SkyFall

Skyfall

The title sequence for Skyfall shows a variety of different transitions, animations and colours. 

The colouring of the title sequence is very dark with greys, reds and blacks. This sets the tone of the film as it suggests a dark and mysterious theme. The use of smoke and silhouettes also introduces the mystery within the title sequence.

The music that goes alongside this title sequence is very dramatic and adds tension to the title sequence. It could also have been used to keep the audiences attention as the title sequence can appear boring without an audio alongside it.

The typography used is very simple and fades away so that the main focus is still on the visuals in the title sequence. 

Imagery of guns are used with other symbolic images which highlight the fact that the film is a spy film  and shows this from the very beginning. It also shows scenes which could take place in the film to give the audience and idea of what the film is about.

In the title sequence animation and effects are used such as a kaleidoscope effect, transitions through eyes, twisting and moving camera angles and lots more. This all adds an entrancing affect on the audience so that they maintain their attention on it. 

Forest Gump

In this title sequence for forest gump we follow a feather. This title sequence is very slow and makes the audience view the setting through the perspective of a feather. The forest finishes its journey by landing in front of the main protagonist. The typography in this title sequence fades in and fades out in the same place and order throughtout the whole title sequence. It is very simple but i feel it is effective because the audience can not guess the narrative of the film but does get a sense of the setting and as the film is set around one conversation at a bus stop I feel as though this is a good display and way to introduce the setting.

Genre

Genre

Notes from lesson:

N.I.C.S

N- Narrative

I-Iconography (things that establish a genre)

C- Characters

S- Setting

Dr No (James Bond)

This title sequence is the genre of action and has a sub genre of spy. This is shown through NICS as the gun barrel is an example of iconography as it establishes the theme of action and highlights the genre of spy.

The silhouettes of people used in this title sequence also establishes the genre of action as it shows people fighting and women's figures which are usually seen within an action film but the fact that they are silhouettes adds to the sub genre of spy as they are mysterious imagery and have no identity, almost like a spy.

Splice

This title sequence is not as easy to recognise a definite genre but certain aspects of it do establish a genre of some kind. This is due to the colour green which could indicate that the film has something to do with aliens which therefore leads the audience to believe that film's genre is a sci-fi.
In the title sequence a house style can be seen which includes all visual elements being consistent such as the colour green, the fonts etc. Also the imagery used is quite suggestive of the genre because of the veins and alien strobes hat you can see.


The Back Up Plan


This title sequences genre is quite obvious to see due to the comedy element which comes from the man who is flashing and the romance element from the couple on a date. Therefore it is suggested that the title sequence is a hybrid genre of a Rom-Com. This title sequence also suggests that the genre is this and the film is made for the target audience of women by suggesting that there are babies in the film through the baby toys, also the main character is a female protagonist.
Finally to add to the to the genre of Rom-Com the typography used is very feminine and elegant which matches the colours and design of the title sequence.


A series of Unfortunate Events



Saul Bass

 

Saul Bass

 

Saul bass is a film and classic logo designer. He is know mainly for his use of geometric shapes and their symbolism in title sequences and posters.

In the majority of his title sequences there is a single dominant image that stands alone to deliver a message, for example in Westside Story there is an image of lines that symbolise a city which gives a message to the audience about what the film will be about.

 

Early Career

Saul Bass studied design at Art Students League in Manhattan, after this he took an apprenticeship with Manhattan design films and Bass worked as a freelance graphic designer afterwards.

 

Bass began his career in design with designing posters for films which capture the mood of a film with simple shapes and images. These were used before title sequences were a big thing and could be easily experimented with.

Saul Bass often hand drew his designs to create a casual appearance whilst being packed with a sophisticated message.

