Collectively we have been talking about doing a crime thriller/gangster themed title sequence as we think it would be an interesting genre to try as these opening sequences can vary (positive or negative feel).
The main character types that there would need to be in the title sequence would be some 'gangster' type characters (suits, guns, etc). They may be in a group and if so may appear to be almost family like with each other.
As for storylines I am not too sure yet but will talk with the group to discuss what storyline could be shown through our title sequence.
Many opening title sequences will use the same features at the start of the film. They may do it differently depending on the film however the goal of the opening sequence is to set the mood that will follow throughout the film, to entice the audience to continue watching the film, and state ownership of the film (done using credits). Some features included during an opening title sequence may include:
-Characters (main usually)
-Title of the film
-Overview of context/plot of the film
-Setting or location
-Time era
-Institutional information (IDENT)
-Credits
-Non-Diegetic background music
-Set a theme/atmosphere
A particularly good title sequence we have looked at in lesson was the opening to Skyfall. It starts effectively with James Bond falling into water and the song 'skyfall' by Adele which was made for the film. This works well as it is promoting the song and the film at the same time. We are instantly introduced to the main character and given an idea of the theme of the rest of the film due to the selective colour pallet and the features shown (guns, 'bond girls', etc). There are slight links to settings and characters later on in the film, for example the house, which the audience finds out later, is his house. Title credits are used to claim ownership and show the title of the film throughout. We are shown James Bond throughout the opening sequence to show the action theme. Props are used throughout to stick with the action theme of the film.
I am disappointed that i have been given a low grade but i do believe that i can reach my own person target of an A Grade but i am improving and making sure my blogs are very detailed and useful.
Missing Blog Posts
Miss has outlined that i have a few blog posts missing which is restricting me from reaching a higher grades. However to fix this i will complete any blog posts missing and keep my blogs up to date.
Time Management
I have few missing posts which means that the order of the blogs are wrong and are not consistent. To fix this i will complete all blogs missing and complete any class work and homework to make sure that my blog is in chronological order.
Lack of ICT
I have also notice that most of my blogs are direct text which is making my blogs dull and not unique. I have done some research and have discovered new apps i can use to show case my work such as maze, padlet, prezi... Now i will make sure i have used a wide range of Ict.
Overall
Overall i think this isn't good enough, i don't feel that this grade represents me well to someone who had achieved an High Media studies result for GCSE. So to fix this i will step up my game and make sure i am on top of things and complete all blog tasks required.
Opening Title:
The group decided to make an opening sequence remake of the film Collateral. This was an easy choice to make seeing as we were'nt pre-prepared as the lesson where we had to prepare was canceled. We were easily able to identify and note down every shot type really quickly which saved a lot of time when we were filming.
Props:
The props that were available to us were a perfect fit to what was in the Collateral film opening.
A pair of sun glasses
2 brief cases
Location:
In the opening titles of Collateral the location was set in a busy train station. Unfortunately our only option for location was the college, and as we were filming during the time were everyone was in lessons it wasnt busy at all. This meant that we could not capture some to the group shots that appeared in the official title sequence.
Credits:
There were no titles in the official title sequence of Collateral, however we decided to add one at the very start to gain those extra marks. the font we chose was a blond black font. this contrasted with my white T-shirt in the background so that it was easily readable. We also added an train effect to the title because it suited the genre, theme, and represented the fact that we were supposed to film in a train station instead of the school.
In our shot by shot remake we re-created the film Collateral as we found it to have many mysterious and intriguing shot types. I found it easy to note down each shot type as they were clear and understandable, this also led to being able to storyboard each shot where we spoke in little detail about whats going on in each as well as the shot type. When we started filming, our prop ideas came across nicely because it matched what was in the film making it more similar, our location ideas could not match the film to the best standard as the actual film was in a crowded location which we found hard to re in act in school as not everyone wants to be filmed. I believe our credits were not completed to the best standard as it lacked information on who was part of the production and instead only the name of the film came across the screen.
