My Favourite Title Sequences

 Lord Of War

One of my favourite opening sequences is from Lord Of War. This follows the life of a bullet as it is made, transported and finally shot at someone who is killed.

One aspect of this sequence that I like is the film that is reeling behind the credits. This is very interesting as it is a story in itself. It starts off very ordinary as the camera pans across the factory but the audience are taken by surprise when the camera zooms into the machine and starts to follow the bullet using an almost POV shot. I found myself being drawn into what was happening to the bullet as it is shipped, dropped and then loaded into a gun. We then follow the bullet until it strikes someone in the head. The bullet moves in slow-motion before the screen fades to black and the audience are caught unawares. Another interesting piece of camerawork is when the bullet is rolling as this disorientates the viewer.

Another aspect I like is the music. I thought Buffalo Springfield's For What It's Worth was a good choice as it such a laid back song. This is acheived because it is mianly acoustic so is quite simple. This juxtaposes against what we're seeing as we're watching a bullet capable of killing. There is also a link between this song and the Vietnam war as it was released around the same time so the theme of war is brought in straight away.

The titles themselves are also interesting as they are white and in simple block capitals. This makes them inconspicuous and although the viewer can easily see them the eye is not drawn away from the bullet. This is interesting as often filmmakers make the credits very obvious so as to show off the credentials.

Reservoir Dogs

Another favourite title sequence of mine is from Reservoir Dogs. 

One aspect of this sequence that I like is the use of simple camerawork. Similarly to Lord Of War it doesn't use a lot of different shots, however it differs because where as a lot of things are going on in the titles for Lord Of War, in Reservoir Dogs the camerawork is very basic. However I think this works well for the film as the rest of the film is very intricate and has a non-linear storyline. The sequence starts off with a camera tracking the group as they walk down the road. This shows that they are a team but also makes them seem ominous as they are all wearing smart black suits and black shades. Close-ups on each of the characters faces are then used to show us who the characters are. Again, the characters are shown to be ominous as they smoke cigarettes and their dark shades hide their eyes.


Another aspect I enjoy is the choice of soundtrack. George Baker's Little Green Bag is a good choice, in my opinion, as it is once again a very laid back song as the main element of the song is the bass. This has a link back to jazz which has always been a laid-back, 'cool' feel. This lures the viewer into a false sense of security and contrasts against the violence and language throughout the rest of the film.


The titles themselves are another aspect I found interesting. The names of the actors are displayed just as the close-up of their character's face is shown, this allows the viewer to recognise each character from the start. I thought the font chosen fits well with the film because it looks very vintage and classy like the Mafia would be. The colour chosen, yellow, is interesting and unusual as usually titles are displayed in white text. This could represent how the characters are not the stereotypical protagonists or how the film itself is not in a conventional linear format. I also like the film name title as it scrolls from the bottom of the screen and stops above the heads of the characters. This creates a nicely framed shot that shows the name of the film and the main characters.


Moon

 My final choice is the opening sequence of Moon. 


The thing I like about this sequence is the way the titles themselves are weaved into the camerawork so that they fit into the scene. Whereas most films have their titles almost pasted onto the screen, these titles fit along the angles and are woven into the clip. The fact that these are hovering in midair gives a feeling of weightlessness which links back to the setting - on the moon. What I also find clever is the way that these titles cast shadows on the walls behind them. This adds to the concept that the titles are actually in the scene. The clip ends with the title 'Moon'. This is again cleverly woven into the shot and the title is 'revealed' much like an eclipse. The shadow covering the title withdraws from the top and the title is made to look like the moon after an eclipse. This added to the 'floating' effect creates a very weightless atmosphere. The font used also reflects a space station which is the setting. It is in block capitals so looks very clean and ambiguous which reflects the baron atmosphere of a space station on the moon.

Another aspect I like is the camerawork. Throughout this sequence, slow cuts between  shots are used which creates a slow, lethargic feel which creates the sense of walking on the moon. It also creates a slightly ominous tone as if something is not quite as it seems which indeed turns out to be the case. One of the shots used is a zoom out followed by a pan. This shows the loneliness and emptiness of living on the moon. The sequence starts interestingly as it almost a prelude to the film. It is presented like an advert for this new HE-3 energy. This lets the audience know the background and the reason why this man is on the moon. I thought this was very interesting as it is quite original and seems rather out of place as it is the first thing we see.

Finally, I think the music creates a moon-like atmosphere. It is very simple with a piano repeating the melody which, again, creates an empty, weightless atmosphere. The fact that it repeats does create an ominous tone which is answered later in the film.