American Horror Story- Coven opening titles

American Horror Story- Coven opening titles

Genre and Mise-En-Scene

The opening titles of America Horror Story: Coven are dark and unsettling, the images shown glitching at the corners and when the frame changes. This is a convention of a horror genre as it makes the viewer question what is hidden in the darker corners and it creates the sense of the unknown making the audience uncomfortable. It also helps to set up the genre as the darkness of the opening sequence could be linked in with a horror or a thriller, with the idea of a supernatural theme (with the word ‘coven’ meaning a group of witches) it clearly leads to the idea that the TV show is of a horror genre. It is also obvious in the name as there is the word ‘horror’ present.

Voodoo is one of the main themes of the title. Throughout the sequence you can see an older woman creating and then destroying a ‘voodoo’ doll. This is supported by images that are shown after the frame with the woman in them, after sewing the doll together there is brief image of bloody stitches in human flesh visible. This is followed up when the woman sets the doll on fire, a figure dressed in the black costume with the tall hat is in the next frame on a stake being burnt alive. This continues with the ideas of the unknown and the uncomfortable sense on uncertainty that is produced. It is also one of the main images that directly link to the idea of witches and what type of angle the program is taking on them since, in entertainment, there are so many different variation and ideas.

The image of the bloody human flesh with stitches was dark and only showed on screen for a brief second but the effect was still just as powerful.

The ideas of folklore in the opening titles is evident but not as pronounced as other themes. Drawn images of creatures and scenes are shown when the credits are, these are sometimes moving very slightly. There is only one instance when a picture is shown without the credits, this is a moving image of a demon like figure with horns eating an infant, only shown for a brief second it’s meant to unsettle the viewer, creating a sense of the supernatural and giving a feeling of revulsion as the idea of one of hells creatures eating a child. This conforms to the horror genre as it has a sense of the unnatural and where the layout shows the image as though it’s in a book creates the thought of realism.

There are two main instances where frames are filled with ‘supernatural’ creatures. Conforming to the ideas of ‘found footage’ one of the creatures is a skeletal structure with humanoid features and bone like wings. This is not a known animals so the shock at seeing this being moving like it was real conforms to the ideas of the supernatural horror as it generates the same unease that the darkness does, the sense of the unknown is uncomfortable for people to feel creating an effective and clear shown of genre.

The use of fire indicates also what type of witch angle the TV show was willing to take. The witch trials in the sixteen hundreds were based upon the idea that witches were satanic and evil, killing the crops and kidnapping infants to use their bones to keep themselves young. They killed the ‘witches’ by hanging, burning and drowning. This creates a connection as the witches that will be featured are now seen as evil, fraternizing with the devil, this further supports the idea of a supernatural horror. The fire sound is also carried on for a second after the music stops this could be to emphasise the idea and let the audience question how unpredictable and powerful fire is.

Several frames of animals are shown in the opening titles (goat and a donkey), the recurring theme being the idea of farm animals, this could continue the suggestion that the witches shown in the clip are referencing to the 1600’s where small settlements accused women of being witches when the animals started to behave or die mysteriously. Following the theme and the genre the animals look dead or mutilated, there is a donkeys head visible devoid of any fur and seemingly skin as well. This gruesome flash of an image can create tension and suspense in the titles.

Skull are used to symbol many things from vanity, life after death, rebelliousness or to ward off evil, a sign of fear and caution. These could all be interpreted into the opening credits, the idea of how temporary our time is in the physical world. As the skulls were animal skulls (goat or another horned animal) it could tie in with the animals shown and possible the supernatural element maybe suggesting the witchcraft in the form of shape shifting others. Skull are the most easily recognised bone so it could just be used to make the audience feel a morbid air about animal remains.

There were witched dressed in all black with tall capirotes on top of their heads. These hats were originally worn by Spanish extremists that whipped themselves as a demonstration. This gives the costume used a negative image, giving ideas of a cult or society. This sort of mask was also used by some terrorist groups, this make the mask recognisable as bad and makes the viewer unsure. The general effect of the cone like helmet is eerie and when the figures are walking in the woodland it makes a unnatural element that conforms to the idea of the horror genre. The use of the costumes is to identify and represent the witches as a coven that is not positively influenced.

During the opening scene there was a few frames that showed a group of witched dressed in black with the capirotes on their heads hovering around a kneeling woman. This could either represent the blonde woman as a victim or the scene could be depicting some sort on initiation. The whole scene is another tie to the thoughts of the supernatural element. The whole horror genre is conformed throughout the opening titles as creepy, eerie images and frames are shown with the music.

Typography

The type font used is similar to fonts like ‘century gothic’, giving it the theme associated with the name. The font itself is called ‘Rennie Mackintosh’ after the architect/ artist. The director from the show took a liking to the font and used it as inspiration, the looming letters and disproportionate feel giving the font and text an almost menacing look as the screen glitches around it.

The font used has a vintage feel as it is art deco, this might have linked in with the first season as the house it was set in was build style around art deco. The font could have been effective enough that they continued the look as it was signature. It also has a vintage feel which ties in with some these from the opening with the older style frames.

All the text is in capitals and looks very bold. This way of presenting text is usually used when you are shouting something out and in this situation it seems to be screaming that the genre is horror. This is show by the obviousness of the genre and the shout like quality of the letters.

The letters seem stretched, the top smaller than the longer bottom half, this gives ideas of stretching out referencing the ideas of torture from medieval times, the morbid image is played against us subtly as we look at the writing.

When the text is shown the frames are glitchy and never steady or still having a slight shake, zoom or tilt to them. This continues ideas of uncertainty, unpredictability and thoughts of the unknown, conforming to the horror genre. The image of the gothic text behind a static screen is creepy and uncertain and looming.

The text in the opening sequence is shown against a parchment colour background and reminds the viewer of writing in an old book ‘grimoire’, this is backed up as the outline images are shown with the text the ideas of folklore and spell work subtle but suggested when the credits are shown. The way the o’s have separate dots like ‘accents’ also gives ideas of symbols that witches may write down in ‘grimoires’. Grimoires are associated with witches as old diaries of spell work that is passed down through generations giving the idea of age again and vintage roots.

Sound

0:00-0:07

Deep strings can be heard as a base rhythm, the sound is continuous and gives a foundation to the score of the opening titles. At 0:02 and 0:06 static is heard but it is short and quiet. This helps to build up the tension. The static heard gives the credits a glitchy feel.

0:08-0:15

A longer shuttering, power drill like static sound was heard loudly as the first credit was shown. This sound is synthetic and continues although its volume is varied throughout. The sound is sudden and loud helping the anticipation to build, this conforms with the genre.

0:16-0:48

A layer of a creepy synthetic sound is added like water dripping but in a higher pitch and layers to make it eerie. This is synthesised which continues a sense of the unnatural, the sounds uncomfortable to hear as you can’t immediately identify what it is. Some places stop the music for a brief second as certain images are shown (0:40, 0:48)

0:49-0:57

The dripping sounds have stopped but the static and bass notes continue although one layer of sound is lost the tension is still conveyable.

0:58-1:00

Fire crackling is being heard under the static as another layer, this is diegetic with some of the images and lips shown creating a more realistic feel. It also ties in with the theme of the TV shows season.

1:00-1:03

Only fire is heard and the static suddenly stops as well as the bass notes. This is effective as the last images seen are of fire and a burning person.