Film Opening Research #1: US
How many titles are displayed during the opening sequences to the film?
There are four main titles displayed during the opening sequence: Universal, MonkeyPaw Productions, A Jordan Peele Film and the movie title Us followed by the main characters' names.
What images are prioritized in the opening sequence?
In the opening sequence, the audience is first introduced with a revelation about hidden tunnels beneath the U.S. that have no purpose. Then, the camera zooms out, showing a TV playing a forecast and news session. During the session, the Hands Across America commercial rolls out, showing many images of eyes, teeth, and held hands across America. The scene switches from a Santa Cruz commercial to a family attending a fair being held at Santa Cruz beach. Then, we see a little black girl wondering off in a tunnel or game called "Find Yourself" in which she discovers another replica of her, who played a major part in the movie. On her way to the tunnel, we see a man holding a sign saying "Jeremiah 11:11", which had a deeper meaning later on. Lastly, the camera zooms out, showing a large wall of bunnies, which represented multiple symbolisms throughout the film.
What connotations do the images carry?
The images carry many symbolic and negative connotations, starting with the Hands Across America commercial to the large wall of white bunnies. The commercial reveals the main plot of the movie by showing that people are connected, which was similar to the "Tethered" or the clones of the main characters. The clone of the little girl in the beginning reveals the connection that the human characters have to their "tethered" versions. The numbers 11:11 carry a negative connotation throughout the film, as they are clues revealing that danger is close. The white bunnies don't have much of a negative connotation since the audience learns about their symbolism later on in the film.
How is genre reinforced through symbolic and technical codes from the outset?
The horror genre is reinforced through symbolic and technical codes through many scenes. In the opening scenes, the audience is introduced to many symbolisms such as the clones, which later symbolized the "tethered" and the commercial, which identified a connection between all the tethered population as they formed a chain across the country in the second half of the movie. It is also imperative to understand that these clones live in underground tunnels and mirror everything one does on Earth so they can learn their behaviors. Once released amongst the human population, these clones have an upperhand since they replicate the lives of the humans. As the human character discovers the tunnels, we see many bunnies roaming free, which we later learned that these bunnies serve as food for the tethered. Jordan Peele did a fantastic job at ensuring that the horror genre is reinforced through these symbolic scenes.
How does the film establish an enigma from the outset?
The film establishes many enigmas during the first five minutes of the movie. For instance, the Hands Across America commercial leaves the audience to question its meaning and symbolism in the movie. The scene where the little girl finds her clone leaves a puzzling question of what happened to the clone during the time the little girl was growing up. Also, the numbers 11:11 posed a mysterious question as to why the man was holding a sign displaying the biblical verse "Jeremiah 11:11". Lastly, one major enigma that could not be easily answered was the significance of the large wall of white and black bunnies during the opening scenes.
What strategies are used to ensure the film appeals to its target audience?
Many strategies are used to ensure a great appeal. In the opening scenes, the dark and mysterious setting sets a mysterious effect as the camera follows the little girl closely when she wanders off around the fair. The increased sounds of the waves and footsteps convey a suspenseful feeling that capture the essence of the horror genre and its impact. Also, in these scenes, the focus is set on the actions of the little girl, thus ignoring the dialogues and actions of background characters. This captures the focus of the audience since we want to know more of the little girl's story and what will happen when she wanders off in the tunnel or house alone.
How has technology been used effectively? You might want to consider camera angles, transitions and editing techniques.
Technology has been used to convey the occurring suspense throughout the movie. The camera angles mainly reveal close ups and choker shots of the characters. These angles display the personal fear of the human characters as well as the terrifying feeling that the tethered are intended to convey. Another main angle used is the follow shot of each character. As each human fight for their lives, the camera closely follows them to reveal their actions and what occurs when they are attacked by the tethered. High angle shots are also used in certain parts of the movie to reveal location and the tethered holding hands across streets and mountains, similar to the Hands Across America movement.
How is genre reinforced through symbolic and technical codes from the outset?
The horror genre is reinforced through symbolic and technical codes through many scenes. In the opening scenes, the audience is introduced to many symbolisms such as the clones, which later symbolized the "tethered" and the commercial, which identified a connection between all the tethered population as they formed a chain across the country in the second half of the movie. It is also imperative to understand that these clones live in underground tunnels and mirror everything one does on Earth so they can learn their behaviors. Once released amongst the human population, these clones have an upperhand since they replicate the lives of the humans. As the human character discovers the tunnels, we see many bunnies roaming free, which we later learned that these bunnies serve as food for the tethered. Jordan Peele did a fantastic job at ensuring that the horror genre is reinforced through these symbolic scenes.
How does the film establish an enigma from the outset?
The film establishes many enigmas during the first five minutes of the movie. For instance, the Hands Across America commercial leaves the audience to question its meaning and symbolism in the movie. The scene where the little girl finds her clone leaves a puzzling question of what happened to the clone during the time the little girl was growing up. Also, the numbers 11:11 posed a mysterious question as to why the man was holding a sign displaying the biblical verse "Jeremiah 11:11". Lastly, one major enigma that could not be easily answered was the significance of the large wall of white and black bunnies during the opening scenes.
What strategies are used to ensure the film appeals to its target audience?
Many strategies are used to ensure a great appeal. In the opening scenes, the dark and mysterious setting sets a mysterious effect as the camera follows the little girl closely when she wanders off around the fair. The increased sounds of the waves and footsteps convey a suspenseful feeling that capture the essence of the horror genre and its impact. Also, in these scenes, the focus is set on the actions of the little girl, thus ignoring the dialogues and actions of background characters. This captures the focus of the audience since we want to know more of the little girl's story and what will happen when she wanders off in the tunnel or house alone.
How has technology been used effectively? You might want to consider camera angles, transitions and editing techniques.
Technology has been used to convey the occurring suspense throughout the movie. The camera angles mainly reveal close ups and choker shots of the characters. These angles display the personal fear of the human characters as well as the terrifying feeling that the tethered are intended to convey. Another main angle used is the follow shot of each character. As each human fight for their lives, the camera closely follows them to reveal their actions and what occurs when they are attacked by the tethered. High angle shots are also used in certain parts of the movie to reveal location and the tethered holding hands across streets and mountains, similar to the Hands Across America movement.
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