Breaking it Down Further: Analyzing Credit Sequences

A vital part of any film opening is the credit sequence. The way that credit sequences are presented varies within openings, especially in the way they are shown, which is why I have researched and watched several opening credit sequences and analyzed them below. 

But First.... What is a Credit Sequence?

    Credit sequences in films are a way to credit the people behind a film. Credit sequences often display text that lists the cast and crew, but they are presented differently in different films, especially in the way they are visually shown. Typically, things like producer, director, writer, cinematographer, editor, main actors, and music credits are all part of the credit sequence. In my own opening, I plan to include one of these sequences, but before doing this research, I hadn't really thought about how just yet. In doing this research, things became a little more clear.

The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

The visual appeal for the title for The Silence of the Lambs (1991) wasn't really great in my opinion. Although the coloring matched the opening scene's color scheme, it still somehow looked off. Personally, the outline in gray of the lettering messed up the title, and I think if the title was more visually appealing, it would have made the credits seem better. 

The general credit sequence for The Silence of the Lambs (1991) seemed quite distracting in my personal opinion. I didn't like the font of the text, and the outline in gray didn't strike me as visually appealing. When the credits appeared, they were big and intrusive and took away from what was going on in the scene. The credits did match the title which  made for a clean look that I liked. 

Misery (1990)

The general credits for Misery (1990), although being a contrasting color, didn't distract from the scene of the opening. The credits faded in nicely and were very visually appealing. The opening did a nice job of portraying a car crash, and the credits were fluid and didn't take away from the story. The credits matched the title, which added to the cleanliness of the credits. 

I really liked the title for Misery (1990). I think although the red contrasts the winter storm, it made the title stick out and seem more interesting. I liked the font better, and I think it went with the whole Christmas time winter theme of the film and the film opening.

A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)

Out of all the titles, the title for A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) was my favorite one. It matched the coloring of the opening, and it was very visually appealing. The title was quite distinguishable, making it recognizable, and it could be used as a logo for marketing the film. 

The general credits for A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) are most alike to what I want to do in my opening. They are a basic font, white, and kind of small and off in the corner, ensuring they don't take away from the film. I like that they are kind of off to the side and not covering what's going on in the opening.

Takeaways/Credits:

    In watching and taking notes on all these credit sequences, I have realized for my own film opening, I want my credits to be small with a more simple font. I want them to not take away from the opening's actual plot and to match the color scheme of the opening.  To watch all the openings/credit sequences, I used a website called Art of the Title. It has numerous openings to watch and focuses on the credit sequences within the opening. I have given credit to the website and provided the URL below. 

Art of the Title. www.artofthetitle.com.