Overall if I were to complete this task again I would add more detail to the title credits giving it a more realistic film opening look.
We've decided to film the opening of Collatoral because we found the shots to be interesting and engaging for an audience as it puts a lot of questions into your head and makes your want to watch on.
-cuts to each character as the actors name is shown
-title of film pans up from the bottom and fits above them
Mise-en-scene:
-suits
-sunglasses
-cigarettes
-co-ordinated
-higher up characters are not wearing suits
-costume gives away time period for those not wearing suits
-all look like they have a mean attitude
Sound:
-fast pace music
-speech at the start from a radio presenter
-hear someone in pain towards the end of the credits
Macro Analysis What is the key plot idea introduced in the title sequence?
They are a group of gangsters who are planning to do something illegal. It gives off the impression that they are all part of the same operation due to their matching suits.
In what order is the storyline introduced?
It starts with the radio presenters voice introducing the song. We are introduced to the group walking through a car park in the day. Then we are introduced to each character one by one.
What characters are introduced?
After the small amount of speech from the radio presenter we are introduced to the characters (all together then one by one). We are given close ups of their faces but not their names until later on in the film.
What social groups are represented?
A group of white men, of varying ages. They are all presented to be stereotypical gangsters.
Order of the Credits:
A film by Quentin Tarantino
Harvey Keital
Michael Madson
Chris Penn
Steve Buscemi
Lawrence Tierney
Eddie Buker
Quentin Tarantino
Tim Roth
Reservoir Dogs
Randy brooks
Kirk Baltz
Rich Turner
Steven Wright
Ronnie Yeskel
Karyn Rachtman
Betsy Heimann
Sally Manke
David Wasco
Richard N. Gladstein
Ronna B. Wallace
Monte Hellman
I have chosen to analyse the sound in the opening of Jackie Brown (falling into the crime thriller genre):
The main feature of this title sequence is the music that is the dominating feature. The song gives the audience a feel that this film will contain drama. Towards the middle/end of the title sequence we are given some sound apart from the music, however it carries on playing in the background. This is in the form of dialogue and also general sounds that we expect to hear when walking through an airport e.g. metal detectors and planes flying in. After this point we constantly hear her footsteps as she walks through to give a sense of realism.
In conclusion the macro, also known as the synaptic, shows a story where there is a bad guy and a good guy and there seems to be some sort of foreshadowing in that these two characters may cross paths and there may some sort of friction or conflict between the two.
It is very common in films of this genre that a story line like this one may occur. I would describe the genre of this film as a Gangster thriller, almost a hybrid but also a genre with in a genre.
there characters also seem to be typical of a genre like this, especially the bad guy. in many of these films the bad guy seems to be a white, middle aged, unattractive male. this is a perfect description of the bad guy in No country for old men.
Micro:
In conclusion the micro, also known as sematic , shows the way the film looks. this film also has familiar features of its genre. a lot of extreme wide shots are used at the beginning, this is often used to establish the setting as most thrillers have unusual or isolated settings. there are also a mix of low, high, and close up shots to build tension in a scene as most thrillers also have some sort of jump scare with in them.
Sound is very important because it helps us to follow dialogue in a film and it also helps increase our understanding on what is actually happening in the scenes, therefore helping us to understand the plot of the movie.
Sound can also help to suspend disbelief. When we watch the example of a scene in class with no sound. i flet that the scene looked very flat and not believable at all, because i couldnt hear the rain or the persons foot steps. however even if the actual physical sound is there but there is no non diagetic music i felt it was a bit more believable however it did not drag me in and i did not feel a part of the experience.
Sound also helps set atmosphere and tone in the film. if there is happy music then the image on the screen will be happy, this also works the other way round. In a way it helps for us to feel what we see through the sound that is being produced.
I also noticed that in every example i was shown in class i could very easily establish the genre of the film even before i knew the genre. for example we were listening to a film with gunshots and galloping of horse feet, straight away i could tell that this was a western film.
