2. WHAT IS ART OF THE TITLE & AND WHY IS
IT USED?
Art of the Title is a website used to research the conventions and codes of filming openings. I
used Art of the Title to analyse the following film opening codes and conventions:
• American Horror Story – Directed by Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk, 2011
• Boardwalk Empire - Directed by Terence Winter, 2010
• Silence of the Lambs - Directed by Jonathan Demme, 1991
Art of the title has a variety of film opening title sequences and allows the viewer to look at and
analyse different styles of titles. However, it doesn’t merely focus on the titles sequences, it
focuses on the characters and mise-en-scene as well. For example, the font, or we may analyse
what is going on in the opening sequence of the film.
3. WHAT DO TITLE SEQUENCES DO?
Title sequences are all different and they create a sense of the type of film (also
known as the genre), and they are all creative if their own way. Opening title
sequences give the audience the genre of the film. For example, the opening title
sequence of Star Wars immediately tells us that the film is sci-fi.
Another thing that title sequences do is they often set the time period of the film. For
example, the opening of Sherlock Holmes hints that it is set around the 1800’s. In fact
it is set in the late 1880’s.
4. CONVENTIONS OF TITLE SEQUENCES
1. Firstly, you see the production company name & logo.
2. You will the principle actors in the film. E.g. Will Smith.
3. The names of the directors and editors will come next, or the screenplay.
4. Signalling of the genre and time period of the film as the film opening
begins.
5. NARRATIVE CODES
The aim of an opening title sequence is to make the audience hooked
to the film so that they carry on watching. When the narrative is
launched, the film must be captivating and it must persuade the
audience that the rest of the film must be watched. Narrative can
come in one of two forms:
• Action codes- which is when the story progresses through actions,
meaning that a single action can change the narrative of a story. This
is similar to a chain reaction, where one action can lead to another.
• Enigma codes- which is when the story gives the audience a
question, and they must keep watching to find out the answer. For
example, a murder has been committed and the rest of the film is
based on finding the person who committed the murder.
6. LOGOS
• Film openings usually have the logos of the companies and the
distributors of the film. A regular film watcher would probably
not recognise these, however, the well-renowned company
logos in a film usually indicate the quality and the budget of
the film being made. As an example, if the audience sees the
Warner Bros logo at the beginning of a film, they instantly
know the budget of the film is high, therefore the quality of
the film is more likely to be of high standard.
7. ESTABLISHING GENRE OF THE FILM
The mise-en-scene is important for establishing the genre of the film and
creates a anticipating experience for the audience watching. The lighting,
staging and music all contribute to establishing the genre of the film, and
allow the viewer to get lost in the scenery. This ensure that the audience
experience this first hand and make them feel as if they are actually in the
film.
8. TYPOGRAPHY AND TITLES
Title sequences are a vital role in the capturing of the audiences
attention. The fonts size and the fonts colour are all key aspects
in gaining interest from the audience.
Texts in films are usually suited to the genre of film and to hint
at the audience about the general themes within the movie. This
is what Barthes called semiotic codes.
9. SOUNDS
In film openings, sounds are one of the most important aspects in creating and
setting the atmosphere in a film. People say that horror movies are ‘not as scary
without sound.’ They are correct. Sound in a film builds up tension, it can create a
comedic feel or it can have a depressing and sad tone. All these aspects are created by
the use of sound effects, and/or music in the background (non-diegetic sound).
Diegetic sound can also be used in the opening of a movie sequence. For example, the
audience may pick up on the type of character someone is from their tone of voice
and their language used.
