Genre Opening Title Sequence Research

Genre Research

American Psycho - Horror

The narrative suggested by the opening title sequences involves the sense of illusions as it begins with the imagery of blood and gore however it transitions into a restaurant and kitchen scene, foreshadowing how Patrick Bateman, a wealthy investment banker, distracts his friends from his psychopathic ego.

The target audience of American Psycho presents itself to be 15-24 year olds, this is because within the sequence there is mention of anti-Semetism, therefore, the audience must understand the references to find the dark humor within it. Predominantly, this film would attract a male audience due to all major roles being played by men with women was an accessory while adhering to the hyper-masculine stereotype. Additionally, this would appeal to an ABC1 audience rather than a C2DE audience due to the constant referral to money and location of the scene.

In the exposition of the opening title sequence there are more codes and conventions to the horror genre than after it develops into the opening scene. For example, there is a lot of red liquid used in the beginning, this is symbolic of blood, hinting to the sacrifice, danger and anger later on in the film. The red tarnishing the white background also indicates to the death of innocent lives as well as the knife aggressively cutting through the steak, the steak symbolizing the human flesh of future victims. Additionally, the use of non-diegetic sound adds to the eerie nature of horror movies, the transition into a classical soundtrack, often associated with aristocratic people.

This establishes the link between the uncomfortable opening with the wealthy bankers - associating the death and destruction with one of the characters about to be introduced. The men are introduced subsequent to a panning shot through the restaurant, the camera being static on them after panning reinforces their important as the camera then remains static and cuts to a shot-reverse-shot style of editing for their group conversation.

Due to the opening being a white screen with appearing red liquid, it is difficult to identify where the audience are, discombobulating them from the offset. The birds eye shot and pan reveals more context of the location to the audience, the director establishing the atmosphere and time in which this is set. The over the shoulder angle with a shot-reverse-shot style of editing maintains the audience's attention to each character during their conversation over the table.

The diegetic sound parallel to the scene such as the clinking of cutlery and background conversations implements more elements of realism to the scene, allowing the audience to understand that they are now in a realistic environment as opposed to the obscure exposition of the title sequence. This is paired with a non-diegetic soundtrack that utilizes string instruments to create a sense of impending doom and heighten the tension. Not only that, but it is extremely good for the transition into more of a classical piece of music which is cohesive with the scene where the characters are introduced as classical music carries connotations with being upper-class. Additionally, elements of pleonastic sound such as the knife cutting through the steak highlights the violent nature of the film and is a key convention to the horror genre.

The shots are edited together at a fast pace when they involve the red liquid, suggesting it symbolizes fast paced moments of suspense and conflict whereas when the restaurant is introduced the editing pace is slowed as the audience can relax and pay more attention to the compositions of the shot. The editing includes many cross-fades in the introduction of the sequence, the dissolving of the red splatters into one another alludes to the idea that they merge together, perhaps being caused by the same person.

I feel as though this is a successful horror opening title sequence as it unsettles the audience from the first moment and also discombobulates them. I feel the editing works cohesively and transitions are well thought through. In my opinion, this opening title sequence is memorable due to the strange manner in which it opens and the atmosphere it creates through music and minimalistic shot compositions in the opening.

Dunkirk - War

The opening title sequence of 'Dunkirk' proposes that the film entails all types of forces in the war (eg. The Navy, Air Force, Military etc.) as well as the tragedies they come with - such as sinking ships and fighter jets. It also suggests that the opening scene will start in-media-res due to the poster that unrolls to reveal "We Surround You", preparing the audience to be surrounded by the action from the start, it also reveals context to the location and time in which the narrative takes place in due to the map on the poster.

Dunkirk seems to target a mass audience of 15 year olds and onwards due to the interest young people have in war film, because of the history that surrounds war, and the interest translates to older audiences. There is also an odd fascination with the idea of war due to the scale of it and global fear - this spans across all ages which makes the target audience for war genre films extremely large. Although the opening title sequence is done in a cartoon style, the subject of war and extreme violence can often upset young children and parents may not like their children watching things of that nature and that is why I believe the minimum age would be 15.

