Opening sequence to 'Ghost Ship'

This film is clearly aimed at an older audience, as the opening scene conatains a lot of gory content, which implies that as the film goes on, the content of the rest of the film will become even more gory. The opening to this film is very effective in provoking fear in it's audience. It starts off with a calm and relaxed environment, with the characters slow dancing, and a woman singing a soft, slow and relaxing song. The use of titles is also effective in help provide the relaxed tone, as the font is pink, connoting innocence. The scene suddenly changes, and things start happening on the ship without anyone touching anything, and the sound of the singing becomes distant, creating a sense of detachment, and changing the relaxed tone to a disconnected and disorientated tone. The fast camera movements also indicate that the relaxed mood has changed. The lingering close up of the wire with blood and flesh stuck to it magnifies the shock and horror the audience will be feeling at this time, and therefore exaggerating their fear. The lack of sound coming from the people, with a creaking sound in the background creates an eerie atmosphere, and a sense of abandonment. The screaming child at the end of the opening scene highlights her vulnerability and helplessness, as she is the only one left. The opening is extremely effective overall, mostly due to the juxtaposition of the tones included in the scene. We will include the unexpected element of this opening in our own if we feel the need, as it has an excellent shock effect on the audience.