Research- Title Sequences

In order to research how the titles in films are done effectively and well, I visited the website artofthetitle.com which addresses this exactly and has opening sequences of films they think have been done really well. I looked at the ones that I thought could inspire my melies-style old film and sought artistic inspiration and clever ideas. Here are a few I looked at and the main notes of analysis I wrote down:

Edward Scissorhands-1990- Artistic and imaginative    

Titles come in on a slant

Play on words- Edward scissorhands opens up like scissors

Setting is established and Tim Burton’s name is mentioned twice to emphasise his work in the film and to interest fan audiences

Dark atmosphere sets mood for film

Music is quite twinkly and magical which again sets the mood

Ends with an establishing shot of the house we have just been taken through showing it high up on a hill on its own-isolated.

Barbarella- 1968- old film

Introduces main character bizarrely reflected by music and through close-ups of hands etc

Shaky camera movements, marks and blotches on screen occasionally

One title then none for a while

Character is revealed slowly and sexually

Titles spill from her head as her hair spills out showing theme of film

Other titles (a lot of) slide in from either side

Bonnie and Clyde-1967- old film

Begins with old photographs appearing one by one to the sound of slides being inserted one by one

Music comes in slowly and quietly building and sounds like a record player

Shots alternate between shot of photograph then shot of titles which is simple and easier to understand/follow

The two main characters are introduced with information either side of their pictures and it ends with an extreme close-up of Bonnie’s lips which is the first colour shot we have seen after many black and white photographs.