Comparing Title Sequences

GREASE

In one of the opening titles ‘Grease,’ the genre is conveyed as a musical comedy. This is shown through the colours of the font being vibrant and bold. It is also animated and moves around which helps link the font to the more comedic side of the story. 

These movements are quite exaggerated and so are the size of the titles. Therefore, we can link this theme to musical theatre, which would make the film a musical. There is a specific moment in the opening when the characters are looking in the mirror their name appears next to them e.g Olivia Newton-John as Sandy, which is not normal with opening credits as they would often just put the name, not who the actor was playing. This layout is often used in programmes in a musical which once again supports the idea of the film being a musical.

Some key titles that appear are

John Travolta as Danny

Olivia Newton John as Sandy

Stockard Channing as Rizzo

Dances and musical sequences staged and choreographed by Patricia Birch.

Directed by Randal Kleiser

Tone is set through using bold and saturated colours in the titles which makes the film feel light-hearted. The tone is also conveyed by the soundtrack setting a musical and happy tone as the song is quite positive and fun. Like mentioned earlier, when the characters are introduced, they looked like year book pictures and the characters where highly stereotypical e.g costume,  which might play into the idea of the narrative being based around school and the stereotypical teenagers you will find there. This is further proven when the diegetic sound of the radio announces that it is the ‘first day of school,’ and seeing as the characters are portrayed as young adults we can assume that they are high schoolers.

I believe that the location/ background of this opening sequence is America in the 1950s/ early 60s. This is because, firstly the mise-en-scene the costumes used were highly fashionable in the 50s.

Also, there are multiple images of pop-culture shown in this opening title sequence. For example, Elvis Presley, Martin Luther King, the USSR/ cold war, are all shown which were all prominent pop culture references from the late 50s. Also, these references were all relevant to America and even though the rest of the world knew about these events, they were most relevant in American culture.

AMERICAN HORROR STORY SEASON 1

In the opening sequence of ‘American Horror Story’ season 1 the genre is conveyed as horror. Firstly, the transitions are fast and unpredictable, which is achieved through the editing. This makes the audience feel uneasy. Also, the music used in the opening sequence is highly disturbing and irregular. The soundtrack is parallel and synchronous to the clips, as the clip cuts to a different on in time with the music and both have unsettling themes about them.

This is because the clips use props such as jars with body parts and animals in them which look eerie and mysterious. Another way the horror is conveyed is through the use of symbolism. For example, there are multiple recurrences of photographs of children, fire, smashed glass, skulls. All things that imply danger or could be dangerous. We associate danger with the emotion of fear and anxiety, which we associate with horror as that is how the genre makes us feel.

Some key names in the title sequence include:

Connie Britton

Dylan Mc Dermott

Evan Peters

Taissa Farmiga

Denis O’hare

Jessica Lange

Created by Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuck

 

The tone of the film is definitely mysterious and dark. This is portrayed though the use of camera work. There are lots of close ups on different objects that makes us unable to tell what they are for example the various objects in the jars. 

There is also no clear setting, time, location, or character which further adds to the mystery. The tone could also be quite gothic, as the titles reflect this through how they are very bold and thick, which reflects a gothic tone.

From what has been shown, I believe that the narrative will be about a basement as that is where the clip seems to focus on. I also believe that it will centre around how the basement is dangerous and possibly haunted as there are lots of old pictures of children and it is a horror series. 

I also believe that the series will have strong links to fire and murder, as fire is shown a lot in the opening titles. Also, the title of season one is called ‘murder house,’ which also link in with the horror genre.

Both are very good at establishing genre, narrative and characters, however I believe grease is a better title sequence. This is because, it gives us a clear indication of the characters, location, setting and narrative. However, I believe that American Horror story is better are establishing tone and genre because of the music and symbols used throughout. It is not as clear in Grease about whether it is a romance, comedy, or musical. It is definitely light-hearted, but it is hard to pin point the exact genre it is supposed to represent.

Titles

The role of titles is to give the institutional and creative names involved in funding, making and producing the film. They are basically the name of all the large above the line costs. They are included to show all of the large names involved in the film.

Traditionally, they are in white writing and a normal font, with the sole purpose of showing who is in the film/ who was part of the film. However, more recently, they are made more interesting and are able to reflect tone, genre and even narrative of the film. This can be achieved through font, colours and framing/ screen placement. 

