Research
What is an opening sequence?
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With most media products such as, television programs, video games, movies etc, there are opening credits shown at the beginning to list the most important members of the production. They can be shown as simple text on a blank screen, text on top of pictures or moving visuals (and more). They may or may not be accompanied mmmmmm noncey by music depending on the producer's preference and the effect they want it to have on the audience.
Things you'll usually see within an opening sequence :
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With most media products such as, television programs, video games, movies etc, there are opening credits shown at the beginning to list the most important members of the production. They can be shown as simple text on a blank screen, text on top of pictures or moving visuals (and more). They may or may not be accompanied mmmmmm noncey by music depending on the producer's preference and the effect they want it to have on the audience.
Things you'll usually see within an opening sequence :
- Name of the production companies
- Director, producer, executive producer
- Main cast members
- The title of the movie
What is the purpose of an opening sequence?
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The purpose of an opening sequence is to attract and grab the audience's attention, so that they'll be encouraged into continuing the film. They are also used to establish the key members of the piece and the genre/main themes of the production, this can be done through props, costume, sound, lighting, technical elements etc.
The main aspects of an opening sequence
Titles
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The use of titles is key when creating an opening sequence. They are a graphical feature that's used to show the titles of the movie/show, cast members and the production team, and occasionally used to build suspense leading up to the film. The titles can also be a subtle way of informing the audience about what kind of genre they are going to be watching.
Genre
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The genre of the movie is usually introduced through watching the opening sequence; themes can be portrayed by showing visuals that are associated with that particular genre, for example, if the genre of the film is romance then you'll use bright colours (mainly red) and perhaps an establishing shot
of a couple to set the scene and inform the audience of what the film will be about.
Establishing characters
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In the opening sequence of a film, introduction of the main characters is used so that audience will be more familiar with who they'll be watching. It also signifies the character's status and importance to the story, on the other hand, some main characters may not be shown so they will seem more mysterious when they appear on screen and by showing them it could provide too much information about the plot.
Narration
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This is used in order to provide information about the story. In some films they use non-diegetic sounds such as, a voice over, which is an effective way of getting the audience involved straight away, whilst also making the film seem more interesting and intriguing. However, narration can be left out in order to create tension and mystery.
Sound
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Non-diegetic and diegetic sounds are both used help set the scene or to establish the genre. The tone, volume, and the tempo, of the background track normally starts off quiet and slow-paced and builds up to up-beat and loud music in order to create excitement for the audience (keeping them engaged).
Enigma
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Used in an opening sequence to actively engage the audience as it encourages them to ask questions and really think about what going on, creating tension and keeps it interesting.
Credits
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Credits are generally shown in the opening. They're clear, bold and in a readable typography to inform the audience who was involved with producing the film. In addition to this, logos are also shown to present distribution companies (if the film has a high budget the logo will be designed to match the genre of the movie).
Flashbacks
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This can be a major convention of an opening sequence. The flashback will roughly highlight with very little detail about the narrative; showing a character's past or key event which will trigger the rest of the movie.
Action scene
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Including a fast paced opening can automatically reveal the genre of the movie and help attract the audience's attention very quickly.
Animation
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Some opening sequences include an animation to portray the beginning of the film in a creative way, this convention is commonly used in animated films, such as Pixar movies.
Compilation of photographs
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Some films some photographs to portray a certain theme, for example romance films use this convention to present the relationship between a couple.
However, some directors prefer to use a more unconventional approach when creating their opening sequence, usually to help portray a sense mystery or giving the film an artistic edge.
E.g. Main characters are not introduced, there's a lack of credits or lack of establishing shots.
