Textual Analysis (American Horror Story Hotel)

Textual Analysis
(American Horror Story Hotel)

By Laura Knowles

Shots Used And The Importance Of Them

At the beginning of the opening titles, a quite close-up shot is used of some hands that are shown to be behind a broken/decaying part in the wall which makes it look as if the person behind the wall is tying to escape. As the viewer can see, the part of this wall looks as if it has been boarded up which gives the impression of craziness or keeping a person hostage, also this part foreshadows the show and what happens later on in it. I think the idea of making the person behind the wall look as if they are trying to escape makes the viewer curious, which makes them want to carry on watching as they want to see the unknown be revealed.

A lot of blood has been used in the opening titles of American Horror Story hotel to give more of a first impression on the genre of the show to the viewer. An example of this is when the blood is shown to be running down the walls. I think that this creates the image of unsafety as a shadow is shown on the wall, however this figure does not seem distressed of the situation or anything that is going on. I think by using this along with the blood dripping it creates the image of murder and a lack of empathy. Also by not being able to see the person, this creates an image of secrets being kept, betrayal and plots that need to be unravelled.

In these opening titles, there are many parts that use close-ups to show people to be cleaning up blood which I think foreshadows many things that are to come.

The use of these different shots foreshadow the hiding that killers use and specifically the techniques that the serial killer (James Patrick March) who built the hotel used, this is shown later in the series when he talks about building the hotel a certain way and why.The cleaning up of blood also foreshadows the role of the maid in the show (Hazel Evers) as she works for James Patrick March and does the cleaning up for everybody else in the hotel after every kill has happened.

The picture in the middle is a mid shot that only shows a silhouette of a persons shoulder and head who is cleaning blood off of the walls. This is another example of secrets being kept and plots later being unravelled in the show which makes the viewer want to carry on watching.

The use of the close-up on the clothing in the last picture I think could also represent in a way the clothing of a maid. In the last picture, the woman is also shown to be down on her knees, I think this could foreshadow near the end on the series when the maid is apologising to James Patrick March and gets down on her knees wanting forgiveness, however he then finally says that he wont be needing her any more.

Here a long shot is used to show what looks like a man dressed up in a women's dress. I think that this has been done to foreshadow the character of Liz Taylor who is a transgender woman who works in the hotel. I think that the long shot has been used to show the femininity that Liz portrays in what she wears and how her posture is, which is shown throughout the show. However, the face cannot be seen as much but has been made to look quite evil. I think that this has been done to show the different side of her that is more reckless in a way that she is not afraid to kill, just like everybody else in the hotel.

Again, I think that this extreme close-up of this mouth portrays some of the characters in the show by using the lipstick as a part of it. One character I think that this foreshadows is sally who is actually a ghost junkie who lives in the hotel Cortez. I think that this foreshadows sally as through the whole series she is shown wearing lipstick and at one point is shown putting it on however seems very incapable of doing so. However sally is a mentally unstable character which I think is shown in this image by including a sense of craziness.

Another character that I believe this could be foreshadowing is the countesses as she is portrayed throughout the show as a feminine woman who has a very distinctive taste in fashion. I think this foreshadows her as although it shows the femininity and beauty of her I think that this also represents her more psychotic and dangerous side that is shown as she seduces people before killing them, which is alsosomething that she is never afraid to do.

Sally

At near the very end of the opening titles a fast zoom has been used onto the room 64 door.I think that this has been done to foreshadow the importance that this room has later seen to have in the show, also the audience will later get to know about everything that happens in room 64.

I think that this has been done to create the image to the viewer that they are almost entering room 64 inside the hotel which I think makes them feel more engaged with the show. Because of this, I think that they will want to keep watching as it drags their attention in.

The Typography

The typography used in the opening credits of American Horror Story Hotel are in the style of neon lights that flicker.As they are in the style of neon lights, this foreshadows scenes that are to come in the show as neon lights are used in the hotel room of residents such as the Countess. I think that the effect of them flickering creates the effect of more mystery and the dim lights that hide peoples secrets inside the hotel, including the Countess herself. The lights inside the room that the Countess stays in also show the type of character that she is, for example the sign Why are we not having sex right now is on the wall. This I think fits in with her character in the way that she seduces people before making them her victim and killing them.

The typography used in the opening titles of American Horror Story Hotel also use quotes from the 10 commandments.

