Title Sequences

        The importance of a title

The title represents what the film is about and can give a clue to  its narrative. Getting the right title can be one of the most important aspects of promoting your film as that is the first thing people hear about the film and will attract your target audience to come and see it as it can give them a clue as to what it is about. Whilst the majority of films use titles that help illustrate what it will be about some films deliberately choose an enigmatic title, for example 'Blue Velvet' to intrigue people and make them want to find out more about it. 

  The importance of opening Credits

The opening credits are also important as it reveals who will be starring and who is directing. A well known star or director will encourage fans of those names to watch the film and will increase the size of the audience. Secondly, many directors and stars are linked with a particular genre (eg Bruce Willis, action adventure) therefore when the audience see that name  in the credits they  would presume to know what type of film they're about to see. The positioning of the credits is also important. Often they're right at the begining of a film but sometimes they happen after the opening action, showing action first ensures that the audience is hooked into the film right from the start.  There are many styles of credits. They can be  text on top of a black screen, for example Psycho, or animated like Skyfall. However credits can be a mix of styles an example of this would be Casino Royale being a mix of discreet, animated/ live action and stylised. At the beginning before the credits start the production logo is shown to credit the company, this can also help disclose the genre as normally the companies only work with a particular genre.       
     
     Narrative (The Shining)    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TgCejsyS0t8

    The Shining is an example of a convenient way of rolling the credits while simultaneously beginning the story. At the start of The Shining we see the character driving to his first meeting at the Overlook hotel, however not much happens as the credits roll but the audience is able to see how remote the hotel is while the music sets an eerie tone. The first scene of the film is the main characters interview at the hotel. The audience can assume this happens directly after we see his car journey within the credits, setting the scene for for the rest of the film.

     Still image (Psycho)   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwq1XHtJEHw

     In Psycho's title sequence there is a black screen where the credits roll on the top in a white text. Once the colour fades into the dark screen it creates a sense of mystery, setting   the tone for the film. The most common genre this style is used for would be horror.The fact that there isn't anything really going on during the credits allows this style to highlight the music and font which also helps the audience acknowledge the genre of the film. The contrast from the white text to the black background makes the text stand out and imply the importance of it.

      Discrete (Se7en)   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SEZK7mJoPLY

The opening credits of Se7en enables the audience to see the psychotic nature of the main character however the audience are not properly introduced to it yet. This style is effective as the effects used in the title sequence are creative and blend into the opening itself. Discrete film openings are separately edited sequences that are separate from the film, almost a mini film before the film starts. This style is designed to get the audience in the mood for the film without giving too much away.

Stylised (Spectre)    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kmIcsr6Q8bU

A stylised title sequences relies a lot on editing to set the mood of the film, the editing is used within the font and text shown. For example, if it is sharp lettering the audience would assume that the film is somewhat to do with danger. Stylised is also a different way to introduce the actors and film makers by capturing the audiences attention straight from the beginning. The 'Spectre' opening consists of swirling dark and light images that slowly mould into the characters of the film and then finally moulds into the 'spectre' symbol.