The Day After Tomorrow Opening Title Sequence Analysis

In today's post I will be analysing the opening sequence to The Day After Tomorrow. Similarly to World War Z, this film is set moments before the apocalyptic event happens.

The film starts with the 20th Century Fox logo, the distributor of the film. What I particularly like about this opening, is that the logo and background becomes very dark and clouds over and in the background we can see lightning striking. This immediately informs the audience of the threat. It also foreshadows the events that are soon to happen as this film is based around a destructive storm which is very deadly. The use of altering the logo to the theme of the film is very effective in creating a atramentous mood.

The title sequence begins immediately as the credits appear on screen. Centropolis Entertainment, Lionsgate and The Mark Gordon Company are the producers. The titles roam as if they are flying. The background music begins to play as a woman's voice starts to harmonise, creating an angelic feeling - it gives the sense of a heavenly presence.

 This is the name of the director. He has directed many science fiction apocalyptic films such as Independence Day and Godzilla. The titles still roam and the background music remains the same.

 The title of the film then appears and at this point, the background lightens up as we realise that the credits are roaming over an ocean. The music becomes denser as brass instruments are added, creating a more majestic feel to it.

Then the names of the actors and actresses who star in the film appear one by one. By now we can clearly see that the opening credits are set somewhere in the Arctic as there are ice glaciers. String instruments are now playing in the background music along with some military drums. The use of the drums in particular are similar to the ones you would hear in a war sequence. This foreshadows the fact that soon enough, mankind will be at war with nature. The use of camera movement as we fly over the glaciers could signify that we are above nature, that's how it has always been. Yet, the fast paced movement of the camera could accentuate the idea that the threat is looming and is fast upon us. The titles are placed far down and close to the water, giving the sense that we are as mighty as what we thought we were - nature will soon defeat us and it's only a matter of time. What I particularly like about the use of editing here is that as the titles moves over the water and ice, we see their reflections and shadows so they blend into the scene better. It doesn't necessarily mean anything significant but I like the way it has been used.

The camera angle quickly switches from an aerial shot to an extreme long shot as the audience are now able to see the full scenery around them. The builds again as more instruments are added. The notes played are long and quite deep, again keeping the  monumental feeling very much alive for the audience. The names of the key crew members now appear in the credits whilst they continue to roam. At this point, the credits are no longer flattened and are positioned upright whilst still at the bottom of the screen. Instead of placing them in the centre, they've been placed so that the audience can still see them but also keep their attention on their surroundings as well.

At this point in the sequence, the camera angle switches back to an aerial shot as the credits loom over a snowy ground. What I particularly like about this part is that the colour of the credits change from white to dark so it can be seen clearly over the background. Also, we can see the sun over the glaciers and snow and the editors have incorporated this into the credits. This can be seen in how the credits move over the glacier because as the get closer or further away from the sun, the golden tones in the text change which can be seen in the several screen shots above.
Also, as the clip progresses, we see in the distance a small black object and upon closer inspection it appears to be some sort of base for a group of explorers or scientists. It seems these people are the objects of importance in this sequence because as we get closer, the camera zooms in and spins around the base, making it the centre of attention It is almost an action code as it introduces us to the first set of characters and moves the plot along. The last text we see is the director's name and the music intensifies and we know it is the end of the title sequence before it cuts to a close up of the first action scene.

So, this wasn't the most exciting title sequence to analyse as, like World War Z, the credits and shots were all very similar. However, the use of editing has to be credited as it is rather good. The way they've . I especially like the feature of the text wiping off screen as it passes over a glacier, almost as if it has been knocked out of the way. I also like the use of colours as they adapt to the scenery.
 This sequence contains all the conventions needed yet lacks in camera shots, angles and movement. This is something I will avoid as it seems somewhat boring and doesn't give an indication to the audience of what the film is all about - the closest clue we get is the ice.
 There was also a lack of representations and social groups as all we are introduced to is the scenery and location.

So, that's all for today's post.
Until next time,
                          Toni

World War Z Opening Title Sequence Analysis

So in today's post I will be analysing the opening sequence of World War Z. This will be my third analysis. Unlike the previous two, this film shows us as the event intensifies from a small spark into something Earth shattering.

So the movie begins with the Paramount logo. This is company which distributed the film. Usually, these logos are the first ones the audience sees.