Examples of opening sequences :
Skyfall
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This opening sequence starts with a wide shot of James Bond falling into water, the camera then slowly zooms in so that the audience is able to establish who the character is; the scene then fades to black (0:00 - 0:11). We're then shown the character being pulled further down while titles are presented on top of the shot (ALBERT R. BROCCOLI'S EON PRODUCTIONS LTD. Presents, DANIEL CRAIG etc), this helps to slowly build up suspense for the movie whilst also informing the audience whose involved in the production (0:14 - 0:22). The audience is then shown an animation of guns and knifes falling to the bottom of the ocean, and then turning into a graveyard (0:56 - 1:08). This could be interpreted as foreshadowing for a character's death without revealing any plot details. Additionally, the guns and knifes suggest that the genre of the film is action as these props are associated with this theme, this particular genre is fast paced and thrilling which automatically attracts the view's attention and keeps them intrigued. Furthermore, a lot of this opening sequence is animated which gives the film an artistic edge and enables them to be more creative with how they want the scene to be presented to the viewer.
I will be using some techniques similar to these ones in Skyfall in my own opening sequence, for example, in James Bond they animate most of their opening. They developed it in a 3D pre-visualisation software which is something I hope to do with mine, for this I'll be using the program blender (perhaps cinema 4D for the title). This opening sequence has also inspired me to fully establish the genre in my own, so that the audience know what they're going to be watching and stay intrigued.
Avengers Infinity War
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This opening sequence (similar to all other marvel openings) starts with the collage of comic strip images, it's fast paced which suggests that the film is an action movie whilst also giving the audience enough time to see all the images clearly (0:08 - 0:13). We are then shown each character involved in the movie, this is called establishing characters and is commonly done in opening sequences so that the audience is informed of the character's status and who's most significant to the story (0:14 - 0:21). We then see the recognisable Marvel logo, inside this title we are further shown flashbacks from the characters, this is done to highlight a part of the character's past and may help influence the rest of the movie (0:22 - 0:42).
Unlike the Marvel opening sequence, I don't want mine to be quite as fast paced. This is because mine is going to be for a post apocalyptic show, therefore I want the scenes to be slow to show the isolation and abandonment that the outbreak has caused; the title will be revealed at a more intense pace as the sequence progresses to keep to create tension. However, one aspect of the Marvel opening that I want to include in mine is the quiet background music at the beginning that slowly increases it's tempo and volume, this will help intrigue the audience and keep them in suspense.
Friends
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Target audience for The Walking Dead
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This post-apocalyptic show (which first aired in 2010), is set in America and follows a policeman named Rick Grimes, who had just woken up from a coma. The show focuses on his group and their survival in a world full on the dead. The genre of the show is horror, thriller, suspense, and drama. The main theme is based around how people would cope in a situation where their lives are constantly at stake; what the characters would do to survive and how they would react to the zombies and other humans in the apocalypse.
The target audience for The Walking Dead is mainly teenagers and young adults, the show is actually rated 18 and is shown on TV at ten o'clock. The content of the show is very gory, graphic an has adult themes which are very appealing for teenagers, young adults and those interested in horror. The Walking Dead is a perfect example of horror, gore and drama for the small screen. The special effects make-up for the zombies is a great way of making the show seem more realistic, making you more engaged in the fictional world.
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We can then faintly hear some eerie music playing in the background, which helps to build up the suspense for the movie and also keeps the audience intrigued. The letters 'E.T.' fades onto the screen in a huge, bold font; underneath fades in the words 'THE EXTRA TERRESTRIAL' (both then begin to fade out of view). The audience is then shown a series of other titles, listing the actors and other key members of the production in the same font and colour as the previous titles (ITC Souvenir and purple).
Although this opening may seem simple, throughout we are shown multiple conventions of an opening sequence, for example credits are shown along with titles. Also the genre is revealed in the opening, with a starry background we know it's science fiction, and the music tells us it could be categorised as an action as it's intense and captivating. Furthermore, one aspect I want to include in my own project is the VHS effect and the space background which are both thing associated with the 80s.
Back to the future
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Much like the E.T. opening sequence we start off with a space background, filled with moving stars. A planet earth slowly comes into view and the 'UNIVERSAL AN MCA COMPANY' logo all of a sudden scales out. This convention is called credits, its the production companies' clear, bold and readable logo, presented to the audience to inform them who was involved. We are then shown the words 'STEVEN SPIELBERG' in a large font and 'Presents' underneath it, this ensures that the audience's attention is focused on the filmmaker's name. Similar to the Stranger Things text this opening sequence includes kinetic typography, with the word 'BACK' sliding in from the right. Next to it is an eye-catching arrow which implies that it's pushing the word (could also be interpreted as a reverse button which you would get on an old VHS tape). To complete the title, 'TO THE FUTURE' fades in underneath.
