Task 4 - Title Sequence Research.
- Mylo Sayles
- Oct 30, 2023
- 4 min read
Updated: Dec 6, 2023
UNIT 9/10
What is a title sequence?
A title sequence's main purpose, in my opinion, is to get the audience hyped and excited for what's coming next - weather that's a show or a movie. Title sequences show the audience the general theme, genre and idea of what they are about to watch, they also tend to communicate certain information such as obviously the title but also the names of people such as the filmmakers or actors that are in the show/film. There also, more often than not, is relevant music featured within the sequence to help set the mood.
The codes and conventions of the title sequence often need to relate to that of the show or film otherwise people will be confused about the relevance and may think they are being introduced to a certain theme/genre when they are not.
Examples & Research.
Wednesday.
The reason I chose to look into the 'Wednesday' title sequence is because it is one I have seen before and it really visually appealed to me. It is also from Netflix and I thought it could be useful to look at some title sequences both from Netflix - because the brief says that we are to create the title sequence for them - and from other places/companies etc. so that I get a good range of research done.
The reason I think that this is a good quality, effective title sequence is because it uses a consistently dark colour palette that matches the show's overall mood and themes. This kind of visual consistency creates a seamless transition for the audience from the real world into the world of the show, it gets the audience in the right mood for watching. Another thing I love about this sequence in particular is the storytelling. The sequence features elements and subtle hints from the show itself and as a reference to the character of Wednesday herself. Things such as a typewriter and a cello are featured and some of these things such as the cello also come with sound effects - or in this case the cello plays a part in the intro music that goes along with the visual sequence - this in my opinion ties everything together in a really interesting and creative way.
Chilling Adventures of Sabrina.
Below is another Netflix title sequence from their 'Sabrina' show. The reason I have included this one are similar to that above because something I really liked about this title sequence was their use of style and colour to represent the show's atmosphere and the characters. I really liked the comic type style and the font style/colours they use as they really fit together well with each other and with the theme, the music also matches the themes of the show itself however a different reason is because I noticed the transitions in this sequence and thought that this could be something useful for me to learn and take inspiration from how they transition between scenes/elements/panels so I can use this within my own work.
Catch Me If You Can.
The reason I picked this title sequence below was because it showcases a more illustrative style which is something, at this stage, I am interested in for my own project result. I feel like if I somehow was able to incorporate my own illustrative style into my title sequence it could add to the theme of school and capture the childlike vibe of the play.
This title sequence below is effective to me not only because of the fact it's style is very illustrative but also because the style is quite simplistic and made up of mostly basic shapes which are easy on the eyes and nice to look at. The solid blocks of colour add to this too. The sequence itself contains key moments and elements from the film as most title sequences do, this is the case as these visuals get the audience thinking and asking questions which makes them look forward to watching the film. This makes this title sequence effective and that's why I chose to use it for inspiration.
From.
To expand on my idea of looking into if I would be able to incorporate an illustrative element to my own sequence when I come to make it, I thought that the sequence for 'From' could be of some inspiration however instead of just digitally animating illustrations, I could draw them physically and make something creative in this way - similar to the childlike kind of drawings featured in this sequence but instead of creating a creepy kind of vibe with the music and the rest of the shots I would create the appropriate mood for 'Our Day Out' and make the imagery more related to things such as schools, buses, sweets and lemonade for example.
Above are the shots I thought I could take some inspiration from and below is the full video of the title sequence itself.
Further Research.
For some further research, I decided that I would both do some background research into Netflix as a company and the typical things they use in their work. I also decided that I would look into some more title sequences that are more similar to that of the genre of 'Our Day Out' to see if I can get some more inspiration.
Netflix.
A common theme with Netflix intros is of course their signature logo at the beginning which is something I feel as if I should also include.
Netflix title sequences typically feature the things and have the same codes and conventions that others do.
More Title Sequences.
Something I also decided to do after looking into some general title sequences was to look into some that are of a similar style and genre that I am wanting to go for within my own work.
Above are the related title sequences I chose to look at for more inspiration. Something I noticed they all had in common was the sketchy elements such as text, shapes and backgrounds paired with the jumpy movements that the elements, images, photos etc make. A lot of them remind me of a collage or a notebook and feel as if I may want to take inspiration from this.
Summary.
In conclusion, after doing this research I feel so much more comfortable with this part of the project. I was able to quickly gather ideas and inspiration which made me ready and prepared to start to create some mood boards and storyboards and plan overall for what I am going to create.
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