Overall the sound in music helps us to engage more into the film and gives a more realistic feel all together.
Sound produced by continuous vibrations or noise which can be heard
What is soundscape?
Lots of different sounds put together to make an impact
Reasons why sound is important because
dialogue helps follow the story - increases understanding
helps set atmosphere and tone
helps to quickly establish the genre of the film
provides more engaging realistic
Sound is very important because it helps us to follow dialogue in a film and it also helps increase our understanding on what is actually happening in the scenes, therefore helping us to understand the plot of the movie. In class we looked at three of the same scenes of Star Wars. One was with just diegetic sound the second one was with only non-diegetic sound and the last one was it with both diegetic and non-diegetic sound.
Scene with only Diegetic sound
The scene did look realistic because there was no non-diegetic music. I heard footsteps, raindrops and light sabers clashing against each other. I felt that it lacked emotion and i couldn't tell when we came to a tense scene because there was no atmosphere or no suspense building up. I didn't feel interested in watching it because i didn't feel dragged into watching the film because i didn't feel apart of the experience.
Scene with only Non-diegetic sound
when i watched the same scene but with only non-diegetic music i think that it was more interesting than when it had only diegetic sound in my opinion. This is because i could feel tension and suspense building i could feel when it become an important scene also i felt like i was apart of the experience. Also when the music was building up it dragged me closer and made me pay more attention to the film because i could feel something was going to happen and made me eager to find out. Also with non-diegetic it creates a sense of atmosphere and gives an idea to the audience what type of scene it will be. However it did lack authenticity because i couldn't hear any dialogue or any movement such as footsteps and raindrops this made me bit clueless to what is happening in the film.
Scene with both Diegetic sound and Non-diegetic sound
After watching the two previous clips i could definitely notice the impact of what both diegetic and non-diegetic sound bring to a film. I was able to hear some dialogue, footsteps and raindrops which added the realistic aspect of the film. While the non-diegetic sound helped create and atmosphere and help create tension and suspense into the film which helps to drag in the audience into watching the film.
Sound is very important in film because it allows us to understand the dialogue as well as build up an atmosphere which can attract an audience and build emotion within them. Sound also helps us quickly come to an understanding of what genre we will be watching as different genres usually adapt to different sets of sound, for example in western films you will almost always hear horses galloping and gun shots through out the film. Sound finally gives us a more realistic and clear experience as without it the audience would almost certainly not know what is going on making them very confused.
1. Which genres were most successful at the UK box office? Animation , Action and Comedy
2. Which three genres were least popular at the UK box office? Romance, Documentary and War
3/4. Which film genre had the most films released in 2013 - 14, how many ? Comedy had the most films released in 2013 - 14. 153 films from this genre was released.
5. How many animated films were made?
33 Animated films were made
6. How many action films were made ?
47 Action films were made
7. What does this information about genre tell you about film production & audiences?
This information tells us that the 3 most popular genres were animation, action and comedy were as the least popular were romance, documentary and war films. Comedy films also had the most releases in 2013/14 at 153 film releases.
Audiences - Chapter 15
1. Which age group made up the largest proportion of cinema admissions in the uk? 15 - 24 years of age in 2013 at 33% of cinema admissions.
2. Which comedy film was most successful with this age group?
Hangover part III and Kick Ass 2 were the most successful comedy film within this age group.
3. Which film was most popular with the over 50s? What genre is this? The most popular genre was Drama, Biopic and musical films includingQuarlet, Les Miserables and Philomena. 4. Which genre were most popular with men? Thriller, Action and comedy films. 5. Which genre were most popular with Women? Drama, comedy, and documentaries. 6. UK films appealed most to which audience type? Action films appealed most to audiences consisting of the age group 25 -34.
7. Which three films were most popular with the 7-14 age group? What does this tell you about their preferred genre?
The film with the highest significant above-average audience in this category was the boy-band concert documentary One Direction: This Is Us. This shows this age enjoy pop culture genre the most.