The screen then cuts to a scene where the audience is shown a large collection of ticking clocks. The camera pans right, revealing old photographs, a lot of rubbish (suggesting to the audience that nobody's been home in a long time or that that owner is unorganized / messy), there's also some machines that are failing to work. From this scene the audience can understand that whoever lives there is an inventor, mostly likely an unsuccessful one due to the faulty machinery. This demonstrates the convention of establishing characters without actually introducing anyone.
For this opening sequence there is no background music, but we do however hear the consistent ticking of the clocks. This reinforces the theme of time and time travel. Although this opening is incredibly effective, for my own I won't use many similar aspects because this piece is more about foreshadowing and character establishment; mines more about genre and graphics. I will however include the Universal Studios logo in mine, whilst adding my own 80s theme to it.
Universal studios
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Universal Pictures is an American film studio owned by Comcast, and is one of Hollywood's biggest film studios. It was founded in 1912 by the German Carl Laemmle, Mark Dintenfass, Charles O. Bauman, Adam Kessel, Pat Powers, William Swanson, David Horsley, Robert H. Cochtane, and Jules Brulatour. Universal is the world's forth oldest major film studio and is located at 100 Universal City Plaza Drive in Universal City; corporate offices are found in New York City.
Some films produced by Universal Studios in the 80s include :
1990 - 1997
1997 - 2009
2009 - 2012
2012 - Present
Conclusion
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After gathering all this information I can now use this to improve my own production and make sure to include certain aspects that are usually seen in an opening sequence. In particular I'm going use the conventions of titles and animation when creating mine. Including animation will give me an artistic edge and allow myself to be as creative as possible, and titles will not only be a way of catching the audience's attention but will hopefully help to establish the genre of the movie/series itself. Furthermore, like done in the opening sequences of E.T. and Back to the Future I want to include credits. One idea I have for this is to recreate the universal logo, after researching into Universal and the films that they produced (E.T., Back to the Future, Jaws, etc) I feel it will help my opening sequence look more authentic to include one of Hollywood's biggest film studios.
Narration
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This is used in order to provide information about the story. In some films they use non-diegetic sounds such as, a voice over, which is an effective way of getting the audience involved straight away, whilst also making the film seem more interesting and intriguing. However, narration can be left out in order to create tension and mystery.
Sound
-
Non-diegetic and diegetic sounds are both used help set the scene or to establish the genre. The tone, volume, and the tempo, of the background track normally starts off quiet and slow-paced and builds up to up-beat and loud music in order to create excitement for the audience (keeping them engaged).
Enigma
-
Used in an opening sequence to actively engage the audience as it encourages them to ask questions and really think about what going on, creating tension and keeps it interesting.
Credits
-
Credits are generally shown in the opening. They're clear, bold and in a readable typography to inform the audience who was involved with producing the film. In addition to this, logos are also shown to present distribution companies (if the film has a high budget the logo will be designed to match the genre of the movie).
Flashbacks
-
This can be a major convention of an opening sequence. The flashback will roughly highlight with very little detail about the narrative; showing a character's past or key event which will trigger the rest of the movie.
Action scene
-
Including a fast paced opening can automatically reveal the genre of the movie and help attract the audience's attention very quickly.
Animation
-
Some opening sequences include an animation to portray the beginning of the film in a creative way, this convention is commonly used in animated films, such as Pixar movies.
Compilation of photographs
-
Some films some photographs to portray a certain theme, for example romance films use this convention to present the relationship between a couple.
However, some directors prefer to use a more unconventional approach when creating their opening sequence, usually to help portray a sense mystery or giving the film an artistic edge.
E.g. Main characters are not introduced, there's a lack of credits or lack of establishing shots.
