More Research

The research this time is on movie title sequences.



This is a tittle sequence to a movie called Cold Mountain. There are many features to this title sequence, i have listed them below:

A voice over is used in this title sequence right at the beginning, this voice over is from a character in the film, a woman, who is setting the scene to the audience by reading out a letter to her loved one. This also is introducing a character and the following scene.

Text on screen is also used at the beginning, this helps the audience to understand where and when the film is set and also what the film includes.

The colour used in the film is very significant. Underground where the soldiers are planting gun powder, the colours are reds, oranges and browns. These symbolise death, it also suggests to the audience that there may be death about to happen in the scene. It gives a sense of hell too.

The colour used in the scene of the soldiers that are above ground are blues and greens, this symbolises peace and joy and also happiness in the current scene, although this does not last there is a definite contrast in the two sets.

Sound is used in the title sequence in many different ways, it is used for the theme song to the film, this is very appropriate to the American nation it is a kind of southern blues tune. This is then interrupted by an impact sound, the impact sound is when the gunpowder blows up and it interrupts the theme song to the film. It makes the audience aware of what has just happened by the sudden change in sound.

The use of props in this title sequence varies from coats to wheel barrows and even notebooks. The notebook is the prop that i am going to talk about, you can tell that he has been at war for a time that he thinks is too long, this is shown by the state of the notebook he has in his ruck sack. The state that the notebook is in, is very grotty and tattered, he has also been twisting it in his hands for a while as it is in the shape that you would expect to find a telescope in. He keeps a photograph of his lover in this notebook, this represents his affection to her and also that he is missing her. He twists the notebook into a round 'telescope' shape for a bit of comfort, he misses home a lot.

Make up has been used in this title sequence to make the actors hands look very grubby and dirty, this is to show that he often twists the notebook in his ruck sack for comfort.

The animation of the titles is very slight, the titles are shown at the beginning of the sequence, whilst the voice over is being played. They are placed onto a background of water, this ripples, as this ripples the titles move very slightly, this appeals to the audience more than the titles would if they are plain and stationary. The use of water at the beginning suggests the separation of the two lovers and also the distance in which they are apart.

A rabbit is used in the title sequence to link the two opposition forces together, because it is seen in the tunnel where one force is and also in the defence trench is. The rabbit it also used in the sequence as a decoy, it is there to lure the soldiers into the trap of the opposition.

Another title sequence we have looked at is, Donnie Darko. This title sequence is very unusual in many different ways, this is carried on throughout the film.



At the beginning of the sequence we see a man lying down in the middle of the road,with his bicycle next to him, it is staged that way as if to say he has fallen off it. This is a very unusual start to a sequence it is not something you see everyday.

There is then a landscape image whilst the man, (Donnie) gets to his feet. When he is getting to his feet he stands up with his back to the camera, emerging from the bottom of the frame and then slowly turns around to face the camera with a sly looking smile. This is a very odd introduction to a shot as it is very rarely done.

The costume in this opening is also very strange, at the beginning Donnie is wearing his pyjamas, this suggests to the audience that he sleep walks and ended up in the middle of the road.

The time in which the film is set is in the autumn we are told this by many various hints in the  sequence. E.g. the father is blowing the leaves which have fallen off the trees into a pile to be swept up, another hint is the big orange poster advertising a Halloween Carnival, this shows that it is autumn.

Time in this sequence has been messed with as it has been slowed down and also sped up. E.g. is when the mother is walking across the grass and the father points the leaf blower at her, when this happens, the time is sped up as she runs away from the leaf blower. Another example is when the younger sister is jumping on the trampoline, the time is slowed down and then sped up. This is an unusual thing to do as nothing in reality is ever sped up or slowed down.

Another strange feature in the sequence is when Donnie goes to the fridge and opens it to look for something to eat, we can see what i son the door of the fridge, this is intended for us to read the sign which states 'Where is Donnie?' This is unusual  because normal families would have notes like, 'buy butter' or dates of important upcoming events not notes asking where a member of their family is.

The titles in the 'Donnie Darko' title sequence are seen at the beginning. The main title of the movie is, 'Donnie Darko' this title is animated, the way in which it is animated is that it expands to fit the screen, then it disappears when the light from the dot  on top of the i, it then proceeds to cover the whole text and then there is a cut away from the title.

Sound is used in many different ways throughout this title sequence. E.g. At the very beginning there is sound used from a thunderstorm, this makes the film seem very eery and scary. but as the sequence goes on, the music changes. the thunderstorm is used to blend in with the chirping of the birds. We then hear non diegetic sound, this is a song being played over the top of the images used in the sequence. There is foregrounded sound of the leaf blower over the top of the song and also the springs on the trampoline is foregrounded. The sound of the song being played is carried on whilst Donnie is walking to the refrigerator, it then suddenly cuts when the scene is cut, this is an unusual process to have with regards to sound, the audience usually expects the music to fade out slowly.

Another opening sequence to a film we have watched is City of God.


The beginning of this film sequence is very strange as it starts with the titles appearing in silence, this goes on for a while then all of a sudden there is a foregrounded sound of somebody sharpening a knife on a rock. this suggests to the audience that there may be some killing is about to happen, for either recreational purposes or food purposes.

We then get the other sound that is happening around the knife.