Average Timings Within A Title Sequence

Average Timings Within A Title Sequence 

• 1-3 seconds in - Names of actors, maybe 2 to 3
• 4-5 seconds in - Another different name
• 6-7 seconds in - Another different name
• 9-10 seconds in - Another different name
• 13-18 seconds in - Developed for television by...
• 20-30 seconds in - Title of film

Example Of Title Sequences With Average Timings

The Crown

Dexter

Camp Festival

Nerve

Trapped

My Favourite Film Openings

Wild Target Opening Sequence

Not only is this one of my all-time favourite films, it also happens to have one of my favourite and memorable opening sequences I have seen. The film 'Wild Target' is about a professional hitman who tries to retire, however, a beautiful thief may change his mind. This film is exciting and gripping the whole way through, and always has me on my seat however many times I watch it. I would class it as a crime as well as action thriller as it is very much based on crime committing, however, it definitely has the perfect balance of action within it. I love the opening scene cause from the second it starts, the viewer already has questions about who the character seen is. The fact that he is simply walking along reciting French phrases, however when he walks into a building a man falls from the sky to the pavement through the shot, is almost a mini-plot twist in the first scene. It very much has us questioning who he is and why he walked so casually out of the building after this occurrence.

Jaws Opening Sequence

I have always absolutely loved this classic and legendary opening sequence and I think everyone who has seen this film agrees that it is a work of pure genius. Even if it is a little dated, it can definitely be considered an 'oldie but a goodie'. If there was one thing that really makes this film, it is undoubtedly the music, composed by John Williams. Williams' score for Jaws is one of the most recognizable pieces of music in the entire world, out-shining all other thrillers of the time and even now, in terms of tension. Just a few seconds of the iconic "duun-dun, dun-dun, duun-duun, dun-dun-dun-dun-dun-dun-dun" is enough to stoke fear into the hearts of beachgoers forever more. Who knew two little notes could be so terrifying?




Types Of Title Sequences

The 4 Types Of Title Sequences 

1. Discrete title sequences opening scene

- Separately filmed clips that go before the film begins

- They set the mood and tone for the rest of the film

- e.g. Skyfall- the characters look professional by wearing suits/smart clothes and there is weapons and blood around them. Adele's film score is suspenseful and James Bond appears the most, letting us know that he is the main character.

2. Stylised opening scene

-relies heavily on editing to set the mood

- sometimes the text is within the scene itself

- the font shows a lot of the mood usually, e.g. is the font is sharp, it can show us that the film will involve some weapons or danger.

3. Credits over a blank screen opening scene

- blank background with a contrasting text color

- music/sound can be used to set the scene

-A good example is Star Wars The Force Awakens

4. Narrative sequence opening scene

- a character usually speaking

- we can make a judgment/ idea of the character before they are introduced into the film

- allows us to get an insight into the character and storyline.

Thriller Survey Results Analysis

Thriller Survey Results Analysis

I have received 8 responses in total to my survey that asked about people preferences and opinions on movies. 

Question 1: What Is Your Favourite Thriller Film?

Response 1 - Inception
Response 2 - Abduction
Response 3 - Green Street
Response 4 - Scream
Response 5 - The Dark Knight
Response 6 - (don't have one)
Response 7 - Taken
Response 8 - Inception
Response 9 - Jaws


Question 2: What Is Your Favourite Thriller TV Show?

Response 1 - Pretty Little Liars
Response 2 - The Arrow
Response 3 - Narcos
Response 4 - How To Get Away With Murder
Response 5 - The Walking Dead
Response 6 - (Don't Have One)
Response 7 - Narcos
Response 8 - Pretty Little Liars


Question 3: What Kind Of Music Would You Expect In A Thriller?

Response 1 - Intense
Response 2 - Intense Hip-hop Jazz
Response 3 - Intense Music
Response 4 - Music Is Everything In A Film And         Its What Brings The Chills Or Suspense
Response 5 - Intense Music
Response 6 - Eh Eh Eh (a screeching type sound)
Response 7 - Intense
Response 8 - Tense, Scary


Question 4: How Often Do You Go To The Cinema?
Never: 25% (2 People)
1-3 Times A Month: 62.5% (5 People)
4+ A Month: 12.5% (1 Person)

Question 5: What Is Your Favorite Genre?

