Titles and Credits - Beth Reszke

In class we discussed the different ways in which we could present our credits.

1. Titles and credits are put on a blank screen at the beginning of the film, or broken up by bits of film. This adds no effect to the narrative of the film, and the only way to suggest mood, themes or atmosphere would be through font and music
   
   eg. Title > film > credits > film > credits > film
   or
   Title > credits > credits > credits > film
   
   
   
2. Superimpose credits over film footage. It must be carefully considered where the writing will go in the frame so as not to obstruct characters or action.
   
   

Much like the way this title of Schindler's list is presented, this technique can include clever compositional effects in the way the writing is placed to follow lines/shapes.

3. One other way would be to include the credits as part of a 'mini narrative' which can add to the film narrative and create enigmas and set the atmosphere and tone of the film. It would be less likely that we would consider this one for our film.

The Orphanage

One example of this would be the opening to The Ophanage, which includes children's hands ripping off wallpaper, to reveal the title and names.

• Sound is used carefully in this title sequence as they have used sinister music and the emphasised diegetic sound of the wallpaper being torn to give both an eerie, and aggressive feel to it.
• Mise en scene - the old, Victorian style look of the wallpaper suggests it is set in an old house, or orphanage and the decor was much different to the 'child friendly' colours and looks of a modern care home. The sleeves of the arms ripping the wallpaper all show the uniform of the orphans that was seen in the preceding scene-making a connection between them.

Five Days

Five Days is a tv drama that has done their opening credits in way that is superimposed over the image. The way they have done this is simple yet very effective for achieving an atmosphere as well as adding to the tone of the film.

• The sequence shows the names over short slow clips that are not directly part of the film, but may have linked themes, locations, ideas or characters.

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It creates a mini narrative as the footage is not part of the film, but it still adds to the film narrative.

The scattered names within the frame are placed so that they are easy to read, against a background that doesnt intrude on the action, and also follow compositional techniques such as lines in the images.

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The images used create enigma codes as they make the audience wonder what will happen in the episode. In this case, questions are raised as to 'what has happened to the owner of this shoe?' and 'how will the story progress?'

The have used music to build up a sense of pace and tension of the episode. As well as sounding mysterious and tense, it also mimics the pace of heartbeats, people running, and a train that can be seen in one of the clips with their careful use of pace and steady fast beat. To emphasize this atmosphere, the title sequence includes foleys of eerie indoor, outdoor, and wind noises.

Edward Scissorhands




The credits sequence to Edward Scissorhands are separate to the narrative of the film, but are an example of a kind of mini narrative.

• Colour has been used consistently in the clip. Dark blue and black is the common theme for the whole sequence to give the idea of it being nighttime. This is then followed up by the first image of the film being a extreme long shot of a castle at night.
  
• The blue and black dark background is contrast with the white font which makes it very clear and easy to read.
  
• The way the text turns slightly before changing follows the tempo and pace of the eerie music. This creates a mysterious impression and sets the theme for the rest of the film. This feel is achieved by the fact that it moves so slowly, and the images of faces, cobwebbed statues, staircases and machinery are not normal. They are put together and a link is created between them to suggest what the film is about.
  
• Camera movement in various shots is very important in achieving their desired effect on the audience. For example, a slow escalating up stairs builds a sense of tension because the audience has no idea what is at the top and whether it will be a surprise or shock.

Bullitt
Bullitt is a 1968 Peter Yates thriller http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0062765/
Its opening credit sequence has the text superimposed over the film opening, but has been done in a way that is very rarely seen with the use of transition movements in different directions.

• As most other credits done in this way would place the text in the most blank areas of the frame so that the writing is clear and does not distract from the film action. However, in this film, the writing becomes very intrusive into the action happening on screen, and at some points seems to deliberately cover the characters faces.
  
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For the case of this film, they may have done it this way to link with the themes of crime, and hiding identity, facial expression and emotion of the characters in this very early stage so that the audience is lead to be encouraged to watch to see what happens with these characters and what they are like.

• The transitions take the credits on and off the screen from different directions. Most film credits don't move in this way, and would prefer to have less attention drawn to their credits like this. More recent films do it in this way, and so they way they have used transitions in Bullitt seems a bit outdated.
  
• Another consistent aspect of the credits is that some words grow larger and appear to move closer to the camera, and the next shot is seen inside one of the letters. This kind of transition makes the opening to the film more interesting, and links the different film shots and credits effectively.

Old Boy

• The opening title sequence for Old Boy starts to create a link with clocks and time.
  This effect started to be created when first introduced to the man, whose name means "getting through day by day". Once the credits start, we start to understand a bit more about this in terms of the tone, themes and mood of the film.
  
• Some of the characters in the words rotate like clock hands, but they seem to be going backwards. As when before the names come up, numbers resembling time or dates begin to scroll, but they also go backwards. When watching this, I immediately created a connection with this and the film and thought it could signify the fact that time is going by fast, running out, or even going backwards. This was one of the intended effects on the audience and it draws attention and adds intrigue.
• On screen we see a mixed montage of different types of clocks. From cuckoo clocks, to digital, to traditional pendulum style ones. This emphasised the theme of time, and as all these clocks go backwards, it starts to suggest that we may find out about the past (or future) of the mysterious behaviour or the character previously seen.
  
• Sound is used well in this sequence, as the jumbled sounds of all the different types of clocks, (eg. ticking, dongs, cuckoo) starts to distort and sound abnormal - suggesting something is not right.

Number 23
Number 23 is the 2007 thriller starring Jim Carey. It focuses on one man's obsession with the number 23, as he keeps finding that things happen based around this number.

• The title sequence adds to the narrative of the film, and the audience will later find out that images in the credits symbolise the blood on the crucial book that one character finds.
  
• The graphic images of blood splattered pages give the audience insight to the gruesome themes and content which is included in the film and adds intrigue, as the audience wants to know what events could lead up to this gore, violence, murder, crime etc.