RESEARCH: ART OF THE TITLE: MINDHUNTER

Research: Art of the Title: Mindhunter

This title sequence follows a linear storyline and splicing of horrifying images plotted throughout. The use of a linear storyline makes it easier for the audience to understand and keep track of what is on the screen. The opening sequence allows the filmmaker and the production team to prepare the audience for the chilling and jarring world that they are entering. 

The tile sequence is a person setting up an old audio recording machine, therefore introducing to the audience a character, causing the audience to question and think about why the are now focused on this person. Questions of why he is significant?, what is his occupation?, and why are hard cuts of corpses featured alongside him at the start? This is effective because it engages the target audience.

The horrifying images portray different body parts of multiple corpses and this is an effective use of quick hard cuts. This is because the images are quickly shown to the audience but too quickly for them to fully process.This creates a semantic field of psychological horror as the images on the screen are not shown for long. Therefore leaving the audience’s imagination to depict a grimmer image. Also, these images are shown to the audience to indicate that throughout the of the episodes, there will be a lot of chilling moments and setting a morbid atmosphere for the audience.

The sound of an unnerving and gentle piano playing the background, creating an eerie atmosphere for the audience, is successful as it follows the stereotypical conventions of a Psychological horror TV genre. The piano playing in the minor key follows the linear storyline but on the stressed chord the hard cuts are shown. Throughout the big close up shots of the recording machinery, there is diegetic sound of the person setting it up. This helps the audience to focus on thinking of what this person is using this equipment for and possibly their occupation. At the end of the title sequence, the title ‘Mindhunter’ appears and in the background, there is a humming of a breath. This could illustrate to the audience that the humming sound could be the corpse's last breath.
What really intrigued me was the quick hard cuts, and I would like to use this in my opening film sequence. This is because it made me question and think of a deeper meaning behind the title sequence. The use of extremely rapid hard cuts is powerful as this technique deliberately withholds information that it appears to offer. Alongside the hard cuts, I am inspired by the use of sound and music. the gentle piano music made me relaxed but when the hard cuts came and the diegetic sound got quieter, I felt uncomfortable. after the cuts the music would continue to relax me. this is effective as it makes the audience's minds open up to the unnerving images.

RESEARCH: ART OF THE TITLE: THE LAST OF US

RESEARCH: ART OF THE TITLE: THE LAST OF US

The title sequence starts with a faint violin being played and the title 'The Last of Us' appears on a black background. The letters are in white and the whole text is in bold, which could represent how the survivors of the virus outbreak have to be bolder than themselves to survive the darkness. The movie/game is about a virus that spread through USA. Also, it is about 20 years after the outbreak, where Joel (the protagonist) has to find his way across, what is left of various states, with a young girl (Ellie) who is immune to the virus. However, they are not the only people surviving, some are good and some are evil. 

After the title is shown, there is a hard cut to shots of fungus (representing the virus in the body) spreading across the screen. And this continues throughout the rest of the opening title sequence. As this extreme close up is shown, it looks as though it is showing what is seen under a microscope, when exploring the virus. Furthermore, an acoustic guitar is being played (plucked) in the background and there is diegetic sounds of a male and female reporters, reporting about the virus spreading and being dying. This is effective because it connotes the thought of ruin and decay, and how easily life can change, which is also illustrated in the quick hard cuts. The soft guitar playing, Gustavo Santaolalla's poignant score, allows the viewer to feel as though they want to be comfortable but cannot, due to the disturbing news from the reporters. This is effective because it draws the attention of the viewer and makes them envisage what a world of ruin, infected people and a corrupt civilisation would look like. 

Throughout the whole of the title sequence the it is in black and white, which could symbolise how the world is quickly diminishing and in dyer need for change. Also the shots are slightly fuzzed (pixeled) which could illustrate how technology is less to nothing and how it is a technology free world. Also it would connote how the survivors are confused about how the virus broke out. The text font and size is very small, connoting the idea of the viewers seeing what is through a microscope and are in bold, white lettering to make it clearer for the viewers to read and understand. I like how the shots are in black and white as it allows me to think of how i would cope in a world without technology and filled with infected people. The pace is very quick throughout the title sequence to allow the viewer to depict their own views and to make them slightly panic while watching it. This was effective as it connects to the viewers mind and changes their emotional state.

RESEARCH: ART OF THE TITLE: STRANGER THINGS

RESEARCH: Art of the Title: Stranger Things

The title sequence starts with a synth wave, which was popular in the 1980s film and music industry, and shows the first credit saying 'A Netflix Original Series'. This helps to establish who has created the series. The very slow tracking shots as the titles comes together draws attention to the credits and creates suspense. This also illustrates the genre of the series, which is a thriller/ horror. The colours of the main title sequence are stereotypical of this genre and the historical context behind the series.

The show’s main titles function as a tribute to some of the era’s most iconic book covers and title sequences. This is effective as it evokes a period and genre to the audience. Furthermore, during the title sequence, the text comes together almost like a puzzle which correlates to how the plot has many twists and turns, when the letters cross over each other, in which come together at the end, or does it? The contrast, in font and size, between the white credits and the red credits allows the viewer to read and understand which of the credits corresponds to the main title sequence (red) and the subtitles (white). The red colour of the main title sequence could be a symbol of blood and gore, which is a reoccurring element throughout the episodes. Linking the colour to the black background, it can connote the feeling of mystery and evil that is a reoccurring feeling throughout the episodes. Also it can link to the idea that a darkness is always around and the possibility of there being a different world, which in the series is called 'The Upside Down'. I like this as it allows the viewer to depict what the evil actually is and why it is there.

Also, the music help to amplify an eerie atmosphere and allows the viewer's mood to be anxious and uncomfortable. Throughout the title sequence, the music is in sync with credits and frames, so that when the is the bass is stressed/ louder, the frame changes. It can connote how each episode is its own piece of the puzzle, of the storyline. The different lettering in the frame's follow the historical context of the time period and illustrates the traditional design.  I love the opening title sequences as I feel it shows the representation of the power of type in motion and how it influences nostalgia.

RESEARCH: TOPLINE & BIG QUESTION

RESEARCH: TOPLINE & BIG QUESTION

I watched Frank Ash, creative consultant for the BBC Academy about 'Digital Storytelling'. When I start to plan my own Foundation Production for my film opening, I will be creating what the top line is (one 'elegant sentence' that sums up the film opening treatment) and deciding on what the big question is going to be (what happens next?).

Frank Ash explains all the necessary questions that need to be answered In order to help plan my film opening. I turned screenshots of the video, showing the main questions, into a comic using ComicLife, as shown below. This will then help when I am planning on my film opening.