Question sheet This week we did a survey to see if out target audience (primarily male aged 15-24) would be interested in our film idea:
We showed them clips form 7 social realist films
Cathy Come Home, Tyrannosaur, This is England, '71, Billy Elliot, Submarine, Slumdog Millionaire
We gave them a question sheet about the clips
Asked them to fill in their age/gender (almost all of them were a part of our target demographic)
The questions were presented to ppts in a table format, but these were the questions
WHAT WE FOUND
Name the film:
they couldn't name most of the films
most recognised Billy Elliot and Slumdog Millionaire, which makes sense as these were the 2 most commercially successful.
Genre:
we suspected a teenage audience would use the word 'drama' to describe most of the films, with hybrid exceptions '71 and Submarine probably being labelled as action/romcom.
This was true for the most part, though 2 recognised the social realist theme.
Slumdog Millionaire was thought to be a Bollywood production by a few of the participants (which makes sense as the majority of Indian films are Bollywood films), but the majority labelled it as rom-com/drama.
Would they want to see more of the films:
almost no one said they wanted to continue watching Cathy Come Home or Tyrannosaur,
more girls than Boys said they would want to continue Billy Elliot (probably because the ballet plot line is too 'girly').
'71 was the most popular among participants that they said they would want to continue because of the genre, but Slumdog Millionaire was also a popular choice.
Had they seen any other films/tv shows that seemed similar:
Only a few participants named similar films/tv shows they had seen
This is England, A Streetcar Named Desire, The Book Thief and Inglorious Bastards were some that were mentioned
But most said they had watched similar things
this is positive feedback as it shows that though our target audience may not have been familiar with the clips we showed, they do have some interest in the genre
Had they been to the cinema to see any films like these:
only 1 participant had been to the cinema to see a social realist film (Slumdog Millionaire)
This makes sense, as discussed in other posts low-budget indie films which tend to be more likely to explore heavy social realist themes are less commercially successful than studio/comedy films and therefore have a more difficult time with theatrical distribution
Even The Journeyman, which we are taking lots of influence from, was screened at an indie film festival (The British and Irish Film festival)
WHAT I DISCUSS IN THIS POST:
- initial research: what are the numbers?
- precise wording and order
- companies
- auteur
- actors
- technical roles
- design: font size, animation, case/s, (sans-)serif, colouring; connoting genre
- timing, animation, transitions (how long stay on screen; varies by role? straight cuts or transitions?
- main title: any difference or same design as other titles? duration different?
MAIN FINDINGS: ...
...
a method where film credit production companies
about 20 - 30 titles
there can be exception, in the Mexican or The Wicked Man there we only see under 10 titles
at high end tentpole movies everything is pushed to the back so the titles start after the movie
usually about 3 mins long
in title sequence you find a lot of signifiers
exposition what the genre of the movie is going about
different positioning
different size font for titles
We started this process by individually researching a wide range of titles sequences, and analysing the basic numbers and trends behind these.
1: INITIAL RESEARCH - WHAT ARE THE NUMBERS??
SUMMARY: How many titles do we usually see?
I looked at 10 film openings from different genres which are linked in this post.
In film openings, we usually see between 25 - 30 titles
CONVENTIONAL EXAMPLES: - Sleepers (1996) - The Notebook (2004) - Mean Girl (2004) - Sherlock Holmes A Game Of Shadows (2011) - Lord of War (2005) - Spider-Man 3 (2007) EXCEPTIONS: However, there can be exceptions sometimes we only see a few titles (under 10). E.g. The Mexican (2001) or The Wicker Man (1973). In some modern tentpole movies, you find no titles at the beginning, everything is pushed to the end e.g. Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows. The first title to appear starts at 01:55:32 (ending 01:57:37).
Only 3 Titles
7 Titles
Titles are 5mins long!
How long is the title sequence?
The duration from the first to the last title is usually about 3 minutes long.