Examples of opening sequences :
Skyfall
-
This opening sequence starts with a wide shot of James Bond falling into water, the camera then slowly zooms in so that the audience is able to establish who the character is; the scene then fades to black (0:00 - 0:11). We're then shown the character being pulled further down while titles are presented on top of the shot (ALBERT R. BROCCOLI'S EON PRODUCTIONS LTD. Presents, DANIEL CRAIG etc), this helps to slowly build up suspense for the movie whilst also informing the audience whose involved in the production (0:14 - 0:22). The audience is then shown an animation of guns and knifes falling to the bottom of the ocean, and then turning into a graveyard (0:56 - 1:08). This could be interpreted as foreshadowing for a character's death without revealing any plot details. Additionally, the guns and knifes suggest that the genre of the film is action as these props are associated with this theme, this particular genre is fast paced and thrilling which automatically attracts the view's attention and keeps them intrigued. Furthermore, a lot of this opening sequence is animated which gives the film an artistic edge and enables them to be more creative with how they want the scene to be presented to the viewer.
I will be using some techniques similar to these ones in Skyfall in my own opening sequence, for example, in James Bond they animate most of their opening. They developed it in a 3D pre-visualisation software which is something I hope to do with mine, for this I'll be using the program blender (perhaps cinema 4D for the title). This opening sequence has also inspired me to fully establish the genre in my own, so that the audience know what they're going to be watching and stay intrigued.
Avengers Infinity War
-
Unlike the Marvel opening sequence, I don't want mine to be quite as fast paced. This is because mine is going to be for a post apocalyptic show, therefore I want the scenes to be slow to show the isolation and abandonment that the outbreak has caused; the title will be revealed at a more intense pace as the sequence progresses to keep to create tension. However, one aspect of the Marvel opening that I want to include in mine is the quiet background music at the beginning that slowly increases it's tempo and volume, this will help intrigue the audience and keep them in suspense.
Friends
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In this opening sequence the main purpose is to establish the characters, presenting their personalities to the audience before the show has even started. This will help the viewers determine each of the character's importance to the story, and are able to recognise their significance. Additionally, the music is very upbeat and fast paced which automatically identifies the show's genre as a sitcom which means they are easily able to target a certain audience and capture their attention just with the introduction. The titles are boldly presented throughout the opening, showing which actor is which, whilst also using the font that is associated with the show (which is therefore something unique for their show only).
Although this is a good example of what an opening sequence can present to the audience, I won't be using many similar convention when creating my own. This is mainly for the reason that, Friends is a sitcom show and therefore their opening is upbeat and signifies bonds and togetherness, whereas for mine I want to use themes that is associated with horror/thrillers and post apocalyptic situations.
Target audience
About target audience :
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Demographics - this involves statistics about the consumer's age, gender, income etc (Sharma 2015). This aspect is particularly important to the production because, it gives a basic background of the costumers that the product is being aimed at.
- Age
- Gender
- Income
- Marital status
- Ethnic group
Geographics - this is information based around where the consumer is located and is vital to the production when they're determining their target audience. This is because consumers located in different areas will encounter different things that influence their interests and what they like (Kahie, 1986).
- Local
- Regional
- National
- International
Psychographics - this is the use of sociological, psychological and anthropological factors as well as consumer behaviour, style of living and self-concept to determine how different market segment groups make decisions about a
philosophy, person or product (Weinstein, 2014).
- Activities
- Attitudes
- Personality and values
Behavioural - this is the consumer's behaviour purchase / use decision process (which film they would choose to go to see for example), what
influences their purchase decision, what purposes they use the purchased good
for, and their responses and attitudes to the product (Cheng et al, 2015).
- Benefits
- Patterns
- Usage rates
Who is the target audience for my product?
Target audience for The Walking Dead
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This post-apocalyptic show (which first aired in 2010), is set in America and follows a policeman named Rick Grimes, who had just woken up from a coma. The show focuses on his group and their survival in a world full on the dead. The genre of the show is horror, thriller, suspense, and drama. The main theme is based around how people would cope in a situation where their lives are constantly at stake; what the characters would do to survive and how they would react to the zombies and other humans in the apocalypse.
