Title sequence

Title sequence 

What is the title sequence for?

The title sequence is used to show the title, as it introduces the film. It also, introduces the film and gives information on the main characters, producers and directors. 

What should be included in a title sequence?

• A title
• Credits
• Actors names
• Production company and logo (indent)
• Director
• Producer 
• Screenplay
• Editor
• Music

Opening titles

In the cut 

Pathe
Production company LTD presents
A Laurie Parker
A Jane Campion Film
Main Stars
Casting by
Music composed by
Music supervisor
Costumes designed by
Edited by
Production design by
Director of photography
Screenplay by
Based on the novel by
Executive producer
Produced by
Directed by
Title - In the cut

Seven 

Warner Bros. 

New line cinema

Directors

A film by

Main Stars
Title - Seven
Less important stars
Casting by
Music by
Costumes designed by
Edited by
Production design
Director of photography
Co-producers
Co-executive producers
Executive producer
Written by
Produced by
Directed by

Panic Room

Production company - Columbia pictures

Columbia pictures presents

Production

Main stars

Title - Panic Room

Less important stars

Casting by

Costume designer

Music by

Film editors

Production designer

Produced by

Written by

Directed by

Cliffhangers

Cliffhangers

Sometimes, although not always, used. Often feature a main character in a precarious or difficult dilemma, or confronted with a shocking revelation. 

This can entice the audience to keep watching in order to see how the situation resolves itself. 

e.g: The Italian Job - when a bus almost rolls over a cliff and hangs loosely on the edge while a group of men try to steady the bus while a man tries to retrieve the gold on the other side of the bus, over the cliff, the movie ends, in need to be continued. 

Enigmas

Enigmas 

This refers to a puzzle, something mysterious or inexplicable, or a riddle or difficult problem. 

In thrillers this is commonly something which the protagonist has to try to find out or solve before the narrative is resolved and the film finishes. 

e.g: North by North West - Main character, Thornhill, sent to meet a man (Kaplan) who will explain why he has been mistaken for a government agent and, we believe, can help him. 

Shock

Shock

Sock is a sudden upsetting or surprising event or experience. 

Now imagine the same scene except that instead of the camera revealing the bomb under the table it, without any warning, explodes and kills all present. 

• This is SHOCK!

e.g: Children of Men - During a normal moment when a man comes into a busy cafe and orders a coffee, then steps outside and puts his coffee to rest, when the cafe explodes all of a sudden. 

Red herrings

Red herrings 

A red herring is the name given to a device which intends to divert the audience from the truth or an item of significance. Can work with other devices(enigmas)to create suspense. 

e.g: Saw - two characters spend time imprisoned in a room in which a third character lies dead. Throughout the film, both characters appear to be guilty of a series of murders, until it is discovered at the end that the thrid person in the room is not actually dead but is, in fact, the killer. 

Narrative - Structure, Formulas and Devices

Narrative - Structure, Formulas and Devices 

e.g: Use of continuity 

The clear establishment of cause and effect plotting which establishes character motivations and helps tell an interesting story which proceeds logically and steadily.

Suspense

Suspense 

Suspense is the feeling of excitement or anxiety caused by having to wait for something as the audience. 

Imagine a scene in a film similar to this (classroom, students, teacher). the camera reveals that there is a bomb under the table to the audience but we (the students, teacher) are unaware of it.

• Will we be saved?
• Will the bomb go off?
• This is SUSPENSE! 

e.g: Sabotage - After a boy receives a package to be delivered by a specific time, though, after many celebrated events going on at this very moment, the boy hops onto a bus, while traffic builds up and the clock ticks along to its due time, then to the bomb then clock and bomb again, then finally to the bus that explodes. 

Types of thrillers

There are different types of thrillers such as spy thrillers.

Spy thrillers -They usually involve governments and secret agents and their risk of being discovered by their enemies. They offer plenty of exciting escapism, technological skills and exotic locations, and combines the actions and science fiction genres. This identifies the heroes to root for their villains. e.g: Bourne Legacy

Political thrillers - A political thriller is a thriller that is to do with a political power struggle where powerful people struggle for power.They involve extra-legal plots, designed to give political power to someone, where his opponents try to stop him. e.g: The Manchurian Candidate 

Conspiracy thrillers - Are movies that involve corrupt people doing the wrong things and the protagonists trying to defeat them.Its when the hero confronts their enemies who true extent only the protagonist recognizes. e.g: Taken

Legal thrillers - is a crime thriller where the major characters are lawyers and their employees  Most of the time, the lawyers become involved in proving their clients innocent case so such an extent that they may even imperil their own interpersonal relationships and frequently their own lives. e.g: Pelican Brief 

Psychological thrillers - these type of films mainly focus on the unstable states of characters in combination with mystery and thriller.. it also, incorporates elements from the mystery and drama genre, along with the thriller genre. they may often overlap with the horror genre, particularly psychological horror. e.g: Psycho

Chuck Jones and the rules

Charles Martin "Chuck" Jones (September 21, 1912 - February 22 2002) was an animator cartoon artist, screenwriter, producer and director. Most known for Looney tunes and Merrie Melodies. He has directed many of the classic short animated cartoons starring Bug Bunny, Daffy Duck and the Road Runner.


His rules for the Road Runner were:

The Road Runner cannot harm or upset the coyote except by going "MEEP!" "MEEP!"

No outside force can harm the coyote, only his own ineptitude or the failure of Acme Products.

The coyote could stop anytime - if he were not a fanatic.

No dialogue ever, except "MEEP!" "MEEP!"

 Road Runner must stay on the road - otherwise , logically , he would not be called the Road Runner. 

All action must be confined to the natural environment of the two characters - The Southwest American desert.

All materials, tools, weapons, or mechanical conveniences must be obtained from Acme Corporation.

Whenever possible, make gravity the coyotes greatest enemy.

The coyote is always more humiliated than harmed by his failures.

Continuity of editing

The purpose of continuity of editing is to make sure that once you film and have a break that the editing process is kept the same with the same features between shots.

Otherwise, if you filmed someone with long hair then after a month they've cut it off that would be discontinuity editing.