Credit sequences

Credit sequences:

Rocky:

The Rocky title sequence is extremely exhilarating with a dramatic, fast – paced rhythm to it; accompanied along side sketchy visuals of some of the protagonists featured in the film. It provides a hint to the audience about what the characters look like and what the film has in store for the audience. The target audience can possibly gain some foreshadowing about the characters from this effect through what the costumes are like.

Throughout the mis-en-scene of the opening sequence, one small detail stands out to me; the names of the characters are all brushed onto the screen – almost like the words have been wiped on with one stroke, signifying the powerfulness regarding the film. The straight stroke connotes the boxers throwing punches from right to left with the visuals appearing, signifying the protagonist boxer has the ambition to punch and fight anyone. This effect enhances the genre of the film – which is a sub-genre (A genre of sport and then boxing) – and provides incredibly entertaining visuals for the audience. In addition when the supposed ‘punches’ are thrown onto the screen and brushes the words, the words change colour. The fact that the words change colour after being ‘punched’ connotes the struggle boxers go through – the struggle whereby boxers are punched all the time and are changing mentally. Furthermore, the camera angle is tilted into a canted angle – connoting the character receiving the ‘punch’ being knocked to one side, signifying disorientation. Which is represented by the saturated colour, the contrast between the saturated red and black connotes the rivalry between the boxer and his/her opponent.

The font within the mis-en-scene plays a crucial role in representing the genre; the title is all block capitals, connoting the brutal reality of boxing and its genre. 

This has enhanced the institutions title sequence due to the fact that it is consistent with the genre simply because block capitals represents toughness, strength and dominance – all the stereotypes surrounding a boxer. Therefore, the font complies with not only the genre but also the whole branding of the film and in fact, the title sequence represents the film as a whole.

The background element of the sequence is most important because the sketchy artwork gives the active audience an edge about the representation behind the film and enhances the audience’s engagement. Also, the title sequence represents a ‘new hero being born’ (this is connoting the protagonist (Rocky himself)), a new boxer about to make history. This is signified through the use of a bird escaping from its cage, connoting Rocky has been unleashed into the boxing world. This has the potential to form an emotional attachment to the audience because according to Rick Altman’s theory, syntactic elements are represented in this frame as it connotes an inspirational theme about the bird escaping. This is also emphasised through the use of inspirational and ambitious music creating an atmosphere for the active audience to relate especially to this particular frame. In addition, this specific frame links with Young and Rubicam’s audience classification system because in fact, the escaping bird provides denotation of escapism for the ‘struggler’ who requires escape from their own lives. This visual iconography has a lot of deep meanings behind it and entails many stories for the audience to experience.

The institutional logo is a generic convention of all films and is essential when creating a credit sequence.

James Bond – Live and Let Die:

The Live and Let Die title sequence is fantastic because the music behind it made it to the top charts! The electric guitars bring the conventional ‘boring’ title credits to life and really engage the audience’s attention. This is echoed through the mis-en-scene where there is an extreme close up of a pair of eyes, starring at death in the face – represented through the fire in the frame, which

in turn connotes Hell and mortality. The graphic match between the eyes and the extreme close up of the skull again represents life and death – denoted in the title and the intense sound in the background. The ‘life’ frame denotes normal capital sized font, signifying structure throughout the living. Whereas the ‘death’ frame connotes the font as disorientated through the disorganised font, signifying the disorder in death. This enhances their credit sequences because it sparks the controversy between not only ‘life and death’ but also, ‘good vs. evil’.

The visual iconography of the flames separating the characters with and without the gun, representing good vs. evil which is enhanced through the title ‘Live and Let Die’ – by using the rule of thirds the evil character is dominant, signifying death which is further connoted through the genre of music (Rock and Heavy Metal (using electric guitars are conventions of these types of genres)) and the innocent, scared good character is trapped in the third of the frame to the right.

The directors are mentioned at the start of the opening credits, with the intense, colourised heat from the flames in the mis-en-scene, is potentially representing Hell with an unconventional woman in the middle of it instead of the devil.

The genre of this credit sequence is in fact a ‘hybrid genre’ that represents action and adventure, for example: the pair of hands playing with fire connotes the action aspect of the film.  The Title credits are therefore consistent with the film. Consistency is key.