One of my all time favourite films is definitely ''The Breakfast Club'', directed by John Hughes who is also very well known for directing the ''Home Alone'' films, ''Pretty in Pink'' and many other films. It is a film which fits into the genre of comedy/drama as well as a teen film. The film itself is about a group of teenagers who are all very different (belong to different cliques e.g. the jock, the rebel, the nerd) and are all in school for a Saturday detention for different reasons. Throughout the film they all get to know each other and start to realise that maybe they're not so different after all.
The title sequence for this film is quite simple as it opens with the film company, followed by the production company but what makes it so special is the context as well as the names featured in the credits. Throughout the title sequence the font stays the same yellow, block capitals and shows nothing but the credits on top of a black screen. This gives the title sequence a simple but effective look as it gets the audience wondering what the film will be about since the credits are not accompanied by any moving images.
The backing track in the title sequence is the only sound that can be heard throughout and is relevant to the time period that the film was released (Simple Minds - Don't you (forget about me) ). Simple Minds were quite a famous band amongst the youth in 1985 which is when the film was released and were made even more famous thanks to this title sequence. This is likely to engage more young people because hearing a song that they enjoy and love will make them more likely to carry on watching. The song was made iconic along with the film since The Breakfast Club is considered one of John Hughes' most memorable and recognisable works.
The name of the director is the very first name that appears on screen and sets an expectation to the audience for the rest of the film. As a result of this, the target audience for the film is made clearer and makes the film more likely to engage teenage audiences from the very beginning as John Hughes was best known for his work on teen movies. Shortly after, the name of the actual film appears on screen to introduce the film itself. The credits change in time to the music to set a particular pace for the title sequence and make it more enjoyable for the audience. The actors are revealed in alphabetical order; this could be because there are no major actors from that time that are starring in the film and most were made famous thanks to this film so they aren't put in a particular order. After the credits finish, a quote from David Bowie's song ''Changes'' appears on screen. This is effective since it gets the audience thinking about the plot of the film and how the quote may be relevant to the plot as well as getting them excited since they are likely to recognise the lyric.
Order of credits:
0:08 Universal, MCA Company - Film Company
0:18 A&M Films Channel - Production Company
0:22 A John Hughes Film - Director
0:26 The Breakfast Club - Film title
0:32 Emilio Estevez - Cast (in alphabetical order)
0:35 Paul Gleason - Cast
0:39 Anthony Michael Hall - Cast
0:43 John Kapelos - Cast
0:47 Judd Nelson - Cast
0:51 Molly Ringwald - Cast
0:54 Ally Sheedy - Cast
0:58 Jackie Burch - Casting Director
1:03 Marilyn Vance - Costume Designer
1:06 Richard Hashimoto - Production Supervisor
1:11 Gil Friesen and Andrew Meyer - Executive Producers
1:15 Keith Forsey - Music Composer and Supervisor
1:18 Dede Allen - Editor
1:22 John W. Corso - Production Designer
1:26 Thomas Del Ruth - Director of Photography
1:30 Michelle Manning - Co-Producer
1:34 Ned Tanen and John Hughes - Producers
1:38 John Hughes - Writer and Director
1:44 A quote by David Bowie
As usual, I have noticed the pattern that the director's name is always the first and last name on screen as it is usually the most relevant, especially if the director is big.
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