Opening Titles and Credits

Elliot Humm

The Standard Convention 1. Name of Studio2. Name of Production Company3. Producers names4. Directors name5. Actors/Actresses6. Films Title7. Featuring Cast8. Other Titles

The order of titles and credits ultimately vary per film and genre, however this is the general order of titles and credits in most introductory sequences.

Styles of Titles and Credits The titles and credits style depend usually on the film

genre. There are usually three types:-1. The credits and titles run over the action and

throughout.2. It all appears together at the very start.3. It all appears together at the very end. This type of introduction would work with any genre but

it’s the font and music that plays the biggest part. For example:-1. If there is dark coloured, jagged font that faded slowly

with quiet, low beat music it could be a horror.2. If there is bold, colourful font that was hard cut with up-

beat, party music it could be a rom-com.

Women in Black

The studio ‘HAMMER’ appears first and simply fades in with no sound. Inside of the letters a comic book style animation similar to that of MARVEL happens, its where small images of previous films they have helped produce flip in and off the screen.

Another production company fades in with grey smoke swamping the background, throughout this opening sequence the rest of the credits appear over the action and short takes of various hints towards the film appear also. The sound throughout is non-diegetic until the next sequence starts. At the very end of the credits sequence the

film title fades in. There’s no special effects added to it in post-production which is best to keep suspense. Throughout the sequence, the font is fairly small and black, it fades in too like the sequences’ other features. It lasts for around 5 seconds.

Women in Black

In the opening titles and credits only the production companies names were credited

The film title was shown too at the start before any action on screen happened.

All the other names such as the director and the film crew were credited at the end.

Twelve Monkeys

The studio UNIVERSAL appears first on screen, with non-diegetic sound running over the animation. Like Woman in Black it fades in and fades out. There is no influence on the film atmosphere and mood; it is solely used to credit the studios.

Following on from the studio company UNIVERSAL’s animation, further production companies are credited. This is done through through the use of fade to blacks. The sound is diegetic and sounds similar to that of blistering wind; this sets up the opening sequence to what is going to happen. After all the production and studio companies have

been credited, action relating to the film begins. The technique over action is used to display the major actors/actresses and the director in the film. Non-diegetic sound is in use again and this time it sounds mysterious, which relates to the film’s confusion at the beginning.

Twelve Monkeys

Throughout the opening title and credits sequence, the production and studio companies were credited.

Also the director and the three most significant actors/actresses were credited too. The rest of the crew is at the end.

The sequence ends with the films title which lasts for a few seconds before fading away; starting the film

What Cosmic will be doing… Following the standard convention our opening title

and credit sequence will begin with production/studio companies fading in/out that helped to produce our introduction. So Cosmic productions and JOA Media.

Next, we will credit individually our actors/actresses and any crew that helped in the making of the movie, with the director last. These names will hard cut in and out, and only be available for a few seconds each.

After everyone significant has been credited a hard cut will be used to cut straight into the action, this will keep the consistency of our pieces’ opening credits and titles.

What Cosmic will be doing… The transitions of the production/studio companies logos

will fade to black, with everything else using a hard cut; this is to stop any direct influence on the film’s atmosphere visually. However in terms of audio, our opening title and credit sequence will contain non-diegetic music throughout over all the production companies silent animation; this non-diegetic sound will be the only sound until action begins on screen. This non-diegetic sound could possibly be a loud drumming/thumping sound that’s in sync with the titles, credits and the opening shot.

We aim to create tension orally throughout our piece, especially with the constant use of the hard cut, (par the production/studio companies) and with non-diegetic sound.

External links and Resources

http://www.artofthetitle.com/

http://

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Title_sequence

http://

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opening_credit

s

http://

www.youtube.com/watch?v=LqlAs2-

yl1g&list=PL2863FB2BEE2E688E