The target audience for The Walking Dead is mainly teenagers and young adults, the show is actually rated 18 and is shown on TV at ten o'clock. The content of the show is very gory, graphic an has adult themes which are very appealing for teenagers, young adults and those interested in horror. The Walking Dead is a perfect example of horror, gore and drama for the small screen. The special effects make-up for the zombies is a great way of making the show seem more realistic, making you more engaged in the fictional world.
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Idea change
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Primary research
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Total respondents : 11 people
1. What is your gender?
36% of the respondents of male and the other 64% of female.
2. How old are you?
The majority of my respondents of my primary research are aged under 18 (82% - 9 people). This means that my product should be aimed toward a younger audience; 14 - 18 years.
3. What genre of TV/Film is your favourite?
18% of my respondents have answer Science fiction as their favourite genre, which is the genre that I hope to use in my own.
4. Do you always watch the opening credits of a film/TV show?
The majority of my respondents voted for that they always watch the opening sequence (64% - 7 people) which is good information to receive for when I create my own.
5. What to you, usually stands out in the opening credits?
The main two things my respondents say that they notice during an opening sequence the titles and the music, therefore those are the two thing that I will focus my piece on.
Stranger things
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The show Stranger Things is made in 2016, but the story is set in November 1983. The opening credits to this show begins with the screen turning completely black, large letters start to appear; outlined in an eye-catching glowing red light. They slowly start to form the words 'STRANGER THINGS'. The result of this kind of typography opening gives the audience a sense of mystery, and is something that could be genuinely mistaken for being created in the 80s. The font of the text is slightly imperfect which helps to create a nostalgic feeling.
Furthermore, the way in which the text is constantly moving referred to as 'kinetic typography', this gives it a very unique floating in space appearance. Additionally, the background music to the piece is very up beat yet mysterious which helps implement a sense of build-up and climax. The genre of the show is quickly established through the opening, with it's themes of mystery and 'floating in space' typography its clear that the show is science fiction / horror.
When creating my own opening sequence I'd like to take certain aspects of this opening and include into mine. One of which is the kinetic typography / images, I think this will help to establish the science fiction themes in my production.
E.T. The Extra - Terrestrial
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E.T. The Extra - Terrestrial is a 1982 American film produced and directed by Steven Spielberg. The opening sequence to this film begins with a space background where the dim stars are slowly moving towards the screen. We then suddenly see the text 'MCA HOME VIDEO', which fades to the Universal Studio logo. The first part of this opening sequence is purely to give credits to the production company (commonly one of the main aspects to an opening sequence).
We can then faintly hear some eerie music playing in the background, which helps to build up the suspense for the movie and also keeps the audience intrigued. The letters 'E.T.' fades onto the screen in a huge, bold font; underneath fades in the words 'THE EXTRA TERRESTRIAL' (both then begin to fade out of view). The audience is then shown a series of other titles, listing the actors and other key members of the production in the same font and colour as the previous titles (ITC Souvenir and purple).
Although this opening may seem simple, throughout we are shown multiple conventions of an opening sequence, for example credits are shown along with titles. Also the genre is revealed in the opening, with a starry background we know it's science fiction, and the music tells us it could be categorised as an action as it's intense and captivating. Furthermore, one aspect I want to include in my own project is the VHS effect and the space background which are both thing associated with the 80s.
Back to the future
-
Much like the E.T. opening sequence we start off with a space background, filled with moving stars. A planet earth slowly comes into view and the 'UNIVERSAL AN MCA COMPANY' logo all of a sudden scales out. This convention is called credits, its the production companies' clear, bold and readable logo, presented to the audience to inform them who was involved. We are then shown the words 'STEVEN SPIELBERG' in a large font and 'Presents' underneath it, this ensures that the audience's attention is focused on the filmmaker's name. Similar to the Stranger Things text this opening sequence includes kinetic typography, with the word 'BACK' sliding in from the right. Next to it is an eye-catching arrow which implies that it's pushing the word (could also be interpreted as a reverse button which you would get on an old VHS tape). To complete the title, 'TO THE FUTURE' fades in underneath.
