JC: What generic conventions are in the opening sequence of The Amityville Horror (Douglas, 2005)

The Amityville Horror (Douglas, 2005) opening scene: 0:00 - 2:25

- In this opening, editing and filming techniques are used to create suspense and enigmatic code, as the audience have no idea as to why the protagonist is killing his family.
- Unexpected, fast intercutting is used to make the audience jump and also connotes to the mental instability of the main character.
- Non-diagetic sound in the form of over-dubbed dialogue also creates a supernatural aura, as the whispering voices are guttural and intimidating.
- The way in which the low-key lighting is broken by frequent flashes of thunder is used in order to hide the protagonist's actions from the audience and therefore building suspense, as it is often difficult or impossible to make out what is happening when the room is dark.
- By adding a sepia colour-wash and high-contrast filter, the opening seems more genuine and suits the time it is set in. (1974)
- The first line of text which reads: 'Based on the true story' is commonplace in many horror-thriller films such as The Blair Witch Project (Myrick/Sanchez, 1999) and Paranormal Activity (Peli, 2007) and is used to heighten the verisimilitude of the film.