8. Why were the films most popular in the 35 - 44 age group animation and why is animation so successful at the box office ? This age group usually consists of parents that accompany their children or younger family members to watch the films.
9. Which films were most popular with 25 - 34 age group? Action films mainly appealed to this targeted age range, with the top 3 being Django Unchained, Fast & Furious 6 and Rush.
10 . Which films were most popular with the Middle class Audiences? A broad range of genres being Action, sci- fi and drama including films Rush, Captain Phillips and Gravity.
11. Look at the tables for popular films in London and Scotland. What differences are there and what conclusions can you make about the types of films they appear to prefer.
In London the most popular films consited of Django Unchained, Fast & Furious 6 and Gravity while in Scotland the most popular films were Sunshine on Leith, Filth and Star Trek into Darkness. This shows us that in London they prefer American based / produced films while on the other hand in Scotland UK based films are more popular.
Drama films are a representation of real life meaning that they do not include any fantasy within the plot. These films are dramatic with relatable storylines and bring out true emotion in the characters through out. A recent example of a British Drama film is Brotherhood which I believed to be very successful when following the conventions of a drama.
Genre: Action
Actions films usually consist of fast paced action which includes fight scenes, weapons, explosions and crashes as the main characters are usually on a hard mission through out the film. They usually come against an enemy that stands in their way which results in multiple deaths usually of the main characters friends and loved ones.
Genre: Thriller
Thriller films usually consist of a battle between a protagonist and and antagonist this will continue through out the film and we will uncover more about the antagonist as the film goes on, the film will build tension from start to finish to allow for a eye dropping climax.
My favourite movie of all time is Snatch. The main reason for this is because of the fact that the movie follows 3 separate stories. Another reason why i love this film is because it is a Hybrid. i would describe this film as a Gangster/action/comedy. The comedy aspect is genius because it is hilarious but also suttle, as if it trys not to be funny but it still is.
Titling:
The titling in this opening are titles on still images. However it does frequently transition from still to moving images everytime it shows the name of the actors and the actor appears on the screen.
The scene begins with men in the back of a truck. They are undressing and one of them pulls out a diamond from his case. the scene quickly trasitions and zooms in on the diamond at the same time spinning the screen and the title of the film is shown, even before any production company is advertised. i found that this was great technique because it draws us straight into the film and conveys a sense of anticipation. this is also good because it goes well with the action beginning and adds tension to the scene. Furthermore i noticed that there is a lot going on in the title heading than just the heading its self. Firstly the word is in a bold white font. this compliments the diamond in the back, as they are both associated with happiness and freedom. The title also has a full stop. the full stop could already foreshadow that the main character may come to his/her end at some point in the film.
Camera movement:
At the very beginning, in the title scene the camera spins in a rotating motion whilst still showing the title. this technique was used to get us as viewers straight into the action. this grabs our attention and already gives us a few good expectations on how the film turn out to be.
The camera then zooms back out and shows the diamond but another person is holding it, this gives us a new location and introduces us to a new character in a way that is integrated.
Snatch also performs a technique that is quite remarkable. i noticed that the camera will transiton to another scene frequently in order to indtroduce another character. However when it transitions to another location it almost seems integrated and like a shot reverse but also doing an action at the same time. For example ...
the way the camera introduced Sol then Sol threw the money and landed on the table and mickey picked it up even though there both in two separate locations.
I also loved the way that the opening sequence tells the viewers abit about the back story of each of the characters. For example...
We can tell that Vinny is some sort of dealer in a gun store. we know this because of the setting he is in/ at a desk with a cage and guns in the back and the fact that we is emptying a bag of money.
We can also tell that Turkish is some sort of boxing trainer or promoter because of the scene where he is watching a man punching a punch bag in an empty gym.
You tell your friend that you're going to the movies. The first question that he or she may ask you is, 'what kind of movie is it?' If you tell him or her that's it's a comedy, drama, horror or western, your friend will immediately know exactly what kind of experience you'll both have over the next couple of hours.
