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Title Sequence Analysis

This document analyzes the title sequences of four thriller films - Cowboys and Aliens, House on the End of the Street, Insidious, and Detention. The author discusses elements like use of color, fonts, credits, and how the titles relate to the genre. Overall, they found presenting actor names first and saving the film title for last is most effective at engaging audiences. Analyzing these established title sequences provided insights and a framework to help the author design titles for their own thriller production that will be effective and follow genre conventions.

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75 views9 pages

Title Sequence Analysis

This document analyzes the title sequences of four thriller films - Cowboys and Aliens, House on the End of the Street, Insidious, and Detention. The author discusses elements like use of color, fonts, credits, and how the titles relate to the genre. Overall, they found presenting actor names first and saving the film title for last is most effective at engaging audiences. Analyzing these established title sequences provided insights and a framework to help the author design titles for their own thriller production that will be effective and follow genre conventions.

Uploaded by

grace
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Title Sequence

Analysis
By Grace Crawford, AS Media Studies

Below are the movies that I decided to look into for the analysis of the title sequence timeline, I used
these four movies each with the genre thriller inside but submerged with other genres to, in order for
me to easily understand the different frames that has been positioned onto each of the movies
timeline to eventually help me to create my own timeline for my own production, after the completion
of that task, I shall now go onto comparing each of the films timelines, discussing upon the use of
colours, fonts and positions as well as timings and credits in order, with this information I can go on
to successfully creating my own titles and credits for when I begin to create my production.

Cowboys and Aliens (2011, Directed


by Jon Favreau)
Cowboys and Aliens had titles and credits, along with footage of the film throughout the
opening, this being the protagonist waking up disorientated in the western outback, and
making his way to the nearest town via horse.
I quite liked how they did this as it marked the opening of the movie, it also allowed
audiences to gain a basic understanding of what the film is about, as the opening sequence
introduces the characters, settings, Mise en scene..etc, whilst also screening credits
across the screen, I found it effective however the only problem I experienced was the
difficulty in reading out the titles and credits, so if I was to do this for my production, I
would need to ensure that the titles and credit are readable for audiences and are
positioned and presented in a coherent and professionalized manner.

House on the end of the street


(2012, Directed by Mark Tonderai)
I found that in this film, the opening credits and titles dominate over the footage of the film, which in one way I
found quite engaging as it built the films tension up as the titles went in sync with the eerie music. I also liked the
use of colours the white against black, connoting good and evil connecting to Levi Strauss Binary Opposites which I
found to be an effective use of colour, linking to the thriller genre seriously well.
Animation has also been inflicted onto the credits
and titles, making the words blink as well as levitate above one another, linking into the genre of supernatural
occurrences within the film, which I found to be quite effective and engaging for audiences.
I felt that by dominating over footage throughout the opening may be effective, however I dont think that its the
right thing for me to do, especially as the titles and credits would have to be accurate and on point, building up
tension and displaying meaning to audiences, as this is my first time accomplishing this aspect of work, I dont think
that by dominating over the production would be as successful as the film, so I may refine doing this.

Insidious (2011, Directed by


James Wan)
This film for me really linked into the thriller genre well in regards to titles and credits
throughout the opening, the colours were a bold red against a film noir background,
displaying strong conventions of suspension and anticipation amongst audiences, the use
of the establishing shots conveys to audiences that the central plot will be taken in this
location, the use of low key lighting really sets the mood of a depressing bleak atmosphere
and the unknown within this film, setting in excitement for audiences. Similarly, like House
on the end of the street, this film also places animation and effects on the text, I think this
is more engaging for audiences and certainly links to the conventions within the film, I find
that the use of colours are also engaging and easily readable as well.

Detention (2012, Directed by Joseph


Kahn)
Detention showed me other alternative methods of displaying film titles and credits, here I can see that they have
aimed at their target audience through the use of titles by displaying them on the interests and lifestyles of young
people, the props used for the titles are seen as social norms that young people in society are often seen with
today, ie the pictures below communicates this clearly with the use of fashion wear and devices clearly showing
that these are known items that young people are seen with.
I found this very clever however I dont think it linked to the thriller genre very well, however it did link with the
target audience really well and connected with their pleasures and lifestyles, something of which that I have to
think about due to my target audience also being young people, so this has provided me with good insights to this.

Overall
Each of the films Ive analysed offer a very similar layout in which credits and titles
are presented to audiences, I found that the higher budget films ( Insidious and
Cowboys and Aliens) presents the name of the director first, indicating to me that
the directors use of name at the start promotes the film, committing audiences into
watching it due to the high success rate from previous films that the director has
been involved with.
However, the other films House on the end of the Street and Detention had
approached it differently, where theyve promoted the use of actors and actresses
names at the start and than directors at the end, here these films show popular and
recognisable names Detention, Josh Hutcherson and House on the end of the
street, Jennifer Lawrence, initially trying to appeal to a younger audience due to
the young actors name being shown at the start.
I find that its more effective in displaying actors names first to show who's staring
in the film, that way fans of the actors can instantly see who is starring in the film
and be more committed to watching it as I find audiences are a lot more familiar
with actors names than directors.

In terms of film titles, the films have shared the idea of presenting the title of their film right
at the end of the opening (except Detention), I find this an effective convention to do as it
allows audiences to know more information about the films plot once the opening has ben
revealed to them, giving them an urge to watch on to find out more about it. I find that this
was important as openings of thrillers are needed to be essentially scary and frightening to
give audiences an insight in to what the film will revolve around and by leaving the opening
on a cliff-hanger to show the titles I find has been done effectively and leaves audiences
wanting more, instantly committing them into watching the rest of the film.
I think that applying the titles name at the start will leave the audiences uninterested and
bored, especially if the titles dominates the screen, I think that in order for a thriller to be
successful it needs to display the title of the film at the end of the opening, that way there
would be a clean cut from opening sequence to movie, allowing audiences to easily follow
the narrative.

The typical order within the film usually startsWhen


as,
watching through the four films, I roughly got
the order that were seen as conventional for
1. Company Institutions

2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

Actors Names
Casting Credit
Music credit
Photography Credit
Executive Credit
Producers Credit
Co Producers Credit
Editor credit
Director Credit

audiences to expect in that order the titles took


place in, this will come to help to help me when I
come to create my own productions as I will be able
to refer back to it.
This task has helped and expanded my
understanding and knowledge of title sequence,
allowing me to create successful titles that are
effective and conventional for my target audience.

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