Sequence Clip Review

         I think the opening sequence of films has a huge impact on the audience watching. There are a variety of ways the opening of a film can be designed and created, using different fonts, sounds, colors, people, words, etc. The opening of a film can either help the movie or ruin the whole thing. Many people don't know or understand the amount of work that is put into making some openings to films, whereas others are just thrown together and forgot about at the end. 

 
 

         The author Miles Merril (2004) states, "First frames: titles in the digital realm" It states, " We try to get onboard with our clients from the beginning. So, it's almost pre-production rather than leaving it until the end--like 'oh yeah we better get some credits on this thing'--which is generally what happens with most films unfortunately. " (2004)This shows that some film makers don't put much thought into the opening sequence, which can really hurt their film in the long run. Other films have hidden secrets and codes that give signs or suggestions about what's to come. For example, the movie "JAWS" (Steven Spielberg, 1975) Starts out the opening sequence under water with scary and suspenseful music that gets faster and louder ( this builds suspense in the viewer). The title of the movie has a greyish kind of color with sharp bold lettering. The "J", in "JAWS" has a pointed end that looks like a shark's tooth. It's not even a minute in and the audience can already get an idea of what the film holds. It then eventually leads to a girl swimming in the ocean at night that gets bitten by something under water, and gets dragged down, but shows that nobody saw or heard anything ( This may give different viewers different emotions, like upset, or suspenseful) . It also doesn't show what bit her, but from other clues in the beginning we can assume it was a shark. This mystery with clues allows the audience to think and become invested in the movie to find out what happened. 

        In many movies you can learn about the main character right away and know their personality and lifestyles from just the opening sequences. In the movies, "What About Bob" (Frank Oz, 1991), and "Saturday Night Fever" (John Badham, 1977) both show who the main characters are in the opening of the movie. They do this by showing the way they act, dress, where they work, etc. For example, in the film "What About Bob" It shows him talking to his fish, trying to distress himself with a pep talk, and oil diffuser, plus also being scared to touch the walls in the hallways. The audience can get from this that he's a little different, has anxiety, and fears the outside world. In "Saturday Night Fever" It shows the main character walking with confidence in a fancy red outfit, wearing expensive shoes, looking at women, and even talking to people who already know him, showing he's a regular, rich, and is a ladies man. 

 

 

         The article, (2004) "First frames: titles in the digital realm", also states, "Film titles are very important because they set up the expectation of an audience. They are usually the first thing you see. Good titles design stems from an idea rather than flashy or experimental graphics per se. An opening title sequence generally engages with the big themes of the film and looks at overarching themes and metaphors of the film. " An amazing example of this is the movie, " The Lion King" (Rob Mincoff and Roger Allers, 1994) This is because the title itself already gives a good idea of the main part of the movie, a lion who's the king. In the opening sequence it also gives a good explanation of what's to come by showing all animals coming together for the new king who is a lion, there is also happy music that repeats, "the circle of life", showing that it's a new beginning for a new king.  

 

 

        Lastly, the movie "scream" (Wes Craven, 1996) shows a good example of using colors and noises to show a look of what the movie might hold. In the movie the title pops up on the screen with loud noise and turns red with screaming in the background. In the beginning of the movie it shows a girl that is home alone and is in the middle of nowhere, which can help the audience experience fear. This gives the audience a good idea of what they're in for.  

 

        Overall, the opening sequences to films can make or break your movie depending on how much thought went into it or the different strategies that were used in the making. The role these films play in developing interest in the audience is huge! My current position on if I want to do a film or magazine is that I am leaning more towards doing a magazine than film. This is because after reading the article and learning about films vs magazines, I think I would do better at making a magazine. This is also because I don't have much experience with technology or have never made a film before and after seeing the amount of experience you need to make a very good one, I am leaning towards magazine.