Genre:
Genre is used to group various types of art according to a predictable range of features and expectations. So if you go into a bookstore and buy a fantasy novel, you'll be expecting to read about an imaginary place with fairy tale elements such as wizards with supernatural powers and magic and not a non-fiction account of the Vietnam War.
Gangster: Good fellas
Gangster films were very common back in the 80's and early 90's. Gangster films have very similar features between each other. The setting of most gangster films seem to be in urban or central cities. This is mainly where all the gambling and drug dealing is made as there is many access to wide roads and abandoned warehouses giving the gangsters an opportunity to deal drugs undetected and in private areas. in almost all gangster films there will be hand guns and pockets knifes. these are weapons that can be concealed very easily so they wont be detected by federal police. besides the props, Gangster films will have an importance of the costumes of the characters. I realised that in these gangster films the higher up a person is in importance of a gang the more formal he will dress. As these films were produced in the 80's - 90's you will normally see quite a lot of browns, on and in cars, inside homes, bars, and the colour of their shoes.
Sci-fi: Chronicle
Chronicle is an hybrid film. this means that it has a mix of sci-fi, action, and drama
One of my many favorite films would be Rush hour 3, a hybrid genre of both action and comedy starring Chirs Tucker and Jackie Chan.
I believe this title sequence is very successful with the common conventions and features because it does a lot to attract the audience while being clear and easy to understand.
Firstly the credits them-self fall into the category of Titles over a moving image, despite this they are still simple and easy to read.
This opening is also successful as it easily allows the audience to understand that the film is both a hybrid of action and comedy, the comedy aspect is shown of more as you can see one of the main characters singing and dancing while on duty as a police officer. The action aspect is shown of less but i still believe it is clear as police officers are very common in action films and we are also shown cars which at one point crash into each other and begin to burn another common act in action films.
Another reason I believe this title sequence and opening has done well is because it introduces us to both the main characters and gives us an idea on the role the will play in the film as well as the type of people they are, helping those who have not watched previous entries to the series. We are shown Chris Tucker who plays Carter, the police officer who we are shown singing and dancing across the road who then goes onto try and arrest two innocent civilians while insulting them, continuing to give the audience a taste of the comedy aspect. We are then briefly shown Jackie Chan who portrays the character Lee, we see him to be the more sensible out of the two as he tries to be professional in front of who appears to be his boss or colleague, while Carter jokes about with him on the phone.
The credits appear to be in the following order
- Actors
- Casting By
- Visual Effects
- Music
- Costume Designer
This opening sequence follows a usual pattern of showing the ident first (promoting film 4 and the UK film council). The first shot of the film is then shown which is a panning shot of a bedroom, which is evidently a teenagers bedroom due to the size, etc. The next few shots alternate between the credits, which all fit to a box shape, on a blue background, and the panning shot across the bedroom, which gives a calm simple feel to the film. The font type is also quite simple but looks quite nice the way some words are spread out over a whole line of text like 'wales'. on the second part of the panning shot we start to hear seagulls (diegetic) in the background which instantly gives the audience a clear idea of the location that the film will be set in. We are introduced to the main character Oliver in the third part of the panning shot across the bedroom, after more titles have appeared against a blue background. Almost as soon as we see him we hear a voice over (most likely in his head) of his voice, which has a welsh accent which also adds to the idea of location. Whilst we hear his voice over, we see a shot of him looking out of the bedroom window. I like this opening sequence because it sets up the rest of the film nicely and you really get an idea of what kind of person Oliver is going to be and what the film will be like.
