Opening Sequences

Grace Watson
2 March 2020
Media Studies
Opening Sequences

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Opening Sequences provide the directors' of a film with a chance to express their own personal creativity. Their main purpose is to convey important and useful information regarding the cast and creative members involved in the production of a film to its audience. Quite regularly, opening sequences can be stories of themselves, whilst establishing the mood and visual character of a film. Encouraging anticipation and excitement within the audience who grow expectant for what is to come in the film, Opening Sequences introduce the viewer to varying elements that are to come in the film, such as location, themes, plot and characters etc. In general, Opening Sequences can be abstract, detailed, simple and complex, all for the effect of drawing in the viewer and revealing some elements to come as well as present the key information.

Opening Credits and Title Sequences are mostly used interchangeably as there are numerous situations in which the Title Sequences of a film are accompanied by Opening Credits. However, there are a few differences between the two.

Opening Credits are revealed as "text superimposed on a blank screen",  text over static pictures or even sometimes on text on top of action in the show. They are a list of credits shown consecutively.

Title Sequences, on the other hand, although similar, are more specifically methods used by the film crew to list names of the cast members, which will assist in establishing the overall tone and setting of the film. Title Sequences often use sound and visuals to do so, with the text of the opening credits.

Opening Sequences are often "stories in their own right". There are varying techniques that can be used in Opening Sequences for effect....

Research on techniques that can be used in opening sequences:

Link to website used:

https://www.creativebloq.com/audiovisual/top-techniques-title-sequences-10135013

                            Screenshot of the website where some key points were found:

The first technique which could be used, is the technique of having two-dimensional styled graphics in three-dimensional environments. Created and used by Daniel Kleinman, and used in the Opening Sequence of the film Casino Royale, this technique creates a contemporary look, as well as an absurd feel, which links to the fact that thrillers spark discomfort and fear within the viewer.

Another effective technique which can be employed in Opening Sequences, is the technique of freeze-framing whilst revealing layers of illustration with ink bleeding effects. "Ink bleeding" could spark connotation with blood, a typical and effective thriller convention. This technique was inspired by the vintage newspaper headlines and ink drawings, and was used, for example, by Danny Yount/Prologue in the film Sherlock Holmes.

Danny Yount

Thirdly; documentary style Opening Sequences, with smart editing and cinematography, can be used to portray a documentary style short film in its own right. Post Panic used this technique to create his own Opening Sequence. He saw it as his ‘passion project’, and successfully created an Opening Sequence on a very low budget, proving that this documentary style Opening can be effective on low budgets. 

Another great technique which can be used in Opening Sequences is the use of CGI (which involves modelling, rendering, animation and lighting etc.) such as in the case of Great Expectations by Nic Benns/Momoco. Here, Benns chose to use a three-dimensional butterfly with a prestigious title to keep the concept minimal and abstract - great idea. The butterfly’s birth and death resemble a metaphor for the lead character’s growth. The fact that the Opening Sequence has some significant link to the actual film is an effective technique for Opening Sequences.

Nic Benns:

CGI butterfly:

Saul Bass

A few decades ago when film first began, Title Sequences were officially presented information and static and copy-write images... all generally quite boring and repetitive.  Saul Bass completely changed and revolutionised the way people used Title Sequences in film, introducing the use of boldly and creatively presented information as well as inventive animation, establishing the mood, tone and texture of a film as well as Title Sequences which symbolise and summarise a films essence... all contributing towards creating a climax and building suspense (thriller convention).

He was quoted saying “Why not make it more?”... and so he did! Because of the pivotal point Saul Bass sparked in Media Studies, many of today’s sequence makers have him to thank for the inspiration.

Saul Bass did many of Hitchcock’s sequences.

Two of Hitchcock’s sequences include Skyfall and Vertigo, Skyfall being a more modern thriller.

Skyfall, a more modern thriller, was released in 2012, not too long ago. By this stage, the internet had advanced so there were resources and technology available to the directors for some amazing editing.

Included in Skyfall’s Title Sequence is dripping/gushing blood, graveyards, daggers and knives,  and guns dropping from higher in the water, all instruments that cause people to die, symbolic of death. The whole video is located [mise-en-scene] in a deep body of water. The character is being pulled further under by a large hand. This resembles sinking deep and being pulled down, linking back to the theme of death. It implies that death is coming for the character, sparking the question within the viewer of whether he is going to meet his fate, and die.

The main purpose of an Opening Sequence is to portray the character names and the names of key members involved in to making of the film, as well as to reveal some of the main themes within the film. Skyfall is successful in clearly depicting these names, whilst effectively blending them into the clip, so that they do not steel from it, but rather accompany it well, as well as it being effective in revealing a couple of themes. 

