Over the past few Media lessons we have looked at various film openings, both thrillers and other genres, and I have formed opinions of which film openings I thought were most effective and those that I thought were decidedly less effective.
We looked at films such as The Kings Speech, Minority Report, Atonement, The English Patient and The Number 23.
The Kings Speech:
I like the simplicity of this opening, it uses simple yet varied camera shots of the microphone, and uncomplicated shots of Colin Firth before he goes to give his speech. This is effective as it establishes the main character to the audience, and also establishes the main characters fear or downfall (the microphone). I think the message and tone of the film is set within the opening titles in a very clean and simple way, the music that stops and starts is also effective as it builds tension before Colin Firth goes to give his speech.
Minority Report:
I disliked this opening as I thought it was overcomplicated, I found it jarring and found it added nothing to establishing characters or location. The flashbacks and flash forwards were confusing and didn't make me want to continue watching the film. It also didn't establish the genre of the film effectively either, it would seem at first look that it would be a horror as opposed to a science fiction film.
Atonement:
I liked the opening of Atonement, again for its simplicity, the use of the typewriter at the beginning is very effective, and gives the institutional context and title of the film in a simplistic yet creative way. The use of the diagetic sound of the typewriter, then transitioning into part of the music is a clever way of fading the typewriter noise into the music.
The English Patient:
I disliked this opening as I felt it gave nothing to the audience about the plot, and could be considered to be tedious, it doesn't encourage the audience to want to continue watching the film. However I think that the graphic match between the painting and sand dunes is an interesting and effective way of transitioning into the location of the film.
The Number 23:
The erratic use of sharp short changing camera shots in this title sequence is effective because it immediately puts the audience on edge, and builds tension within the first few seconds. The audience get an idea of the genre of the film very quickly, and the continuous facts about the number 23 give the audience an understanding of what the film is about. The music continuously builds tension by getting louder and faster, the combined diagetic and non diagetic noise such as the music and the typewriter, with the sounds of the splatter of blood builds tension and intrigue. The use of blood stains on the pieces of paper suggest that the film will have an air of violence, also building suspense for the audience. The suspense created reaches a peak at the very end of the sequence when the music reaches a crescendo and the screen is engulfed in a blood stain. I like this title for its simple concept, and effective execution, creating suspense, intrigue and tension.
I have gained a lot of inspiration from the titles I have have watched, I found that I preferred the simple yet effective title sequences to the more complex ones, as they have more impact on the audience. I would like to incorporate some of the techniques used in the titles I liked as they are relatively simplistic to do and still engage the audience and create tension and suspense.