Stray Dog:
We start this film not in the conventional way, with the directors name instead of the ident. This is due to the fact that it is an independent film rather than one which has had lots of funding behind it. The film starts with the first shot which is a wolf mask on grass, then a the directors name as said before, simultaneously to the music (by Charles Manson). We then cut to a shot of a bookshelf with more titles directly over them. The titles are not blended to fit in with the background which i think works well as they are meant to be the main focus at the start. In time with the music, another title/another shot, this time of a lamp is shown. I think these simple shots at the beginning are very effective as it has more of a focus on the colours and general feel to the film that has been achieved through lighting and editing. Again after this shot we cut to another shot of some green lights moving over a dark background with a title on top of them, to segway into the next shot with the music speeding up. After a last title against a background which features a picture hanging on a wall, it cuuts to the next shot and the main character is introduced. He walks towards the camera, which appears to be in a garden at night. The audience is given the setting of a house and some emotion from the character as he gets very close to the camera and we can see he is upset. He is in fancy dress which adds, with the feature of the green lights and the mask on the grass, that it's a party he is at. The shot of him walking towards the camera is effective as it starts very blurry then as he gets very close it becomes focused but only on his face so the audience can tell he is the main character. Then the last shot of the title sequence comes in which is the title 'Stray Dog' on a dark background. I like this title sequence because at first you would assume all the titles were white but you can see they are close to white but off white and the end title with 'Stray Dog' has a background that is a nice shade of dark brown and i like how this attention to colours and how the opening sequence should look has gone into such detail.
Titles used in titles sequences vary from film to film, there are 4 main types of title sequences which are known as the following
- Titles on a blank screen
- Titles over moving images
- Titles on a still image
- Titles using animation or motion
By watching and analyzing a few different title sequences I have come to the conclusion that the genre of the film is what inspires the titles used. For example action films will almost always have titles over moving images, here is an example below.
On the other hand I found horror films to have moving images in their title sequences but to instead cut to titles on a blank screen when the titles are appearing, this is most probably done to keep the mood of a horror film, an example of this is below.
I also found that title sequences commonly start with the name of the actors and then go onto others such as who the music is by, the designers and producers ect. Text used on the credits are almost always all capital, this is done to make the writing clear and easy to be read.
I have watched many films and have many favourite, but one in particular i really like and enjoyed watching is 'Rush Hour 3'. This film is a action comedy film which features 'Jackie Chan' and 'Chris Tucker'.
Rush Hour 3 (2007)
Rush Hour 3 (2007)
Rush Hour 3 is about two cops who head to pairs to protect a french woman who has information about a secret organisation called the 'Triads'. After an assassination on a Ambassador.
I think this film has a very good title sequence because i believe it draws the audience in well by the shots they used and through the use of diegetic and non-diegetic music also the way the characters are introduced.
Rush Hour 3 uses titles over moving images, which involves incorporating the credit titles with moving images behind it. Rush hour 3 is a action/comedy. The film starts of with a ident which shows who is the distributor and who owns full rights of the film, in this case it is ‘New Line Cinema’. The next shot is a high long-shot of the city and some buildings also it has some text which is in white, which pops out from the background and the style of the writing it is a blocky style font, the name of the directors are larger and in bold to show that they are important. Then it is a extreme wide shot of a busy American high way and is slowly zooming in. which also it shows some text and shows us the two main stars in the film ‘jackei Chan’ and ‘Chris Tucker’. By this it shows the audience the location of the film which is America. Also in the background it has a soft catchy jazz type music through the first few shots. Then it shows us one of the main characters who is at work and in his police officer uniform and is managing the cars on a busy road. The music changes into a old slow jazz song which is diegetic music because the character is also listening to this song in his headphones which he is singling along to and dancing which is funny and is a bit of comedy. Then he calls the other main character who is going to a meeting along with an important person. These two shots give an indication to the audience on who is the main character because they are the first two people we saw. Overall i think this film had a excellent title sequence because it draws in the audience nicely also they added humour which was was entertaining and funny. Below i have screenshots of the first few shots in the title sequence and the font used. One reason i believe why this title sequence was very successful was because it had a lot of humour in it and it was very entertaining. The way they introduced the two main characters was good. Also the use of non-diegetic music helped set the tone of the film with the help of the first scene which was of the police officer dancing to a old jazz song.
