Analyzing Title Sequences in Film

     In almost every piece of film, there is a title sequence that gives a hint about what the movie or tv show is about. With this post, I'm going to analyzing 5 different title sequence and explain how they demonstrate what the story is about.

    The first title sequence I will talk about is from the animated hero show, Invincible. Every episode of the show does not immediately begin with the title but will wait until a specific moment in the episode where a character will say the word 'invincible', and then immediately cut to the title card. This emphasizes the word, especially because it is the superhero name of the main character, Mark. What is also pretty special about the title card is that every time it is shown in the episode that follows, it starts to get covered by more and more blood, which symbolizes how the show gets much darker with every subsequent episode.

    The next sequence comes from the animated kid's show, Spongebob SquarePants. The sequence involves a pirate singing while introducing Spongebob. It is colorful and easy to follow, making it easy for children to pick up on the things going on. The sequence is also a sing-along, in order to get children to be excited about the show. The lyrics for the song are easy to listen to and follow as well. After the song finishes, the title card of the specific episode will play. All of the different attributes of this sequence demonstrate that the show is for little children, full of lots of colors and funny gags.

 

    Moving along, the next title sequence is from the show Stanger Things. It starts off by playing this ominous music accompanied by large red lines, which the viewer cannot make sense of yet. As the sequence continues the music ramps up and the lines begin to take shape in the forms of letters. Finally, all the lines culminate into the title of the show with the music slowly fading away. The process of the lines setting up the title and the music playing along with it is a parallel to the premise of the show; it being all about mystery and suspense. The neon red used for the title is a reference to the times which the show takes place, the 80s. 

    This next sequence comes from the movie Zombieland. The opening credit sequence begins by showing off extremely over-the-top slow motions shots of people either fighting or running away from zombies as they chase them. The music that is playing is heavy metal, setting a dark and sinister mood. The letters and words for the credits and placed in areas that seem like zombies and people in the shots can interact with them. This sequence is demonstrating the dire, yet comical aspect of the movie, cluing the audience in on the world of the film. The sequence makes it seem that the movie doesn't take itself too seriously, but won't be a complete comedy.

    The last title sequence comes from the famous sci-fi action movie series, Star Wars. Every Star Wars movie begins the same way; the famous line "A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away..." starts off the film, followed by the title of the franchise, and a quick synopsis of the current film. The same orchestra music is always played in the opening of the movies as well. As the synopsis continues, the words and sentences pan upwards, fading away as if it seems they are disappearing into space. The entire sequence sets up the feeling of the film by telling the audience what the general premise of the movie is, while leaving out enough detail in order to not spoil the entire film. Since the Star Wars franchise has portrayed the films as episodes in a saga, the opening synopsis is akin to descriptions of episodes in a tv show, which is most likely what made the sequence so famous.