Deconstruction of Opening Titles in American Horror Story: Freakshow

Titles

• A house style is used to tie in small elements features in all series of American Horror Story in the opening such as sounds and fonts to make the titles recognizable and fit in with the rest of the series

• Font name is 'Rennie Mackintosh' - cracked, 'dots', two lines on H
• The opening credits were created by a company called Prologue, who also created the opening titles for Se7en
• Animated characters in background of text
• Carnival theme
• Animated characters give hints towards characters in the show

Appropriate for Genre

• The cracked font suggests horror
• The music is carnival like - xylophone sounds however with the house style horror sounds also
• Characters with unusual features 
• Dark shadows and low key lighting add to the horror as it shows fear of the unknown and darkness
• Clown - linked to horror as they are a common fear 
  

Timings

• Titles appear every 3-4 seconds and last 2-3 seconds each
• Montage editing shows different circus scenes and characters
• Fast cuts of clowns and circus characters with 'creepy' faces turning their heads towards the camera at impossible angles

Narrative

• The title (Freakshow) and mise-en-scene fit in with the genre and it is clear what the series is about as the generic carnival music and cutaways to scenes of circus acts make this evident.

Enigmas

• Some fast cuts show close ups of different things and characters which creates an enigma for who or what they are
• The characters are animated so you do not know what to expect from the real characters

Sound

• Carnival music along with theme tune used in three previous series
• Clown twisting balloon makes the audience uncomfortable, cringing
• Music slightly off pitch at times creating a strange and uncomfortable sound