In some cases, it can be considerably more or less, eg:
The Mexican (2001) the duration of the title sequence is only 23 seconds
Production Companies: Columbia Pictures Corporation, Marvel Studios, Laura Ziskin Productions
Numbers of titles: 30
Duration from first to the last title: 00:39 - 03:05
2: Precise wording and order
SUMMARY:
A title is a method where films credit production companies or Cast by visuals and sound (Stars, Editor, Director.....). The opening credits for production companies are the most important members of the production which are often accompanying by non-diegetic music. The aim of an opening sequence is to establish the mise-en-scene. Titles (Numbers): - About 20-30 titles (However sometimes only the companies and the director is mentioned) - The duration of titles is usually about 5 minutes long. (It can be shorter and a gap between them) - +/- 5 companies are usually credited (But it can be less) Main areas and order: 1. A ... production/presents/in association with 2. Film (Director) 3. Starring... / With... / Introducing... / Co-starring... (Actors) 4. Technical Roles (about 10): - Casting by... - Costume designed by... - Music composed by... - Editor... - Director of photography... - Lightning by... - Production designer... - Screenplay by... - Executive Producer... / Produced by... - Directed by... 5. Directed by... (Director) (Director is the only one who always gets credited twice)
... RESEARCH (mine): looking at 10 films (link to post here) from a range of genres I counted the number of titles in their opening sequences and the duration
there were usually 20-30 titles
in some films only the director/companies had titles
In older examples there were usually more titles on screen at once (4+) an in newer examples there were never more than 3
Submarine
Start/end time of main titles: 0:00-1:53
Submarine was co-produced
2 indie companies (uk- Warp, usa- Red Hour)
Film4 Productions - a subsidiary of Channel Four Television Corporation
UK Film Council (in this case funded by the National Lottery)
Film4 and the UK Film Council both have idents, and are credited in the titles
8 companies in total were credited
The full titles were all upper case, and are given below in order (prod/dist company x2) present in association with (prod comapny x2) in association with (prod comapny x2) in association with (prod company) a (prod company) production film title ... I was surprised at how few there were for Submarine when you compare these opening credits to how many people were involved on the IMDB credits, and the director/writer wasn't credited either. The sans serif font used is against a dark blue background - the seriousness of the font signifiessocial realismand coming of age - which this film has aspects of. However the extreme spacing of the lettering connotes a slightly quirky aspect - the film is a hybridised rom-com. In this example the font may also have been chosen as a part of the IP - it is the same font used on the cover of the book which the film is based on. The blue also links with the ocean theme and setting, so could be a combination of mise-en-scene and for aesthetic purposes.
... Baby Driver
Start/end time of main titles: 5:43-8:20 Running time of main titles: 2:33
Baby Driver was co-produced
America indie company Media Rights Capital
uk subsidiary company Big Talk Productions (subsidiary of ITV)
uk subsidiary Working Title (a subsidiary of NBCUniversal - one of the Big Six largest conglomerates)
The full titles were all upper case, and are given below in order (dist. company x2) present a (production company x2) production a film by (director & writer) film title (actor's name) (actor's name) (actor's name) (actor's name) with (actor's name) and (actor's name) (actor's name) (actor's name) x3 casting by choreography by costume designer music by editors production designer director of photography executive producers (x3 names) executive producers (x3 names) produced by (x3 names) written and directed by
There were a lot more credits given in this one compared to the indie film Submarine - this is probably because star billing is a large marketing/advertisement strategy. Actors agents often put a lot of effort into getting their actors names into billing blocks and having title cards to themselves rather than being one name amongst several. This is more typical of high-budget films made by conglomerates or subsidiaries.
There was an animation with these credits via GIPHY
The title for the film made the building look like a road and the orange of the font emphasised this (the colour of taxis and road lines). This has narrative connotations as the protagonist is a getaway driver.
The serif font is also an intertextual reference: the font is called Gunplay and was designed for the 1972 Steve Mcqueen/Ali McGraw film The Getaway (a neo-noir film) - This appeals to a secondary older target audience who would be able to pick up on the preferred reading
... Mean Girls
Start/end time of main titles: 0:00-5:12
Mean Girls was produce by Broadway Video, a production company founded by Lorne Michaels, who receives 2 credits
again famous actors get there own credits (Lindsey Lohan directly after the procurers name and before the film title)
it was distributed by Paramount - one of the Big Six conglomerates
The full titles were all upper case, and are given below in order a (producer) production (actor's name) film title (actor's name) (actor's name) (actor's name) (actor's name) (actor's name) (actor's name) x2 (actor's name) x3 and (actor's name) casting by... based on the book ... by... music supervisors (names x2) music composed and conducted by ... co-producer... costume designer... editor... production designer... director of photography... executive producer... produced by ...
screenplay by... directed by ... The font clearly indicates a female teen target audience and signifies rom-com/drama: the serif fun tis almost bubble and lots of pink is used. There is animation with these titles: they slide in and bounce - this signifies the comedy aspect. ...