The title sequence illustrates key codes and conventions of the war genre such as fire and smoke that immediately hold connotations of a battle or remnants of a battlefield. Another key convention in war films is fear - it is crucial to build tension and suspend the audience's disbelief as a manner of enhancing the element of fear in order to mimic the soldiers feelings and immerse the audience. The director achieved this through the use of a non-diegetic soundtrack that had a fast tempo as it catalyses the audience to assume something dramatic or tragic is going to follow.

There aren't any characters introduced to the audience, this conforms to the nature of the discreet opening title sequence was a result of its different style of composition and editing. The only characters seen are the back of the soldiers that watch from a neighboring ship as another ship sinks, the audience are positioned to be behind them, seeing what they would see, even though there is no personal connection
with a character (as none are introduced) the audience immediately empathize with any soldier. 

The style of animation provides the camera with freedom to track inwards and outwards and change angles without physical obstacles that there would be if it was filmed in person and on location rather than edited. This also allows for the creation of different transitions such as the mid-shot on the ship then the tilt upward to aa fighter jet dropping a bomb, the upwards angle making it appear even more intimidating and powerful to an audience member. Subsequent to this, the camera tilts back towards the ship and follows the bomb downward as smoke edges into frame and the ship sinks. The director then cleverly zooms out over the shoulder of soldiers spectating the event, allowing the audience to recognize that all actions within the war had immediate consequences and a domino effect - demonstrated by the clean transitions. The exposition of the sequence is a birds eye shot and it immediately positions the audience to
know that they are on the side of the war-force rather than a person living at home during the war.

String and brass instruments are used in the non-diegetic soundtrack and the contrast of staccato and legato notes creates the sense of impending doom and the constant beat in the background provides a sense that there is always something happening. The fast tempo lends to the suspenseful atmosphere and when notes are held for a long time on either the string or brass instruments, the sound is reminiscent to an alarm perhaps to symbolize air raid sirens.

The shots are regularly paced relatively slowly which suggests how long the war took to fight in and end and perhaps how many lives were lost in battles. The director utilizes a black screen with just sound for the first few seconds as the audience focuses on the sound. This immediately captivates the audience's attention as as they wait for a sign of life on-screen, this also creates many enigmas for the audience which is extremely captivating as they will search for answers to their questions. The use of a black and white color palette with hints of red suggests the time that the narrative is set in and the red immediately involves the idea of bleeding. The pop of red is used on the thick, bold font, representing the cohesion of army units and the people they fight for.

In my opinion this is a successful opening title sequence for a war film due to the interesting narrative it suggests as well as how captivating it is to a mass audience because it is a discreet opening title sequence and is a different style of editing to the rest of the film. 

James Bond Skyfall - Action

Although in the opening title sequence of 'Skyfall' it appears as though Bond has been shoved into the water, the hand that grabs him further down alludes to the idea that he has to dive deeper in order to uncover more secrets and reveal the underlying motif of death and illusion. There is a constant yet subtle indication to death throughout the sequence with illustrations of graveyards, guns, knives and skulls as well as being tricked or deluded especially in the mirrored black and white part of the opening title sequence.

The title sequence gives me the impression that the target audience ranges from 15-40 years old. I feel as though it wouldn't be appropriate for a younger audience and they wouldn't be able to follow the characters and each of their developments. Within this age group there is a mutual appreciation and desire for a burst of adrenaline that comes with action sequences. I believe it would attract a predominantly male audience asa the protagonist is a male, although for this exact reason I also believe there would be a portion of female audience members. It appears as though the film adheres to Laura Mulvey's theory of the male gaze due to the black and white mirroring sequence of shots during the opening credits as the women seem to be depicted in less clothing than the men in the sequence

In action films, one of the primary codes and conventions is to have a clearly defined protagonist. In this opening title sequence it is clear that Bond, the man that falls into the water, is the protagonist. Although he is presented to be defeated, he is seen in powerful positions throughout the rest of the sequence and he appears to be a clear reference in the chaotic shots in the depth of the ocean. There is a clear theme that Bond is gaining power throughout the sequence, a key convention to an action film as it is based upon the power dynamic between a hero and villain - when applying Propp's character theory.

James Bond is the only definite character we, the audience, meet and as he falls deeper into the ocean the audience see him in a vulnerable state. This immediately positions the audience to be on the same side as him as he is the first person met but also the audience build a stronger emotional connection with him as
they have seen him in an unconscious and helpless state, emotionally involving the audience before the character is formally introduced.

