Title Sequence Clip Review

     One of the most difficult pieces of art a person can create is an opening scene of a movie. In addition to giving the audience a taste of what's going to occupy their next couple of hours, the opening title sequence makes them decide whether they want to spend time on your movie. In other words, title sequences need to have a strong immediate impact on the viewers, which makes them difficult to perfect.

    Title sequences can be made a variety of ways. As explained by the article First Frames: titles in the digital realm, directors (and less commonly, title designers such as Saul Bass) now have access to advanced technology to create a variety of typography techniques and opening scenes. 3D and 2D animation in opening sequences is on the rise, as well as the use of programs such as Photoshop or After Effects, software that can manipulate images, audio, and video. Some choose to scan drawn images or painstakingly create their own unique titles. In any case, it all depends on the mood and ambiance of the film.

    For instance, take the grand title of 2001: A Space Odyssey. The film, being about major discovery and the power of man, opens with a now famous theme song. It is loud and grandiose, as if something great is about to be witnessed by the audience. However, the visuals are rather simple; the film opens with a silhouette of the moon being shown by the blinding sun. This gives an idea of what the film is about, and creates a sense of awe once the audience realizes what they are viewing.

    Sometimes the opening scene doesn't feel like it quite fits the film, and diverts the audience's expectations. This is the case in the opening of Raging Bull. While it is a film about fighting and a famous boxer, the background music is a rather gentle, almost romantic arrangement of strings. This gets the audience wondering why such a contrast exists. A slow motion shot of the main character beating his chest victoriously in the ring is shown as well. The slow motion adds to the music and almost creates a sort of nostalgic feeling among the audience. However, the title of the movie is shown in bright red against the black and white shot of the boxer, which may give an idea about his nature and provide contrasting themes.

    Other films use an engaging, jarring opening scene to snap your attention up. In Pulp Fiction, we are shown a couple casually discussing bank robberies at a diner, perhaps a hint into the movie's main concept. This is engaging enough on its own, but suddenly, one member of the couple decides they should rob that diner, and we are shown the other member screaming profanities and threats of murder, which is extremely engaging since it is such a sharp contrast to the gentle, quiet conversation we were presented not too long ago. Loud pop rock then blares over title sequences with large, bright yellow letters, which present an odd sort of colorfulness to an otherwise scary subject.

    Some films use typography as their source of engagement. In the film What About Bob? the names of the actors show up with their first names only, then their last names fade into the picture. Perhaps this is to create a few fleeting seconds of casualness and almost familiarity with otherwise big-name actors, as they are presented like a friend is--first name only. A goldfish also swirls around the light blue letters, adding a feeling of childishness, lightness and colorfulness, and the genre of the movie is made clear: comedy.

    And some opening scenes can set the precedent for a genre itself. The first James Bond film shows a jam-packed opening scene: we are immediately presented with action, violence, and espionage within the first minute of the film. The main character smoothly sails through various environments and creates the typical spy movie today: violence, smooth talk and one liners, a girl, and a horde of enemies positioned everywhere to get the spy. Above all, the opening scene uses surprise and snappiness to engage its audience, and does it very well.

    Overall, there's no magic formula to create a successful title sequence. But a well chosen mix of typography, music, action, and effects can create an ambiance that will keep your audience seated and asking for more.