I analysed nine opening credits in order to compare things such as:
- typography
- placing of text
- how it links to the genre
- how it links to the potential narrative
- the colour of the text
- how it could be used in my opening
SEVEN:
- Credits don’t come up straight away: to not distract from the scene, showing it’s an introduction to important characters.
- Slightly flashing/distorted: hints to the idea of it being in the thriller genre, as it's quite eerie and disconcerting, which is the kind of atmosphere the people making the film might want to create.
- The text moves around the screen: keeps the audience engaged and following the text.
- Title gets larger: stands out from the rest of the text so that the audience knows it holds more importance.
- Switches typography (actor’s names looked handwritten, seems more personal and could be showing that it’s the killers writing – it cuts between visuals of his notebook)
- Cuts between close up, disturbing visuals: hints to the potential narrative, as it creates a lot of enigma code - who is the person, what are they writing, etc.
- Plain white text: so that the text stands out from the grimy background, and also isn't too garish.
- Mix of upper and lower case: shows disorder within the film.
- Some are over visuals and some are over black screens.
I could use some of the features of this film in my thriller - for example, the title is much larger than the beginning credits so that the audience know that it holds importance within the film. I also used plain white text; this was so that the text stands out but doesn't distract from the actual scene - I want the audience to focus on the relationship they are being given a perspective on.
MEMENTO:
- Plain blue text: easily visible
- Capitals
- In the middle of the screen: it's the audiences main focus
- Same typography for the name of the film
- Over background visuals that are quite plain and not very interesting
- Polaroid going backwards through development: unusual, creates enigma code of what the picture is, why it's significant, and why it's going backwards
- Font and placement do not change
Like in this film, I did not change the font or placement throughout the beginning credits - this was so that I did not distract from the scene I was showing the audience, which is essential to their understanding of the girls' relationship.
PULP FICTION:
- Begins with a dictionary definition of the word pulp: creates enigma code right from the beginning
- Plain white text: doesn't want to distract the audience, just wants them to focus and read it.
- Visuals only in the beginning: introduces us to important characters, no text so as not to distract the audience
- Centre in yellow: quite a bright and cheerful colour, binary opposition of the scene that the audience has just witnessed, which creates humour.
- On a black screen
- Title moves up from the bottom left, different font in yellow and red
- Slowly moves away with another white font giving the actors names on top of the title
- Western-style font (title)
- Back to yellow font, moves up screen (same font as other actors)
- Production companies in one font, casting in another font so as to show that they are different.
OLDBOY:
- Plain white
- Lowercase
- Centre
- Looks typed up
- Lower left for the rest of it: purple/pink and quite opaque
- Comes in from numbers over visuals: hint that time might have something to do with it (hints at narrative and enigma code)
- Text spins like a clock: enigma code
- Typography moves back to centre over visuals of a clock: links to narrative and creates enigma code of why the time might be so significant
AMERICAN BEAUTY:
- Red text in the centre: connotations of red are danger and blood - hints that the genre may be horror or thriller and to do with murder
- Title in capitals: important and resonating.
A SCANNER DARKLY:
- Flashing capitalised in yellow, centre: yellow is quite a cheerful colour which contrasts with the scene of the man in distress - creates enigma code
- Off to the side, bottom left: suggests they are less important than the scene we are witnessing
DRIVE:
- Purple handwriting font: suggestive of themes within the narrative as it seems like quite a gaudy club style
- Centre
- No visuals at beginning: wants the audience to focus on the words
- Title in purple centre
- Same font and colour for rest of credits over visuals
- Goes in the middle when he is not in the shot so that it doesn’t cover his face.
FIGHT CLUB:
- Bright light around it: immediately catches the attention of the audience, plus hints to the narrative - it's quite dramatic
- Capital letters in white/blue: easy to read
- Centre
- Over visuals, extreme close up through the man’s body: another hint to the narrative?
DONNIE DARKO:
- Two different fonts: makes the companies names stand out and get noticed
- In white over a black background: wants the audience to focus on the writing, or doesn't want to put in the text later as it would take away from important visuals.
- Centre: the main focus on the screen so the audience reads it
- Title at the top: appears when the actor leaves and stays over unimportant visuals.
- The text of the title: quite mystic, which could link to the narrative.
