Task 28: Analysing Previous Student Title Sequences

In order to plan our soundscape and to learn more about sound, I watched and analysed the use of sound in previous students title sequence. I picked two thrillers, as i am also doing a thriller. 

Duality

• This title sequence starts with heavy, low, donning music. The eerie music helps to establish the thriller genre, and set up the mood of agitation for the audience. The minor key of the music, shows that something is wrong, and builds up suspense. 
• The ambient sounds of wildlife, e.g. birds chipping,  lake water lapping, helped create a rich soundscape. Ambient sounds help to submerge the audience into the scene. The lack of dialogue/ city sounds creates a sense of isolation and danger, as this is a Thriller.
• There are a variety of different types of sounds through out the title sequence. There are diegetic sounds of the tea dropping, and foley sounds of the clock ticking. The different types of sounds help make the sequence seem more realistic and keep the audience's attention. 
• The students also use sound to build up tension. The use quick, rheumatic sounds to quicken up the phase and add anticipation. Heavy drone sounds add a sense of eeriness and peril. The non-diegetic sounds of breathing adds mystery. When the girl gets dragged away, the quick, thunderous sounds make the audience jump in fright. 
• The students have done a lot of editing to the sounds including: slowing sounds down, manipulating them so they sound unrecognizable and demonic, and changing the volume of sounds.

Shutter

The soundscape for this title sequence was similar to the previous one, as they are both thrillers, and follow the genre conventions. 

• The sequence started with non-diegetic background music, that follows the Thriller conventions, and intensifies and builds up suspense as the title continues. 
• The students cleverly used low diegetic ambient sounds of birds, to separate locations during extreme close ups, so the audience knew from those perspective the shot was. 
• Diegetic ambient sounds of the car, and the camera shutter, were increased in volume to really emphasize the importance of these items.  
• The diegetic walkie talkie sound effect was distorted, and processed to make the static and frequencies more distinctive and realistic. 

I preferred 'Duality', because i thought that their soundscape was really rich and immersive. I could tell that it was really well planned out and a lot of time went into creating and editing all the sound effects. When watching 'Shutter' I didn't feel as engulfed into the title sequence, and I didn't think that there was enough tension build up. I thought the soundscape wasn't consistent, and needed more planning.