A title sequence is the method on which films or even television present their titles, production, and cast members. It typically includes the text of the opening credits, and helps establish the setting and tone of the program.
Here is the opening title sequence for Monsters Inc
I think the opening to this film is effective because it basically shows what the film is about without giving to much away. The style of how its made is animated for obvious reasons being that the film is animated, and if it was a live action sequence it would just totally mess it all up.
The target audience is mainly for little children giving that it is a Walt Disney, Pixar animation film but I do know many others from different age groups who like this film. The opening is very easy to watch if you a little one because of it's bright colors and soft opening music and people are instantly drawn in to what is going to be a nice family adventure film for all to watch and love.
The opening sequence itself then. From the very start we have gathered that the film has something to do with doors maybe? Or at the very start looks to be a wardrobe? After seeing the door open once to reveal a wardrobe, the door opens again for the second time to reveal not the wardrobe but a monster, with green scales, sharp white pointing teeth and a deep set mouth. OK, so now then we have kind of gathered that maybe the film has something to do with, opening doors or wardrobes to reveal monsters, or even that the monsters come out of the doors, which would make sense considering that it's very stereotypical of monsters, ghosts, and ghouls to be coming through doors and into rooms. Shortly after we are greeted with quite a few doors now, and they almost get shuffled up like a pack of plying cards. This may suggest, well to be honest after watching the film and actually understanding the film and what it is about that the monsters working at Monsters Inc. they get doors given to them randomly in order to get the best scare. So going back to the opening scene, the doors are shuffled like a pack of cards to stimulate as if the monsters are playing a card game and get given random cards (Random doors) and that they must do hat they can to win (Get the best scare). After this more and more doors come with different colors and monsters appearing out of various ones. So already before a minute has gone we have definite reasons that this film we are about to watch is to do with monsters and there stereotypical traits of entering doors to scare little ones.
Here is the opening title sequence for Rocky V
I think the opening title sequence of this film is very effective, well because it gives the audience the fight from the previous film to recap what has happened but in the mean time it's giving all the production team and with the added bonus of slow motion and scenes that when Rocky is in trouble seems to turn grey giving the effect that he's hurt real bad, and really shows to the audience the dramatic trauma that Rocky has gone through in order to get his win over Ivan Drago but still manages to get the audience on the edge of there seat.
The very start of the opening scene gives us the legendary soundtrack delivered by Bill Conti with a remixed version of 'Gonna Fly Now' and 'War' and the one liner delivered by Ivan Drago "I must break you" really sets the standard for the film and you just know that it's going to be another great Rocky. The very start of the film is that you can hear an announcer, announcing something at first we can hear him say "Ladies and Gentlemen", and after that he is speaking in a different language. Then the sound of drums shortly follows, so by now we can already tell that is either going to be a boxing match, or even a wrestling match. The sound of trumpets kicks in now and if you haven't already guessed what film your watching, then I'd suggest you leave now because it becomes very clear what your about to watch. Now we can hear the announcers speaking in our own language, and from the right of the screen appears to be an 'R' which we can see straight through and into the film. In the 'R' we have Rocky's face with an extreme close up and from their, the word follows to have 'Rocky', in the mean time we are greeted with Ivan Drago with another extreme close up, with either of them not looking away and seem to be fixed on one and other, this perhaps suggest just how serious and heated things are about to get, and that they are at standstill with one and other. The word passes and now we have a full screen of them walking to the middle of the ring together. They meet dead center, and after hearing that one liner, the bell rings and fight begins.
A quick little added piece of information you may want to know about the film which I found quite interesting. Unfortunately the film itself was the lowest grossing film out of the serious worth $119 million. Another fact about Rocky V that is interesting is that Rocky was supposed to die at the end of the film, after taking (SPOILER ALERT) a huge pounding from Tommy Gunn in the ring, Rocky was sent to the hospital with head injuries and with his head in Adrien's lap died on the way to the hospital, but this was soon scrapped because in the words of the studio ‘Oh by the way Rocky’s not going to die. Batman doesn’t die, Superman, James Bond, these people don’t die’.”
I am now going to embed a video giving you a brief history of the art of the titles.
After learning about Title Sequences, my next post will be about The Film Studio Ident Research.
