Title Sequence Coursework - Importance of Typography

Typography is important, especially to a title sequence, but sometimes it might be overlooked. Each title we see is specifically designed to express different viewpoints. The typography of something can change the entire look and feel of the title sequence.

The first importance typography is that it attracts the attention of the audience. Typography can carry a certain mood or feeling of the sequence, which the audience will understand and get the message, of the atmosphere, you are trying to communicate. Having the right font can convey the tone of you film to the audience and illustrate the film’s genre.

The second importance of typography it is easy to read.  The audience should be able to read it clearly when watching the title sequence. The fonts and sizes are important because you have to make them important to convey the messages of the film. If fonts are too small or cramped together it could be hard to read and the audience would immediately ignore them. They have to be easy to comprehend.

Another significance of typography is that it establishes an information hierarchy. Different sized and types of fonts means the audience can focus on the parts that are most important. For example, someone will pay more attention to writing that is bigger and bolder than writing that is small and less important.

Furthermore, an importance of typography is that it helps to create harmony. When you use the same font throughout the title sequence, it unifies it, showing that they are linked and it creates a sense of continuity and simplicity.

The last importance of typography is that it created and builds recognition. The fonts that you use in the title sequence will be remembered as visuals and the audience will remember them. 

These are examples of how typography can convey different messages and set different moods and atmospheres.



This typography looks colourful and exciting, which makes it convey happiness. We see this because the bold font attracts our attention and the vivid colours interests us into to looking at the text. This text shows happiness.




The typography to the left is shown to be scary and mysterious. This is because the design of the font is disturbing and makes us feel uncomfortable. The blood like look to the typography makes us feel uneasy as blood is seen as a gruesome thing. This is why this typography conveys scariness. 

Title Sequence Coursework - Cast(1)

I have chosen who I want the cast and crew in my film and title sequence to be. For the cast I will stating who will be playing the characters and explain why, and for the cast I will state who they are and the reason why I chose them for that particular role.

Firstly, I chose Liam Neeson to play the role of the lead male, who is the oppsessive detective and the father of one of the girls. I chose Liam Neeson to play this character because he has has experience in working in a similar films like Obsession. For example, the action packed thriller, Taken, where his daughter gets kidnapped and he does everything to try get her back. In the Taken film it shows the father daughter relationship and I want this to be shown in our film. 

Secondly, I chose Jennifer Lawrence to play the role of the lead girl. She is apart of the four girls who are robbing banks. Coincidently she is the daughter of the detective that has been on the case of the bank robberies. I chose Jennifer Lawrence to star as the lead girl because she plays the strong female role in The Hunger Games trilogy. As she plays a strong female lead in The Hunger Games trilogy, I think she can replicate the bravery sand intelligence when performing the role of the main girl.

The actresses that I think should play the remaining three girls are Grace Phipps, Melissa Benoist and Margot Robbie. I think that using these actresses would be good as these girls have all been in some sort of action film. This shows that they know how to play roles in an action film.

Title Sequence Coursework - Analysis 5

The Silence of the Lambs

At the beginning of this title sequence we see a women running. We assume she is running away from something, but we don't know what. We soon find out she is running an assault course because of all the  obstacles, but it created a sense of mystery and suspense untill we find out. This scene is shot in the woods, which makes it seem scary because of the low key lighting and the mist. 
We can see that the film is thriller by the title sequence on account of the eeriness in the first scene. The mist and the darkness in the woods sets the creepy mood and atmosphere, which pulls the audience in to find out more. 

The iconography in the title sequence portrays masculinity. This is shown by the guns and other machinery in the title sequence. The masculinity suggests that this will not be a feminine film and will have many conventions of a stereotypical masculine film, for example: an action, an adventure or in this case a thriller film. 

The narrative of the film is shown in the title sequence as we see a masculine women who makes her way through something that seems to be a F.B.I building. We can assume this as we are shown agents as she walks through. When she enters the room we see her looking at some documents about a killer named 'Buffalo Bill' and then being assigned the case. This shows that the narrative would be something about an investigation into the murder. 

In the opening sequence for this film, we are introduced to the main character, which is Clarice Starling. We assume she is the main character because she is the main focus in most of the shots in the title sequence. 

In the F.B.I building we establish she is an agent as she is assigned a case and is around other F.B.I agents. As the other agents are male she stands out from them and it seems like she is the only female. Which shows the ability to fill a masculine role. 

She is respected in her job as her boss speaks to her with respect and it seems like she is successful in what she does. She does not seem like a typical female role in an film as she is sweaty, unglamorous and seems masculine. Where as a stereotypical female in film would be conveyed as very feminine, glamorous and would be ostracised. 

The non-diegetic sound is orchestral and builds tension with the bass being repeated. The track adds suspense and builds up the title sequence, which engages the audience in. The track fades and lingers for the dialogue in the title sequence. By quietening the track,the focus moves to the dialogue, which suggests the importance of it and it's contents. 

As Clarice is making her way through the building the tracks chances to become more deep and serious. This suggests the seriousness of the situation. 

As the titles on the title sequence are the colour black and in the centre of the screen, it grabs the audiences' attention and makes it the focus point of that shot. This is because it is the centre of attention. The bold font and large letters also grabs the audiences' attention and it sticks out and is hard to miss. 