This gives the viewer an idea that religion is going to play a part in the show and that it will obviously play an important part as they flash them on and off the screen in the first credits.

This also foreshadows the importance that religion and the 10 commandments do have in the show and how they get mixed in with the plot of murder, which later gets revealed but is probably something that is quite unexpected for the viewers.

Why this is an effective opening

I think that the opening of American Horror Story Hotel is very effective as it instantly drags the audience in and gets their attention.

I think this because it already gives the viewer an idea of what this particular season is about, as each season of the show has a different theme to it and a totally different story to tell. However it sometimes includes reoccurring characters that make all of the seasons come together more. I think that this also helps drag in the audience as they get used to the actors in it and want to see them act as different characters.

As I said about the titles, using things such as the 10 commandments gives the viewer the idea that religion including the 10 commandments are going to be an important part in the series.

The opening titles of American Horror Story Hotel also include a lot of shots that are looking through a hole in the door, I think this has been done as only a piece of the room behind the door can be seen. I therefore think that this has been done to make the viewer want to see more of what is behind the doors of the hotel, making them want to watch the rest of the series and to see what else there is to find out about the place. After showing the image through the hole in the door, it then does go through the door and show more, which I think this has been done to link to the show and how it unravels.

Sharp movements have also been used to make the opening more thrilling for the viewer to watch, which also fits very well with the theme of the show. For example when the person is trying to escape the boarded up wall, sharp movements of the hands are used to create a sense of craziness and that there are obviously some very dark secrets hidden about the hotel in the show.I also think that this could foreshadow keeping people locked away and in a way, torture.Another example of when sharp movements have been used is when the woman is laying on the bed and the arms come out of the mattress to grab her. This gives the idea that crime and murder happens in the hotel and again, this also shows that there is something dark that goes on in the hotel.

As well I think that this gives sense of unsafety and I think could portray that nobody in the hotel is safe.

However, children are used in the opening titles of American Horror Story Hotel, indicating that although there seems to be a huge load of danger and murder included in the series, that the children are safe (this is foreshadowing what happens in the show).The children in the opening titles look as though they are part of the plot/evil as they are not scared. Also the children shown do not seem bothered of what is going on around them, as we know a usual child definitely would.This is another clue that is given to the viewer that there is obviously something very wrong with the setting of this show as the people in it are not normal.

The order of the titles

The first title that some up on the screen is the name of the production company, as this part is very important and the production company obviously have a big part to do with the show. This therefore instantly lets the viewer know who produced the TV series.

Near the end of the opening titles, the creators of the show (Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk's) names are shown. These are also both very important which is probably why both of these titles have been shown at the end and the beginning of the sequence.Also these titles seem to stay on the screen a bit longer than some of the other titles, which gives the viewer a longer time to read them, therefore heightening their importance even more.

Throughout the use of the names of the production company, the creators of the show, and the clips shown, the actors names are flashed up onto the screen. Again, this could instantly drag some viewers in who have seen the other seasons in as they may recognise some of their favourite actors from the other seasons names on the screens. This would make them want to carry on watching as some enjoy seeing their favourite actors change into different characters.

At the very end of the opening titles of American Horror Story Hotel the name of the show is shown in the same neon lights that I have previously talked about.I think that this has been done not only to fit into the overall theme of the opening and the overall show but to also make the viewer now really feel as if they are entering the hotel.The title of this stays on for a while compared to some of the others such as when the 10 commandments were flashed on and off the screen, and it proceeds to flicker.I think that flickering gives the image to the viewer that the hotel that they are about to be introduced to is a very old building, however does contain modern people and objects (such as the neon lights). I think they have also been shown to be flickering to add to the thrill of the whole opening and that there is something not quite right that happens in the hotel.

Sound used in the opening titles

All seasons of American Horror Story use the same base for the theme song to their show, however each season is always slightly adapted to the theme of the particular season.

For this season, crackles in the music are used, which I think fits really well with the flickering of the lights and the sharp and jerky movements of things as I believe that it creates a good sense of madness, murder, and horror.

I believe that this could have also been done to fit along with the idea that the hotel is old so obviously has it faults.

I think the music makes the opening more effective to the audience because of all of this, but also because people who have watched the other seasons will know the sound of the theme tune, however it is obviously slightly different due to being adapted to the specific season of Hotel.

THE END

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