"Clone" is the horror opening title sequence I enjoyed the most out of all I watched. The sequence was shot in a studio, where the students were able to set up some sort of laboratory and use gel lighting to create mystery. That's what caught my eye from the very beginning. The shadows, an apron covered in blood, a corpse, beakers with weird substances all set the horror genre of the film from the very first seconds.
This sequence didn't have any dialogues or overwhelming soundtracks (a scary slow paced tune was quietly playing in the background). As a result, the audience was introduced to the narrative gradually, not thrown into the plot straight away. Moreover, there was not a lot of action going on, the editing was relatively slow paced, even though the atmosphere was tense. The part where the boy looks at the implant and reveals his face was so clever, in my opinion. The viewers can notice that the boy looks like the person on the screen behind him, which makes the scene intriguing and, undoubtedly, interests the audience.
It's also important to mention, that a lot of close-ups were used in this sequence. The viewers were introduced to the narrative mainly through this type of shots, which made them feel more engaged in the action. As I already mentioned in the previous post, from my point of view, close-ups work better than other types of shots.
Finally, the editing was unconventional, which made the sequence unique. Although, the first part of the scene was created using straight cuts, the second part, where the viewers are introduced to the titles, is filled with reverse motion and pans, that crossfade with extreme close-ups, for example. The audience, therefore, doesn't get to know the main characters well enough yet, but can already understand what the setting is like, what genre is set and what will the main idea of the movie be (cloning people, probably a dystopian horror/thriller).
Key ideas from A2 opening title sequences I've watched
Watching A2 opening title sequences, I, first, noticed that the majority of them set the horror/thriller genre. In my opinion, sequences that are done in the genre of comedy, romance or drama were not as successful as the scary ones. I assume that is because in a short 2 minute scene it is easier to create an ambiance of suspense, fear rather than of joy and happiness. One of the main goals of opening title sequences is to interest the viewers, make them pay attention to the visual and it can easily be achieved if the audience is terrified. Thus, horror sequences tend to be more intriguing and eye-catching than scenes of other genres.
Moreover, I noticed that students used numerous close-ups (and extreme close-ups) when introducing the viewers to the narrative. This type of shot, in my opinion, looks more professional and high quality that other types of shots. Due to the fact that we don't have a huge budget, super expensive equipment and most importantly a lot of time, it is reasonable to present the narrative through small details (that can be set up relatively easily). Not only it tends to be easier to shoot, but it sets this intimate relation between the viewer and the film actors from the very beginning. Finally, close-ups help to establish the genre better: in horror sequences students captured blood drops, knives, evil smiles ("Polly") , which made it clear what genre the movie will be.
I also realised, no dialogue sequences seem to look better than those that have dialogues in them. I would assume that's because the audio should be properly recorded (separately from the video) in order to sound clear and high quality. Otherwise, it brings the level of the sequence down, because the audience can easily realise it wasn't shot professionally, there was no necessary equipment for audio recording. Furthermore, I think, no dialogue opening titles are more intriguing, because no voices get exposed, the viewers are curious to be introduced to the narrative better later in the movie (thus, draws the viewers' attention to the visual).
Finally, I enjoyed the sequences shot in a studio more than those shot outside. In my opinion, the horror scenes set up in a studio with various lighting, numerous ambiguous objects, dark atmosphere are the best ones out of all. They tend to be more exciting, obscure, mysterious and engaging. It is easier to shot the majority of footage just outside on the street, but the sequences, created in the studio are outstanding, from my point of view. I would also add, that I preferred sequences, that didn't have a lot of action going on from the start, but were more atmospheric and mysterious, with just the location and various objects being captured. The scenes with linear action (like "Exposed") were quite simple and not as exciting as others.
10 significant texts (e.g. films, TV, books, music videos, computer games etc.)