Title Sequence Coursework - Analysis 4

The Game

We comprehend that the time this is filmed is in the 1950s. We can assume this because the kitchen is designed in a 1950’s style. Also most of the features in the title sequence suggest the setting was 1950s, such as: the costumes, the colours, lighting, etc. We assume the costumes and colours are from the 50s because they are quite old fashioned and dull. Dull shades of white and cream are used to get across the period of time it is set. The effect on the camera also makes us believe that it is set in the 1950s because the qualities of videos at that time were not so good.

Furthermore, only the middle or upper class could afford camera at that time, it was rare for people to have them because they were expensive. The setting of the title sequence is that garden of a big mansion. This suggests, the family that owns the mansion, are rich and have a middle or upper class status. We also see this when the camera has a mid-shot of the father wearing a suit suggesting he has an important job, and the boy is also wearing a suit, showing again that they are a middle or upper class family. In addition, when we are shown the large kitchen filled with staff, we assume that they are middle or upper class because not many people can afford staff to work in The shot of the women arranging the white flowers connotes senses of purity. The flower signifies the purity at that time, as they are home videos. We know that these are home videos because the camera is hand held and the quality of the picture is poor.

As a group of people walk down a long path in the garden, we see their purity and innocence in the title sequence. We see this because they are wearing white and the colour white is normally associated with being pure. This implies that these people are unaware to any troubling elements in the sequence.

The themes that are being expressed through the title sequence are mystery and drama. We assume this because on the mid-shot of the father and son posing for the picture, the father turns and walks into the dark, leaving the son standing by him self. As the father walks into the dark and leaves the son, the low-key lighting makes it look like the father is disappearing from the boy’s life. The shot of the group of children watching the puppet show could suggest mystery. This is because there is always someone, the puppetmaster, control puppets. This could suggest elements of crime and corruption.

When we see the man in the shots, his body language is reserved and distant. We see this when he has his hand on his son, it looks false and it suggests that he is disconnected from his son. We also see this when the shot of the man is walking towards the camera is cut. His angry facial expression shows that he doesn’t want to be seen doing something. The shot adds a layer of nostalgic and the colours look washed out on this shot.

When we see three people, including the father and what seems like the wife, having a conversation, they are shown to be smiling except from the father. The father is looking around and is taking out a cigarette as the other two look in to the camera and smile, showing he is unaware of what is happening and maybe his unawareness will affect others in the rest of the film.

Title Sequence Coursework - History of Title Sequences

I found this video of the history of title sequences. This shows all the famous designers who made title sequences what they are now. These designers basically created the codes and conventions of film's title sequences. Designers like Saul Bass inspired many other to create title sequences that had meaning and creates the mood and atmosphere for the film.

Title Sequence Coursework - Designer Analysis 2

Paul Donnellon

Paul Donnellon studied animation and graphic design at Dun Laoighaire College of Art and Design. Paul moved to London to work with TVC. Paul Donnellon's first animation work was`When the Wind Blows' in 1986, as an assistant animator. From 2000 to 2002 Paul moved to the Oscar winning company The Mill as the consultant director of 3D animation. Paul Donnellon has now established his own company Voodoodog with David Obadiah. He is also makes an occasional visit to Beaconsfield to give a lecture for the National Film and Television School's animation course. He was nominated for an Emmy for his title sequence for the HBO film 'The Life and Death of Peter Sellers' and has made title sequences for films such as 'Smokin' Aces', 'Love in the Time of Cholera', and the 'Nanny McPhee' movies.

Some of Paul Donnellon's work:

• Smokin' Aces
• Scott Pilgrim vs. The World
• Nanny McPhee Returns
• Made of Honor 
• St Tranian's
• Love in the Time of Cholera
• Nanny McPhee
• The Life and Death of Peter Sellers
• When the Wind Blows
• The River King

The Life and Death of Peter Sellers

'The Life and Death of Peter Sellers' title sequence.

Paul Donnellon uses Graphic Design and Animation to make this title sequence. The title sequence shows the audience the genre of the film, which is comedy.Once the title sequence begins we see that it is very bright and colourful. Donnellon made it bright and used vivid colours to make the sequence look fun and exciting, almost comic like. The sequence sticks out and grabs the attention of the audience, pulling them in and engaging them. The typography also shows that the film will be fun and comical because it is made out of flowers that grow to cover the screen. 

Title Sequence Coursework - Designer Analysis 1

Saul Bass

Saul Bass is an American motion-picture designer-director. He is known for his imaginative, animated titles, prologues, and epilogues. He became commonly known after creating the title sequence for Otto Preminger’s film, The Man with the Golden Arm (1955).

Bass was from the Bronx, New York. He graduated James Monroe High School and studied at the Art Students League and attended night classes with György Kepes at Brooklyn College. He began his time in Hollywood in the 1940s, designing print advertisements for films, such as: Champion (1949), Death of a Salesman (1951) and The Moon is Blue (1953). Bass then collaborated with Otto Preminger, who also directed The Moon is Blue. Preminger was impressed with Bass’s work and asked him to produce a title sequence. Bass was one of the first to realise the creative potential of the opening and closing credits to a movie and enhanced the experience of the audience and contributed to the mood and the theme of the movie.

Some of Saul Bass’s work:

• Psycho
• Goodfellas
• Cape Fear
• The Age of Innocence
• Casino

Saul Bass was best known for his use of simple, geometry shapes and their symbolism. His posters had an strange ability to capture the mood of a film with simple shapes and images. This was his preferred method as opposed to using pictures of the film star. Bass often hand drew the images to create a casual appearance.