This document provides a detailed summary of the opening credits and sequences of several films. It analyzes the visual and audio elements used to introduce characters, set the tone, and build intrigue for the storyline. Through the use of camera shots, music, font styles, and imagery, critical details are revealed about the main protagonists and antagonists as well as hints about the central conflicts or themes in just the opening few minutes before the film begins.

2. Before we are visually introduced to anything we are introduced to the
sound of the theme track of this movie (composed by Ennio Morricone).
This track is very strongly associated with the old western film genre
throughout the public’s opinion. Shortly after the music is played we see
animated patches of blood splattering onto a white background with
horses and what looks to be outlaws riding them. This connotes that this
film is going to contain dangerous violent men.

3. The first glimpse of text (showing us the production splash) reads ‘United Arts
Presents’ this company distributed the film. Untied Arts was and still is a massive
company founded by the likes of Charlie Chaplin, straight away we know that this
film is going to be big. This text is only on screen for seconds until the name of the
producer appears in large bold text, Alberto Grimaldi was associated with
producing some of the most famous films in history and to produce this film
reiterates the fact that this is going to be a big film.

4. We still have not seen any real footage but only pictures and names, a gunshot is
fired and the name of the main actor ‘Clint Eastwood’ is now on screen for a few
seconds. Another gunshot is fired and there is another image of ‘The Man with no
Name’ Clint Eastwood, looking angry with a cigar in his mouth. These gunshots
could connote that this man is very dangerous and is definitely the star of this film
as he is shown various other times in the opening credits. The colour scheme of
red is used a lot, one of the first things we think of when the colour red is shown is
blood or anger. The symbol of red actually stands for war so this could connote
that the viewer will know what will happen before the film has even started.

5. We still have not been shown the name of the director who is arguably one of
the most important names of the credits. The names of Clint Eastwood’s
supporting actors and other cast members are now on screen in bigger more
alarming font and colour than the previous, producer and distributer names.
This connotes that the actors are the biggest part of the films as their names are
on screen for longer. Throughout the first two minutes of this film we do not see
any camera footage, only names and pictures. This could connote there is a big
build up to the screenplay engaging the viewers to what they already believe
will be a great film.

7. We as the audience firstly see some text which is a quote ‘the wicked flee
when no man pursueth’ this means that the evil run when nobody follows.
This could connote something in the film that has or will happen along this
reference. We now hear a very smooth piano melody playing alongside this
quote, these kind of tunes are sometimes played alongside images or
voiceovers which are bad to give the audience a sense of emotion in the film.

8. The camera is now zooming in to what looks like a blurry candle in a dark
environment. A voice of one of the characters is narrating a story to do with her life
and her father. This girl’s voice mentions how a man called Cheney had shot her
father.

9. The camera is now in focus and we can see that there is a body lying on the
floor outside of a house (The blur we thought was the candle). As soon as the
word Cheney is mentioned snow starts to fall from the sky and the murder of
this girl’s father is said, this could connote that this man Cheney is cold
blooded as we now know that Cheney has obviously killed the man in this
picture. The voice now mentions about this man Cheney fleeing which instantly
reminds us as the viewer of the quote a few seconds ago relating to evil.

10. The music is now slowly fading out as the camera cuts to a new scene where a
child is looking out through the glass window of a train showing us the
reflection of the town she is arriving at. You could now assume that this little
girl was the narrative in her adult voice just before (as we now recognise that
she was telling a story) and we know she is nervous or worried through her
expressions. This connotes she is scared as she may be going to see her father
at the local cemetery etc

12. The establishing shot shows us a man, on his own in a field with a horse smoking a
cigarette. This connotes that he is dangerous due to the bandolier ammunition
around is waist and two handguns in his holsters next to both trouser pockets, we
associate these items with outlaws in the old western times. This also connotes that
this film is going to definitely have aspects of gun fighting in it. The following mid
shot as the man stands up and steps towards us gives us a wider picture of his
image until he steps towards the camera, this makes the audience focus on his
facial expressions and we can pick up that he is smoking without hands. This gives
off the impression that he is quite rebellious and persuades us that he may be a
bad guy in this film.

13. There is a cut to an extreme long shot and the first text appears containing the
production company of this film, being Stanley Kramer and stating that it is a
United arts release. This is significant as the Director/Producer are not
mentioned first, it may have been different 50 years ago but now the Producer
or Director will most certainly be mentioned first. The camera shot is still the
same as we see the next bit of text, it being the star Gary Cooper in big bold
letters, after his name appears the film title High Noon comes up. Because the
name of the actor came up before the actual film name this is significant as it
portrays the actor to be more important than the film and the director/producer.
Even the supporting actors come before the director in the opening sequence

14. We now see three characters in shot all arrived from different directions as if
they have planned something secret and have split up to become less
suspicious. They are all carrying guns and then hustle up and ride out of the field
they are currently in towards the nearest town. We usually associate horses with
cowboy/outlaws and the first two minutes of this film are no different as they are
looking around checking their not being watched and are generally acting
suspicious.

16. Before anything else is shown we see the names of developers and
distributers of this film with no sound in big bold text upon a black
background. This connotes the importance of the names shown. The
next image shows us who is associated with this film. The font of the
company is in fact bigger than the font introducing it, connoting
importance.

17. The camera cuts and we are now introduced to a canyon type wasteland
(stereotypically associated with westerns). The camera looks to be in a fixed
position with no movement at all. This could connote that there is no life in this
wasteland. After a few seconds the name of the Director appears in text very
hard to read in the colour white upon the image shown by the fixed camera
position. The camera starts to pan taking our attention off of the names shown to
give us a wider interpretation of what is happening. This could connote a
metaphorical hierarchy chart between members of the film. (The director is one
of the main people so the camera is staying lifeless to focus attention on his
name, the actors names are shown while panning, keeping focus on the names
but also attracting attention to the film itself.)

18. We are now introduced to the main character played by Daniel Craig.
Throughout the first few minutes of his appearance there is no dialogue to be
said be him and his expressions make him look dazed and confused. This
makes us believe that he may be from another planet because of what looks to
be alien wrist band technology. We now see him trying to break the wristband
off with a rock, so we know that he doesn’t want it on his wrist connoting that
he isn’t an alien but we are still in the dark onto what he is doing and how he
got there.

19. In the shot where the 3 men on horseback and the sniffer dog come towards this
man, we can see that he does not move in attempt to flee or communicate. We
can see the he instinctively thinks these men are a threat and through body
posture connotes confidence, as these men carry dangerous weapons.