I chose The Virgin Suicides to analyze for my Film before the Film assignment. I had never actually seen nor heard about this movie, so I had to watch it and do a little bit of research to understand the design themes at the beginning of the movie. I decided to choose this film because…
I used to think that the opening title sequence of a television show or movie served a single purpose: provide the viewer an overview of the cast and production team. This writing project and recent COVID-19 induced binge watching has opened my eyes to how filmmakers utilize title sequences to engage their audience, provide context…
Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb is a film released in 1964 and the 7th overall major motion picture by iconic film director, Stanley Kubrick. The film is a comedy that pokes fun at the possibility (and eventual inevitability) of The United States engaging in a nuclear…
Many films and shows have intros to set the tone of the story. Altered States is one of those stories, using images, movements, typography, sound, and lighting to set the tone and mood for the rest of the film. But first, a little background is in order. Background The film was made in 1980 and…
Cape Fear Up until this project, I had never heard of the 1990’s thriller, Cape Fear, but I think that it’s nice to have a truly fresh perspective on this title sequence, having never seen it before. I didn’t look up what kind of movie this was, or when it was produced until after I…
When I first watched the intro to this show I was somewhat shocked as to what I was getting myself into. Although I have never seen the show, I know the basics of its plot as my mother used to watch it when I was younger. Surprisingly enough, I fully expected the sexual nature of…
“I’ll do things to you that are beyond all known philosophies!” -Durand- Durand This opening title for the movie Barbarella features an unrestrained intergalactic planetary aviatrix, played by Jane Fonda, slowly peeling off the spacesuit in the weightless atmosphere. The title shows off Barbarella’s beauty through many aspects and introduces the character romantically. …
In 1953, the British writer, Ian Flemming introduced the world to the spy, James Bond. Since then, the cult following behind the 007 series has grown to unbelievable proportions, spawning twenty-six movies, each making hundreds of millions of dollars and some topping one billion. Because of the notoriety of the series, the opening sequences are…
The television show The New Pope, released in January of 2020, encompasses a modern, scandalous, and humorous take on the battle of who is the rightful Pope of the Roman Catholic Church. The opening title sequence for the show is an extremely accurate representation of what the mood of the show is, and gives a…
“The Crown” has been one of Netflix’s most popular dramas since its release in 2016. It tells the story the modern Queen Elizabeth and her family as they struggle under the weight of royal life. The title sequence, designed by Paul Kim, Felix Soletic, Raoul Marks, and Patrick Clair, is a beautiful representation of the…
North by Northwest is a thriller directed by Alfred Hitchcock about an advertising executive in New York City who is mistaken to be a government agent and has to outrun foreign spies. However, the star of this movie was the famous introduction, designed by Saul Bass in 1959. This experimental sequence is often cited as…
The title sequence of the 2005 film by Andrew Niccol Lord of War, starring Nicolas Cage which plays an arms dealer Yuri Orlov is a tale of birth and death, such as making a bullet have a life and the death of a child. The title sequence of this film places the viewer in the…
I will openly admit that I have not seen Twin Peaks and I’m not one hundred percent sure what it is about, but I think having zero expectations is beneficial to analyzing the design choices of a piece. Upon watching the Twin Peaks intro on youtube, I was concerned that I had watched the wrong…
The opening title sequence to a movie tells the viewer what the themes and moods of the movie will be. Elements used in the opening could be recurring in the movie, and because of this, these elements set a layer of suspense onto the audience. In this way, the audience is prepared for the way…
For the opening sequence of the film “The Island of Dr. Moreau” Richard Stanley and John Frankenheimer set out to create an environment that clearly communicates the psychological horror aspect of the film. The key notion is that what the viewer is about to watch is full of mystery, dread, and unsettling concepts. This…