Action - 1 Vote
Comedy - 1 Vote
Crime - 1 Vote
Drama - 2 Votes
Thriller - 1 Vote
Romantic Comedy - 3 Votes

Question 6: What Gender Are You?

Female - 5 People
Male - 4 People

Question 7: What Is Your Age?

11-15 Years - 1
16-20 Years - 5
31-40 Years - 2

Question 8: If You Watch Thrillers What Is Your Favourite Sub-Genre?

Don't Watch Thriller - 1 Vote

Psychological - 2 Votes

Crime - 2 Votes

Horror - 1 Vote

Action - 3 Votes

Question 9: Would You Judge A Thriller By Its Opening?

Yes - 9 Votes

No - 0 Votes

Question 10: What Would Make An Opening Bad?

Response 1 - Bad acting
Response 2 - Too much information given away
Response 3 - Slow
Response 4 - If there is no clear plot of the story
Response 5 - I don't want to watch the rest of it
Response 6 - No music and or a boring opening scene
Response 7 - If it was unrealistic e.g. getting lost and a phone battery/signal going!!
Response 8 - Not stating what the story is from the start
Response 9 - Poor acting, too much information

Analysis Of Production Logos

Analysis Of Production Logos

Production company logos are important as it makes the film company recognizable by having the intro of their film production company logo at the start of the film. These logos are key to a company as it may base around their reputation of a company that makes them recognizable. Many production logo company logos such as popular ones are instantly recognizable by the use of four key features which is keeping is simple, Memorable, appropriate and also timeless. Film companies keep it simple as they want people to remember the film company logo. A film logo such as universal has the each with a glow around it and universal text in between the earth which again is memorable simple and appropriate.

Warner Brothers

Warner Brothers is a familiar production logo which as you can see is simple and is not confusing – it's not too complex.  As you can see that the production logo can be used for different purposes or genre as in one of them is a much darker color which they may use for a different genre. This means that the production logo can be changed by the use of colors to suit the audience or film. Looking back a warner brothers logo back in 1940s you can see that the logo has changed but of which may be based around the idea of keeping it simple and not much change for the audience to be confused by this logo, its recognizable to the new ones so that the audience has an idea that it's been updated and its still a warner brothers production that they are still watching but an updated logo with color, by keeping it the same concept from the 1940s makes it memorable for the audience and the fact that the logo has really changed can also make it a bit timeless. When the audience watches the film and recognizes the logo they may instantly know that its the company based on the film that they are going to watch and that its a quality film of the previous that they may have watched before of a Warner brother production.

20th Century Fox

The 20th century fox is a film company logo which is timeless as through the years it has remained the same concept of which it is memorized through the years but also through the years it has changed due to making it modern but also the film they are producing it for as other companies such as Warner brothers changes it’s color to the type of film. I would say that the logo makes itself look affect due to the colors and when you see their logo within intros it has light affects making it seem appropriate for their company but also the way that it stands tall may signify where they think they are in the film industry – the top.

Thriller Mood Board

Thriller Genre Mood Board

On this Thriller mood board are photos that relate to the thriller genre. All the pictures above link to the thriller genre in one way or another. Most of the pictures seen are in dark scenery with a dark and gloomy background. This here suggests 'thriller' because it is all about the building up of tension in thriller films, and a dark background creates suspense as it is quite unnerving for the viewer.

One Thriller convention is a dark alleyway setting. As you can see, I have included this as one of my images because a dark alley often indicates foreboding danger and that something bad is about to happen as they are secluded a small.

I also added words that are associated with the thriller genre and I thought that I would do this because these are also key things that make up the thriller genre along side all the other visual conventions. I also think that these three words are the main things to consider when watching or creating a thriller movie. In a thriller movie, we will always witness the protagonist in some sort of danger, there are always moments of suspense that have you on the edge of your seat which is why I included the words 'danger' and 'suspense'. The final word is plot twist as it is plays a key role in any thriller movie. When the audience is put under the illusion of the fate of the characters, the plot is steered in another direction, making the movie exciting and interesting. It also means that viewer is intrigued and wants to keep watching.