I like the idea of incorporating music into our film opening for more than just creating an ambiance (diegetic or not I'm not sure) - 'choreographing' a film to sound isn't the most common of conventions but it can work
Not using much dialogue for exposition
A voiceover
The use of Foley sound, both for verisimilitude and creativity - a good example of this this BTS video form the 2018 horror film The Quiet Place
Summary
audio bridge between titles (eg Bride of Chucky, Baby Driver)
ambient and Foley sound for verisimilitude (The Mexican, The Quiet Place, Baby Drive, Chucky)
music can be diegetic or non-diegetic - often used to signify genre/target audience (eg Baby Driver and Chucky)
music is not usually continuous - fades in and out (eg Baby Driver)
sound can signify setting (eg Submarine)
Can be used to build tension/narrative enigma (eg The Mexican, Drive and Chucky)
Institution aspect - OSTs
... Vodcast
RESEARCH (MINE): ... Baby Driver - driven by music
I have decided to split this opening sequence into 2 parts: the opening sequence & titles.
Opening Sequence
Baby Driver OST on vinyl
Sound is one of the most important aspects of Baby Driver, with large sections of the visuals being “choreographed” to fit the soundtrack, sometimes more reminiscent of a music video than a film.In this example it has been stated by the director that the scene is built around the song, rather than vice versa.
The attention to detail is a part of the auteur director, Edgar Wright’s, style, but also has huge marketing potential
a line used in a lot of the promotional material was "all you need is one killer track" (OST available on apple music, spotify & vinyl).
The opening sequence begins on a fade from black, and before the first shot we can hear a high pitched sound which turns into a musical note (an audio bridge)
the sound is unsettling and has a foreboding nature, signifying a somewhat serious genre.
This is also a part of the narrative, as the audience will come to know that the protagonist suffers from tinnitus (a ringing in the ears).
As the screen fades from black and we see a city street, the ambient sound of cars driving past can be heard - high level of verisimilitude.
As the car which the protagonist is in pulls up a louder sound can be heard - also for verisimilitude.
In the second shot we see the protagonist pull out an iPod classic and begin a song, which then plays over the remainder of the opening sequence.
The follow 4 cuts happen to the beat of the song, and even the chewing of gum is on tempo, although it does not make any sound.
Just before the protagonist watches the rest of his ‘crew’ fire guns in the bank they are robbing, the music becomes quieter and police sirens can be heard as a police car drives past
this anchors the genre as action, as this takes precedent over the music.
This is also somewhat expositional to the narrative as we learn the protagonist’s central conflict is that of his commitment to a life of crime, and music is one of the ways in which he can hide form the immorality of criminality.
The sound of gunfire is also heard through the bank window, although the sound is muffled - this is most likely Foley sound
Sounds of the tyres screeching can be heard, and there are some close ups of the tyres making sharp turns/quick stops
The only dialogue in the opening sequence is over the walkie-talkie of a police car (also diegetic). This is a part of the director’s style - focusing on film as a visual medium, using sound and visuals for exposition rather than dialogue as often as possible.
Titles
Also created very much like a music video, the title sequence is lead by audio, with diegetic aspects adding to the song (car horns, bike bells, scuffling of feet, ATM beeps), and the visuals being made in conjuncture to the lyrics
the protagonist miming playing the trumpet in a shop window as is it heard in the song, and lyrics being written in graffiti on the street which change as the protagonist walks back from getting coffee.
Baby Driver on the way there vs. on the way back screenshot
Unlike in the opening sequence the title sequence is a 2:45 long steady-cam tracking shot, with elements of the street timing in with the music rather than cutting to the beat.
The song used in the titles is Harlem Shuffle - Bob & Early
R&B rather than a rock song
Appeals to an older audience
When the protagonist removes one earphone to order coffee the music becomes quieter
sound editing done in post
assures the protagonist is properly anchored as the audience is experiences the diegesis through his eyes and ears
Then only exposition done throughout dialogue here is the main characters name ('Baby')
... Submarine
The first sound that can be heard in Submarine is unclear: it could be wind or waves
it is made clear that it is the diegetic sound of waves when seagulls can be heard. This is expository as it signifies that the film takes place by the sea.
