1. Film Opening Sequences
L/O:
-to be able to analyse opening sequences by analysing
it’s components (looking at the key terms)
-Assign 20: is to be able to analyse a set opening
sequence

2. Key Terms
• Opening sequence
• Title sequence
• Teaser
• Billing
– top billing
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Titles/Credits
Film title
Film credit
Opening credits
End credits

3. Film opening sequence
• What is it?
• What are their purposes?
• What are some of your favourites? Why?

4. Key Terms DEFINITIONS
Film
Title
Film
Credit
Billing
(Top & Last)
Title of film
Name and/or
role of person
worked on film
The process
of placing
titles and
credits in a
film
Opening
Sequence
Title
Sequence
Opening
Credits
Closing
Credits
The opening credits of
a film in which the
title and credits are
separate from the film
itself
The credits and the
beginning of the film
The credits
and the end
of the film
(Coldopen/Teaser)
The opening of a film
More modern films that
set a scene in the
opening which creates
enigma (like a trailer) is
called cold open or
teaser. Example = 4-3-21 opening
Ex James Bond
Top = most
important
Last = least
important
http://www.youtube.com/watch
?v=4uaYiWu7uZs&safe=active

5. Recent trends
•
Opening sequences used to just be titles (billing)
•
Now there are so many styles:
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•
Opening sequence (montage or narrative based)
Title sequence
Teaser
Short and sweet and some long and complex
Many major American films have done away with opening credits, not even
displaying the film title until beginning of closing credits
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Van Helsing in 2004
Batman Begins in 2005
High school music – scene AFTER credits
Liar Liar & Cheaper by the Dozen 2- bloopers
The Hangover (intrigued to watch pictures which answer story in film)
Slumdog Millionaire (end credits have dance routine worked in)

6. Genre
• Different films and genres do these different:
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–
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–
•
•
•
•
•
Introducing characters
Establishing setting/story
Graphics/titles (title sequence)
Showing titles only
DRAMA
THRILLER
HORROR
ACTION
ROMANCE

7. EVOLUTION (WIK)
•
Some opening credits are presented over the opening sequences of a film, rather
than in a separate title sequence.
•
In some films/TV shows, the title and opening credits may be preceded by a "cold
open," or teaser (brief scene), that helps to set the stage for the episode or film
4321
Scream 4
Is a ‘teaser’ as it previews a section later in the film
It cuts off suddenly to create enigma, in which the
film will answer the ultimate question as to why she
jumped off bridge
Next slide….
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLrAbsppc
jw&safe=active (scream 4)
No credits!!! But has a good reason….
-trilogy (actors/companies and previous films
already known
-way to sell a film which people see as ‘typical
horror/slasher”

8. Scream 4 opening
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
-typical convention with slight modern
twists (facebook/texting)
-similar to first opening sequence
-audience sees that part 1 is a like a
parody of scream 1 –
-however the convention of ‘unpredictable
killer’ is then a parody
-they discuss stereotypical conventions of
horror films
- The chase/kill sequence reinforces
conventions but also challenges them!

9. Opening Sequence Record Sheet
• Make sure you record all the opening sequences you watch
over time!
• Write in chart
• Eventually you will put on your blog

10. The opening sequences to watch……
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Mothman Prophecies
Girl with Dragon tattoo
Blue Valentine
Lord of War
Ginger Snaps
Falling Down
Texas Chainsaw massacre (new version – youtube)
Mission Impossible
Evil Dead
Gattaca
Donnie Brasco
Alien
Bunny Lake is missing
Napoleon Dynamite
Cabin in the Woods
The last of us
To Kill a Mockingbird
•
•
We’re here to help (title sequence)
Hitchcock = Pyscho (title sequence),
•
+ LOADS MORE OF YOUR GENRE/SUBGENRE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (should do this independently)

11. Art of the Title
This website is fab!
Has loads of great
opening sequences and
title sequences.
(no animated or
title/credit only title
sequence analysis!)
If you click on one, you
can then scroll down for
more info (usually from
directors)
www.artofthetitle.com

12. Watchthetitles.com

13. Model: ‘Se7en’ opening sequence

14. We will look at the….
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PURPOSE
CONVENTIONS (relation to genre)
CAM SAM
MES
EDITING
SOUND
NARRATIVE
NARRATIVE THEORIES

15. Template to fill in
• Use this to take notes as you watch a clip

16. Task
• To complete a group analysis on 1 opening
sequence
• BUT you must individually keep researching
opening sequences
– Write down on the record chart to keep track of all
the ones you watch
– Then put them on your blog:
• hyper link of address (from youtube/artofthetitle)
• screen grabs
• bullet points about how they are effective)

17. Task (Assignment 9)
• These are the
instructions!

18. Groups
Groups
Film to analyse
(From art of the title)
1
U TURN
2
RED LIGHTS
3
DAWN OF THE DEAD

19. Model ‘Seven’
• Let’s do one together
• Get your opening sequence template
• Will watch 4 times so take as many notes as
possible
•
http://www.artofthetitle.com/title/se7en/

20. Assignment 9: Opening
Sequence Analysis
Name 1
Name 2
Name 3

21. Group names & responsibilities
Name 1
Name 2
Name 3
Name 4

22. ‘Seven’
Film Details
Genre
Psychological Crime Thriller
Year
1995
Director
David Fincher
Main Actors
Brad Pitt
Morgan Freeman
Gwenyth Paltrow
Kevin Spacey

23. Film: Se7en
Genre: Psychological Crime Thriller

24. Template Notes

25. Purpose (Genre)
Thriller
Crime
Psychological

26. Purpose (Opening Sequence)
• The purpose of this opening sequence is….
1.
2.
3.
4.

27. Conventions
General conventions of genre Conventions in Seven
(RE-INFORCE or CHALLENGE)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Similar Films

28. Camera Shots
CLOSE UPS
EXTREME CLOSE UPS
-no mid shots or long
shots
-to create enigma
and mystery of
objects, settings and
characters
See parts of a book but in reverse for mystery
Understand a book or journal is involved – but shot is not
overhead so audience can’t see content
•
•
•
Can see pages of the book, not detail of writing but can see
the writer is very obsessive
PURPOSE
Explanation 1
Explanation 2
Explanation 3

29. Camera Angles

30. Camera Movement

31. Mise-en-scene: Setting

32. Mise-en-scene: Lighting

33. Mise-en-scene: Character
Term
Representation
Body
Language
Costume
Props
Screen grab and Annotation

34. EDITING
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Diegesis
Continuity Editing
Pace
Time
Cutting
Transitions
Special Effects

35. SOUND
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Sound scape
Diegetic
Non-diegetic
Synchronous
Ambient
Sound effects/foley
Score music
Dialogue
Volume control
Voiceover
Mode of address/direct
Sound perspective

36. NARRATIVE
STRUCTURE
TYPE
ENIGMA

37. NARRATIVE THEORY
Todorov
• Is it equilibrium, disequilibrium or new
equilibrium in the opening sequence? Why?
• If you don’t know, why do you think this is?

38. NARRATIVE THEORY
Propp
• If not applicable, WHY?
• Any similarities to character types?

39. NARRATIVE THEORY
Barthes
Enigma Codes
Action Codes
Semantic
Codes
Symbolic
Codes
Cultural Codes

40. NARRATIVE THEORY
Cameron
Anachronic
Forking Path
Split Screen
Episodic