Title Research: Bird Box
- What titles are displayed during the opening sequences?
There are only 3 titles displayed during the opening sequences. The first 2 are a quick and simple “Netflix Presents” and “BIRD BOX” to tell the audience who created the movie and what its called. The other title displayed was in the last second or 2 when it says, “FIVE YEARS EARLIER”. This second title introduces the fact that what we see in the opening sequence is in the future and we will likely see how the main characters get to this point.
What images are prioritized in the opening sequence?
The river is one highly prioritized image in the opening sequence. They have a voiceover of someone at a camp who is letting them know they can come but warns they must cross a very difficult river. The opening sequence shows this river for most of the sequence showing how it flows and how long this is. This gives the audience an idea of how difficult it will be to cross, not only normally, but also blindfolded. The other image that was prioritized was their house and how the characters got through it and to the river’s bank. We watch as the mom tells her kids how they must be careful and can’t undo their blindfolds. She then tells them to pack up their pets as she puts her birds in a box. After that we follow them as they are blindfolded using ropes and patterns to find their way to the boat and the river’s bank.
What connotations do these images carry?
The images carry 2 different connotations. The river scenes have a calm but unsettling connotation. This is because it shows a calm slowly moving river giving a calm connotation. But the voiceover makes the river sound awful and the worst way possible because the mom needs to cross it. This gives it a more unsettling and suspenseful connotation because you do not know why he thinks it is such a terrible option. On the other hand, the house and the river’s bank have an extremely suspenseful connotation. This is because in the house she is giving incredible strict rules to her children and warning about death if they make even one mistake. They then show them trying to row a boat blindfolded on this long river, adding a lot of suspense. This is because we do not know why they must be blindfolded and because rowing blindfolded is likely a very difficult thing to do.
How does the film establish a feeling of the genre from the outset?
The outset of the movie establishes a thriller genre through a very suspenseful feeling. It does this through the previously mentioned blindfolded scenes. Another thing that added to a lot of suspense was the walk from the house to the river’s edge. In this sequence of events the mom must guide her 2 kids through the thick forest, all without losing her way. This gets suspenseful because she must follow the rope and you don’t know how or if she's going to make it. She then struggles to find the boat without her sight, adding more suspense. Finally, the suspense all adds up while rowing blindfolded on this giant river.
What strategies are used to ensure the film appeals to its target audience?
The film uses many of the common strategies in a thriller movie to appeal to its target audience. One of the strategies they used was suspense. This is used to keep the audience consistently engaged throughout the entire film. Another strategy they used was a form of reverse chronology. The film starts in the present and at the end of the opening sequence goes back 5 years. This makes the audience want to watch the whole movie to see how the characters got to that point in the film.
How has technology been used effectively? You want to consider camera angles, transitions and editing techniques.
Technology has been used very effectively, mainly with camera angles. The transitions and editing techniques also add a lot to the effectiveness of the technology. One big camera angle they used in the movie was a bird’s eye view. They use this to show the size of the river and how expansive it is. Another camera angle they use is the extreme and normal close-up. They use this to show how the water is moving and to show the seriousness on the main character's face. The last important camera angle is a tracking shot. They use it to show how the characters run through the forest. They also used it to follow the boat after they started rowing down the river. One editing technique they use is to cut as they make progress. Once they are all packed up they cut to them exiting and then it cuts again to them walking down the rope then it cuts to different parts of them walking and then it finally cuts with them all rowing down the river.
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