Title Sequence Timeline

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; 

1. Introductory message / messages of thanks / prologue / contextual information relating to film
2. Production / distribution companies
3. Film's creator and title
4. Lead actors
5. Supporting actors / cameos 
6. Technical roles (i.e. sound, casting, wardrobe, etc.)
7. 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.