Thriller Title Sequence Analysis

The film I have chosen is called 'SUR LE SEUIL' this translates into English as 'Evils Words'

At first you notice that the background is flickering and jumping ll over the place, this makes the viewer feel uneasy because they cannot focus on a specific detail because it keeps moving.

Through out this opening you can hear the sound of metal clags and drum this is non-diegetic sound.


The next thing that can be seen is the Titles begin appearing and just like the background you can just read them but they're flickering like the background. Then we hear the first diegetic sound, this being the knifes swiping each other. This sound adds to the viewers curiosity, as they are wondering whats happening.


After the flickering continues for a couple of seconds a spot of red appears on screen and it begins flickering lick every thing else on screen. The viewers are now trying to connect thing and may presume the red is blood. Then there is more diegetic sound of someone screaming and now viewers are wondering does this have something to do with the sound of knifes and the red.


Just to make sure viewers have made the connection between the red spots and the sounds a background video fades in showing people screaming and cowering in a corner. The viewer now knows something has happened to these people and its going to play a part in the film.


The red spot continue flickering on the screen and start growing, this may be associated with blood splatters.The opening finishes by continuing the flickering but introducing scratches and more graphic scenes of screaming, blood and people running.

After looking at this thriller opening I am considering using mostly diegetic sound apart from a phone call that the viewer can hear. I feel that there is to much movement within the titles and is does not give the viewer much time to read them. I think that during the creation of my thriller i will over lay the title onto a video instead of just a black background. And finally I am going to increase the amount of footage by actually showing a part of the story line instead of just showing flickering images.