Opening Titles Timelines

Below are three title timelines of existing film openings. I wrote out these title timelines in order to learn the set up, order and timing of the different titles that occur in film openings. Carrying out this task meant that I learnt how credits/ titles were positioned and the basic order of which they ran. This allowed me to gather an idea four our own film opening  of how our titles would be placed, the order in which they would run and the timings for each title.  Being able to create an accurate title sequence means that our film opening titles will be realistic to films that already exist.

 

Student film analysis

The genre of this student film, although not immediately obvious is in my opinion an action film. This is show through the use of generic conventions like the gun and the chase element of the film opening. The use of low key lighting and low pitch tense music also backs up this idea as theses are all the generic conventions of an action film. The lack of diegetic sound in this film opening creates an enigma code as we as an audience don't know what is going on and are left to work it out for ourselves, this aspect of the film is also a generic convention of a thriller suggesting this film could be a thriller or even an action thriller.

The characters we see in this film opening are two men in suits and a woman in smart clothing this connotes a sense of professionalism and class leading us to believe this is a job for the men with guns e.g Spy or assassin. we don't see much of the woman in the film opening but from what we do see of her it looks as if we are seeing flashbacks of her initially hiding before being found and killed. This can  seen as stereotypical as the woman is often seen as the damsel in distress and is usually the one in trouble getting saved by the protagonist male figure. Although the characters individually are easy to describe, in relation to the story line , it is a little bit unclear on who out of the two men is the protagonist and who is the antagonist.

The narrative of this film seems to be violence, revenge and crime. This is shown through the use of the guns which suggests that there is going to be violence throughout the film which then leads to the idea of crime as the involvement of weapons within films, usually means that a crime has been or is going to be committed.  The scene with the woman have been edited to look like flash back and in the last one we see, she is lying on ground with one of the suited men standing above her leading us to believe she is dead. The interruptions during the film opening of these flash backs suggests that the other suited man is after revenge for the woman's murder.

The atmosphere in this film opening is quite tense as we are unsure on what is going on and there is no diegetic sound o help us create an idea, just the music in the background which creates a tense mysterious atmosphere.  This is also backed by the dark lighting and run down empty buildings that are seen in the film. The empty building also make it hard for us to figure out the setting of the film as their is not much to look at and nothing that suggest they are anywhere  iconic or well known. This could be part of the film as a way of making it look mysterious and creating the enigma code that it creates.

The titles in this film opening are quite basic and are in white and red. The red could connote bloods which could be foreshadowing what to expect in the rest of the film. Apart from this, the titles don't reveal much about the film as it is a simple text so therefore does not have conventions of a specific genre. One issue with the titles is that the actual film title occurs at the end of the film opening, this is unrealistic as most film titles appear within a minute of the film starting.

Skyfall Film Opening Analysis

The genre of this film opening although not obvious from the start, is easily recognisable when we see a cardboard cut-out target of Daniel Craig with a shot wound and blood coming from the shoulder. Later on in the opening, we also see guns and knives falling from the sky followed by a tracking shot through what looks like a graveyard. These generic conventions help us to conclude that this film is of an action drama genre. Dark colours and low key lighting are also used a lot in the opening which helps to connote the idea that this is mystery action drama.  Sections of fast pace movement also connote the action and adventure that this film might entail.

Throughout the opening sequence we see a glimpse of a few of the characters in the film but not enough to examine them in detail. First of all we see a smartly dressed man in a suit sinking with blood on his shirt. The suit connotes a sense of professionalism while the blood creates the idea that he’s been harmed suggesting he has enemies.  As he sink, we see a female hand grab his and drag him down through the sand shortly after we see a target board of the man with blood coming from the shoulder of which we zoom in to a bullet wound showing that he has been shot.  However later in the opening we see the same man stood up and shooting his shadow this suggest that he may be scared of himself or can't trust anyone around him. The last shadow we se then turs into a silhouette of a man pointing a gun at the suited man after which the shot change to a bullet holes that the camera goes through. Also in this opening sequence we see a brief shot of the male gaze theory (Laura Mulvey) of a silhouette of a woman from head to toe which connotes the feeling of mystery and darkness.

