This document analyzes the title sequences of four thriller films - Cowboys and Aliens, House on the End of the Street, Insidious, and Detention. The author discusses elements like colors, fonts, credits, and how the titles are presented. Overall, the document finds it most effective to show actors' names first to attract fans, present the film title at the end of the opening to leave audiences wanting more, and follow a typical credit order. Analyzing these title sequences helped the author understand how to create a successful title design for their own production.

1. Title Sequence Analysis
By Grace Crawford, AS Media Studies

2. Below are the movies that I decided to look into for the analysis of the title sequence timeline, I used these four movies
each with the genre thriller inside but submerged with other genres to, in order for me to easily understand the different
frames that has been positioned onto each of the movies timeline to eventually help me to create my own timeline for my
own production, after the completion of that task, I shall now go onto comparing each of the films timelines, discussing
upon the use of colours, fonts and positions as well as timings and credits in order, with this information I can go on to
successfully creating my own titles and credits for when I begin to create my production.

3. Cowboys and Aliens (2011, Directed by Jon
Favreau)
Cowboys and Aliens had titles and credits, along with footage of the film throughout the opening, this being the
protagonist waking up disorientated in the western outback, and making his way to the nearest town via horse.
I quite liked how they did this as it marked the opening of the movie, it also allowed audiences to gain a basic
understanding of what the film is about, as the opening sequence introduces the characters, settings, Mise en scene..etc,
whilst also screening credits across the screen, I found it effective however the only problem I experienced was the
difficulty in reading out the titles and credits, so if I was to do this for my production, I would need to ensure that the
titles and credit are readable for audiences and are positioned and presented in a coherent and professionalized manner.

4. House on the end of the street (2012, Directed
by Mark Tonderai)
I found that in this film, the opening credits and titles dominate over the footage of the film, which in one way I found quite engaging as it built the films
tension up as the titles went in sync with the eerie music. I also liked the use of colours the white against black, connoting good and evil connecting to
Levi Strauss Binary Opposites which I found to be an effective use of colour, linking to the thriller genre seriously well.
Animation has also been inflicted onto the credits and titles, making the words blink as well as levitate above one another, linking into the genre of
supernatural occurrences within the film, which I found to be quite effective and engaging for audiences.
I felt that by dominating over footage throughout the opening may be effective, however I don’t think that it’s the right thing for me to do, especially as
the titles and credits would have to be accurate and on point, building up tension and displaying meaning to audiences, as this is my first time
accomplishing this aspect of work, I don’t think that by dominating over the production would be as successful as the film, so I may refine doing this.

5. Insidious (2011, Directed by James Wan)
This film for me really linked into the thriller genre well in regards to titles and credits throughout the opening, the
colours were a bold red against a film noir background, displaying strong conventions of suspension and anticipation
amongst audiences, the use of the establishing shots conveys to audiences that the central plot will be taken in this
location, the use of low key lighting really sets the mood of a depressing bleak atmosphere and the unknown within
this film, setting in excitement for audiences. Similarly, like House on the end of the street, this film also places
animation and effects on the text, I think this is more engaging for audiences and certainly links to the conventions
within the film, I find that the use of colours are also engaging and easily readable as well.

6. Detention (2012, Directed by Joseph Kahn)
Detention showed me other alternative methods of displaying film titles and credits, here I can see that they have aimed at their target audience
through the use of titles by displaying them on the interests and lifestyles of young people, the props used for the titles are seen as social norms that
young people in society are often seen with today, ie the pictures below communicates this clearly with the use of fashion wear and devices clearly
showing that these are known items that young people are seen with.
I found this very clever however I don’t think it linked to the thriller genre very well, however it did link with the target audience really well and
connected with their pleasures and lifestyles, something of which that I have to think about due to my target audience also being young people, so
this has provided me with good insights to this.

7. Overall…
Each of the films I’ve analysed offer a very similar layout in which credits and titles are
presented to audiences, I found that the higher budget films ( Insidious and Cowboys and
Aliens) presents the name of the director first, indicating to me that the directors use of
name at the start promotes the film, committing audiences into watching it due to the high
success rate from previous films that the director has been involved with.
However, the other films House on the end of the Street and Detention had approached it
differently, where they’ve promoted the use of actors and actresses names at the start and
than directors at the end, here these films show popular and recognisable names Detention,
Josh Hutcherson and House on the end of the street, Jennifer Lawrence, initially trying to
appeal to a younger audience due to the young actors name being shown at the start.
I find that its more effective in displaying actors names first to show who's staring in the
film, that way fans of the actors can instantly see who is starring in the film and be more
committed to watching it as I find audiences are a lot more familiar with actors names than
directors.

8. In terms of film titles, the films have shared the idea of presenting the title of their film right at the end
of the opening (except Detention), I find this an effective convention to do as it allows audiences to know
more information about the films plot once the opening has ben revealed to them, giving them an urge to
watch on to find out more about it. I find that this was important as openings of thrillers are needed to be
essentially scary and frightening to give audiences an insight in to what the film will revolve around and by
leaving the opening on a cliff-hanger to show the titles I find has been done effectively and leaves
audiences wanting more, instantly committing them into watching the rest of the film.
I think that applying the titles name at the start will leave the audiences uninterested and bored, especially
if the titles dominates the screen, I think that in order for a thriller to be successful it needs to display the
title of the film at the end of the opening, that way there would be a clean cut from opening sequence to
movie, allowing audiences to easily follow the narrative.

9. The typical order within the film usually starts as,
1. Company Institutions
2. Actors Names
3. Casting Credit
4. Music credit
5. Photography Credit
6. Executive Credit
7. Producers Credit
8. Co Producers Credit
9. Editor credit
10. Director Credit
When watching through the four films, I roughly got the order that
were seen as conventional for audiences to expect in that order the
titles took place in, this will come to help to help me when I come to
create my own productions as I will be able to refer back to it.
This task has helped and expanded my understanding and
knowledge of title sequence, allowing me to create successful titles
that are effective and conventional for my target audience.