Best Modern TItle Sequences on YouTube

The first title sequence gets the viewer in the mood for what is to come. The driving styles can be reflected in the personalities of the character's names. It adds to the narrative and allows an premature access into the character's identity, through the way they drive and interact with the other character's names. I have not seen the film, but I would imagine that the designers profited from knowing the story.

23 title sequence is nice in that it makes the audience part of the conspiracy. It gives facts along with names of the cast, making the viewer question if the facts are merely a coincidence or part of a greater conspiracy with which the movie deals with. It makes the viewer pre-sympathetic to Jim Carrey's character, which is what is needed for a good film.The style of using the courier type face (usually connected to typewriters, books and user-made content {a published book need not use typewriters for mass production}) coupled with blood allude to a danger that will come in the film.






Blue velvet- does not give any insight into what is to come, except the connection of curtains to the tile "Blue Velvet". Room for improvement.

Charlie and the chocolate factory: Like how even before the title sequence there is a rendering of the production companies names. It seems that when this is done it catches the viewer's attention by taking a previously seen brand, and making it part of the film pulling viewers into the narrative.(SImilarly done in the Matrix, which grabbed my attention when I first saw it) Then, with use of Danny Elfman's audio, the anticipation is highered. As the viewer is pulled into the factory to see the process of the chocolate being made, through the delivery it shows a background to the story that enriches the later narrative, because the audience begins to believe in the factory that it could be a real place. I like the title sequence, effectvely carried out, but it seems like Tim Burton had recieved too high a budget for the movie. The title sequence in Edward Scissorhands is very similar, taking the audience through a work of a factory, yet the style has the grit of Tim Burton's earlier work. It seems more real, instead of pretty 3d animation.

Final Destination 3: Typeface consist with carnival theme, and the audio adds a foreshadow of doooooooom. If it was 1950's bandstand playing in the background, then it would be an entirely different film. (Probably one with kids, cotton candy and a love story. Hopefully not all intertwined for then the theme could be construed with a touch of irony.)

The Grudge: Colors, theme music, the hair all let the user guess what they are expected to be afraid of. The symbol of the hair is key in the story, so they did a good job at alerting the audience of this danger before hand. Saves them some work.

I have not seen this next film, so it makes for a good deconstructing of the title sequence. I am guessing that the movie is going to follow a death, because the title sequence (from here on 't.s.') is following a coffin around a town. Perhaps a body has been taken. The music alludes to mischief, someone has done something wrong. Maybe something like a murder, and the body has to be hidden in different locations, or someone is trying to find the location of said body. Maybe something to do with architecture, because it has a city plan, either than or it takes place in the suburbs, maybe the main character is an average joe. Now I shall look on imdb and try to find the film...Ah death at a funeral I was wrong. "A coffin is transported from the mortuary to a family home in the English countryside while the credits roll. Daniel (Matthew Macfadyen) opens the coffin for a last look, the wrong person is inside. The drivers, embarrassed, go back and bring the correct one." It was tying in with the narrative, so that the film need not shoot that part of the movie.

***There are the t.s.'s that tie in with the narrative, in line with the opening scene so that the viewer has context, or those that have key symbols (23 the grudge) that alert the viewer to look out for certain items, or themes like thank you for smoking which use symbols that tie into the plot, but done give anything away, just a visually pleasing t.s.

Dirty Dancing: Shows dirty dancing in the t.s. and also the typeface that branded the movie name. Hot Pink perhaps because it was done in the 1980's and there were bright colors that identified with the youth of the age, or perhaps because it is a color that symbolises girls. The dancing in it is sexual and intriguing. Ohhh, I sound like a creep.

Elf: Type face is fun and playful, not the typeface for a bank, so fun and playful movie coming your way. The picture book = kids, snowflakes winter, illustartions christmas, along with soundtrack. Right style, and for the kind of movie that does not require any heavy thinking or analysis of the plot, it is a good t.s.

Fantastic 4: Gets the brand down, right away. Then furthers the plot by showing the characters using science, which they do in the film. The style is that of a comic book, alluding to the previous form of the story.

The Family Stone: Christmas, the names of the actors in combination speak loudly about the content of the film, heartwarming, like romantic comedy, probably about family and love at christmas.



The Hitchhiker's Guide To the Galaxy: bringing the viewer into the narrative-the book start out in the same way. By the time the intro is over the audience is wondering what the impending doom of the planet is. Also the alluding that there is another animal that is smarter than either the dolphin or man early in the film gives a hint as to what is to come, whilst not being too obvious about it. The song is very cute as well, as if the dolphins are singing.

Poseidon: Starts underwater, foreshadowing being underwater, and continues the anrrative, showing a man running on the ship, which matches the introduction of the movie.

It seems like most scary movies use t.s. that foreshadow what is to be afraid of. This one seems like internet, coupled with voices as if they are being listened to, maybe the viewer has to be afraid of stalker/hackers. I'm guilty of being intrigued. I guess you wouldn't need to use this tactic in a happy movie, because you are not solving a mystery along with the characters. You are not supposed to be guessing what is coming next, but being in the passenger seat.

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=SYMV645RZnA the embedding was 'disabled among request'


The Kingdom: Good use of graphics with old news feed. Almost seamlessly tied, gives factual information that helps the viewer if they don't know enough about the topic. What they need to know to go into the film.

Lucky Number Slevin: ties in t.s. with introduction to the film. There is a type of sportscast in the background in the first scene. It is not done obviously, so that you are given clues, but need to put them together to understand what is going on, congruent with the movie. It is a mystery, so you need to gather as many crumbs as the filmmakers leave behind. Perhaps this is congruent with all mystery title sequences, that they match the theme of the movie. In the movie you will need to dissect the plot, so in the t.s. you need to dissect the clues.

Mission Impossible: Theme music to brand it, gives you spies, government officials, time running out, character faces and perhaps insight into what they do.


Over The Hedge: Makes viewer sympathetic to actions of main character. The names are part of the scenery, to blend in and not take so much away from the action going on. Makes the actions of a raccoon understandable, thingslike crossing the road and eating the food at picnic sights (things that might have been frowned upon by humans because it makes a mess). It anthropomorphices the animal, getting the viewer ready to be sympathetic to animals.

Okay, time for a break, more later....