Analysis: Title Sequences

What is a title sequence and why are they used?

A title sequence, sometimes called an intro, are used in a piece of film to establish names of key importance to the film. A title sequence will often include the title of the film, the most important actors in the film (If actors names are included in the title sequence they are likely to be the, or at least part of the, USP of the film) and the name of the director, if it is deemed to be of importance to the piece. For example, if the director of the film was Steven Spielberg, this would be included in the title sequence, as he would be part of the USP of the film.

Title sequences help to introduce the genre of the film with the typography that is used. Additionally, the background of the title sequence differs in every film, ranging from them appearing on footage of the film, them appearing on still images, or them being part of an animation. Being part of an animation is a more rare form of title sequence, but an example of this would be the Pixar title screen with the desk lamp.

Analysis of title screens taken from existing pieces:

Tangled

This title screen is taken from one of Disney’s most popular animated princess movies, Tangled. The typography used here is representative of the focus of the narrative, and of the genre of the film. The use of the golden colour, and of the elongated typography reflects Rapunzel’s hair, which is a very large part of the narrative. Its golden shimmer represents the magical qualities that her hair possesses, and it also suggests that the film is centred around a princess, due to the colour gold having connotations with wealth and royalty. Due to the fact that the title sequence of Tangled on includes the name of the film, this highlights that the target audience of the film is children. This is because children have limited reading abilities, and are only interested in the name of the film, and not any of the actors voicing the characters, or any of the production team. 

Harry Potter 

This title screen is taken from one of the films in the extremely successful Harry Potter franchise. The typography used here helps to reflect Harry’s struggles in life, with the edges of the letters being very sharp and crooked, and it also suggests the dangers that he faces, and that he battered from the conflicts he has endured. The letter ‘P’ is very significant in the Harry Potter franchise, as the typography represents the iconic scar that was created by Voldemort that is located on Harry’s forehead. The icy grey colour used helps to create fear in the audience, and foreshadows danger, destruction and death in the film. Additionally, the words ‘Harry Potter’ appear larger than that of the rest of the words in the title signifies that the importance is not which film it is, but in fact that it i part of the Harry Potter franchise, due to the fame that franchise has created for itself. The dark, cloudy background creates an eerie atmosphere for the audience and almost creates a sense of foreboding, which further foreshadows the dangers that the characters will face in the film.

Deadpool

Deadpool is a film that took a rather unorthodox approach to the title sequence and its use. Instead of using it as a means to state the USP’s of the film, it used it as a means to add yet another comedic element into the film. As you can see in the photos above, instead of using actors/characters names, the production team have simply stated things such as “A CGI Character”. Also, when stating who the film was directed by it said “Directed by An Overpaid Tool”. The swapping of real names for names that are almost an insult to the individual, is a tool used by the production team as a means to draw a laugh from the audience, which is very much a key element of the entire film. Also, doing the title sequence in this way makes it appear as though Deadpool, the character himself, has written these titles, as he is far from complimentary to people, and delivers one liners that are designed to make the audience erupt in laughter. It also makes the film very memorable, as this is not something that is commonly, if ever, seen in films, so it draws attention to the film from the audience.