Blog post 6: What does Kyle Cooper think?

Kyle Cooper is accredited with singlehandedly revitalising title sequences as an art form. He is well known for making and directing the title sequences to films like Dawn of the Dead and The Spiderman films but his most famous work is the title sequence to Se7en. In this blog post I will be talking to you about what Kyle Cooper thinks makes a good title sequence and why they're so important as well as reflecting on the things I've learnt from the clip.

In the title sequence for Se7en, the font looks scratchy, messy and handwritten. Kyle Cooper mentions that the font in a title sequence often acts as a tool to create a certain atmosphere or set the overall tone. It creates a sense of mystery for the audience as we start to wonder who the person writing might be and why we are seeing visuals like the stitching together of pages on screen. The font in this title sequence is the main thing that tells the story.

What does he think makes a good title sequence?

Kyle Cooper believes that in order to create a successful title sequence, you must set an expectation for the audience of the rest of the film using just those 2 and a half minutes. He also believes that a title sequence should go seamlessly into a film as well enable the audience to feel excited and engaged with what's to come. Some of Kyle Cooper's favourite title sequences that made an impression on him are Deadzone and To Kill A Mockingbird. 

• The simple yet clever typography used in the opening title sequence of Deadzone really made an impression on Kyle Cooper. He found the mysterious and atmospheric music ''great'' as well as the over all sequence. He also mentions that this particular title sequence was very important to him in realising that his interest in typography was something he could develop and that it was worth while. 
• The title sequence of To Kill A Mockingbird adds to the overall plot of the film as it emphasises Scout's obsession with her treasure box. The way that the props are positioned is very important in relation to the typography as Kyle Cooper says that it is integrated into the title sequence, as it runs horizontally across the screen and lines up with the marbles. 

Story based title sequence - When a title sequence has a specific backstory to it that adds to the overall plot. It usually includes a clear metaphor or poster-like pun to do with that the film is about. 

The Audience  

An audience test screening is usually just a preview of a film before it's officially released in order to see the reactions of an audience. However, there are a number of problems that a studio might face after an audience test screening. For example, if there is something that the audience don't particularly like, the studio may realise that they don't have enough of a budget to go out and reshoot a scene. Furthermore, the selected audience may not understand certain aspects or elements of the film and the studio will have to go back and change them. 

The 2 and a half minutes of a title sequence become important for the studio because they can use it to help put in some information that got left out before the audience test screening, in order to make something clearer to the audience. It's a chance for the film makers to take a step back and reflect on what it is that they are missing that they can then put into the title sequence. Kyle Cooper said that when making the opening title sequence for Dead Zone, he was attempting to set the story up for the audience. After an audience test screening, the makers (including Kyle Cooper) had received feedback from the audience that they were unsatisfied with the ending. This gave them the opportunity to make an ending title sequence which changed the overall outcome of the film as well as the reaction of the audience. 

Finally, why does Cooper think title sequences are so important to a film?

• Title sequences are a way of using the time at the very beginning of the footage to advance and add certain aspects of the film to the plot that may not have been made clear in the actual film itself. 
• It puts the audience exactly where they need to be in the film before it even starts so as not to confuse or disorient them.