Art of the Title (AOOT)

Our teacher directed us to Art of the Title (AOOT), an online publication dedicated to title sequence design. We used the website as creative inspiration for the title sequence of our film opening.


We were particularly interested in the title sequences to thriller film openings because this is the film genre that we have chosen for our own media product.


Se7en (1995)


The props (mise-en-scéne) used in the opening sequence to Se7en are symbolic of its key themes, including violence, apathy and hopelessness. The montage editing gives the audience a look into the mind of a serial killer. The face of the character is not shown, however the dark tone and low-key lighting of the opening suggests that they are the antagonist. The opening features close-up photography of personal items, therefore the opening is symbolises the antagonist's character traits.


The opening sequence is influential because we are considering incorporating props into our media product symbolic and foretelling of its the key themes. For example, a  weapon can be used as a prop to symbolise violence. Furthermore, we are considering using extreme close-ups because such shots are intense and draw the audience's attention.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011)


The opening sequence to The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is suggestive of the film's dark and sadistic tone: viscid, black ooze covers the screen which creates a suspenseful atmosphere. The mise-en-scéne and extreme close-ups of violent graphics are as much mystifying as they are disturbing. Therefore, the thriller genre of the film is suggested explicitly. The editing is fast-paced; jump shots and exaggerated diegetic/non-diegetic sounds startle the audience, which reinforces the thriller genre. The opening sequence appeals to its target audience because it is explosive and exciting. The oozing ink which suffocates people in the opening suggests death and violence as connotations of the film.


The titles and typography of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo are inspirational: the whiteness of the logo juxtaposes the black background. Therefore, we are considering producing our opening sequence so that it is dark and dimly-lit to construct a thrilling atmosphere. It is highly likely that our titles will also be simple and bold to ensure that they standout without necessarily distracting the audience from the onscreen action.

Zodiac (2007)

In Zodiac, the initial establishing shot sets the scene of San Francisco. The opening sequence is primarily narrative, so its titles lack signifance. The realistic narrative of a man going to work and dropping his child to school suggests emotional realism. For example, although the medium close-up shot of the boy brushing his teeth is unthrilling, it adds an element of social realism to the opening.


The opening sequence to Zodiac is influential because we are considering whether the narrative of our media product should revolve around the morning routines of our antagonist and/or protagonist. The inclusion of trivial everyday things into our opening sequence could construct verisimilitude. However, making the ordinary seems extraordinary will be exciting for the audience. For example, in our storyboard, we have planned to include a scene in which one half of the split-screen effect shows the protagonist flossing in front of a mirror, whereas the other half shows the antagonist bending wire (a prop) in front of the mirror.

'The Shining' opening anlysis

The Shining (1980) is a British-American psychological thriller film produced and directed by Stanley Kubrick. 

The Shining opens with a non-diegetic heavy brass soundtrack (Wendy Carlos and Rachel Elkind's "Rocky Mountains"). The opening sequence extensively uses an aerial shot and establishing shots which orchestrate the tranquility of Glacier National Park (Montana); The Shining's setting (an aspect of mise-en-scéne.) Within the broad landscape, a tracking shot shows a remote car driving along the Rocky Mountains. The wideness of the shots in conjunction with the undersized car foreshadows the distinct theme of isolation; a prerequisite for Jack's downfall.

A close-up shows the back of the car. Then, the name "Jack Nicholson" scrolls upwards. This suggests to the audience that this is this actor/character driving the car. The opening credits are capitalsed and neon blue. The boldness of the opening credits diverts the audience's attention away from the prolonged establishing shots. 

The non-diegetic heavy brass soundtrack suggests that the film is a horror, a thriller sub-genre, because music is thriller films is conventionally high-tempo and fast-paced. The dramatic music is juxtaposed with the undramatic establishing and wide shots of a serene landscape. Therefore, the exciting music builds suspense and tension, creating a tone of horror and terror. 

The narration is restricted; no character is represented. The car is the focus of the opening. This suggests that the driver of the vehicle will become significant once the car comes to a halt. It is important to note that the colour of the Volkswagen is yellow. Yellow symbolises fear, which Jack experiences as he slowly slips into madness. 

Preliminary task

For the preliminary task, the brief stated that we were required to create a piece which uses the following editing techniques: shot-reverse shot, match-on action and the 180-degree rule.

Below, I typed a script which acted as a guide for the cast during the filming of the task. 

Visual demonstration of the 180-degree rule. 

This is an example of match-on action, an editing technique for continuity in which one shot cuts to another shot continuing the action of the subject or object in the first. Our example (see GIF) shows an 'interviewee' (Kaden) entering an interview room via a door. The initial shot demonstrates the interviewee walking down a corridor leading to the door. The following shot demonstrates a perspective of the character walking down the corridor from the interior of the interview room. A problem with this scene is that the match-on action itself lacks excitement, however this reflected the uninteresting tone of the interview. What I learnt is is that match-on action creates the impression of a sense of continuity -- it acts as a 'visual bridge' between shots, conveying editing as invisible to viewers which creates realism. 

Here is an example of shot-reverse shot, a continuity editing technique typically used in diegetic dialogue. In the preliminary task, we ensured perspective of the camera changes in accordance to the character in dialogue (i.e. interviewee/interviewer): an over-the-shoulder coveys the character as in conversation, followed by a reverse angle shot, showing the other character looking back at them. This establishes the relationship of the characters. In conjunction with shot-reverse shots, we obey the 180-degree rule -- a guideline which states that participants in a scene should have the same left-right relationship to each other. We learnt that the 180-degree rule ensures continuity by not distorting the audience's sense of perception. A problem with obeying the 180-degree rule is that our cameraman accidentally broke it by misplacing the camera. However ,this production error was emended by mirroring the footage during the editing phase of the preliminary task. This gave the illusion that we had obeyed the 180-degree rule. 

Finally, to highlight the conclusion of the supposed interview, the scene transitions via a fade-out. Fades are a continuity editing technique which ensure that transitions are smooth; symbolising the natural ending to a scene.