After 30 seconds a voiceover begins
this is non-diegetic and purely for exposition, but also builds narrative enigma as the voiceover begins before we see the protagonist’s face, but is very quickly resolved as the protagonist comes into the shot.
The accent tells us that the protagonist is from Wales, and from the sound of waves we can infer that the film is also set there.
The sound of waves is quiet and not overpowering as if it were a storm, creating a calm atmosphere.
As a mellow song begins to play the camera cuts closer to the protagonist’s face twice - both times to the beat - and on the third beat the protagonist looks into the camera.
Similar to Baby Driver there is conjuncture between the music and the visuals, however the music is non-diegetic within the opening scene of Submarine.
As the music starts a brief montage consisting of wide shots of the Welsh coast is shown (9 shots in total, only the last 2 of which have Oliver in them).
With the music this creates a calm atmosphere/ambiance, but is also iconography, as it shows the character's awareness of himself as just a small part of the surrounding world, that he accepts he is not ‘an individual’ and does not need to think of himself as unique in order to motivate himself to ‘get out of bed, eat food and walk around like nothing’s wrong’, as he states other people do in the voiceover.
This is similar to in The Wicker Man - which was filmed on location at Hebridean, and during the opening credits has many wide shots of the countryside as the protagonist arrives by helicopter
The acoustic music adds to the calming atmosphere, and similar to Baby Driver hasmarketing potential for an OST, as it is by the lead singer from the alt band Arctic Monkeys (star billing).
when you look up a poster for the film, the second image which comes up is for the soundtrack
slow long drum beats which are several seconds apart. Therefore makes it creepy:
it gives the slow heartbeat feel (messes around with your psychology)
the slow drum beats make you holding your breath which gives a tense feeling.
the single beat kicks slow down your heartbeat which again messes with your heart which impacts the heart (if fast pace music, it speeds up your mood/adrenaline)
later on the non-diegetic sound changes to a faster pace (drum kicks)
(It's very effective to mess with somebody's heart if combining fast/slow notes)
Baby Driver (2017):
...
...
At the beginning, we find an audio bridge which is common in movies (still in the black screen and then the first shot comes)
ambient sound of cars driving past and people talking on the phone to add verisimilitude
the sounds are all non-diegetic which were added later on during the post-production process
00:12 we hear a clear sound of a car pulling up which gets louder and louder
sound of engine, brakes, and handbrake
all this non-diegetic sound (details) of the car is signifying that the red Subaru is going to play a bigger role in that scene (before transitioning into the main film)
it's always cutting to the beat
the long drawn out drum beats are several seconds apart
in the background, you hear a fast pace high pitch note which rises in volume
this is going to raise the tension (make the mood tense)
01:00 they have included diegetic sound (protagonist singing along)
the music they chose is kind of rock genre
the pace of the music changes often it goes from slow then fast then it slows down again and stops (brake) eventually then it picks on the pace again
therefore it messes with the heartbeat
it gives the tense feeling/mood then stops or slows the mood down
when the music goes fast again with the sound of the car (engine, tire/drifting) it makes the viewer more excited again
especially for rock the fast notes, drums, and guitar, it fits well because the fast beat of instruments gives the viewers adrenaline and excitement
also, the fast pace is likely to signify action (whereas, for horror, it is long drawn out slow drum kicks to make it creepy/scary)
Drive (2011):
...
...
audio bridge/ambient sound which overlaps between the title sequence and first shot of the movie
there again we find a slow drawn out bass kick which is several seconds apart
it slows down our heartbeat which gives a tense vibe
the fact that the bass kicks don't change in notes (monotone/change in speed) it makes it mysterious and dramatic
first shot (panning/tilting shot) there are a lot of non-diegetic sounds (flipping the phone, taking the bag, walking noise)
ambient sound is also present (cars driving past)
at 02:11 the music rises in volume which signifies tension, it's about to get serious (action)
at 03:11 you only hear the non-diegetic sound of the watch
it signifies that the time is going to be a major element
at 03:20 the central protagonist turns up the volume of the radio
it signifies that there are important pieces of information to pick up