Horror Vs Thriller

The Difference Between The Horror And Thriller Genre

Horror vs Thriller

A thriller and a horror movie are very related. Both produce almost similar results unto their respective viewers as their movie genres cause viewers to grab the edges of their seats! This is also the reason why many moviegoers are easily confused with these two distinct movie genres. And whenever they become scared or nervous by watching a certain movie, they almost always associate the genre as both horror and suspense making the two terms synonymous. Unfortunately, this shouldn’t be the case.

The two genres actually speak for themselves in terms of the purpose they were created. For thriller movies, this genre was created so as to “thrill” the viewers. That’s why thrillers easily make their viewers sit at the edge of their seats but not to the point of making them shake on them. By contrast, horror films are designed to “horrify” their viewers. It literally makes you shout, scream, or even jump from your seats.

Although Hollywood has blurred the gap between a thriller and a horror movie, still the former usually carries more suspense. At the end, thriller films give more ways for viewers to discuss the events that transpired in the movie. A horror film just makes this improbable as it will leave you spooked and horrified after leaving the movie house.

Another point of comparison is the plot. Often viewers expect thriller films to bear the greater substance and have a better plot. This does not come as a surprise as many thrillers today are modern adaptations of best-selling suspense novels. There are lots of twists in thriller movies as well. Usually, you are left to guess the antagonist from start to end. On the contrary, most horror films are basically predictable. You’ll immediately have an idea of what’s going to happen next.
Thrillers also have that peculiar characteristic of highlighting the stories of serial killers and stalkers who, in the end, become dead. This genre actually presents a more practical and realistic setup. Horror films differ because the theme deviates from reality. The antagonists can literally come back from the dead. Oftentimes, the horror genre embraces more supernatural elements than thrillers. It has more gore, and there are more gruesome casualties involved.

Summary:

1.Thrillers are meant to thrill while horror films are meant to horrify the viewers.
2.Thrillers are predominantly witty, usually twisted, and contain better plots while horror films are, more often than not, predictable.
3.Horror films are often less practical and less realistic than thrillers.
4.Horror films usually have more supernatural elements than thrillers.

Cliff Hangers, Red Herrings and Enigmas

Cliff Hangers, Red Herrings and Enigmas

Cliff Hangers

According to the Britannica encyclopedia this word means 'adventure presented in installments, each ending in suspense'.

It is commonly used to show a thrilling situation. Characters would have to face difficult problems, e.g. In North by North West, Eve and Thornhillare literally hanging of a cliff.

The aim of a cliff hanger is to keep the audience engaging with the film, to see if the problem resolves itself or plummets to more danger and possibly the destruction of the hero/heroine.

Red Herrings

A red herring is a false trail, which is aimed to divert the audiences attention from the truth, e.g. In the Untouchables, Eliotness is given information on a warehouse that is storing Al Capone's alcohol, leading up to this scene there is slow suspenseful music, the treasure department surround the warehouse and break in. Inside the warehouse no traces of alcohol were found. It was a false lead.

Enigmas

Enigmas are puzzles, mysteries or problems, the protagonist must solve them in order to defeat the antagonist.

Inspiration

Some More Ideas

A very important aspect of designing my Thriller opening is figuring out where my inspiration is coming from. This could be in the form of film, tv series, commercial or even music. Basically anything related to the media.

Firstly, I have taken inspiration from the scene in ‘Skyfall’ where James Bond exits a back-alley garage in an Aston Martin. I like the shot taken from behind of the car driving away as the shot is quite low, making the car seem more intimidating and powerful.

I would also like to include a wide shot from the front of the garage. The shot will start in total darkness and will be lit by the car headlights as they turn on simultaneously with the engine. For this is will be using a fastback 67 Mustang as it looks sleek and quite ‘Hollywood’. This idea was taken from the action-thriller film ‘Bullit’ directed by Peter Yates and starring Steve McQueen.  I would like to include a series of quick shots of the anonymous driver doing preparatory actions such as tightening cufflinks, adjusting rear-view mirror etc…

I am yet to decide on how my Thriller opening will proceed after this, as these are only initial. However I am very keen on the idea of the mysterious car in leaving the garage, so this will most likely feature.

Here are some pictures of the real car that I am going to feature in my Thriller opening.