Titles used in titles sequences vary from film to film, there are 4 main types of title sequences which are known as the following
- Titles on a blank screen
- Titles over moving images
- Titles on a still image
- Titles using animation or motion
The structure of opening credits in a film
The credit roll order typically starts with the major companies involved.
Then go to the 'top billing', which usually are high rated actors in the film usually
After that, the opening credits proceed through a list of the most important contributors to the film.
Common opening film credits order:
PRODUCTION COMPANY presents (distributor)
a PRODUCTION COMPANY production (producer)
a FILMMAKER film
Film Title
Lead Cast
Supporting Cast
Casting Director
Music Composer
Costume Designer
Associate Producers
Editors
Production Designer
Director of Photography
Executive Producer
Producer
Writers
Director
I have watched many films and i have noticed that the genre and setting of the film plays a part in what style and font is used on the opening credits.
For example, here are the opening credits from Back to the Future, which uses titles over moving images.
I have been doing research on different types of title sequences analysing the purpose of them and how well they capture the audience. I really enjoyed the two below as they managed to do a lot when it comes to intriguing an audience setting an atmosphere.
Deadpool
Deadpool manages to be a unique opening as it is more humorous than serious. It starts of by not naming the actors but naming the types of characters involved such as "A hot chick" and "A moody teen". The font is shown in bold white writing so its is clear and easy to read, it is shown over a paused 3D scene of action as the camera pans round to all parts of it. Through the paused scene of action we are introduced to a few characters including Deadpool as the camera goes round the area. We can also hear a classic song in the background which is very out of place to what we are seeing, this adds the the comedy aspect of the film setting a humorous atmosphere.
Overall, I like how this opening is unique but stays true to attracting and drawing in an audience, Deadpool does this by making the audience want to know about the jokes it is making towards the characters involved as well as making the audience want to know what is going on in the paused fight scene that we see in the background.
Guardian of the Galaxy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNlnQwHWSYw (PLEASE USE THIS LINK AS THE VIDEO COULD NOT BE EMBEDDED DUE TO PRIVACY SETTINGS ON THE VIDEO)
This opening shows us credits with a bold bright orange font over a dark background which allows the words to stand out making it clear and easy to read. Behind the font we are introduced to what I believe to be is the main character who we get to know well through the opening as he begins to humour the audience, we are also shown the type of setting we will be watching. At the start of this sequence we can hear deep music which sets a dark atmosphere, as we begin to see the main character the music then begins to become jolly as he starts dancing introducing us to his personality. Through this we can probably guess that he is a humorous character stuck in a dark world.
Overall I like how this sequence is able to attract and audience by allowing them to get to know the character before the film has started, it also helps the audience clearly see who has been involved in the process of making the film.
During my investigation into the many optional film titles i had to choose from, i stumbled over two which really caught my attention. These two film titles i loved are completely different from each other. this is good because this way i can cover and analyse more points.
Silent Hill Revelations:
When her father disappears Heather Maison is drawn into a strange and alternate reality that holds the answers to the horrific nightmares played since her childhood.
the writing is in a white bold font contrasting to the background. the writing is also imperfect and scratching against the black background connoting the danger and deadly weapons. the capital letters make the type bold and harsh representing the mind set of the killer. the writing is also methodical also representing structure to the killings. in this sequence we can see titles over moving images, this is often used to introduce the story line.
the sequence begins fairly quietly alluding to the tension and creating intrigue from the outset.The fact that we as viewers never see the face of the human bodies, gives the confusion and the complexity of the scene, and consequently the psychological aspect of an Horror. the low angle shot emphasises the danger of the weapons, highlighting the exact point of the knife. the point of view shot makes the audience feel as though they are in the same room as the bodies mimicking the movement of their eyes. the close up of the monsters face at the beginning heightens the horror and evokes a more personal fear. the use of the animated doll in the clip alludes the horror as it presents the child like nature to the killings and this in turn makes the audience even more uncomfortable. the black and white effect throughout takes away the vibrant colour of blood alluding the subtleness of the deadly murder. the continuity editing makes the sequence more realistic and therefore positions the audience in more fear as the bodies suddenly become more real.
