Research: The Importance of Opening Titles

Opening titles have developed vastly in the past few decades. They can range from plain black backgrounds with text to simply identify the film to something unique and wildly creative. The actual purpose of opening titles is that they speak bulks about the movie itself before it even starts. At the very beginning of cinematography, hands-on cards were recorded to adapt silent films for identifying the production socials involved, moreover gesture the film’s beginning and end. Although the invention of sound approached went big, it impact little on the opening titles itself, regularly just a musical prelude of sorts accompanied the titles.

Not until 1950s did the opening titles became an artistic showcase of imaginative design and illustration, additionally to identity the film. Hollywood was one of the first to move on with bigger and better methods to do title sequences. Maurice Binder was one of the best examples, and perhaps biggest inspirations to opening titles.

Why opening titles are so vital to movies is that they can make or break movies; they are the first impressions of their own shows. Even though we’re spoon-fed with bland background and superimposed text, they’re not always indications of a bad film. This method seemed to work for ‘’The Breakfast Club’’, which featured a great soundtrack with shattering glass.

As bland as the opening, any sequence will feature the production parties (production name, producer, executive producer etc.) that were involved in the making of the film along with:

• ·      Director
• ·      Film’s title
• ·      Music composer
• ·      Special effects
• ·      Distributer
• ·      Copyright

I found a title sequence that simply summarises the history of the title sequence. It features all the names of the opening titles designers who made evolutionary impact on cinematography. As their names feature within this short film, it reflects their famous characteristics of their revolutionary titles that they designed. Some of the elements were like Saul Bass’ Psycho title where the characters are shifted, Maurice Binder’s coloured circles from his design for Dr. No, flickering titles of Se7en designed by Kyle Cooper, Danny Yount’s Kiss Kiss Bang Bang and Sherlock Holmes where the titles fade in with splattering and expanding liquid, and the contemporary designs of Kyle Cooper and Danny Young.

I think that now having a better understanding of the impact the opening titles have on any movie, as Clear Cut Films, we’ll be taking more things into account, like making sure the opening itself is creative and unique to grab attention of our audiences and show that our movie isn’t just another ordinary horror. We’ll also be making sure to include all the information that will credit everyone who was involved in the production of the films and introduce our film to the audience so they could identify the movie.