 

In his career Bass also did collaborations with famous designers such as Alfred Hitchcock, Stanley Kubrick and Martin Scorsese. With these designers he learnt and went onto animate and direct title sequences with them. He ended up creating over 60 different title sequences and inspired many modern day title sequences and designers in which they follow Saul Bass' initial idea of giving a visual metaphor or story through a simple design or view that will intrigue the audience to continue watching the film,



The Art of Film Title Design Throughout Cinema History Article

https://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/10/the-art-of-the-film-title-throughout-cinema-history/

The Art of Film Title Design Throughout Cinema History

Five Important points:

1. Film titles can be great fun. In them we see the bond between the art of filmmaking and graphic design — and perhaps visual culture as a whole. They have always served a greater purpose than themselves: to move the overarching story forward
2. Words and lettering played an enormous role in films of the silent era. Film titles made their appearance in the earliest silent films, along with letter cards (or inter-titles), which provided context. These cards were the responsibility of the lettering artist, who collaborated with the scriptwriter and director to create narrative continuity so that audiences could follow what they were seeing.
3. During the 1920s and ’30s, European cinema was deeply influenced by modernism, and aspects of this visual sensibility were brought to the US by filmmakers who were fleeing the Nazis. Meanwhile, the studio systems operating in Europe and Hollywood also delighted in creating titles that featured vernacular graphic novelties. As much as possible, they liked to convey the tone of a movie through the “dressage” of its main title. Thus, blackletter fonts in the opening credits were used to evoke horror, ribbons and flowery lettering suggested love, and typography that would have been used on “Wanted” posters connoted a western flick.
4. Breakthrough ideas in titling, such as timing the typography to interact with metaphorical imagery or to create its own world, were largely innovations that came from outsiders to the Hollywood studio system. Figures such as Saul Bass, Pablo Ferro, Maurice Binder and Richard Williams arrived on the scene in the 1950s, at a time when the studios were starting to flounder in their fight with TV. At that time, independent filmmakers made commercial headway by doing things differently, spreading utterly fresh ideas about the possibilities of title sequences. This is the era in which the discipline of film title sequence design was actually born.
5. The potential of digital graphics and typography has attracted some of the most creative minds to motion design. Pixar and Disney have reserved crucial parts in the branding of their films for the title sequences. Using animated characters to introduce viewers to the story became a popular trend. Such talented graphic designers as Susan Bradley (Toy Story, Monsters, Inc., WALL-E, Ratatouille), Jaimi Caliri (Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events), Dave Nalle (Corpse Bride), Michael Riley (The Back-Up Plan, Kung Fu Panda) and Michael Curtis (Brother Bear) use all manner of tools to test different approaches to designing titles. One thing these individuals have in common is a drive to find a strong metaphor and tell an exciting story with their sequences.

Catch Me if You Can Opening Title Sequence

Catch me if you can (2002) is a completely different title sequence as it uses animation rather than actual actors and scenes. This title sequence is heavily based around the typography. The typography in it is very simple and only uses two types. A typewriter font is used which could demonstrate the time period and also a western appearing font is used which could highlight the character type. The font also has both Serif and Sans Serif- the Serif could appear more old fashioned and formal whilst the Sans Serif is simple and cleaner.

The music in this title sequence is quite light hearted which comes across as quite friendly and happy which matches the font.
The lines used in the title sequence draw attention to the text as your eyes follow the lines towards the text. They also create a good flow to the title sequence which could show how the flow will be in the film and displays the interconnectedness  of events in the film.
When the title 'Catch Me if You Can' comes up, the 'me' disappears which could represent how the character disappears in the film.
Also throughout the title sequence, the music turns weird and is almost dissonant as it does not fit with the title sequence and changes the tone.

Overall the title sequence for Catch Me if You Can is very simple and easily recognisable and could also be considered very similar to the work of Saul Bass.

