Titles in an opening sequence

There are a various amount of titles used in nearly all opening sequences, these all have their on specific role to represent every different roll involved with the film and also company logos to be recognised. Some of these elements being represented may help to lure in viewers as they may be big names in the industry of films. They are set out the way they are set out because they are specifically done by the producers. Mainly due to the importance of each of them and the chronological order they want the audience to realise the level of importance of each of them.


Distribution company logo

Memento

The Sixth Sense

Panic Room




Production company logo

Memento

The Sixth Sense

Panic Room






Title

Mememto

Sixth sense






Panic Room




Main actor's name
Memento

Panic room



Another actress' and actors names

Memento

The sixth sense

Panic Room







Casting by

Memento









The Sixth Sense

Panic Room

Costume design

Memento

The Sixth Sense

Panic Room

Music by
Memento

The Sixth Sense

Panic Room









Director of Photography

Memento

The Sixth Sense

Panic Room




16. Produced by
Memento

Sixth Sense

Panic Room

17. Written and directed by
Memento

          
The Sixth Sense

         Panic Room

The conventions of an opening sequence

The conventions of an opening sequence
A title sequence is the main convention which needs to be used as it shows the cast and production team for the film. The title can be a way of building up suspense and may represent the genre of the film. The beginning of an opening sequence would be a recommendation to include an establishing shot as it is used to set the scene and inform the audience where the film is taking place. An opening sequence should specifically focus on giving the audience clues on what the genre whilst establishing specific parts of the characters personality and stuff about the character in general e.g what they ware wearing. A production logos or a distribution logo is extremely essential at the start of a film as if the film has a high budget the logo will be adapted to reflect the genre and story line of the film. A fast paced scene would be useful to add a pump to the film by making it more active to enable the audience to be more engaged to carry on watching it. An opening sequence required the audience to have wonders an questions that they want to ask which would mean that the viewer would have to keep watching in order for the questions that they had in mind were able to be answered. A various amount of camera shots would be useful as it varies the techniques used to keep the audience interested. Narrations are also an easy and effective way of keeping the audience engaged, this would be used to give background information on what has been happening or who the characters are, giving the audience an insight of the film to arise awareness of everything happening or about to happen. An introduction of the characters would be useful as the audience would recognise who the main character may possibly be, who any secondary characters may be and any other characters which may be included throughout the film. Any information which may be represented in the slightest way which would allow information to be with help would be useful as it allowed the increasing of the viewers engagement as there would only be clues left by this which would leave the viewer wanting to watch the rest of the film to find out the full story.

Wallander (Firewall, 7th December 2008, BBC1)

Mise en scene
High key lighting of the girls. The similar black clothes may represent similar personalities or thoughts within each other. With the first shot of them shows closely being of them from behind makes the audience wonder why their identity has been hidden which makes the audience curious. The hidden identity also hides emotion and expression. The girl on the right may be more in control due to her being taller which may allow the feeling of fear to kick in as she is bigger than the other girl, she may be more rebellious, she may be a bully but most of all she may be older. Blood is then represented which brings curiosity to the audience as to whether the girls had something to do with it or not. There is low key lighting presented with the man which may show danger. There is a slight red patch which is not really viewable yet which enables the audience to wonder if that is blood or not which is then followed by blood all over one of the girls face showing participation and had a role within what happened to the man. A photo is used of the man to show that he is a family man as he is one other male in the photo which may be his son. A knife is presented in one of the girls hand with blood also on er hand, this represents the certainty of the participation with the two girls and the man in the car.

Cinematography
At the beginning of the clip there is an establishing shot of the location to familiarise the scene with the viewer. There is also a close up of the girls back which is a pause in the revealing of the girls identities. There is then a focus pull and also a slight blur of the girls in the back ground.

Sound
Hyperbolic sound of the girls footsteps as footsteps would never be that loud in real life. Hyperbolic sound of the girl breathing may present a possible adrenaline rush for the scene that just occured in the taxi.

Questions and wonders from the audience
Is that a car? (at the beginning)
Is that person running?
Why are the girls there?
Were they involved with the car?
Where are they walking to?
Are the girls sisters of friends?
There is blood.. did the girls kill the man?

Brick (Johnson, 2005, US)

Cinematography

At the start there is a close up of the ledge which is followed by an extreme close up of a pair of shoes crouching on the ledge, this allows the audience to quickly decide wether the character is a female or male. After there is an extreme close up of the mans glasses which is out of focus followed by a focus pull where the focus is pulled to show the glasses in more detail. A long shot, master shot and an establishing shot all presented in one whereby the clip is showing the two characters and the scene. There is then a low angle camera shot showing the boy looking curious. The camera then tracks towards the boys face, this is used to build tension and intensity as he can no stop staring at her. There is also a close ups of the girl’s features as they may be significant throughout the film. Another close up is used to show the bangles on one of the girls wrist just after she was on the floor but when she was in good form. Legs are then shown with a shallow focus leaving the person obscure. A close up of the shoes showing the guy from before. An extreme long shot to show that he is alone and to withhold information about the guy to obscure him as we still haven’t met him yet. An extreme close up of the note showing the location leaving the audience to wonder the location is.

Questions and wonders of the audience.
Who is the girl?
What happened to her?
What is the boys relation with the girl?
What is the  location on the note?
Did he kill her or have anything to do with what happened to her?

The Sixth Sense analysis

                                                        The Sixth Sense

Mise en scene

A black background is used whilst presenting the titles, The black background presents mystery and that anything could happen as black would present that there could be anything that is unseen that the audience would be left to wonder until the first scene occurs. A prop that the lady is wearing are high heels, this would help to present that she is very vulnerable as if something was to happen then she wouldn't be able to be her fastest as the high heels would prevent her from running.

 

Sound

The sound used is non-digetic sound as the soundtrack is only audible to the viewer it is very intense to begin with a lot of violin playing which assists to add tension as the violin sharpness varies. It  is also incidental sound as the music enhances the mood and atmosphere and the predications of that is happened or about to happen on screen as the sounds are rather spooky.

Cinematography

There is an extreme close up used of a light bulb which helps to add a completely different mood to the audience as there was just a black background leaving the audience wondering what was lurking in the dark but as the light turns on it starts of with a wonder of what the object appearing is. The is a close up of the woman's feet going up the stairs, on one of the steps the heel doesn't touch the step but the tip of her toes do, this shows that she had fear in the sound she had just heard and wanted to get quickly out of the basement as possible.
 

Editing

The titles as the start of the clip fade in and out, this editing technique is used to add a spooky effect to flow within the audiences heads. The font is used is 'Serif', it helps to present the seriousness in along side the fading which shows the disappearing of the text. The font adds suspense as is has tips on specific corners of the text of a point hanging which may lead the audience into believing that there may be a mysterious meaning behind the use of the font.