The sequence opens with a worm's eye shot, this angle makes Bond's presence much more important and as he falls towards the audience they are introduced to make more assumptions about his character. Following this is a long shot where a large hand grabs onto the protagonist and pulls him down further, the wide shot allows the audience to view bond's isolated body fully submerged in the middle of the ocean and makes the hand that pulls him down appear as even larger, drawing attention to the idea that he is being pulled down by an extremely larger force. Subsequently, there is a point-of-view shot where the audience are forced to sympathize with Bond as he falls deeper, enigmas are provoked as the audience question where Bond is being led to and why. As the sequence develops the shots constantly track forwards at a fast rate which enhances the sympathy the audience feel for him as they are being thrown forwards with him. 

The non-diegetic soundtrack, Skyfall by Adele, was written specifically for this opening title sequence and therefore has melancholic undertones in the exposition of the opening title sequence but as Bond gets dragged further down into the depths of the water it builds to a climax that is extremely powerful through the use of crescendos.

The first 50 seconds of the sequence is a compilation of fast paced shots, many of them are closeups as Bond quickly sinks to the ocean floor, this disorientates the audience as in the middle of the ocean everything looks the same and they are unaware of where Bond fell from to begin with. Not only that but many of the shots are close-ups which restricts the audience's vision and forces them to focus on small details of the shot composition rather than use other parts of the shot to build context around the sequence. The rest of the sequence displays as a single shot (with a few jump cuts in between) which is achieved through the director's astute decision to have smooth transitions through each, for example, in the section filled with Chinese dragons, they spit fire at the camera which then fades into the next sequence, giving the impression that it was all one shot.

I feel as though this title sequence was extremely effective due to it's juxtaposition of isolating and minimal shot composition to begin with which was then followed by chaotic shots that are filled with details that foreshadow the rest of the film. The use of a cold opening prior to the discreet opening title sequence immediately captivates the audience's attention as when a sequence starts in-media-res, it already has the momentum needed to encapsulate the audience.

Shutter Island - Thriller

This sequence indicates to a narrative that takes place in an abandoned asylum on an isolated island - depicted in the last shot of the sequence. Additionally, there is an element of investigation implemented by the shots of finding lose tiles and stepping on, what appears to be, evidence.

The film indicates to a multi-gendered target audience aged 15-21 as the frightening atmosphere created is appealing to young people because of the suspense and shock felt as more is revealed throughout the film. Not only that, but thriller films are good for capturing attention and being able to uphold this through the use of suspense which is ideal for a younger target audience as they are known to be easily distracted or for having shorter attention spans. 

Key codes and conventions of the thriller genre involve the use of low lit shots, this is evident in the 'Shutter Island' opening title sequence as there appears to be a dark wash over the shots as well as flickering single bulbs hung from the ceiling creating an eerie atmosphere - a common convention of the thriller genre. Pathetic fallacy is a key convention of thriller films as it creates a sense of impending doom,  this is evident in this title sequence as there is shots of fire, rain and snow which is reinforced by the non-diegetic soundtrack used to highlight the anonymous circumstances.

There are no characters introduced in the title sequence - this builds suspense because it is enigmatic, it causes the audience to think who is in such an isolated place and why are they there. The only resemblance of life is seen with guards standing by large gates however they are never seen close enough to establish a relationship with the audience, it appears as though they are only there to continue the unsettling atmosphere.

The shots used in this opening title sequence are extremely enigmatic, this is good because it is a way of slowly building momentum into the storyline and involving the audience was they must actively seek for answers. This is seen in the long shots of dark rooms and corridors as they carry connotations of cataclysm, the fast paced tracking shot through the gates forces the audience to feel as though they are out of control as it is not slow and gradual but a fast pace that they are being thrown around with. There is a 360 degree spinning shot from a birds eye angle above a spiral staircase, thesis extremely disorientating for the audience and doesn't provide much context, reminiscent of being hypnotized.

There is a lack of diegetic sound of rain hitting the floor or water dropping from broken pipes etc. this is extremely uncomfortable for an audience as they know it should be there but it isn't. Instead, a non-diegetic soundtrack is used in its place, the soundtrack utilizes a low pitch and slow tempo which immediately indicates to a larger power or disaster that will occur in the film. The elements of silence between the phrases of music is ominous and increases the amount of tension built up between every phrase. 