Se7en - Opening Titles

The next title sequence is se7en (1995). This title sequence is completely different to the prologue title sequences because it shows the events in a completely different editing style. Instead of having the text on a separate scene like in the incredible hulk, the text is overlaying and is messily overlayed. The text appears to look like handwriting which matches the video as it shows different types of font in books and newspapers. The fact that it is handwriting could suggest that it is isolation from modern life as it has no actual font or typed writing, this could highlight how the character is and foreshadow the events of the film.
the music in this film is not really any specific sound, there is no actual song it is just noises to create disorientating atmosphere and enhance the creepy theme.
This title sequence is very heavily edited, whereas the actual video just shows a series of different images, with extreme close up shots to make the audience feel uncomfortable which continues the creepy theme.
This title sequence has been edited by adding shaking video and text, filters, heavy shadows and the colour red and the gritty look of the film. By doing all of this, it enhances the way the title sequence appears disturbing and causes discomfort.
The title sequence suggests that the film will be a thriller genre due to frequent scenes of torture, sinister images such as defacing images and dirt on nails etc. Also by removing the word 'God' it foreshadows how the film is about the seven deadly sins.
This title sequence also creates a narrative enigma as it leaves the audience with questions such as who is he? what is happening? and why is he doing that?
This title sequence inspired other title sequences such as American Horror Story which follows a very similar design and soundtrack. It also adds the same eerie and disorientating feel to it.
The typography in Se7en appears as hand writing and could almost look wrong as it is in irregular places and is jumbled around the screen. The writing also shakes around and flashes which accentuates the fast pace of the title sequence, but it also makes the writing quite difficult to read which adds to the unusual theme.

Title Sequence- Prologue - The Incredible Hulk and The Watchmen

   

Title Sequences- Prologue
The Incredible Hulk and Watchmen.

A title sequence is the first impression of a film. It introduces the tone and theme of the film and sometimes introduces the characters and their backstories.

There are three different types of title sequence: prologue, narrative and discrete.

A prologue title sequence is when it tells a backstory and history of either the characters or the events that may have already taken place and usually include flashbacks. An example of a prologue is the Incredible Hulk (2008).

The Incredible Hulk demonstrates a prologue title sequence by having nothing spoken but showing the flashback of the origin story for how the hulk became the hulk. This is done through the editing as it makes it appear blurry, slightly out of focus and also a sort of fish bowl effect. This gives the impression that the title sequence is a montage of previous events and is shown through flashbacks to the audience.

Within the title sequence there are also scenes of newspaper cuttings and scientific objects alongside dramatic music to create a tone and highlight the theme of the film.

Also on the title sequence there is overlaying text and information which could show the previous events in a different format whilst also showing the video so the audience can get an understanding of the view of the events and the information that goes alongside it.
The text on the title sequence is green and bold and flashes on a black background throughout the title sequence. This could enhance the dramatic theme as the words are bold and eye catching and match the music.

Another example of a prologue title sequence is Watchmen (2009). This title sequence is very different to the Incredible Hulk as it has a very slow pace unlike the fast pace of the other title sequence. The Watchmen title sequence also tells the history and previous events to the film through a series of slow motion scenes in which the camera slowly moves towards the central point or character in the scene.
In the title sequence there is contrapuntal music, meaning it contrasts with the events being shown, this may have been used to speed up the scene as all of the scenes are slow motion. It also contrasts as the song is happy whereas in the title sequence it shows people fighting etc.
Again, the use of a prologue title suggests the upcoming story line and informs the audience of previous event, whilst setting up the universal theme of the film.
The text in this title sequence actually overlays the scenes and is parallel to the frame or the object in it, such as under the wing of a plane.

 
Watchmen - title sequence from Neil Huxley on Vimeo.






Incredible Hulk Intro from Ross Stanton on Vimeo.

Continuity Sequence

This is my continuity sequence that shows the 180 degrees shot, over the shoulder and match on action. We filmed this using a tripod to ensure that the camera was not shaky, however because it was our first time using one, some scenes in the film are more shaky than we would like. When filming it we came across the issue of running out of time and space, the room that we began to film in got taken by another group and then we could not find another space to film so we had to wait for another day to film. I then edited it, in which I added sound, speed and a filter which matched the theme of the film. When I was editing, some of the re filmed scenes had not imported properly or had been cut, so I had to work with the previous film which did not look as good.
Overall I am pleased with how the final product looks but there is definitely room for improvement in the filming and the editing.

OCR Specification

Video
Preliminary exercise: Continuity task involving filming and editing a character opening a door, crossing a room and sitting down in a chair opposite another character, with whom she/he then exchanges a couple of lines of dialogue. This task should demonstrate match on action, shot/reverse shot and the 180-degree rule.
Main task: the titles and opening of a new fiction film, to last a maximum of two minutes.
All video and audio material must be original, produced by the candidate(s), with the exception of music or audio effects from a copyright-free source. Both preliminary and main tasks may be done individually or as a group. Maximum four members to a group.