 The next logos are of the company Plan B Entertainment, Skydance Productions, Hemisphere Media Capital and GK Films. These are the companies which produced the films. Depending on the film, some show only the distributor logo whereas other shows all the companies logos. Whilst these logos are playing, there is a low drum of a bass which sounds almost like thunder. Then a series of string instruments begins to play softly. The music then starts to thump in a series of random movements, successfully creating an abysmal mood.

At this point, the names of the companies appear again in white writing against a dark background, allowing the text to stand out and lets the audience know who helped with the process of the film. Immediately as the text appears, a piano riff begins to play over the tense background music alongside a rock guitar playing a similar tune. This adds to the dark mood that is bestowed upon us as it sounds very heavy and dispirited.

 As apposed to The Day the Earth Stood Still, the name of the director is the first name to appear. Alongside his name is a clip of a flock of birds flying, framed in an odd shape. The sound of the birds screeching can be heard but it is very quiet as the background music is still dominant. The use of the birds can be used to signify life on Earth. Because it is an apocalyptic film, these types of images are used often as a reminder to the audience of what life once was. However, the beginning of the film is set just before the event happens so it also acts as a reminder of what we have to loose.

 The next screen grabs are two of the main characters in the film. Pitt's name is first as he is the most recognisable and Enos' name is there as she is also a significant character. Both these actors play the role of the parents in this film, hence the suburban background. This could be an action code as it gives the audience information of these particular characters. The background acts as a reminder of who they were and who they still are. The music continues to play in the background.

 More names of actors and actresses appear on screen. The shot remains wide as it allows the audience to read the names and still watch the action of everyday life in the background. These next few clips are of transport stations such as trains, undergrounds and subways. This is just another reminder of everyday life. The monotonous background music still plays. However, there is now a compilation of news reporters and talk show voices which can be heard clearly. Nothing significant is singled out in their voices as all of them are talking at the same time - this is yet gesture of everyday life.

 Again there are more names of the stars in the film set against more images of normal mundane life. However, what's interesting is that as the images change, so does the non-diagetic dialogue of the news reports. In particular, a reporter discusses the properties of a virus and how it can adapt itself to transmit from human to human. This dialogue is by itself rather than in a compilation with other reports which allows us to hear it properly and realise its significance in the story line. At this point we know that this virus could perhaps be the reason why the world has become apocalyptic  - it's a clue.

Now the key crew member's names are appearing on screen alongside the images. However, it is becoming more intensified as instead of talking about everyday life we now see images of natural disasters such as dolphins stranded on the beach. The use of mixing everyday life with these disturbing scenes could signify that the threat of distinction is looming over us. As the title continues there are more scenes of people wearing flu masks and reporters talking about an illness. Instead of just hearing the reporters, we now see them as they say their lines too. This allows us to give them our full attention as these reports are very significant. The shots remain wide and as the reports appear, there is no text on the screen alongside it - we have no choice but to listen to it, the threat is becoming more present. There are images of animals hunting then it cuts to images of humans in masks before cutting back to animal carnage. This represents to us the idea that the threat of the illness is hunting us down on by one, much like these animals. The images become faster and faster as the background music intensifies and quickens, simulating the hunt.

Suddenly, all the images we've previous seen as shown again in a very fast loop as the camera zooms out from the odd shaped frames as it reveals to the audience that the movie title was in fact framing the images. The tension from the background music increases and the TV reports are no longer playing - it's game over. The use of the stark contrast between the title and background further brings attention to the images and the title, allowing us to focus fully on it. The war between the illness and mankind has begun.

There aren't any obvious representations shown in this sequence unlike in the previous two which fully focussed on males. This sequence focuses on mankind in general, showing our everyday banal life on the threat of extinction. Because of this, I believe the target audience would be those of a mature age - similarly to IAL and TDTESS - as some images and situations may upset those of a younger age. Also, horror-science fiction hybrids tend to be made for those over the age of 15. It is a general convention of these types of films.

Now this wasn't particularly an interesting title sequence as all of the image were similar which made it harder to analyse than the first two. This is something I'm going to avoid as it doesn't narrate the story very well or introduce anything very significant other than the virus itself. There isn't a wide range of shots or movement which is, again, something I will avoid. 

 However, I do like the use of the text alongside images of people, animals and news reports. It helps to get a feeling of what life used to be like before the apocalypse and this is a feature I would be happy to use in my own title sequence.

 So that is all for today's post.

Until next time,

                          Toni