For example I have picked out some pictures from the opening title sequence of 'Se7en.' Directed by David Fincher. The titles are white and have a weird glitchy and hand written effect. They seem slightly mysterious and out of place. Some of them are glowing, some of them look like they have been handwritten. Therefore we can assume that the film genre will  be a possible thriller, or maybe drama. We can also gather that it will be something to do with writing, or writing will be a key part of the narrative. 

 

There are usually 21 tiles in the opening sequence. This is the most common order of titles:

PRODUCTION COMPANY (distributor)

a PRODUCTION COMPANY production (producer)

a FILMMAKER film

Film Title

Lead Cast

Supporting Cast

Casting Director

Music Composer

Costume Designer

Associate Producers

Editors

Production Designer

Director of Photography

Executive Producer

Producer

Writers

Director

This is the opening credits to Se7en, directed by David Fincher (1995)

Here are some other examples of opening sequences:

Split (2016):

The Grand Budapest Hotel(2014):

Conclusion of Genre Posts

 

In conclusion, each opening scene establishes location, and each opening scene establishes time period quite well and also establishes genre quite clearly which will help audience members grasp what kind of themes will be involved throughout the film.

However ‘The Hateful Eight,’ was different to the other scenes in the way that no characters were introduced throughout the whole scene. I believe this was to completely dedicate the opening scene to location, rather than focusing on narrative and characters. 

Also, ‘The Matrix,’ varied as we could not easily tell which characters were good or bad. I believe this was done, to seem more mysterious and to keep the viewers on edge. 

Also, ‘Bad Times at the El Royale,’ was different from the rest, as the whole scene was shot in one angle, one position and did not move. I believe this was to mimic the idea of a mirror which could have something to do with the narrative of the storyline.

I believe that the most successful scenes were either, ‘Bad Times at the El Royale.’ Or ‘Split.’ This is because first off, these are my two favourite genres of film so they captivate me the most. Also I believe Split, is really gripping as the danger is slow burning until the very end of the clip. This mimics how the captives would feel in this situation; everything is slow and you feel frozen. It gives us just enough away to keep us hooked. 

The same goes for 'Bad Times at the El Royale,' as the opening seems to be quite light-hearted from the music but the ending shocks us into wanting to watch more.

War Genre post

The narrative of the opening scene is a veteran visiting the grave of another fallen soldier, accompanied by what is assumed to be his friends and family  We can assume that the rest of the film’s narrative will be to do with the story of how this man fought in the war, and who the soldier is that has passed away.The target audience for this film will probably be young adults/ adults, seeing as war films are often violent and have unsettling themes.

We know that the genre is war because of mise-en-scene mainly. For example, the opening scene is also set in a war graveyard. You can tell it is the graveyard of Allies because of the American and French flag.

 Also, all the graves are identical and have names of the fallen soldiers and the war they died fighting in. One soldier died in 1944 so you can tell it was the second world war. Also, at the very end of the scene there is a clip of the ocean shore and the title: ‘JUNE 6, 1944.’ You can tell it isn’t set in the war at the beginning because of the costume. It is clear the time period is the 80s because of the bright colours and bomber jackets.   

There are around 8 characters introduced in the film, however it is clear that the main character is the elderly man who went to visit the grave, as most of the screen time is on him in the first three minutes. 

We can tell that he has been through a lot as he breaks down in the clip when he sees the name on the tombstone. There are multiple tracking shots of him, therefore the camera follows him showing he is important and is the subject of this scene. The scene also ends with a slow zoom in of his eye, once again putting emphasis on his character. 

One key moment Is the opening clip. It is of the American flag blowing in the wind. It is a close up of the flag which shadows the camera from the sun showing the flag is very significant in the storyline. People usually associate the American flag with pride and independence. However, this flag seems drained of colour which implies that this is not a happy time like Independence Day, but in fact a time of grief. The music is played by a trumpet and the use of long held notes and a slow tempo makes the music seem quite solemn. Therefore, it creates a solemn atmosphere. We can assume this is war music as trumpets were used often in war for example, ‘the last post.’ This once again proves that this is a war film. The fade in from black also establishes a tense atmosphere, seeing as the music has been playing through the opening credits.

Another key moment is when the elderly man is walking through the graveyard slowly. The camera uses a slow tracking shot which follows the man. It also goes behind the gravestones to show that he is walking towards a specific grave.  This shot is arguably the longest in the whole scene and it slowly moves up into a high angle, showing that the man is feeling vulnerable. 

It also builds up anticipation to see where he is walking to. It also establishes location by showing how many graves there are. This impacts the audience as it shows how many people have died due to the war. The sound in the track has added some drums and string instruments to create a crescendo. This shows something important is about to happen. This also builds anticipation.

