Blog Post 10: Different Types of Film Openings

Title sequences come in many different types, but there are 4 main types of title sequences that we have looked at in class. In this blog post I will identify these types as well as give some examples along with a little bit of analysis for each one.

Titles over a black screen

This type of title sequence was most commonly used in the film industry as it is simple, effective and low budget. It tends to involve a blank black screen with typography of a contrasting colour in order to make the titles pop out at the audience. The sound in the title sequence is the main thing that sets the mood/tone.
A good example of this type of title sequence would be Pulp Fiction where the background is black and the contrasting font in the title of the film is big, bold and yellow. The credits that roll shortly after are white and appear on screen in front of the title of the film. Yellow is proven to be the colour that attracts the most attention and so this could be a reason for why the title was made yellow. The music that plays over the credits is fast paced and dramatic, creating a certain mood and atmosphere of the title sequence.

Titles over moving images

This type of title sequence is much like the previous except it enables the makers of the film to add more detail and elaborate on the plot more by adding moving visuals into the background of the sequence that are relevant to the film. This helps to add to the tone of the title sequence thus the overall tone of the film and may change the audience's first impressions of the film because of the clues that they are able to infer from the sequence. 

An example of this is the opening title sequence to Rear Window. Throughout the sequence we are shown the opening credits on top of footage of the blinds of a window being rolled up .Accompanied by this footage there is old fashioned music which helps to set the tone of the film and the pale, cool colours make the title sequence seem casual and typical. 

Titles over still images

This type of title sequence is similar to one with moving images except the background is kept still and usually shows only one frame at a time. This can add a more simplistic feel to the opening title sequence and provoke the audience to pay attention to each frame in a lot of detail. It can also help to add elements of plot to the storyline through the pictures behind the credits. 

An example of this is Wimbledon, there are multiple shots of people sitting in the bleachers of a tennis game as the frames switch from their heads turned one way to the other. The sound of a tennis ball being hit can be heard throughout as the frames change in time to the sound effect. This is in context of the overall plot of the genre as well as adding to the calm and casual atmosphere. 

Titles over animation 

This type of title sequence includes the titles incorporated into some sort of animation so that they become a part of the moving image. It became popular in the 1990's when computers were starting to become widely used and technology started to develop a great deal. Animated images and animated typography became something very popular amongst the general public. Including animation in the background of the title sequence helps to make the sequence more exciting and create a more abstract sense of atmosphere. 

The example that I looked at was Casino Royale where the animation plays a big part in the title sequence. The animation depicted is within context of the film as different casino-themed elements appear on screen e.g. the sign for spades in a card game. Other animated things that appear on screen are figures fighting, falling or being shot. This is all relevant to the film and so it gives the audience an insight into the plot of the film. The dramatic music once again helps to create an exciting and thrilling mood and encourages the audience to dive right into the film. 

In conclusion my favourite type of title sequence is a sequence with titles over an animation, however I understand that my group would not be able to produce something as high tech as this since we don't have the experience. This is why I think that our group should produce a title sequence over moving images as it seems like the simplest type of sequence as well as it having the most potential to be the highest scoring choice.