The editing flickers on the title of "from new line cinema", that title fades out. Then cuts to a window on the screen where the action is taking place while title continue to play. The sound is a static noise, with interruption of the items being moved such as the knife as well as a breathing noises and growling. These sounds are already unsetting for the audience, as they are seeing rather odd things happen with no clue how is doing it and uncomfortable sounds. This automatically makes the audience think whoever is doing this is up to something out of the ordinary. The static noise becomes louder as the editing of the title comes on. Then following that there is screaming, as the shot changes to knife like hands tear through a sheet. We see a mid-shot of a teenage girl the first character we have seen their face. There is creepy music layer over the static noise along with the sound of rain drop from the water along side the teenager's foot steps as she runs. A gunshot sound take place as the women takes a sharp intake of breath as the camera cuts to a sheep that screams and is running away from the direction to which the teenager was running. The sheep which is rather odd to have, make the sequence even more unsettling, The music changes into a taunting, as the women is running around what seems to be some warehouse, away from the thudding sounds. The warehouse as steams and dim lighting which makes the area seem dingy and adds to the creepy atmosphere. The last see is the same knife like hands that through the sheet from just before we saw the girl, and the sequence ends. The knife hands going through the sheet is almost like it going through and bed cover, and my seeing this imagine twice is almost like it's the beginning and end of this teenage girls dream.
From the just the sequence, we expect the rest of the narrative to be from the person who has the knife hands to carry on haunting the teenage girl or other people and eventually see the persons face.
The genre of the film for the sequence seems to be a horror, from the creepy music and atmosphere and the random screams and the knife like hands.
The target audience is for young adults, and a white American audience as it made as an old American film. Also made for a male audience as it a horror and slasher which are typically made for males due to computer game such Grand Theft Auto being popular in males teens and young adults which have a lot of gore and blood in them.
I think the opening title was successful for when it was made, as the movie is around 40 years old the editing and quality of the sequence is a little out of not date and not as clean as films today. Also the knife hands are that scary compare to modern film such as Annabelle with has a lot of SFX. But the sound of the sequence would unsettle any audience, and put the audience on edge and builds tension. By being able to create and hold tension and engage the audience i think this is a good opening title sequence and it makes the audience attach an interest.
Full Metal Jacket (1987) - War
The opening starts with the credits of a warner brother pictures, the sound starts with the non diegetic song country song 'Hello Vietnam'. The first image we see after the credits of ' A Stanley Kubrick Film' and the title of the film is a close up of man getting his hair shaved off. Then the camera keeps cutting to different men getting there hair shaved, the angles of the camera are always slightly of centre. This all suggests they are about to go off to war, as soldiers have they buzz cuts to keep hair off their faces and with the lyrics of the song such as "i don't suppose that war will ever end" which hints at the fact they are going off the fight. The last shot of a birds eye view shot of the ground and all the hair that has been cut off. This shows the mass of how many men are going off to war,
We are not really introduce to any characters just see some men having their hair cut and them have dialogue.
The genre of the sequence would link to war as the music of 'Hello Vietnam' was made in the time of the Vietnamese War as well as the mise en scene of the men having their hair cut off for supposedly war.From the sequence we can expect that the men get taken to war and fight.
The target audience for this film is young adult as they are more interested in violence but also for older generations/age range who have been to war or alive at the time of the war and know the song "Hello Vietnam" and could related to what is happening in the film because of the time period.
Overall the title sequence worked. It was less than a 2 minutes and introduce the the preparation of going to war. The song playing and simplistic way of the men having the hair buzz was almost a satisfying to watch. It's not hugely engaging but it doesn't pull away focus in a negative way and it short enough to not get disengage.
Kill Bill Volume 1- action
The sequence starts with a black screen with edited words saying 'Revenge is a dish best served cold'. Over this there is heavy breathing. The breathing automatic makes an audience on end, and put the audience is the narrative of not knowing what happens which leads the audience with tension. The breathing turns to a whimpering as we see a bird eye view of a close up a women's face. This is the first character introduce. She has cuts supposedly from where she has been beaten up. We then hear foot steps and have a close up on boots walking. Then it cuts back to the women and we see the edgy of the boot next to her. Dialogue is spoken by a man and he wipes blood off the women's face. The napkin with Bill initialed on it. A gun is loaded and the women says 'Bill, it's you or me..' and is cut off by a gun shot, this then cut to a black screen with slow song with the credits on the screen. Then fades into a person lying on the floor with more credits and the song continuing. The death is supposedly Bill's.
We are introduced to the character of the female on the floor who seems to be the main protagonist even though she is laying, weak on the floor. And we see Bill's shoes and hand plus napkin and hear his voice.
Kill bill's target audience is for young adults. It has a 18 rating and can't be watch by as big of an audience of most action films who have a 12/12A rating. Also by having a female protagonist it appeals to a female audience which this audience isn't normally known for watching action films. We know this for the opening title sequence because the genre seems to be some sort of action by the about of gore and the music playing.
I think this opening sequence was very successful, it engage the audience from the beginning from building the tension just for the character breathing quickly. It's places you in the middle/ end of the action so the audience is already trying to figure out what has happened and what is happening.
The Purge (2013) - Thriller
The sequence starts with a very low drone note as the text comes on. Telling the audience its in America 2022 and there is very low crime, violence and unemployment but theres an expection. A quote comes on about the "new founding father" allowing the county to Purge.
The music change to an older tune as loads of different crime/violent clips play. There is text in the corner saying the years, all before 2022. This happens as edits are on the screen.
The text of the opening sequence, with the 'America, 2022... with one exception' is in a clear text which is almost like a warning on your computer. I like it and it sends a shock to any watcher seening this as the first part of the film is warning the audience which put them on edge and ready to watch next.
The camera work was clever, by using clips of loads of different footages of gun shots and attacks. Also the videos are taken from what seems like CV footage. This add to the scary element, and make it feel more real.
The target audience for this film are teens/young adults, the film is rating a 15. The audience would be for anybody who likes thrillers and jump scares. The film seem to be rather scary and seeks a lot of thrills and would be good for the age group of 16-24 who tend to be the target for the age.
Overall a very effective titles sequence with the flashs of graphic films such as people being shot attached with the music which builds a supends
Starwars: New Hope (1977) - sci-fi
The starts with the classic star wars theme tune and the text in blue ' A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away....' The Star Wars logo then appears. Then the text appears on screen in yellow. The text is on the background which looks like outer space with stars. The text gives background information on what has happen before the movie and give context. The text carries on till it disappears far away the sequence ends there.
We are not introduced to any character physically, but characters and groups are mention such as Rebels, Evil Galactic Empire and Princess Leia.
The target audience for the film was males aged 30-50 who were interested in sci-fi films. But it for to anybody in who like sci-fi or drawn into the theme tune. And as it a PG it's mostly family friendly and this widen the audience.
The genre comes across as sci-fi by the text thats written such 'Evil Galactic Empire' which names such as this wouldn't normally find in any other genre.
I think it's a successful opening title sequence because it has become so know. The theme tune and the text "A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away...." which is world known, this opening title sequence is very successful because of how many people can remember it.
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