As part of our research I have taken a look at the order in which the titles appear in the opening sequence of a horror film;
The Wickerman (1973). In doing this I established the following order;
- Introductory message / messages of thanks / prologue / contextual information relating to film
- Production / distribution companies
- Film's creator and title
- Lead actors
- Supporting actors / cameos
- Technical roles (i.e. sound, casting, wardrobe, etc.)
- Senior technical roles (music, photography, editors, screenplay writers, producers, always ends on film director)
However,
I realised that the film may be a little dated and so compared the
opening sequence from 1973 with that of the 2006 remake of 'The Wicker
Man' as shown below.
Although
both titles generally have the same order, those from 2006 were much
more streamlined in the sense that there were fewer names on screen at
the same time, despite that the fact that this meant a greater number of
titles in all. In the 1973 version the name of the film was revealed
near the beginning whereas in 2006 this was placed at the very end
following the director - there was a gap between the two after a
potential crux in the plot to build suspense and 'lure' in the audience.
This also highlights another difference. In the original most of the
titles cover the screen, overlaid over a series of establishing shots
which sets the scene. In the remake the titles are placed in the corners
and overlay the actual beginning of the narrative (including dialogue,
etc.) When not placed in the corners the titles are less obstructing as
there is usually only one name in this case.
The following screen shots illustrate the difference in titles mentioned above.
2006
1973
The 1973 titles look more like something that would be seen in the credits of a modern-day film.
The
main similarity between the two is that they both overlay the text over
shots rather than a plain background which is sometimes a convention of
horror films (usually black). White is most likely used as this
contrasts well with most colours. Another similarity is the use of
uppercase letters to emphasise actors names.
Although
our sequence will probably more closely follow that of the 2006 remake,
it is important to understand how conventions have changed so that our
titles are relevant to a 21st century audience. Finally, it is worth
mentioning that in the 2006 version each title is closer together but
are quicker to read in the allocated time because there is less time.
This is something we will need to think about.
