Title Research: Split

Retrieved from: Art of the title website.
Movie: Split (2017)
Genre: Horror

• How many titles are displayed during the opening sequences to the film? 

There are 18 titles to the opening sequence, the last title always being directed by.

• What images are prioritized in the opening sequence? 

First, they make it apparent that someone is being kidnapped as it quickly cuts to a black screen after that. Then, the studio name "Universal Studios" appears directly after. The kidnapping sets the mood for what's to come in the film/ what to expect. Then, the audience is given a blurry sneak peak of what's happening to an individuals body, being laid on a hospital bed, having their body placed properly, as if dead/assumed dead.

• What connotations do the images carry? 

The images carry a sadistic and creepy feeling with them. It gives a gut feeling that something is going wrong/ about to happen. The glitchy titles add to this connotation of creepiness and unsettling behavior. 

• How is genre reinforced through symbolic and technical codes from the outset?

The music that plays through the opening sequence of the film is eerie and adds to the horror genre. The conventional codes of a horror are followed through the dim lighting of the outset along with the mysterious energy that is meant to perplex the audience on the situation, giving little details to add to the whole storyline. 

• How does the film establish an enigma from the outset? 

It's established through the use of certain camera angles and shots. The beginning POV offers a sudden realization to the audience of being kidnapped. The enigma that surrounds horror is the idea of going into the unknown which is clearly established as the audience does not realize what is happening. The distant long shot that is made blurry os mean to confuse the audience further of what they're seeing. 

• What strategies are used to ensure the film appeals to its target audience? 

The opening sequence taps into the audiences emotions to propel this sense of unknown fear from the kidnapping. The film intends an older audience because this genre is targeted towards that crowd with its gruesome and unsettling atmosphere. The audience is targeted through their interests, therefore horror, fear/ thrill or being scared. 

• How has technology been used effectively? 

A major technology applied is the use of editing. The editing for the titles in the film in the glitchy format added to the "split" effect, hence the title of the movie. The titles were repeated on the screen several times until it singled out the one word/name. The camera angles were crucial as well. The POV was eye-opening in the first half as it effectively grabbed the audiences attention. Then it cuts to an individual positioning a body in a specific manner, but kept blurry/out of focus to the audience. This effectively made the audience curious and suspicious of the activity happening.