A title
sequence can be separated into 4 main categories :
1. Titles
on a blank screen
2. Titles
on still images
3.Titles
on moving images
4. Titles
using motion or animation
Titles on a blank screen: Most commonly used type of
title sequence, it involves different kinds of type face usually on a black
background. Normally is a white type face on a black background to create a
high contrast. Usually is used because they are low budget, simple and is an
uncomplicated way to include institutional information at the start of a film.
The title
sequence I have looked at for this category is Pulp Fiction, Pulp Fiction uses
white or yellow type face on a still black blank background, only the words
have movement and the black background creates more attention for the colored type face.
Titles on still images: More elaborate and developed to
include hand drawn borders and other images. Indicated a move past just text
but a way to incorporate text with visuals to hint at the genre or tone of the
film. Requires combining different types of media to create. Also coincides
with credits getting longer to incorporate more than just the name of the
studio or film maker.
For this
category the title sequence I looked at was Wimbledon, because there are cut
ins into new images this movements makes the title sequence more interesting,
the text is blended with the images, better to watch instead of a black
background however, it takes attention away from the text.
Titles over moving images: Incorporates the credit titles
with moving images behind and sound but no dialogue. The moving image serves to
offer either a metaphor or narrative thread to help introduce tone or the
storylines of the film to the audience.
Alfred
Hitchcock’s Rear Window is a good title sequence to use for this category as
the corporation of moving images, sounds help more seamlessly into the first
scene, brings the title sequence to life.
Titles using animation or motion:
The titles
itself becomes part of the moving images and are integrated together with the
images we see. It requires a lot of digital technology and stylized editing.
A
title sequence which uses animation and motion is James Bond 007 Casino Royale
as it shows the audience the story and plots of the movie, it also makes it
easy to determine the genre of the movie, the motion, music and credits are all
in a similar matching style and are synchronized which makes this title
sequence the most interesting but also the longest.
Within
these 4 main categories we can find 3 sub-categories these are;
1. Narrative
title sequences: The
titles are integrated into the moving images and begin as the film itself
begins – it may be as a long establishing shot or as part of a series of
establishing shots.
2. Discrete
title sequences: The
titles are integrated into the moving images but isn’t clear what the films
plot or storyline is, helps set tone and gives clues to what could happen
3. Stylised
title sequences: Mixture
of the other 2 sub-categories for what we see but, the moving image and the
title credits have been stylized to create a combined effect