- "Get Out"
- "Five feet apart"
- "Collateral beauty"
- "Queen's Gambit"
- "Spinning Out"
- "Little Prince"
- "The Kite Runner"
- "Fahrenheit 451"
- "Divergent" series
1. "Fahrenheit 451" and "Divergent" are both dystopian books (I am keen on thinking what the world will be like in several decades)
2. "Queen's Gambit" and "Spinning Out" are both about sport and how mentally hard it is to compete
3. "Five feet apart" and "Collateral beauty" make me feel better when I am down (both are about stories that are heartbreaking) + the only two films that made me cry
4. "Spinning Out", "Get Out", "Divergent" are all quite dark and scary. I'm keen on watching psychological horrors and thrillers
A 59 year old American designer, Kyle Cooper, who specialises in creating title sequences for motion pictures, has produced and directed more than 350 visual effects sequences for diverse media institutions. His earliest works, which essentially made him famous included "Se7en" and "Spider-Man".
In 2003 Cooper founded Prologue Films, with which he created such well-known title sequences as those for "The Walking Dead", "The Incredible Hulk" and "Final Destination 5". His art brought him fame with Los Angeles magazine calling him the "Da Vinci of main titles" and Creativity magazine - "one of the top 50 biggest and best creative thinkers from the last 20 years of advertising and consumer culture". Having earned seven Emmy nominations and a win on the 81st Annual Academy Awards, Kyle Cooper is highly appreciated in the media industry for his unique, bold and unexpected style of title sequences creation.
General thoughts about the style:
Cooper not only created numerous opening title sequences for fictional movies, but for TV shows, video games and advertisements as well. Watching the demo reel, I realised Cooper's works are not very similar in terms of the style, which suggests that he is valued for his ability to create unique, high quality sequences, depending on the symbolism and themes of a particular film/advert/show. His works vary from Ipod adverts, that are filled with an uplifting, light ambience to film title sequences like those for "Spider-Man", which convey suspense, action and obscurity. I'd assume, Kyle pays particular attention to the ideas, themes, plot-twists, that occur later in the movies (by reading the script, communicating with the directors, producers) in order to create a product, that summarises and represents the film through a several minute scene. In my opinion, this art is worth admiration, as this work requires exceptional talent, sense of style, ability to examine the movie from different perspectives and outstanding skills in computer design.
Even though, in my point of view, it is almost impossible to identify the creator of all the sequences and adverts by just comparing their styles, Cooper's works have several details in common. I, firstly, noticed that the majority of his creations are based on computer graphics and design, rather than the shots of actors. Basically, his title sequences might be a bit confusing due to the amount of action going on, the pace of their editing and the abundance of various colours, shapes and special effects. Secondly, a lot of his sequences are edited, using complex transitions that are combined at a fast rate. The titles often slide in, get crossfaded to certain shapes as well as the image itself is filled with digitally created special effects. The technology Cooper uses and the skills he has developed allow him to create sequences, which are incomparable to numerous others in the industry, crafted by other designers.
Analysing one of Kyle Cooper's works:
The opening title sequence Kyle Cooper created for "Mission Impossible" (1996) clearly represents its designer's unique way of introducing the audience to the movie.
As previously mentioned, the shots are extremely fast paced, which sets suspense and tension within the action scene. An interesting technique, used are zoom-ins to different characters through cuts (rather than smoothly), which makes the perception of events abrupt and not really continuous. And this is what make the sequence outstanding! Even though, a lot of characters, objects, locations and film extracts are included in the scene, the viewers don't have time to connect those bits of information into one logical sequence of events. Thus, the intrigue and mystery remains, the audience is curious to see the movie to link the separate quick shots they saw to the actual plot of the movie.
Numerous close ups on various objects are added, which link to the action genre of the film (explosives, weapons, computers etc.). Moreover, colours applied in the scene play a crucial role in making the sequence obscure yet eye-catching. Shadows contrast with bright red hues, colours (blood, red room) and unexpectedly applied x-ray filters. In combination with extreme close-ups on eyes, bombs and a match getting lit (in the very beginning of the scene), they all make the sequence flashy and suspenseful.
Talking about the titles themselves, they glint with urgency and speed throughout the whole sequence. The credits are metal-reminiscent, written in bold italic serif type. Blurry and flashy, they match the ambience of the scene and add on to the fast pace of the editing, keeping the audience full of attention.
To sum up, Kyle Cooper thoroughly explored "Mission Impossible" in order to design titles that match the ambience of the movie and emphasise the suspenseful and tense atmosphere.
