1. Film Opening Sequences
L/O:
-to know what an opening sequence is
-be able to use key terms to analyze an opening
sequence

2. Key Terms
• Opening sequence
• Title sequence
• Teaser
• Billing
– top billing
• Titles/Credits
• Film title
• Film credit
• Opening credits
• End credits

3. Film opening sequence
• What is it?
• What are their purposes?
• What are some of your favourites? Why?

4. Key Terms DEFINITIONS
Film Film Billing Opening Title Opening Closing
Title Credit Sequence Sequence Credits Credits
(Top & Last)
(Cold-
open/Teaser)
Title of film Name and/or The process The opening of a film The opening credits of The credits and the The credits
role of person of placing a film in which the beginning of the film and the end
worked on film titles and title and credits are of the film
credits in a More modern films that separate from the film
film set a scene in the itself
opening which creates
enigma (like a trailer) is
called cold open or
Ex James Bond
teaser. Example = 4-3-2-
1 opening
Top = most
important
Last = least
important
http://www.youtube.com/watch
?v=4uaYiWu7uZs&safe=active

5. Recent trends
• Opening sequences used to just be titles (billing)
• Now there are so many styles:
– Opening sequence (montage or narrative based)
– Title sequence
– Teaser
– Short and sweet and some long and complex
• Many major American films have done away with opening credits, not even
displaying the film title until beginning of closing credits
– Van Helsing in 2004
– Batman Begins in 2005
– High school music – scene AFTER credits
– Liar Liar & Cheaper by the Dozen 2- bloopers
– The Hangover (intrigued to watch pictures which answer story in film)
– Slumdog Millionaire (end credits have dance routine worked in)

6. Genre
• Different films and genres do these different:
– Introducing characters
– Establishing setting/story
– Graphics/titles (title sequence)
– Showing titles only
• DRAMA
• THRILLER
• HORROR
• ACTION
• ROMANCE

7. EVOLUTION (WIK)
• Some opening credits are presented over the opening sequences of a film, rather
than in a separate title sequence.
• In some films/TV shows, the title and opening credits may be preceded by a "cold
open," or teaser (brief scene), that helps to set the stage for the episode or film
4321 Scream 4
Is a ‘teaser’ as it previews a section later in the film Next slide….
It cuts off suddenly to create enigma, in which the
film will answer the ultimate question as to why she
jumped off bridge http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLrAbsppc
jw&safe=active
No credits!!! But has a good reason….
-trilogy (actors/companies and previous films
already known
-way to sell a film which people see as ‘typical
horror/slasher”

8. Scream 4 opening
Part 1 Part 2 Part 3
-typical convention with slight modern -audience sees that part 1 is a like a -they discuss stereotypical conventions of
twists (facebook/texting) parody of scream 1 – horror films
-similar to first opening sequence -however the convention of ‘unpredictable - The chase/kill sequence reinforces
killer’ is then a parody conventions but also challenges them!

9. Opening Sequence Record Sheet
• Make sure you record all the opening sequences you watch
over time!
• Write in chart
• Eventually you will put on your blog

10. You will analyse an Opening Sequence
• PURPOSE
• CONVENTIONS (relation to genre)
• CAM SAM
• MES
• EDITING
• SOUND
• NARRATIVE
• NARRATIVE THEORIES

11. Template to fill in
• Use this to take notes as you watch a clip

12. Art of the Title www.artofthetitle.com
This website is fab!
Has loads of great
opening sequences and
title sequences.
(no animated or
title/credit only title
sequence analysis!)
If you click on one, you
can then scroll down for
more info (usually from
directors)

13. Opening Sequence

14. Task
• To complete a group analysis on 1 opening
sequence
• BUT you must individually keep researching
opening sequences
– Write down on the record chart to keep track of all
the ones you watch
– Then put them on your blog:
• hyper link of address (from youtube/artofthetitle)
• screen grabs
• bullet points about how they are effective)

15. Task (Assignment 9)
• These are the
instructions!

16. Groups
Groups Names Film to analyse
(From art of the title)
U turn
1 Chelsea Monae Laura
Red lights
2 Abigail Russ Nicole
gattaca
3 Rosie Marisha Helen
Cabin in the woods
4 Jodie Amy Maria
Dawn of the dead
5 Jhane Ingrid Fatou
To kill a mockingbird
6 Michaela Rianne Pam

17. Model ‘Seven’
• Let’s do one together
• Get your opening sequence template
• Will watch 4 times so take as many notes as
possible
• http://www.artofthetitle.com/title/se7en/

18. Assignment 9: Opening
Sequence Analysis
Name 1
Name 2
Name 3

19. Group names & responsibilities
Task 1 Task 2 Task 3
Name 1 Purpose/Conventions MES Narrative theory:
___________________
Name 2 CAM SAM Sound Narrative theory:
___________________
Name 3 Editing Narrative Narrative theory:
___________________

20. ‘Seven’
Film Details
Genre Psychological Crime Thriller
Year 1995
Director David Fincher
Main Actors Brad Pitt
Morgan Freeman
Gwenyth Paltrow
Kevin Spacey

21. Film: Se7en
Genre: Psychological Crime Thriller

22. Template Notes

23. Purpose (Genre)
Thriller Crime Psychological

24. Purpose (Opening Sequence)
• The purpose of this opening sequence is….
1.
2.
3.
4.

25. Conventions
General conventions of genre Conventions in Seven Similar Films
(RE-INFORCE or CHALLENGE)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

26. Camera Shots
CLOSE UPS EXTREME CLOSE UPS PURPOSE
-no mid shots or long
shots
-to create enigma
and mystery of
objects, settings and
characters
See parts of a book but in reverse for mystery
Understand a book or journal is involved – but shot is not
overhead so audience can’t see content
• Explanation 1
• Explanation 2
• Explanation 3
Can see pages of the book, not detail of writing but can see
the writer is very obsessive

27. Camera Angles

28. Camera Movement

29. Mise-en-scene: Lighting

30. Mise-en-scene: Character
Term Screen grab and Annotation
Representation
Body
Language
Costume
Props

31. EDITING
• Diegesis
• Continuity Editing
• Pace
• Time
• Cutting
• Transitions
• Transitions
• Special Effects

32. SOUND
• Sound scape
• Diegetic
• Non-diegetic
• Synchronous
• Ambient
• Sound effects/foley
• Score music
• Dialogue
• Volume control
• Voiceover
• Mode of address/direct
• Sound perspective

33. NARRATIVE

34. NARRATIVE THEORY
Todorov

35. NARRATIVE THEORY
Barthes

36. NARRATIVE THEORY
Propp

37. NARRATIVE THEORY
Cameron