American Horror Story:
American Horror Story is a horror television series that was created and produced by Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk. This is described as an anthology series; each season is conceived as a self-contained miniseries, following a disparate set of characters and settings, and a storyline with its own "beginning, middle, and end".
The first season, subsequently re-titled American Horror Story: Murder House, takes place in 2011 and it follows the story of a family that moves into a home haunted by its former occupants. The second season, titled American Horror Story: Asylum, takes place in 1964 and follows the stories of the inhabitants of an institution for the criminally insane. The third season, titled American Horror Story: Coven, takes place in the 1800s and present day and follows the battle between witches and voodoo practitioners.
The first season, subsequently re-titled American Horror Story: Murder House, takes place in 2011 and it follows the story of a family that moves into a home haunted by its former occupants. The second season, titled American Horror Story: Asylum, takes place in 1964 and follows the stories of the inhabitants of an institution for the criminally insane. The third season, titled American Horror Story: Coven, takes place in the 1800s and present day and follows the battle between witches and voodoo practitioners.
Coven:
The third season, titled American Horror Story: Coven, is about oppression, specifically of minorities. It's been over 300 years since the Salem witch trials. Those who remain now are almost extinct and in danger again. A school in New Orleans serves young witches to teach them how to blend into society and keep from being discovered. The long-absent Supreme arrives with a different mission to teach the burgeoning witches how to fight those who would oppress them. The themes include witches, witch-hunts, incest, minorities, slavery, mothers and daughters, and witchcraft versus voodoo. The season is set in modern day, the early 1970s, and the 1830s
Title Sequence:
American Horror Story's title screens offer vague hints to important plot elements and events that compose each season. For Murder House, Murphy described the sequence as a mini-mystery and stated that "By the time you see the ninth episode of this season, every image in that title sequence will be explained", establishing the purpose of the title sequence for future seasons.
Kyle Cooper and his company Prologue created the opening title sequence. He also created the title sequence for the AMC series The Walking Dead and the 1995 film Seven. Sound designer Cesar Davila-Irizarry and musician Charlie Clouser composed the theme music. Juan Ruiz Anchía and the editing by Gabriel J. Diaz did the cinematography.
For the first season, the sequence is set in the Harmons' basement and includes images of postmortem young children, fetuses in jars, skulls, a christening dress, a nurse's uniform, and a figure holding a pair of bloody hedge clippers. Murphy described the sequence as a mini-mystery and stated that "By the time you see the ninth episode of this season, every image in that title sequence will be explained. So for example, What are the jars in the basement? What is the mystery of the floating white Christening dress? Why is somebody holding hedge clippers that are bloody? Each time you watch it and you watch the week's episode you'll be able to say, 'Oh that's why that's in there!".
The same creative team does the second season’s opening sequence. "We are shooting a new title sequence with the same team that did last year's", series creator Ryan Murphy, said. "The song may stay...not sure." The song was kept, and the new title sequence was set around the Asylum, utilising shots of inmates raving and surgeons operating on patients with bandages on, obscuring their faces. Elements include a young girl walking backwards on her hands and feet up a staircase and a shot of the Virgin Mary's smile changing from one of benevolence to one of spite.
The third season's opening sequence keeps the same song, and this sequence is the first one to be filmed primarily outside and not in an enclosed location. Shots include figures wearing black robes and capirotes, a bony-skeleton creature with wings and shots of dead goats, the Minotaur from the season also appears. For the first time, there are actual backgrounds that appear with the actor names instead of an all-black background, some of these images include witches hanging and Santa Muerte. Other elements include an African Tribesman with a disturbing smile as well as voodoo dolls. The final shot continues after the figures in black capirotes seize one of their own who is later seen burning at a stake where young, dress-clad witches dance around.
The title sequence for all series of the show use a typeface that very closely resembles a style for which Charles Rennie Mackintosh was known.
The font used for the AHS logo is called "Rennie Mackintosh", after the Scottish Art Nouveau artist Charles Rennie Mackintosh. Ryan Murphy had wanted "Frank Lloyd Wright" font, after the American architect famous for his use of stained glass. Since Charles Rennie Mackintosh influenced Frank Lloyd Wright, the Prologue Company suggested the Mackintosh font.
Kyle Cooper shot the basement scenes in the sub-basement of Mack Sennett Studios in Silverlake, California, a soundstage originally built in 1916. He decided to shoot the entire opening credits in the basement to provide the view of the infantata, who lives in the basement. The old pictures of children were included to show past owners who watched everything with innocent eyes.
Kyle Cooper and his company Prologue created the opening title sequence. He also created the title sequence for the AMC series The Walking Dead and the 1995 film Seven. Sound designer Cesar Davila-Irizarry and musician Charlie Clouser composed the theme music. Juan Ruiz Anchía and the editing by Gabriel J. Diaz did the cinematography.
For the first season, the sequence is set in the Harmons' basement and includes images of postmortem young children, fetuses in jars, skulls, a christening dress, a nurse's uniform, and a figure holding a pair of bloody hedge clippers. Murphy described the sequence as a mini-mystery and stated that "By the time you see the ninth episode of this season, every image in that title sequence will be explained. So for example, What are the jars in the basement? What is the mystery of the floating white Christening dress? Why is somebody holding hedge clippers that are bloody? Each time you watch it and you watch the week's episode you'll be able to say, 'Oh that's why that's in there!".
The same creative team does the second season’s opening sequence. "We are shooting a new title sequence with the same team that did last year's", series creator Ryan Murphy, said. "The song may stay...not sure." The song was kept, and the new title sequence was set around the Asylum, utilising shots of inmates raving and surgeons operating on patients with bandages on, obscuring their faces. Elements include a young girl walking backwards on her hands and feet up a staircase and a shot of the Virgin Mary's smile changing from one of benevolence to one of spite.
The third season's opening sequence keeps the same song, and this sequence is the first one to be filmed primarily outside and not in an enclosed location. Shots include figures wearing black robes and capirotes, a bony-skeleton creature with wings and shots of dead goats, the Minotaur from the season also appears. For the first time, there are actual backgrounds that appear with the actor names instead of an all-black background, some of these images include witches hanging and Santa Muerte. Other elements include an African Tribesman with a disturbing smile as well as voodoo dolls. The final shot continues after the figures in black capirotes seize one of their own who is later seen burning at a stake where young, dress-clad witches dance around.
The title sequence for all series of the show use a typeface that very closely resembles a style for which Charles Rennie Mackintosh was known.
The font used for the AHS logo is called "Rennie Mackintosh", after the Scottish Art Nouveau artist Charles Rennie Mackintosh. Ryan Murphy had wanted "Frank Lloyd Wright" font, after the American architect famous for his use of stained glass. Since Charles Rennie Mackintosh influenced Frank Lloyd Wright, the Prologue Company suggested the Mackintosh font.
Kyle Cooper shot the basement scenes in the sub-basement of Mack Sennett Studios in Silverlake, California, a soundstage originally built in 1916. He decided to shoot the entire opening credits in the basement to provide the view of the infantata, who lives in the basement. The old pictures of children were included to show past owners who watched everything with innocent eyes.