Session 2

Film OpeningsSession 2

The anatomy of the title sequence

Sunday, 22 November 15

Investigating Detail

• What do film titles actually look and sound like?

• What are the micro conventions of film title?


Key title micro elements

• colour

• lighting

• font

• framing

• costume, props, setting

• sound design


Consistent“Unchanging in nature, standard, or effect over time”


Inconsistencies can break audiences’ ‘suspension of disbelief’


Colour

My Best Friend’s Wedding (Hogan, 1997)


Shooting in too many locations!

COMMON MISTAKE !


Lighting

Raging Bull (Scorsese, 1980)


Font

Oceans Eleven (Milestone, 1960)


Framing

Seven (Fincher, 1995)


Forgetting to leave negative space for titles!

COMMON MISTAKE !


Consistent“Unchanging in nature, standard, or effect over time”


Consistent

• colour

• lighting

• font

• framing


Who gets an opening credit?


DONNIE BRASCO GATTACA Your Film

Production Companies

Lead actors

FILM TITLE

Star credits

Supporting Cast

Production Credits

Director

Total Time

Mandalay Entertainments Present (5 ) Columbia Pictures Presents (5)

A Baltimore Pictures / Mark Johnson Production ( 5) A Jersey Films Production (5)

A Mike Newell Film ( 5 ) A Film By Andrew Niccol (4)

Al Pachino (4) Ethan Hawke (4)

Johnny Depp (4) Uma Thurman (4)

DONNIE BRASCO (6) GATTACA (5)

Michael Madson (5) Alan Arkin (4)

Bruno Kirby (5) Jude Law (4)

James Russo (5) Loren Dean (4)

Anne Heche (5) Gore Vidal (4)

Ernest Borgine (4)

Zeljko Ivanek (5) Gerry Becker (5) (T6)

Blair Underwood Xander Berkeley (4)

Zach Grenier (5) Brian Tarantina (5)

Robert Miano (5) (T7)Tony Shalhoub

Jayne Brooke (4)

Casting by (5) Lous Digiaima (5)

Brett Goldstein (5) (T7)Casting by

Francine Maisler. C.S.A (4)

Music by (5) Patrick Doyle (5) (t6) Co-producer Gail Lyon (4)

Executive Music Producers (5)Budd Carr and Allan Mason (5) (T6)

Music Composed and Conducted By Michal Nyman (4)

Costume Designers Aude Bronson-Howard and

David Robinson (4)Costume Designer Colleen

Atwood (4)

Editor Jon Gregory, A.C.E (4) Editor Lisa Zeno Churgin (4)

Production Design by Donald Grahan Burt (4)

Production Designer Jan Roelfs (4)

Director of Photography Peter Sova (4)

Director of Photography Slawomir Idziak (4)

Executive Producers (3) Patrick McCormick (3)

Alan Greenspan (3) (t4)

Based on the book by (3) Joseph D. Postone (3)

With Richard Woodley (3) (T4)

Produced by (3) Mark Johnson (3)

Barry Levison (3) (T4)

Produced by Danny Devito

Michael ShambergStacey Sher (4)

Produced by (3)Louis Digiaimo (3)Gail Mutrux (3) (t4)

Screenplay by (3)Paul Attanasio (3) (T3)

Directed by Mike Newell (4)

Written and Directed by Andrew Niccol (4)

2 mins 42 second (25 Credits) 3 mins 41 Seconds (22 Credits)


Font is to big!

COMMON MISTAKE !


• Production companies

• Lead actors (above the title)

• FILM TITLE

• Star credits

• Supporting cast (shared title)

• Production credits (Heads of depts)

• Producers

• Director (last)


What is the function of the sound in this opening?

Sound Design


Running out of time to create titles.

COMMON MISTAKE !


DONNIE BRASCO GATTACA Your Film

Production Companies

Lead actors

FILM TITLE

Star credits

Supporting Cast

Production Credits

Director

Total Time

Mandalay Entertainments Present (5 ) Columbia Pictures Presents (5)

A Baltimore Pictures / Mark Johnson Production ( 5) A Jersey Films Production (5)

A Mike Newell Film ( 5 ) A Film By Andrew Niccol (4)

Al Pachino (4) Ethan Hawke (4)

Johnny Depp (4) Uma Thurman (4)

DONNIE BRASCO (6) GATTACA (5)

Michael Madson (5) Alan Arkin (4)

Bruno Kirby (5) Jude Law (4)

James Russo (5) Loren Dean (4)

Anne Heche (5) Gore Vidal (4)

Ernest Borgine (4)

Zeljko Ivanek (5) Gerry Becker (5) (T6)

Blair Underwood Xander Berkeley (4)

Zach Grenier (5) Brian Tarantina (5)

Robert Miano (5) (T7)Tony Shalhoub

Jayne Brooke (4)

Casting by (5) Lous Digiaima (5)

Brett Goldstein (5) (T7)Casting by

Francine Maisler. C.S.A (4)

Music by (5) Patrick Doyle (5) (t6) Co-producer Gail Lyon (4)

Executive Music Producers (5)Budd Carr and Allan Mason (5) (T6)

Music Composed and Conducted By Michal Nyman (4)

Costume Designers Aude Bronson-Howard and

David Robinson (4)Costume Designer Colleen

Atwood (4)

Editor Jon Gregory, A.C.E (4) Editor Lisa Zeno Churgin (4)

Production Design by Donald Grahan Burt (4)

Production Designer Jan Roelfs (4)

Director of Photography Peter Sova (4)

Director of Photography Slawomir Idziak (4)

Executive Producers (3) Patrick McCormick (3)

Alan Greenspan (3) (t4)

Based on the book by (3) Joseph D. Postone (3)

With Richard Woodley (3) (T4)

Produced by (3) Mark Johnson (3)

Barry Levison (3) (T4)

Produced by Danny Devito

Michael ShambergStacey Sher (4)

Produced by (3)Louis Digiaimo (3)Gail Mutrux (3) (t4)

Screenplay by (3)Paul Attanasio (3) (T3)

Directed by Mike Newell (4)

Written and Directed by Andrew Niccol (4)

2 mins 42 second (25 Credits) 3 mins 41 Seconds (22 Credits)


Working Lunch:


Session 2

Education

Transcript of Session 2