Comparing title sequences (American Horror Story and Grease)

Grease

In the opening title sequence for Grease, a range of techniques are used to convey the genre and tone,  and to hint at the narrative of the film. A non-diegetic upbeat soundtrack plays throughout. The title "Grease" appears on the screen which creates a fun and vibrant tone. The soundtrack features the line "Grease is the word" several times which suggests that the genre of the film is likely to be a musical. 

A range of techniques are also used to convey the time and period of the film to the audience. The animation used throughout the opening title sequence is reminiscent of the style of the 1950s which suggests that this is the time period in which the film is set. The style of this font also seems to be from another time period, helping to portray a nostalgic tone. The costume that the characters wear also establishes that this film is set in the 1950s and their are various key moments in which historical figures such as Elvis Presley and Marilyn Monroe appear on screen which makes the audience aware of the time period.    

 

We are then introduced to a few characters and the various friendship groups that they seem to be involved in. The first character Danny, is portrayed as a typical teenager. The fact that he appears first in the opening title sequence suggests that he is the lead character of the film. His room is very messy and various popular culture posters are displayed around his room which portray his age and also suggest that he is laid back. He appears as quite vain as he looks into the mirror and takes care applying hair gel to style his hair, also suggesting that he is popular amongst his age group. At the end of this section the actors name appears on the screen stating that they appear in the film as “Danny”. this adds to the musical theatre element of the film. 

The section dedicated to Danny is then juxtaposed with the a section dedicated to the character Sandy. Sandy is portrayed as a beautiful and somewhat naïve young girl. This is portrayed as she wakes up and gets up elegantly from her bed. Various animated animals surround her which adds to this impression as it creates a fairytale like image that makes the character seem like a Disney princess. 

The opening title sequence also introduces two groups and the actors who play the members of two groups known as the "pink ladies' and the "T-birds" which we can infer might be cliques at the high school in which the film is set. The colours pink and blue create the impression that these groups will be stereotypically masculine and feminine. We know that the setting is a school as the opening ends with a cartoon of school that comes to life. This lets the audience know that the school is a central location to the storyline.

American Horror Story

In contrast, the opening title sequence of American Horror Story establishes a very different tone and atmosphere. The opening title sequence takes place in a basement of a house and immediately established a chilling atmosphere which lets us know that it will be a horror show. The lack of lighting and strange non-diegetic soundtrack create the impression that there is something sinister taking place in the house.

There a range of close-up shots of photographs of babies juxtaposed with violent objects such as scissors covered in blood and jars containing skills which creates a disconcerting atmosphere as we associate babies with innocence and goodness. This suggests that the narrative may involve murder or some form of torture. This fits in with the title which appears at the end revealing that it will be a horror story. The POV shots and short shot duration add to the mystery as the objects are gone almost before we can fully decipher them and the POV shots create the sense that we are witnessing this through the eyes of an unknown individual. Although we do see pictures of some individuals we are not yet introduced to any characters.

Though we cannot be entirely sure, the appearance of black and white images in shattered photo frames suggests that the story may involve the revisiting of previous events that took place in this house in a modern day setting. However, there is no way of the audience deducing the season in which it is set. Several titles appear on screen which appear in a strange font. This may reflect the strange and unsettling nature of events that will take place. For example it is stated that the show is created by Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk in the same strange font that we have seen previous titles in.

             

Although both opening title sequences are successful in establishing the genre and tone and hinting at the storyline, I believe that the opening title sequence to American Horror Story is more effective because it gives clues to the themes of the narrative but still leaves much to be uncovered. In contrast, I believe that whilst Grease sets up the film well and is a clear introduction it is not as intriguing as quite a lot has been revealed already.