Title Design Research: Underwater (Horror)

 1.How many titles are displayed during the opening sequences to the film? Which ones? 

In this title sequence, fifteen titles were displayed. They include companies that worked together to produce this film, title, list of actors who were in the film, and who cast them, music producer, visual effects supervisor, editors, production designer, director of photography, executive producer, other producers, story maker, screenplay maker, and directors.

2.What connotations do the images carry? (How do you they make you feel?) 

The images within this title sequence gave off dark and mysterious connotations. They give us an ominous feeling with the quick transitions to specific words that appear to be from articles. It would highlight words such as “high risk,” “Deepwater Mystery,” “Rumors of strange sightings…”, etc. These gave heavy mystery and horror connotations especially when linked with the images displayed alongside the text.  

3.How is genre reinforced through symbolic and technical codes from the outset? (Can you tell what genre the film is) 

From the looks of it, we can decipher that this film is horror mixed with mystery and sci-fi. This sequence included ominous sounds, panning shots, dark colors/lighting, and glitch effects. Ominous sounds give a sense of anticipation while the panning shots give us a view of where the story will take place which we can see as some sort of scientific place. Dark colors and contrast lighting were also used when displaying text, to give us a general idea of what the film will be about, and the glitch effect added onto the anticipation feel. 

4.What conventions are used to ensure the film appeals to its target audience?

Use of technology 

In order to ensure the film appeals to its target audience, it used things such as music/sound and visual appeal through effects and transitions. The sound and music reels in the audience with the anticipating feeling and hooks them through with the glitch effects and fast-paced transitions as they try to keep up with the highlighted words. It is likely that the target audience is somewhere between mid-teens to adults judging by the context given.