The most common transitions used while editing involves cross-fades and fading to black before fading into the new shot. The slow pace transitions juxtaposes the short shot length and suggests a disconnect between them despite the similarity in atmosphere that they all create. 

This opening title sequence is successful for a thriller film as it is unsettling,  a key convention of thriller films, however, it isn't very memorable;e as it doesn't provoke much emotion and is slightly repetitive in terms of the types of shots which then makes it predictable. The music and low-lighting of the shots contrasts this but it still decreases the effectiveness of the sequence.

Back to the Future - Science Fiction

There isn't a lot of the narrative exposed to the audience from the opening title sequence. The largest idea presented to the audience is the emphasis placed on time, this does give a slight indication to the rest of the film as it is based upon the manipulation of time and time travel.

The target audience appears to be families and young children, this is suggested by the homemade automatic machine the feeds to the dog etc. because all children dream of making a machine similar to it. Not only that, but when the protagonist is blown backwards as a consequence of turning the amp all the way up and then gets squashed by the large shelf, it would make young children laugh as it adheres to their sense of humor. 

Science fiction movie often include a lot of computer generated image (CGI) as they are located in extra-terrestrial or fictional worlds, however, as this takes place on Earth there must be large placement on the idea of time. As a result, one of the few conventions of a sci-fi film that this opening title sequence adheres to is the idea of time. This is evident as all of the clocks shown in the sequence have the same time of 7:53, immediately the audience are aware of the concept of time and question why this time is placed at high significance.

Only one character is introduced and his face is never displayed to the audience, this makes it difficult for the audience to build a rapport with the character emotionally, although, it does allow them to concentrate on his action more as they try to reveal character traits that he possesses. 

This exposition of the opening title sequence begins with a single shot that tracks across most of the location, doubling as an establishing hot as it also introduces the new report, perhaps this was also to reflect the continuation of time and the constant it move at. The camera follow the skateboard as the character pushes it under the bed, this reveal the significance of the new report as it discusses missing plutonium which appears as incongruous with the rest of the sequence until the box of plutonium is revealed under the bed - answering the audience's enigma. Subsequent to this, there is a series of close-up shots on dials and gages foreshadows the rest of the sequence and notifies the audience of the character's reckless behavior.

The opening title sequence is crowded with parallel, diegetic, pleonastic sound of the clocks ticking, can opening, totter finishing, alarm, television, door, dials turning and many more. As the shot is quite relaxed due to a lack of action, the exaggeration of sound enables more engagement from the audience and the lack of non-diegetic sound allows the audience to concentrate on the news report and composition of the shots.

The credits fade in and out rather than appearing harshly, from an editors perspective this is cohesive with the title sequence as there isn't harsh action but rather a relaxed atmosphere about the opening credits. The fast paced shots as the character turns up all of the dials forces an emphasis on how quickly time is moving in those seconds and the speed at which he adjusts the dials and settings, it also skims over the red letters signaling "overdrive" - this portrays to the audience that the character is oblivious to the consequence of his action and although they are positioned to trust him and go along with it, the audience are aware of the impending defeat the character will face. 

This opening title sequence is successful for addressing their target audience correctly as it adheres to the humor young children would enjoy, it does not include many conventions of a science fiction film and although there is a large placement on time, I feel as though the hybrid genre of a science fiction film could have been established in a more effective manner. 

The most similar title sequences were 'Dunkirk' and 'Skyfall' due to their discreet opening title sequences and variation in editing style, however, 'American Pycho' shared similarities with 'Back to the Future' and 'Shutter Island' when discussing shot types as they all included a large amounts of close-ups. 'Skyfall' is illustrated as the most different compared to the other sequences as it begins with a cold opening, which none of the other sequences include, followed by a discreet opening title sequence which holds the most variation in terms of the composition of the shots, semiotics and conventions of its action genre. As well as that, I feel it was also the mot successful sequence as it introduced the character and followed him throughout the sequence allowing the audience to see character depth and understand his role within the film, a secret agent, additionally I feel a though it was the most interesting and captivating sequence to watch as an audience member. On the contrary, I feel as though 'Back to the Future' was the lead successful as is subverted to most science fiction codes and conventions, didn't introduce the character or provide much context to the audience.