The narrative of this film is quite clearly fighting, death and destruction this is shown in the opening almost instantly and throughout with the constant appearance of blood and guns and bullet holes. As well as this part of the opening has guns and knives falling from the sky followed by a dark misty graveyard scene this automatically connotes death.  The idea of death is also highlight later in the opening when the red blood like liquid/smoke forms the shape of a skull which is a prominent connotation for death.  The fire that occurs at various times in the opening connotes a sense of danger and destruction. At the start of the opening a woman’s hand appears to be pulling the man down suggesting that the woman is hypothetically dragging him down or causing his demise.

The atmosphere in this opening is tense and dramatic with a sense of mystery.  The dark colours and slow pace help to connote this type of atmosphere as well as the blood and guns which creates a tension as they suggest someone is going to get shot but we don’t know who.

The sound also helps to create the tense atmosphere as the theme song that plays during the opening has a low pitch and is quite slow which creates a dark mysterious feel to the opening.  The theme song that plays (Skyfall by Adele) also fits with what’s on screen as the words match the action. For example at the start of the opening we see the man sinking to the bottom of the ocean which then begins to fall away, during this, the words of the song say “ This is the end, hold your breath and count to ten, feel the earth move and then… ”

The titles in this opening sequence are quite simple, in a basic white text; this doesn’t reveal much to us about the film but does show the titles clearly and sharply.  The use of the simplistic titles means that they stand out because there is so much going in the opening in terms of imagery that they don’t need to be big and dramatic titles to show up.

The setting of the film, at the start of the opening, is not very apparent but as the camera is always moving forward it suggests that the film is not set all in one place. However at one point in the opening, we see some Chinese dragons which gives us the idea that the film could be set of have parts set in china.

 

 

 

 

 

Children of Men (2006) Opening Analysis

Children of Men (2006) opens with a Universal Studios production logo, this automatically connotes a high quality and high budget film. The involvement of this largely popular production company means that there will be greater interest in the film compared to one made by less popular or independent company This is because audiences know that if it’s made by Universal then it will be of good quality and the high budget means that better special effect and well know actors are more likely to be used which stands out to mass audiences. Unlike niche audience films who are usually made by smaller or independent film companies. 

A the start of the opening it seems as though the genre for this  film is a crime drama because all we see is a black screen but we hear a news report talking about the murder of the youngest person on earth. However when the opening then cuts to the first scene we see a floating TV this connotes a futuristic element suggest that this film has more of a futuristic sci-fi genre, this idea is later reinforced when a date appears on screen telling us that the film is set in 2027.  The low key lighting and dull colours used in this sequences create connotations of darkness or dark times suggesting this is a more of a sci-fi thriller.

The first scene opens to multiple people standing in what seems to be a café dressed in dull clothes connoting a lack of importance. The main focus in this opening is the man who walks in to the shop and seems to be the only person not in shock and still going about his daily activities.  As the man leaves the shop and walks down the street, the camera specifically follows him with a hand held effect leading us to believe that he is the main character and that someone may be following him.  A long shot of him pouring alcohol into his coffee reveals that the man is wearing all black clothing which connotes mystery suggesting he is a damaged man with secrets which is a common theme in sci-fi thrillers.

The narrative of this opening is quite obviously disruption as the sequence opens on the murder of character and is soon followed by an explosion.  Apart from this small piece of narrative there isn’t much else within this opening sequence that can predict the storyline.

The mystery and darkness along with the thriller element to this opening sequence means that the stereotypically the target audience for this film is mainly middle aged men who have an interest in science fiction and futuristic elements.

The setting for this film is clearly shown in this opening sequence when the time and date appear on screen (London, 16^th November 2027) and we can see iconic thing related to London such as a Red double decker bus. We also know from the start that the film is set in England as the first thing we hear is a British news report as well as the man asking for a coffee.

The opening sequence to this film doesn’t have any credits apart for the actual film title which appears at the end of the sequence. The title which is a simple white block print on a black screen doesn’t convey any messages or themes relating to the film. This means that a lack of interest may occur towards the film because people who just see the title will not get any idea as to what it’s about so therefore will not watch.

Studying this film opening sequence will help with the production of my film opening as it showed me different ways, such as tracking and panning round a character, that I can draw the audience in to make them feel involved with the film.


https://www.youtube.com/embed/wCTgUq6hzUk

Analysis of Film Opening that we did in class

Analysis of Film Opening that we did in class

Catch me if you can

The genre of this film opening isn't immediately obvious as the opening sequence starts but this is all what helps to create a sense of mystery, giving us the idea that it may be a mystery genre. The opening sequence shows animated silhouettes of a man chasing another, the use of the chase suggests to us that the film may be of a crime and genre and the silhouettes again suggest mystery as we don't know who the people are.  

