Blog post 4 and 7: What is the purpose of a title sequence?

Sometimes the main purpose of a title sequence is to showcase the cast as well as the crew involved in the production. However if the film doesn't include any major actors, the purpose of a title sequence can often be to simply set an expectation for the audience of what the rest of the film will be like. A title sequence should go seamlessly into the film as as well as get the audience excited for what's to come.

The two title sequences that we looked at in class were Black Swan and Stepfather. In this blog post I will be analysing both title sequences and saying why they are effective.

Black Swan

The title sequence of Black Swan is called a discrete sequence since it doesn't jump straight into the narrative, but it gives us an insight of elements of the film's genre. 

Throughout the title sequence, there is a sense of mystery which is created by the dull black and white filter that everything is presented through as well as the creepy imagery of ripping fabric. We can see a mystery woman ballet dancing behind a translucent sheet of some sort which, again creates mystery as we can't tell what she even looks like. Most the shots used in the sequence depict the dancing woman as well as some sort of dark thick liquid (we have to presume it's blood) being splattered onto the sheet which covers her. These two things contrast each other (graceful dancing//gruesome blood) and suggest to the audience that the film will be relevant to ballet dancing but will have a dark twist to it as well as include elements of possibly horror/thriller. 

In this title sequence, the title of the film comes right at the end and the credits come before it. This is because the film itself has a cast which is very well known e.g. Natalie Portman (see third picture) and so it is sold as a ''Natalie Portman film''. It will encourage people who are fans of these actors to feel even more excited during the title sequence as they watch the credits. 

The Stepfather

 Unlike Black Swan, The Stepfather takes us straight into the narrative of the story with its title sequence. From the very beginning of the title sequence we can not only sense, but see that there are elements of thriller/ horror in the film itself. One of the first few shots inside the house are of sharp objects such as razors and scissors all organised very neatly which makes us as an audience feel unsettled. The music used in the background at the start is tense and the colours have been edited to look paler and more lifeless which creates a gloomy and tense atmosphere.

There are several close ups of things like family photos and Christmas decorations as well as Holy Night (a Christmas carol) playing in the background. The threatening and tense atmosphere is contrasted with these shots which is done to make the audience question what exactly is wrong in the house. The use of contrapunctual sound where the sound and the images don't match is used later on in the sequence when shots of dead bodies sprung out on the floor and the kitchen table are depicted on the screen. This creates an extra creepy effect and sets the expectation of a horror film for the audience.

The name of the film ''The Stepfather'' can be seen on screen only a few seconds into the title sequence, with the name of the actor shown just after. This is because the film doesn't have any particularly famous actors to show off to the audience.

Conclusion 

From this activity, I can conclude that in a film's opening title sequence, we often expect to see an insight into the overall plot of the film as well as the names of all the famous actors that will star in it. We also want to have an expectation set for us as to what the overall atmosphere and tone of the film will be. We expect it to seamlessly fit into the film and be relevant.