Bronson:
Bronson is the strangest title sequence i came across. At the very beginning of Bronson we see titles on a black screen. the black screen in its self gives the viewers an idea that this film is going to have some sort of dark story. The red and blotchy title font adds to the intensity and our predictions of the films plot, the font makes us think of Blood because it is a deep red colour and has a blotchy font. Bronson is very different to all the other film title sequences, because this is the only time when we see a title.
The fact that there is no music gives off a mysterious and disturbing mood. it also builds intensity and i could also say that the silence sort of represents the main character, Bronson is silent but deadly.
After the title scene it plays moving images with a voice over in the background. However it is still silent/ no music, which also adds even more tension. In the third section of the opening scene non diegetic music starts to play with moving images but there is no physical noise being produced from the images. The non-diegetic music seems slow and depressed, yet the images portray violence, anger and are quite graphic. The very last scene of the opening plays a title over a moving image. the image is of Bronson laughing and the title spells Bronson. The titles font is very big and bold and in red. it is very in your face which also reflects on Bronsons personality.
What is the purpose of a title sequence and film opening?
The purpose of a film opening has 3 purposes
Sets the mood for the entire film
To draw in the audience to continue watching
State the ownership of the film and show whose in it
The common conventions of a film opening
Characters
In most opening sequences it gives us an idea of who is the main character and other characters that are featured. Most film openings have either a close up or medium long shot of the main character to show us that is the main star. One film that took a different approach is 'Hostage' which didn't show us the main character but instead showed us a character that has something to do with the main character. This is an example of an implied reference.
Title of film
The title of films in opening sequences are usually shown 30 seconds into the film. They are usually subtle and easy to read and it is shown seamlessly. It is usually bright and easy to read from the background so the audience can easily read it which usually lasts for roughly 5 seconds.
Indent
One thing that nearly every film has in common is the film institution which shows us who owns the film. This is usually the first thing the audience see's by doing this will help with the film company for example; if someone enjoys the movie they will research there company to look at there other films. On the other hand skyfall did not have an indent this is because the film is very well known and it is always the same company that makes the film so there is no need.
Credits
Opening credits are shown at the very beginning and list the most important members of the production. They are now usually shown as text superimposed on a blank screen or static pictures, or sometimes on top of action in the show with non-diegetic music.
Sets a theme and atmosphere
The
film openings set the mood and atmosphere in many ways. They way which most films create a atmosphere and set a theme is by using non-diegetic music. In most films the choice of non-diegetic helps add more emotion and feeling and it contrasts with the film genre. An example of a film that used non-diegetic music is Juno; the music played in the film was a eccentric folk song. The lyrics in the song related to them film which talked about a young girls relationship and about love. Skyfall used synergy which is the interaction or cooperation of two or more organisations substances, or other agents to produce a combined effect greater than the sum of their separate effects. In skyfall they used one of Adele's songs which was played throughout the opening. This has dual benefits for the artist and the film. The song used created a dramatic atmosphere.
I think the opening to Forest Gump was particularly good because it did the three things which a film opening should do which is
Sets the mood for the entire film
To draw in the audience to continue watching
State the ownership of the film and show whose in it
In the beginning of Forest Gump it showed us the ident which showed the audience who owns the film and has full rights of it. Then what we see is is a feather which is floating around at this stage there is non-diegetic music which is calm and subtle, i think it was very good because as the feather was moving around the audience gets to see the surroundings and location of the film and sets the tone of the film. As the feather is floating around the city we see the opening credits to which shows us the important people in the production and film. Later on we see the title 'Forest Gump' which is shown seamlessly. Then after a few seconds of floating the feather ends its journey and fall on to someones pair of trainers which we find out is the main character. we get a good look at what the main character is wearing which is a suit and has a small compact suitcase which the audience will think he is from the army because this is wear this skill is used. Next we see him put the feather in a book and then it goes on to the next scene.