Finally, there is a close up on the mans face and a slow zoom into his eye, as this happens the war music fades, and the diegetic sound of the ocean slowly gets louder. This implies that there will be a change of scene in the film as they are not near the ocean. 

When the camera is at an extreme close up, there music has completely changed creating tension and implying there will be a flash back as there is major emphasis on the eyes. This is further emphasised when there is a cut to a beach. This cut is sudden and cuts the tension as we now know where the man was thinking of. 

However, the image does not look positive, as it is dark and lacking colour. Also, there were tank traps positioned on the sea line. This further supports the idea that this was a flash back to war. There is also text at the bottom saying ‘JUNE 6, 1944.'

In conclusion, I think this was a very successful opening scene because it creates anticipation as we want to find out what happened and who has passed away. It also establishes genre very effectively and emotionally hooks the reader through the use of soundtrack.

Thriller Genre post

BAD TIMES AT THE EL ROYALE

The narrative follow a man who is in what looks like a hotel room, you can tell this by the minimal items in there and the fact there is a door that leads directly outside the bedroom. The man seems to be burying a mysterious object which is inside of a bag. He goes through such an extent to do this that he pulls up the floorboards to make sure it is completely hidden. The rest of the film could be about someone trying to find what he had buried as it seems to be quite important because the man is killed shortly after burying it. Therefore, I would say that the target audience is older as there is use of gun violence which would not be suitable for younger audiences. 

I would also say the genre of the film is thriller. Firstly because of the mature themes and, because of the mystery behind it. What is he burying? To add to the mystery, the lighting is quite dim, and something does not seem right. We are introduced to two characters in the opening scene; the one burying the bag, and the one that shoots him at the end. Both characters seem to be quite ‘shady,’ as the item they are associating themselves with seems quite precious and someone would be willing to kill for it. A normal, kind person would most likely not kill someone. This character that kills the man is wearing a black coat and hat to hide their identity, further showing that they are up to no good.

The camera is positioned in the same place throughout the opening sequence. It is place in the centre of the room on what seems to be a wall, as the man never walks past the camera. It makes us feel detached and as if we were observing the man’s actions from a distance.

In the section when the man is burying the bag, the camera stays in the same place, whilst he moves the furniture. His actions are done in a synchronous way to the music he has put on the radio. This also includes the sound effects of him pulling up and hammering the floorboards. This reflects how he is experienced and has planned out his mission.

It could also show, how he uses the music to cover the noise he is make by re-arranging the room, so the people who are in the hotel do get suspicious. The editing helps to make the film duration line up with the music. It is also a good way of making time pass quickly without things seeming too rushed almost like it is a montage. The lighting also helps with this. This is because as time passes, the lighting outside gets dimmer and makes us feel more uneasy as we associate darkness with the unknown.

Another key scene is when he us walking towards the camera. This breaks the fourth wall, as he is looking directly into the lens and it feel quite confrontational. 

He is positioned right in the middle of the frame, so it is symmetrical, and he is also positioned in the centre of the frame, making this part seem important and making him the sole focus. He starts doing tasks such as putting on his tie and shirt and shaving his beard. This implies that he is actually looking at a mirror and not breaking the fourth wall.  Once again, the actions are done in a synchronous style. The music throughout the opening scene has been happy and positive, and the theme has not been too dark thus far. 

However, in another part of the scene, the final part, he is waiting around for something or someone, and then when he walks to the door, he is holding a gun. This has negative connotations and implies that what the man is doing is dangerous and is why he is carrying a gun, for protection.

The lighting is completely dark now, except for three lamps inside of the hotel room which dimly light the set, once again, making us feel unsafe. The man is greeted by the second character who, when the mans back is turned, shoots him.

 

After the loud and quick jolting sound effect of the gun the music stops suddenly, and we are left with a dark and unsettling image and the blood had splattered over the screen, once again furthering the idea that we are in the POV of a mirror. The scene ends with the ambient sound of rain in the background, and then it cuts to the title screen ‘Bad Times at the El Royale.’

Overall, I think this opening scene was effective. This is because the sudden turn of events shocked the audience, and would make them want to keep watching, as they want to know why the man was killed and what is so significant about the bag that was hidden. It also sets the tone and genre of the film while not giving too much away.

Action Genre post

LOGAN

The narrative given to us in this excerpt is a couple people trying to steal the caps off a man’s car. They then shoot him, but he seems to have supernatural powers as he gets back up. As this continues, he then fights them and ends up killing almost all of them with claws extended from his knuckles. We can then assume that the rest of the film will focus on this man and the consequences of him having these powers. 
Finally, there is a specific moment in the scene where you can really grasp some more of Logan’s character. This is when he is on the floor being beaten and surrounded. He is in the centre of the frame and the camera is at the same level of his eye line. 