The narrative of this opening scene is the idea of identity as we see one of the main characters taking on different roles throughout the sequence, through the use of different costumes . As well as this, there is the obvious idea of a chase which we see throughout the clip when we see the silhouette man chasing another man. The themes of this opening are very similar if not the same as the narrative as the themes are again chase and identity.     

Within the clip there are animated silhouettes of different characters but only two of which are the main/ lead characters. We automatically know who the main characters are, as the titles start to role, because the names are revealed on an information board along with an arrow that point to a specific silhouette. From this, we know that the two main characters are Leonardo di Caprio and Tom Hanks.

The atmosphere in this opening sequence is quite tense and very mysterious due to the lack in character and overall detail because of the animated set up of this opening. The lack of detail on characters but clear focus on storyline, means that the audience feel a sense of  mystery as they know the basic story line but not all the real details. The opening also creates a tense atmosphere because as an audience we are watching and waiting to see if the man being chased gets caught or gets away, this suspense instantly draws in the audience as they want to watch the film to see what happens and the end results.

The setting for this film changes throughout this opening sequence. First it is in an airport we know this as there is planes flying past in the shot as we see a pilot and cabin crew  walking from a doorway. After this, there is a road with yellow taxis on it leading us to assume that this film is set new York because of the traditional yellow new York cabs.  In this opening sequence we see women on typewriters, the use of typewriters leads us to believe that the film is set in the 50's or at least has a 50's era about it.

The music used in this opening sequence has a jazzy upbeat sound but also creates a mysterious ton, this helps to emphasise the felling and atmosphere and mystery created in this film opening. The jazzy sounds again produces the idea that this is set or based in the 50's era.  

The titles in this sequence are mainly either black or white depending on the background in the shot, they are also in a bold font, to ensure that they stand out to the audience whilst at the same time not give anything away about the full narrative and storyline of the film. The titles are also integrated into the animation of the film opening this allows the titles to flow easily and nicely in with the action and not look separate to the image.

 Final Credit has to be Director

 

My Best Friend’s Wedding

The genre of this film can be determined by many factors from this film opening including the narrative, atmosphere and sound. After watching this film opening it is clearly a romantic comedy, with the romance part being shown by the characters and the fact that they are a bride and hers bridesmaids. The comedy element of the genre is highlighted with the use of the cheesy, catchy song and over dramatic dancing in which the characters sing about the woman getting her man.

The narrative in this film opening is very obviously weddings and relationships because almost instantly we see a bride singing and dancing around with what we assume is her bridesmaids. The lyrics in the song also prove this narrative as the women can be heard singing "Hold him, kiss him and squeeze him and love him ... you will be his", the use of the word love instantly connotes relationships and weddings. These lyrics also link to the other narrative in the film opening which is the women getting the man as they suggest that if she shows the man affection she will be his.

The characters in this are automatically recognisable in this film opening as a bride and her bridesmaids due to the costumes worn by the actors and the way the 3 bridesmaids/ backing singers pamper and follow the woman in the wedding dress. The title of the film also tells us that the characters are best friends, this is backed up in the film opening when we see the four women giggling and dancing around together.  

The atmosphere of this film opening is very cheerful and happy with the music and overdramatic facial expressions giving it a cheesy feel as well. The bright, light colours in this film opening connote fun and happiness which creates a cheerful atmosphere. The cheesy facial expressions  of the actors also give the film its comedy element this then creates cheerful and happy atmosphere.

The themes in this film opening are the same as the narrative, with weddings and marriage being the predominant theme. The mise and costume in this clip is again the obvious aspect that highlights this theme, as one of the girls is wearing a wedding dress and the others are wearing dresses and holding bouquets. The font of the titles in this opening sequence also links in with the theme of marriage and weddings as it looks like the fancy handwriting you would see on a wedding invitation.

Although the setting for this film is not established in this opening clip, we can assume that at least some of the film will be set in a church due to the fact that there is a bride and bridesmaids amd they're singing about love.

The music in this clip is upbeat, catchy and cheesy which helps to create the happy cheerful atmosphere that this film opening creates. The cheesy lyrics and weird noises in the song highlight the comedic elements in the film which backs up the idea of a rom-com genre.

The titles in this film opening quite effeminate in a yellow swirly hand written font. The use of the colour yellow connotes happiness while the swirly hand written font links into the idea mentioned above about the theme of marriage and wedding invitations.