A sense/theme of resurrection and looking at the human being as being immortal is revealed through the character standing with a gun shot in his shoulder, yet still continuing to shoot others.  A girl is also depicted within the clip, holding a gun. She appears powerful, which is in complete contrast to the typical gender stereotypes that view woman as being more vulnerable and emotional and men being the more brave and powerful individuals.

Throughout the clip some sort of cultural references have been made, inferring that perhaps they may end up in China at some point. The unfamiliarity of China, along with the higher pitched parts of the song, along with the fact that the girl is powerful, opposite to general stereotype, all create a sense of uneasiness and question within the viewer.

The use of broken and smashed mirrors and reflections is effective in firstly, further stirring the uneasiness mentioned above, and secondly in building suspense. Mirrors are often associated with characters looking at themselves, self-reflection, however here, it seems as though the character is looking through the mirror, at the viewer. This is quite creepy, and stirs a sense of the character not being willing to improve his character, remain true to good conduct or be of good behaviour. It introduces to the viewer that perhaps he is a determined character.

The background music [sound] to the clip is Adele’s (the singer) voice which is generally deep and powerful, just as the water is deep and powerful in all its depths, creating a parallel/link. However, in some parts of the song, Adele’s voice does go almost squeaky or high-pitched, creating a contrast, which could lead to discomfort in the viewer, specifically in the high pitched parts of the song. It sparks a sense of strangeness. There is a link between the music's words and what is happening on screen, creating a sense of the Opening Sequence being its own film in its itself, a film about the song.

Another theme/symbol clearly coming through is the one of the eye, with a shot of zooming in to a close-up of an ice-blue eye. The harsh ice blue links to the character's determined manner. Following this shot a few shots later, is the zooming shot, into a close-up of a gun, drawing a relationship between the two. This could imply that the man is as rough as a gun, as powerful and dominant. unbeatable. This link was emphasised earlier where both the man and then the guns were depicted as falling deeper into the water.

Zooming in to the ice blue eye:

Zooming in to the gun:

Man falling deeper into the ocean:

Guns sinking deeper:

The whole Opening Sequence is effective in revealing the credits, as well as introducing a few early ideas regarding each character, such as the girls power, man's determination and so on.

Vertigo, on the other hand, is more old-fashioned than what Skyfall is, created in 1958. Here, there appears to be a theme of eyes, with numerous close-up shots from different angles of the eyes being the cover pictures used for Vertigo on Art of the Title, as seen below. 

The eyes revealed [mise-en-scene] in this clip, are similar to the close-up shot of the ice blue eyes in Skyfall, a similarity between the two clips. Both clips do have music, which is a similarity, however,  a difference is that in this clip, there is no voice along with the music [sound], whereas in Skyfall, along with the music was Adelle's powerful voice. The absence of a voice can lead to the build up of an eerie, freaky atmosphere, which is reinforced in the video by the close-up shot of the eye where the viewer cannot see what the girl is looking at which could spark question and a sense of fear in the viewer, typical of a thriller. Part of the definition of an eye according to Google, is that it is one of the "most important symbolic sensory organ"s, often being used as a gateway to the soul. The shots of the eye in Vertigo could perhaps reveal a few ideas regarding the soul of the character. She seems afraid and confused.

The lighing in Vertigo has a pale hue to it compared to Skyfall which had a much harsher red colouring. The harsh red of Skyfall links to it revealing determined characters, and the more pale lighting of Vertigo implies a theme of confusion. This confusion is emphasised in the eye movement and facial expressions of the girl, who seems slightly less confident and more reflective/worried than the powerful girl in Skyfall.

Where in Skyfall death was a theme proved by the symbols of knives, daggers and gun etc, spirals are a theme in Vertigo. The word 'Vertigo' itself, means the loss of balance and "sensation of whirling". The spirals resemble hypnotic images... it's as if the girl is hypnotised.

Example of a spiral from Vertigo:

                             

The filming and editing style of this Opening Sequence by Hitchcock, also creates a sense of the girl almost falling, with her confused, slightly worried facial expressions revealing that she is perhaps scared of heights. Her fear is in contrast to the fearlessness of the girl in Skyfall.

A final similarity, on the other hand, is that both clips reveal someone falling somehow. In Skyfall, the man in sinking deeper, and in Vertigo, the girl is falling deeper into confusion and hypnotism.

Man sinking deeper:

Girl falling deeper into confusion:

In both cases, each Opening Sequence has clearly depicted the important names and accompanied it with footage that gives the viewer some early insight into each film. Skyfall can be expected to be about determined, powerful characters, and Vertigo about confusion and worry. The different, and some similar techniques have achieved the above.