However, the shotgun is finally pointed at his head. And there a slow tilt to a low angle close up of Logan’s face. Through the use of diegetic sound of frustration coming from him which leads to a gradual crescendo, along with really angry facial expressions, we can tell that he has finally ‘snapped,’ and that there is a side of him that we haven’t seen yet, and it can get very angry. This is further shown through an eye line match of him looking at the gun going off and shooting his car which further angers him.

I believe the target audience for this movie is definitely for older audiences of any gender, as I believe that action is for everyone which leads me onto what I think the genre for this film is; action. This is because, the opening scene is packed full of action and violence, and there are quite unsettling parts in which he is fighting, therefore I believe it is aimed for older audiences. There are quite a few characters introduced: a gang and this man with supernatural powers. However, it can be assumed that this man is the focus of the rest of the film and a key character, as the rest of the people in this scene are killed or badly injured, which makes us assume they won’t be used in the rest of the film. Throughout the opening scene, the man (Logan) has the most screen time, and the camera is predominantly focused on him.

The whole opening sequence is only in one location however, a lot happens in it. Firstly, it opens with a hand held close up of Logan waking up in the back seat, implying that he is tired or that what he has just done is tiring. When he gets out of the car, there is a close up of his feet as he steps out. You can tell through the use of character positioning and movement, that he seems to be quite week, or unsteady, as his feet shake a little before he grounds himself. This makes him come across as vulnerable. This is further shown when a tracking shot records him walking, which seems to be inconsistent and it looks more like he is stumbling than walking. 

When faced with the gang there is a mid shot of him in the middle of the frame. The lighting from the torches of the gang show his face, which looks tired and worn through facial expressions. You can learn a lot from the diegetic dialogue that goes on. For example, rather than telling them to leave his vehicle alone, he tells them that ‘no one is going to pay’ for the plates and in fact tells them how to remove them properly. This further emphasizes how he is tired and worn out, and would rather let them get away with it, than fight them. 

Suddenly there is a sound effect of a gun going off which shows that Logan has been shot and the reaction of the gang shows how little they care. Also, the use of the editing, when there is a sudden cut to a long shot from a mid-shot, startles the audience, and leaves a bigger effect.

In another part of the scene, Logan is now alive again, showing he has powers and says ‘guys, you don’t want to do this.’ This, once again shows that he is a reasonable man, and does not want to fight, possibly because he has been fighting for a long time and is tired of the burden he has of not being like most people. Through this shot-reverse-shot, it is shown that he has the power at this moment, as the camera stays on him for longer. When the gang first fights him the camera moves with his head, emphasizing the force of the punch, and displaying how Logan feels, so we can empathize with him. At this moment, we hear the music which is coming from the radio belonging to the gang, increase in volume, which increases anticipation and informs us that something is going to happen. 

When the fight happens, the shot duration is long when Logan is winning the fight, and shorter when he is losing. This could represent how he feels internally, as when he is in control he feels more relaxed, however when he loses control, he feels more panicked. This also links in with the movement of the camera. Each movement is usually a pan or a tilt to make the scene more quick paced and eventful. 

There is a specific point in this where Logan is on the floor and is being beaten badly from multiple members of the gang. The angle used by the camera is a low angle and it is shot from Logan’s POV making the audience also feel threatened and afraid, as this is the effect low angles have. This, once again, makes us empathize with Logan’s situation and we feel helpless watching. It also shows who has the power in this specific moment, in which the gang has currently, which makes the moment of him defeating them at the end of the scene even more satisfying and relieving.

Finally, there is a specific moment in the scene where you can really grasp some more of Logan’s character. This is when he is on the floor being beaten and surrounded. He is in the centre of the frame and the camera is at the same level of his eyeline. However, the shotgun is finally pointed at his head. And there a slow tilt to a low angle close up of Logan’s face. 

Through the use of diegetic sound of frustration coming from him which leads to a gradual crescendo, along with really angry facial expressions, we can tell that he has finally ‘snapped,’ and that there is a side of him that we haven’t seen yet, and it can get very angry. This is further shown through an eyeline match of him looking at the gun going off and shooting his car which further angers him. 

In conclusion, I think this was a really successful opening scene as it really establishes character, genre, and theme of the rest of the film. It also makes the audience want to keep watching, to find out more about Logan and what he is going to do next.