A media theory I would want to put into my horror film opening is the Semiotic Theory of Barthes, which explores how meaning is created through signs and symbols. Roland Barthes, "a French literary theorist, believes that media texts communicate meaning beyond their surface content by using symbols that audiences decode based on cultural understanding". In horror films, semiotics play an important role, the sense of tension building as normal objects or settings can't take on threatening meaning. One example would be the doll of an innocent child, which can signify innocence, but can also suggest danger when placed in a disturbing context. Using Barthes's idea, my horror opening could slowly make a meaning through symbolic image, like a doll hung on a tree, slowly moving left and right, which suggests uneasiness before any intense dangers are shown.
Furthermore, Barthes introduced the concept of "connotation also as denotation being the literal meaning of an image while connotation refers to the deeper cultural or emotional associations that it carries". A setting of horror could have a dark forest or spooky corridor, but the connotation introduces fear, danger, or the presence of evil. My film's opening could show this by focusing on visuals that carry threatening connotations such as weird shadows or a random flickering light. "These signals subconsciously start the fear in the viewer which increases their fear without any direct threat". By turning to the effects of visual images, you can create a cooler and uncomfortable atmosphere, avoiding boring violence while still having the audience in fear.
Moreover, Barthes' theory says that "media texts are polysemic, they can hold multiple meanings depending on the audience's background and experiences". This is especially effective in horror where uncertainty can increase fear. What one viewer thinks as a sign of supernatural danger, another might see it as psychological uncertainty. My horror opening could purposely leave certain visual clues or sounds open to explanation, an example would be that a character suggests ghosts to some viewers while others might view it as a sign of fear. This confusion keeps audiences engaged, going well with the uncomfortable tone that is important in horror. With Barthes' Semiotic Theory in my opening, I will use objects correctly, making audiences confused yet anxious.
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