The title sequence of the film "The Butterfly Effect" begins with the quote "Change one thing, change everything" fading in over a black screen with slow background music. Blue and white flashing lights then appear under a water-like visual effect, possibly representing police cars. More titles then appear in the same flowing water style. Later, a bright light under the water possibly represents a medical setting like a doctor's office. The flashing lights then take the shape of a beating butterfly's wings, linking to the film's title. As the music increases in speed and intensity, the butterfly's wings beat faster and closer to the screen, leaving the viewer with an unsettling atmosphere.

1. Title Sequence Analysis, The Butterfly
Effect
“Change one thing, change everything” appears fading into the
middle of a black screen with only the sound of a slow music
sequence in the background. This quote, really makes you think
about what will change throughout the film and why it has been mad
to change, this makes you think about the film without even seeing
any characters or scenes, only this quote, and that is a really good
way to drag your audience into the film before it has even started.
Then the quote fades out from the screen, however this time it looks
more like it is fading underneath water, as it has the flow of ripple in
a wave. “Newline Cinema” then flows onto the screen, again in a
water type flow. Flashing blue and white lights start to show
underneath the water effect on the title sequences, this could show
representation of police cars to the audience, making you try and link
the beginning quote to what is happening for there to be police cars
involved. Then more of production titles begin to show in the same
format the quote and ‘Newline Cinema’ appeared.
After the blue lights have been flashing underneath the water effect, a
bright white and orange light shows underneath the water with a
continuous ripple as if the water has just been touched, this bright
light could represent being underneath a light in a doctors room,
getting surgery or being checked up on, linking to the police and
beginning quote, maybe something he has changed has caused harm
to him or others around him. After this has been shown for one title
appearing, it then flickers back to the blue and white flashing lights.
Now, the blue and white flashing lights appear more to the viewer as
a butterfly’s wing beating or fluttering about, linking more to the title
“The Butterfly Effect”. The butterfly’s wings seem to start beating
faster and get closer to the screen as the music gets louder and more
faster, this would create intensity throughout the audience and have
more of an atmosphere through them all. From this point onwards
until the end of the title sequence the music and light theme
continues the same, however the butterfly’s wing, every now and
then, gets closer to the screen and shows more details of the black,
white and blue pattern on the wing. The wing movement throughout
this seems unsettling as if the butterfly can barely move, this will also
create an atmosphere throughout the audience as it will then create

2. an unsettling feeling throughout the viewers. This is then when “The
Butterfly Effect” appears on the screen, staying still and not moving
like water, however just before the title sequence ends, one drop inbetween the words make it move rapidly, ending the title sequence.