Title Sequence Clips

 At 16 years of age, and after probably hundreds of movies of different genres, languages, lengths, and importance, I can finally say that I understand the meaning of the title sequences of them. After viewing clips and reading an article regarding the history of opening sequences and some explanations behind them:

 The way the words are written, their color, shape, and size, the music and the scenery, and even the first acts and conversations all set up the type of movie that is about to be watched by the viewer. As mentioned in the “First Frames: Titles in the Digital Realm” now more than ever, film makers are able to experiment with texts and visuals in order to give viewers a better understanding and satisfaction when watching a movie; we get a first glance at this in the opening credits of “Choose Life” where a humorous and creative way of introducing the characters sets up a lighter mood for a relatively stronger topic, drug abuse. This can also be seen in “What about Bob”  where humor and visuals in the texts would later on show significance in the plot and story of the film.

 Foreshadowing what is to come is routine in an opening sequence, but depending on how well it is done, and how well it blends with the movie, the impact can be rather devastating. In “The Lion King” we see a long, animated beginning that displays the circle of life. As mentioned in the Article, Battaglia were one of the first to use animation in an opening sequence, and seeing it on the big screens in a movie such as the one last mention could not be more fitting. “Jaws”’s opening sequence was also one that was spot on; the dark and scary ambience followed by sharp letters in the text and the classic background music, were perfect to set up a movie that would be filled with terrific jump scares that would traumatize a whole generation. Just like Jaws, “James Bond Goldfinger” starts off with the brand actions and visuals typical of a movie carrying that name, telling us exactly what to expect later on while keeping an element of surprise and building the main character to be its classic self.

 After this very first activity regarding AICE Media Studies and what it is at it’s core, I feel very excited about picking a movie for my film portfolio project, although a little confused on what to pick as there is so much to choose from. I sure have an idea about what to do and where to go towards with this class and I cannot wait to learn something I am passionate about to a good extent.