When looking at movies we often are perplexed by the opening scene of the movie. The opening scene helps to flow us viewers into the movie, and allow us to get a better view of how the movie may be like. The movie who’s title sequence I chose to analyze was, Fight Club (1999). This movie is about an unnamed narrator who is discontented with his white-collar job so he forms a “fight club” with a soap salesman Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt). This group engages in subversive acts of vandalism and violence, which troubles the narrator. He promotes the fight clubs as a way to feel powerful, though the narrator’s physical condition worsens while Tyler Durden’s appearance improves. Looking at the design elements we can clearly see the use of sound, movement, typography and lighting.

Title sequences are a powerful expression of graphics. They engage the audience by hinting about what is about to start. They allow you to get a gist of what the movie should be about and what type of emotion the movie will portray. These title sequences play a crucial role in setting the emotion and expectations for a movie. When looking at Fight Club we see use of sound. The use of sound is prevalent throughout this title sequence as there is music that fills the entire thing. The music is made by The Dust Brothers who make pulse-techno music. The sounds and music that go along with the title sequence lead us to believe that the movie is dark and fast paced. It also allows individuals to see that the mood of this movie is dark and humorous although it is meant to be about fighting. The names of the individuals involved in this movie move with the sound of the music and pop up when the music’s beats drop. Accompanying a black screen comes the sound of a record about to play on a record player and classical music then begins to play. Then the track is abruptly interrupted by the sound of a broken record which then turns into a loud percussion/bass based track. Showing this contrast signifies how the film contains a narrative that goes against the norms of society. The classical music sounds civilized and normal, and the loud music sounds aggressive and violent reflecting the chaotic idea of life the narrative will soon show. The two clashing genres of music clearly show the divide between normal life and life the individuals in the movie will lead.  Showing this portrays the movie and gives individuals a sneak peek before the movie even begins. Using the design element of lighting throughout this title sequence goes along with the sound, as it enlightens the viewers of the mood of the movie. The words written on the screen as bright and flashy as they pop up and simmer away. Showing the inside of an individual’s head as if we are inside it is very interesting and dark. The use of the dark lighting shows a dark and mysterious look for this title sequence and the lighting from the words goes onto the brain at a microscopic level. The words light up on the brain and follow it until they disappear. There is also lighting effects throughout the title sequence, lighting up parts of the video and parts of the brain as well. The lighting when the title sequence goes outside of the brain is dark and gloomy which connotes danger and fear. When the lighting is matched with the sweat on the individual, it signifies that the character is in an unwanted situation.

Looking at the typography of this title sequence, there are a lot of different ideals that contribute to the actual movie as a whole. The font of the text is dramatic and bold which emphasizes the chaotic themes within the film. The text then gets surrounded with a blue smoke and then disappears. This signifies that the film will contain an enigma narrative as it looks very eerie and spooky. The title appears a little differently than the other credits as it is much larger font and covers more of the screen. This adds to the dramatic side of the movie as the viewer is definitely bombarded by the title.  The typography helps to bring the whole title sequence together as it shows the dramatic and eerie thoughts of the movie and it goes along well with the music and lighting of the sequence. The movement of the words and the title sequence allow the audience to see the flow through a series of intricate and seemingly diseased brain cells. We can see that throughout the movement that this is mostly about this man’s mental state. It allows the viewers to conclude that through sound, movement, typography and lighting that this movie is chaotic, and eerie. These design elements are shown throughout the movie and title sequence and we can see mostly the sound being a major element. The music and beats of the music overshadow the movements although they all work together to create one great title sequence for the movie Fight Club (1999).