The document provides annotations for four film title sequences analyzing genre, semiotics, and personal reflections. The sequences summarized are for Casino Royale, Final Destination 3, The Little Mermaid, and 500 Days of Summer. Key elements analyzed across the sequences include music choice, imagery, symbolism, and how they set expectations for each film's genre and story.

1. Annotate (min 4 print screens) four title sequences using subject terminology and looking at
genre, semiotics and reflection (your views).
1. Casino Royale
Casino Royale is an action film based on
the secret agent figure known as James
Bond aka 007.
The title sequence begins with a shot of
Bond in a bathroom shooting a gun into
the screen. As soon as the bullet is
fired, the lively theme score
immediately kicks in (connoting to the
action genre) and the screen shows a
signifier of red dripping down the
screen which we immediately link to
the signified idea of blood.
Throughout the sequence there are
constant connotations to the film title
and the genre/what the film is about.
The backgrounds to every animated
shot match the patterns often seen on
tables in casinos. The animations
feature guns, money, and many other
connotations to a casino. For example
the symbols on playing cards are used
to signify bullets and in the many fight
sequences featured in the titles, the
characters burst into cards thus
signifying their death. Also the
appearance of ‘007’ during the
sequence reminds the audience it is a
Bond film.
The editing used for the action action is
shown mainly in slow motion to make it
more dramatic and highlight the tense
battle.

2. The sequence ends with a shot of
Bond walking towards the camera is
a slow motion edit, surrounded by
clouds of bank notes and playing
cards. This shot shows a
representation of his character as
he is portrayed as a powerful and
strong male. His formal costume
implies intelligence and this
combined link in with a
stereotypical white male as seen by
the modern day male majority ruled
society. As he nears the camera he
begins to convert back into real life,
asserting his powerful presence in
the film as he glares hard into the
screen and the opening sequence
ends, showing all focus of the film is
on him.
2. Final Destination 3
Final Destination 3 is the third film
in a series of thriller movies in
which characters escape death and
are then hunted down by it and
killed in bizarre and horrific ways.
The title sequence begins with slow
paced shots looking at rides around
an empty fairground at night. They
are edited together using fade cuts
which makes the park appear eerie
and sinister. The score used has a
slow and eerie build up, making it
apprehensive and anticipating
(linking to the thriller genre).
Sound is used when you hear the
screams echoing ghostly from the
rides but no human life is visible.

3. A slow and creepy robot is shown
sliding its finger along a row of
cards to point to the one reading
‘death’ as the film title begins to
dissolve onto the screen, already
foreshadowing what is going to be
the main feature of the film and
hence the ‘final destination’ of the
characters.
Connotations to the storyline are
used again when a sign reading ‘Do
you believe in fortunes’ appears.
The score begins to pick up pace,
becoming louder and more
dramatic. Also the screams echoing
around the rides become louder
and clearer and the rides appear to
pick up pace along with the titles.
Finally a ball is seen travelling
through an eerie machine
(accompanied by creepy mechanical
sound effects), in which it circles
the words ‘luck’ and ‘fate’ before
falling into its final destination
reading ‘death’.
3. The Little Mermaid
The Little Mermaid is a Disney fairy
tale aimed at children in which a
mermaid seeks her dream to leave
the kingdom and become human.
The title sequence begins with a
small fish swimming away from a
boat, or what could be conceived as

4. The sequence then links through a
number of beautiful scenes of the
underwater world, showing fish and
plants, and uses the fade transition
to make it appear to be a magical
underwater world (appealing to
children and their genre). The score
turns into an orchestral version of
the theme song, making what is
shown on screen seem wondrous.
Then as a male swims up from
below the camera and into main
focus, the mer people are
introduced to the film. The score
becomes even more enchanting,
almost in awe of the merman.
The shots follow the mermaids
through various parts of the ocean
as more and more begin to
assemble and swim towards the
same destination.
The shot then shows all the
mermaids swimming up to a palace,
showing their kingdom and implying
that something amazing is about to
happen. The palace is glowing
brightly compared to the rest of the
ocean shots shown so far, signifying
that it is a magical place.
On the whole the titles are slow
paced and simple to appeal to the
child target audience.

5. 4. 500 Days of Summer
500 Days of Summer is an
indie/comedy film about a man who
falls in love and almost obsesses
over a woman who only sees their
relationship as casual.
The film begins before the title
sequence with a voiced over scene
summing up the story and
introducing the two main
characters. The scene ends with the
line “you should know up front, this
is not a love story” and then the
titles begin.
The title sequence begins with a
quick paced reminiscing sort of
score. It shows close ups of two
children’s eyes one at a time, which
we understand to be the two main
characters when they were
younger.
The rest of the sequence then
shows side by side clips of the two
characters doing similar things from
their childhood. The titles appear
very personal and sentimental. The
poor quality of the clips and colour
grain signify that they are personal
home videos belonging to the
families of each of the characters.
Featuring purely just these two
characters throughout the
sequence makes it clear to us that
they are central to the plot and the
main characters in the film. Also a
use of similar shots imply the
characters are connected and
therefore destined to meet,
something reflected in the beliefs of
one of the characters.