DEXTER title sequence re-edit: Evaluation Questions

1. Summarise the conventions of title sequences that were most important to this task
For this task, the most important convention of title sequences was the cast and crew listings. Being given a title-less opening sequence to the TV series 'Dexter', we were asked to design the titles for this clip. We had enough time to include the (fictional) names of the director and the cast, but a conventional title sequence would include more roles, such as the Producer or other key crew members. Things such as the Title and production company's graphics were already part of the sequence.
2. How did your group plan to edit the title sequence? 
Firstly, what my group decided to do was watch through the sequence completely, taking notes and sketching where we thought would be an appropriate place for titles. We then set about taking it in turn to write and design the titles, discussing our choices as did the task.
3. Explain the creative decisions made by your group
The two main creative decisions we made were the type of font we used and the colour of the titles. We went for a red and white colour scheme because the colour scheme matched the Dexter title graphic's colours. Also we used the sans serif font Bauhaus neue all in capitals, as we thought that using a more complex font would draw the attention of the viewer from the scenes behind the text. 
4. How does your re-edit compare to the original?
For our edit, I think that we tried to create difficult titles that were not really needed. Watching the real one and our one side by side you can see that the titles in the real one communicate information to the audience a lot clearer than ours does. However, I do think that the titles in the actual sequence are a little bit too stationary, and the movement of the titles in our sequence adds character to the shot. Lastly, I think the comparison of the placement of titles in each sequence is quite interesting as i think that both have some titles better placed than others for the shots they are in.

Art of the title acticity - The list

For this class activity, our group were asked to plan and create a 9 grid filled with snapshots of a fictional movie's title sequence. We decided that our film, "The List", was going to be of the horror genre and would be the story of a psychotic murder who has the names of his victims on a list, and after he kills them, crosses their name off of this list. The opening sequence for 'The List' is of a body being dragged into the unknown killer's operating room, where he proceeds to change into more practical clothing, and dismember the victim before crossing their name of of his list.

I think that the shots all work well together to build narrative flow, however some shots are more important to the in the construction of the opening sequence than others. For instance i believe that the third shot is the most successful in explaining to the viewer just what is going on, as they see a more distinctive part of the victim's body, compared to the previous two which show vague shapes. The 7th shot in the sequence is also a very significant shot, as it answers the audience's questions as to what genre the film is and also ties up what exactly is going on in the sequence nicely. The last shot however, is the most important, for me, as it unifies the shot and the title, and together with the last eight shots builds the foundations of the viewers expectations for the rest of the film.

With all the shots together, i think that this opening has a strong significance to the rest of the film, as not only does it give the viewer a sense of genre but shows them who the killer is and also what the rest of the film is going to be like story wise. Shots like the 4th and 5th connote the horror genre when shown after shots 1, 2 and 3, and the audience start to imagine what is going on and worry, and it is not until the 6th and 7th shots that we actually get an idea that the man with the mask is using the saw on the body. For this reason though, i think that the opening for 'The List' is quite clear in stating its genre but also has a sense of mystery and surprise linked with it.

Overall, this film opening is effective, as it manages to give the viewer enough information and narrative to stay interested but at the same time doesn't give too much away.

Introduction to narrative theory - Up

• Up is an animation, and is a mix between the comedy and adventure genres.
• The story takes place in present time over the period of a few weeks, and is of a old man, Carl, who ties thousands of balloons to his house in order to fulfil his lifelong ambition to travel to South America. He manages to take with him the 8 year old scout explorer Russell by accident.
• During the opening sequence of this film, we meet the two characters, Ellie and Carl. There is no dialogue, only music, and so the character's stories are shown in a series of short clips. Firstly we're shown their wedding, where the two character's personalities are seen to be quite different, Ellie being upbeat and confident and Carl being shy and traditional. We then see Carl carrying Ellie into the house in which they met when they were younger, and the next shot is of them refurbishing that same house, making it look that same as the one they dreamt of as children. The following shots consist of a time lapse of their day-to-day lives, showing the audience how strong their relationship is. Unfortunately however, we're shown a sequence of Ellie and Carl preparing a room preparing for a baby and then Ellie crying in the Hospital, suggesting to the audience that she cannot have children. At this point the music slows down and we're shown Carl comforting Ellie by reminding her of her ambition to travel to South America, and the couple then set about collecting money in a glass jar labelled 'Paradise falls'. Another time lapse of their every day lives is shown, and various accidents happen which mean they have to break into their savings for Paradise falls. Coming towards the end of the opening sequence, Carl finds an old picture of young adventurer Ellie and decides to buy tickets to paradise falls to fulfil their life-long dream, but as they are walking up the hill towards the picnic, Ellie falls over. The music slows down again and Ellie is in hospital where Carl has come to visit her, and he hands her the 'My adventure' book. The shot cuts from here to a shot of Carl alone at Ellie's funeral, which fades into a shot of Carl walking up to his house alone.
• This Opening sequence is extremely important to the rest of the story as it explains why Carl is on the adventure in the first place. It also explains why his character is so gloomy and unsociable. The order of events in the opening sequence is also important as it tells the story of Carl leading up present time, where the film is set.
• At the start of my film, I believe what the audience needs to know depends on the chosen genre of my film and also the order of events within the film. For example, in Inception, you're pretty much thrown into the deep end where the backstory of characters is concerned, compared to Up where the back story of the main character is essential to explaining the rest of the story.