Blog 5-Title sequence

Purpose of title sequence:

Opening credits: To credit the main cast and crew for their participation in the film production, display key conventions and tone of the film that give the audience clues about its form, which may include live action, animation, music, still images, and/or graphics.

Techniques in title sequence

2D styled graphics

Examples from Casino Royale

Contemporary design with digital effects showcases angular shapes, geometric patterns, and symbols (e.g. spade) to create a visually striking aesthetic. The dynamic motions of fighting effectively convey the violence portrayed in this film. A hand holding a gun serves as a symbolic representation of threats and danger, while black suits further enhance masculinity. People's faces covered in black shade act as enigma codes that conceal the identities of the characters, thereby evoking curiosity and desire to watch the film.

Freeze-framing and illustrations

examples from Sherlock Holmes

Watercolor on brown paper, the blending effect and ink cursive writing give off a classy vibe reminiscent of the Victorian or Edwardian eras, which spanned from approximately 1880 to 1914. Static shots of key characters and limited elements with typical conventions are employed to create suspense, possibly indicating the genre of a fictional detective story.

Typography

examples from Enter The Void

Super fast flashing of different fonts on various slides creates a strong visual effect, setting the modern time era and showcasing radical cinematography. The clash between bold sans-serif and classic serif fonts creates juxtaposition and an illusionary effect. The background is consistently black, while the words display a strong contrast in brightness, almost metaphorically resembling neon lights in cities.

3D CG

examples from Great Expectations

The butterfly serves as a metaphor for the lead character's evolution, representing simple elements with a monotone. The natural image of a butterfly contrasts with the artificial textile (lace), which symbolizes sophisticated nobility and aligns with the title 'Great Expectations'.

Particle trail effects

example from Quantum of Solace

The dynamic motion of the bullet and the shape of the sand indicate the transient shape of sand, which reflects the flowing plots of the narration.

Saul Bass

American graphic designer and Oscar-winning filmmaker

Well known title sequence:

The Man with the Golden Arm

Around the World in Eighty Days

Famous logos

Geffen Records logo in 1980 Hanna-Barbera"swirling star" 1979

https://youtu.be/jJ7jCp09xtM

Bell System logo

Continental Airlines' 1968 jet stream logo United Airlines' 1974 tulip logo

Why Man Creates

1968

Saul Bass illustrates a fundamental and essential particularity of human nature that keeps us alive and the world turning, evolving and reaching new designs and possibilities: the necessity of creation. -IMDb

Notes on the Popular Arts

1978

Saul Bass illuminates the fantasy lives of those who daily watch, listen and dream in the worlds of television, movies, popular music and print. By turns lyrical and funny, it shows how the popular arts serve as vehicles for self-projection, experience, expansion and fantasy fulfillment. -IMDb

Monty Python and the Holly grail

As a comedy, this film has a radical approach to its title sequence.

At first glance, the serif font creates a classical presentation for a serious film. However, at the bottom of the slide, a sans serif font appears to display text that reveals personal expression (with exclamation marks and question marks). This is usually not seen in title credits, but the film incorporates comedic elements to foreshadow later "nonsenses".

The entire film is based on the original story of King Arthur's quest for the holy grail, but it still explicitly states that the names and histories of the characters are 'accidental and unintentional'. This suggests that the film is fictional and unexpected plot twists are present. The most astonishing part of this sequence occurs at a turning point when the 'director' appears in a third-person narrative (breaking the fourth wall by speaking directly to the audience), followed by a radical change in style.

The slow cuts and monotonous slides were transformed into colorful, fast flashes accompanied by rocking music, symbolizing the beginning of the film.