it is expected that he is pink. The accessories the pink panther has eg; the fruit hat, the cowboy hat, the limousine, are all pink. In fact everything that the pink panther has is in different shades of pink! 

The pink pather, though, is not the only thing put into this title sequence that's pink. The lighting on the pink pather is pink, the names of the principle actors and film crew's names appear in different shades of pink lights like those at a movie premiere or on Broadway showing the cartoon panthers effervescence and also it's importance in the movie.

The use of all this pink draws the audience's attention back to the title of the movie, The Return of the Pink Panther. Because everything to do with the cartoon version of the pink panther is some shade of pink, it highlights the importance of the panther and ensures that, even though after the opening title sequence it becomes just an object and no longer a character, the audience still remembers that the pink panther is that the heart of the entire movie.

Also, another use of the colour pink, sets up the movie to be funny and light because it is recognised as a humourous link to the title. The theme of pink is more dominant in the title than in any other part of the story with the only real exhibit of pink in the movie being that of the diamond. But it sets up a nice mood for the movie and importance of the prized pink panther diamond in the future.

Genre/Atmosphere

The pink panthers frivolity in the title sequence is captured through the sound, the lighting and the. The music is important in The Return of the Pink Panther as the theme music is extremely well-known and has been used in the likes of Charlie's Angels. Now-a-days when we hear the music we can just visualise the bad sneaking around impersonations.


The idea of the chase after the pink panther is translated in a rather literal sense. In this opening, we see the detective chasing after an actual pink panther, much like in the film he chases after the jewel named "The Pink Panther". To create the humour and the action, the director uses sound. The tone is created by using the Pink Panther music in the background but we can still hear the tap dancing of the pink panther as he shows off. When peoples names come up the music changes slightly to sound more theatre-ish. It is still the same tune, the sound is just more elaborate.


This is very clearly a comedy film. And that is quickly established in this opening sequence. The pink panter has fun goofing around, including dressing up in numerous get-ups, such as Charlie Chaplin, Mickey Mouse, Frankenstein and A Cowboy. This is effective as the characters he dresses up as are comedic icons. As well as just establishing an amusing feel to the movie, the pink panther dressing as these characters also helps us to understand something else about the movie. We watch the detective brush past these characters numerous times without him even noticing that is it the pink panther. This is humourous to the audience as we are in the know and he is not. It also helps us to understand that the detective may not be the sharpest tool in the shed, without actually meeting the real detective. And we pre-conceive the idea that the detective cannot see what is in front of his nose, foreshadowing what is to come in the film. And we know that he will have trouble in the film to find the pink panther diamond.


The sound also helps to accompany the visuals in creating the comedy effect. This is done in several incidences something as simple as the noise accompanying the pink panther as he tip toes across the screen.


Also as there is no dialogue in the title sequence, there is more focus on what is actually going on and every noise has more effect. We are not distracted by trying to listen to what characters are saying and we can appreciate just how well a mood can be conveyed without anything being said. Even the music that plays during the entire sequence has no lyrics to it.


The atmosphere has also been created through the lighting. All of the lighting is pink, due to the title of the Pink Panther. It helps to establish as it is not a serious tone that the director is aiming for as pink is fun and not used to highlight serious tones but rather a lighter one. As there are a lot of examples when lighting is used there is an excessive amount of pink but it works for this movie as it is the Pink Panther and the movie doesn't take itself too seriously.

Preparation

To analyse the opening title sequence of a movie, I have chosen the Return of the Pink Panther as my subject of choice. This particular opening title sequence starts with a pink panther appearing in the midst of bright pink stage lights. The pink panther then produces a pink cane and a pink top hat and starts a grand charade and performance including provocative and flamboyant dancing. The names of the people involved in the film appear in extravagant lights, not dissimilar from what you might find at a well-hyped Broadway show, further creating the atmosphere of the pink panther, that he is a spectacular, show-offy, arrogant, cool character. The pink panther then gets involved in a chase with a dim-witted detective, leading him on an amusing cat-and-mouse pursuit.

This sequence fits into the film as it shows the character of the pink panther. The pink panther in the title sequence is an actual panther (animal) whereas the one in the movie is a diamond. But the pink panther in the title sequence is like that of the diamond thief in the movie, that he is showy with his work and that he leads the detective on a false trail. He is also a very smooth character.  It also shows the main storyline in a brief yet thoroughly entertaining way that makes the audience get involved at an early stage and sets the mood for the movie.

It appealed to me because I find the title sequence very amusing and it is fun to watch and therefore fun to study. I also like the way it relates to the movie and even if it were to be seen on its own I think that it still tells a good story. The way it tells the story of the mischievous pink panther out-witting the daft detective is very humorous.