Task 4 - Purpose and common features of a title sequence

Leah Garrad

Purpose
The original purpose of a title sequence was to show the owners and people involved in the making of the film. However, as films have evolved, so have their title sequences. They are now a lot more advanced and are being used to entice the audiences through giving clues about themes explored in the film as well as creating enigmas. They also set the tone and atmosphere of the film through the use of graphics and music which also contribute to the audiences being able to work out the genre of the film. The final purpose of a title sequence is to introduce characters - whether these are a protagonists or not or even if there is only one character introduced, this all still contributes to the set up of the film.

Conventions
Often, the first thing you will see in an opening title sequence is an indent for the production company of the film (e.g. Paramount). This serves the original purpose of crediting the owners but in a much more visual way than in previous films. The sequence will then continue to show the actors', directors' and producers' names. This is often integrated into the graphics of the opening sequence to make it more interesting to look at - however they are sometimes a lot simpler in order to draw attention to a specific element of the film. During this section of the title sequence, the film title is often revealed which is a vital convention of title sequences.

Throughout the title sequence, the setting is often introduced by the camera following a specific object or just the credits through the location, giving the audience a sort of 'guided tour'. This makes it clear to the audience where and when the film is set and allows the director to control what the audience sees/knows and what is left in the dark to create an enigma. However, some settings are not so easy for the audience to determine - particularly if it is a fictional location - in which case subtitles will be added to give them this information (e.g. 'London, 1939').

Whilst the visuals are on screen, there will be some sort of non-diegetic sound (often music) playing in the background. This also contributes to the setting of tone and atmosphere as well as, possibly, creating a synergy with an artist. For instance, in Skyfall a synergy is used between Adele and the James Bond Enterprise in order to promote each other.