SAW II opening scene - Shondell

This is the opening scene for the film SAW II. I chose to analyse this title sequence as we are using similar ideas to this for our own title sequence, as it conforms to the typical conventions of a horror movie. The saw title sequence begins with showing the film companies that were involved in the making of this film, however, this contrasts to our idea as we are going to jump straight into the pre title sequence. I believe that starting with the pre-title will catch the attention of the audience to create a bigger shock effect when something big happens, as the beginning or our pre title sequence is a flashback of a happy memory that once was, then the ending of the pre-title sequence is death which creates a bigger effect on the audience, as they would not have been expecting something so major, at the beginning of the film. In the opening title sequence of SAW II, the font used when showing the names of the film companies varies, but they are all very bold and have a rusty, old, edgy effect. 'Twisted pictures' has an animated barbed wire effect on it, which twists around the words and gives the impression of something painful, such as being 'twisted' or 'trapped' in barbed wire. The background is black and plain against the bold, edgy text which makes is stand out so the audience can actually read and be aware of the different film companies involved.

 The sounds used when the film companies are being shown, are very sharp and sound like rusty metal being scraped together, such as an old rusty door being opened for example, as this leads up to the pre title sequence, it gives the impression that it will take place in old, abandoned building, considering the effects and sounds used. Every sound used is very distinctive its gives the audience the feeling that all their senses have become alert and sensitive, such as the light flickering, and the static when the TV turns on.

The setting of this opening sequence is very dark and gloomy, it adds to the sense of danger and suggests that something bad is imminent. This is a good convention to have at the beginning of a film, as it entices the audience and gives them a sense of whats to come, but yet still leaves them wondering. The blood and gore is also very exciting for the audience, and the idea that death is a 'game' is portrayed throughout this, which also gives the audience something to question. The jump cuts used when the character is trying to get out of the trap are effective, as they create a sense of panic and anxiety, it helps the audience to understand the feelings of the character, as if they are in his position.The echoes created when the character screams, and shouts created a sense of isolation and loneliness as if no one can hear him, and no one will save him.

When the character is set the challenge by the masked figure on the TV, it creates a sense of panic and tension for the audience, as they don't know if he will live or die, this would engage the audience as they will be 'on the edge of their seats' waiting to see what happens, which gives the film that much more excitement. The whole mise-en-scene of this text is very unsettling, it foreshadows the idea of death, pain and isolation, which are typical conventions of a strong horror. The film title coming in at the end is very effective, because the whole pre-title sequence has given away a few hints of the film itself, and is a good way to start the film, to engage the audience then the title of the film fades in to set the story and to begin the film, this is an effective way to catch the audiences attention from the start.