The screen then cuts to a scene where the audience is shown a large collection of ticking clocks. The camera pans right, revealing old photographs, a lot of rubbish (suggesting to the audience that nobody's been home in a long time or that that owner is unorganized / messy), there's also some machines that are failing to work. From this scene the audience can understand that whoever lives there is an inventor, mostly likely an unsuccessful one due to the faulty machinery. This demonstrates the convention of establishing characters without actually introducing anyone.
For this opening sequence there is no background music, but we do however hear the consistent ticking of the clocks. This reinforces the theme of time and time travel. Although this opening is incredibly effective, for my own I won't use many similar aspects because this piece is more about foreshadowing and character establishment; mines more about genre and graphics. I will however include the Universal Studios logo in mine, whilst adding my own 80s theme to it.
Universal studios
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Universal Pictures is an American film studio owned by Comcast, and is one of Hollywood's biggest film studios. It was founded in 1912 by the German Carl Laemmle, Mark Dintenfass, Charles O. Bauman, Adam Kessel, Pat Powers, William Swanson, David Horsley, Robert H. Cochtane, and Jules Brulatour. Universal is the world's forth oldest major film studio and is located at 100 Universal City Plaza Drive in Universal City; corporate offices are found in New York City.
Some films produced by Universal Studios in the 80s include :
- E.T. the Extra Terrestrial (1982)
- Back to the Future franchise (1985-1990)
- Jaws (1989)
- The Breakfast Club (1985)
- Scarface (1983)
- Do the Right Thing (1989)
- Field of Dreams (1989)
- Out of Africa (1985)
Universal logos over 100 years
1927 - 1936
1936 - 1947
1947 - 1964
1964 - 1970
1971 - 1990
1990 - 1997
1997 - 2009
2009 - 2012
2012 - Present
Conclusion
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After gathering all this information I can now use this to improve my own production and make sure to include certain aspects that are usually seen in an opening sequence. In particular I'm going use the conventions of titles and animation when creating mine. Including animation will give me an artistic edge and allow myself to be as creative as possible, and titles will not only be a way of catching the audience's attention but will hopefully help to establish the genre of the movie/series itself. Furthermore, like done in the opening sequences of E.T. and Back to the Future I want to include credits. One idea I have for this is to recreate the universal logo, after researching into Universal and the films that they produced (E.T., Back to the Future, Jaws, etc) I feel it will help my opening sequence look more authentic to include one of Hollywood's biggest film studios.
You are creating a post-apocalyptic introduction sequence... Find audiences for several zombie TV shows e.g. the walking dead. Actually define the demographic and then... what in your piece will communicate with this audience e.g. mise-en-scene that appeals to teens? You are working on this now in the session until 4pm.
ReplyDeleteYou've quite clearly from research shown you want to create an opening sequence,
ReplyDeleteyou've also identified the audience for Walking dead and then gone through some other opening sequences that could help you, You've listed on how to find out a target audience using demographics and psychographics, maybe you should list exactly who you're sequence is for using that demographic and psychographic structure.
Now from each of the things you've looked at explain the details that inspire you and don't inspire you for your opening sequence.
There is some good research here Sasha, you have identified elements of a good opening titles/credits and analysed some examples from film and television. Since your idea has changed you have looked at 80s opening sequences.
ReplyDeleteFor your idea to develop you need to identify what you are creating. Is it a title sequence - which is a graphical sequence like James Bond or is it an opening sequence which typically the first scene of a film? like BTTF.
To enhance this , you will need to explain what information you have taken from your research and explain how this has influenced your idea. I recommend you do this as a separate paragraph (or two) at the end of the page. This might include fonts, colours, imagery sounds that might have inspired or directly influenced you.
You have good use of examples and how they relate to you and what you are going to take from them or use them but there are in some places not enough information on how it would help you or how it would inspire you such as in the et opening there is not enough on how you are going to use that to help you. As well as in some of the scenes that you have analysed you could talk about what you do like and what you do not like and how you are going to use that and how it is going to help you develop your idea and production. But apart from that you could add more detail and you could also link where you got this from but apart from that your research is good is just needs more content and more research ion to how certain things are made and how you found them and how you deiced to use certain effects and why you used them also what other options you have like the font examples you have given and do that for video effects and graphics that you have used.
ReplyDelete