An Emily Wall blog post... Opening credit analysis

OPENING CREDIT ANALYSIS: AN EMILY WALL BLOG POST

Last class we learned a little bit about opening credits. This included the history of how they came to be, as well as what is effective and what isn’t. In this blog post, we’ll be taking five examples of opening credits from shows and movies and analyzing how well they work in their respective project.

YOU - GREG BERLANTI

First up is the opening credits from the Netflix show You. If you haven’t already, click the video above to better understand what I’ll be talking about. There will be a video of the opening credits prior to each analysis on this post. A very bright light covers the screen which is then revealed to be a refraction of letters spelling the name of the show. The music in the background is very mysterious and indicates action. This mood is strengthened by the appearance of blood on the letters, red and fluid, until the letters are entirely saturated as the camera zooms closer. The suspenseful feeling is effectively communicated in an easy, yet creative, way as showing the title and changing its coloring. In the simplicity of the opening, the content of the show is fairly clear without giving too much away.

GOOD BURGER - BRIAN ROBBINS

Next is the 1997 Nickelodeon classic Good Burger. The opening credit depicts a montage of the burger being assembled. In the background, whimsical music accompanies the scene, supporting the comedic theme of the movie. Then, the yellow letters spell out the name of the film. The colors in the opening credit scene alone are an effective tool to illustrate what the movie is about. Red and yellow to represent the condiments on the burgers, and a bright mood overall. It is clear to the audience that burgers will make up a large component of the film, but the way in which it is being made in the opening tells them that there will definitely be a focus on the fun and humor involved.

NEW GIRL - ELIZABETH MERIWETHER

Now for the Netflix sitcom New Girl. Jess, the protagonist, moves into a loft with three guys and they struggle to establish romance in their lives. The comedic series’ opening credit scene is very clear about the theme of the show. It starts off with Jess waking from a bed that ends up being a prop amongst the many that appear afterwards. She sings her theme song that is supported with witty upbeat music. The moving background prop of city buildings illustrate the theme of her moving into the big city of  Los Angeles. The roommates Nick, Schmidt, and Winston hold up a picture frame and background of the title. She says “It’s Jess”, the music stops and all her roommates walk away--presumably returning to whatever tasks they were doing. She looks back confusingly as they walk away, showing the dynamic of their home. She is extroverted and bright while her roommates in contrast appear done with her. The music as well as the characters acting like their roles in the show makes the opening scene effective and sets the feel-good, quirky tone New Girl has.

THE CAT IN THE HAT - BO WELCH

Then we have my favorite, and not just of the list, The Cat in the Hat. From the beginning, the first aspect that is noticed is the music. It’s bouncy, it’s fun, and it carries the audience as if they are drifting through a journey full of magic and wonder. Everything is animated like a cartoon, an homage to the children’s book which it is based on, the color exclusively limited to blue and red that make eachother pop. The Universal, Dreamworks, and Imagine video introductions with their logos are shown, which are commonplace for those films, however they are in the Dr. Seuss format which I spoke briefly upon in the previous sentence. Then, as the transition from credit to movie content begins, a narrator speaks in rhymes, furthering the childish fun of the movie. Then, from cartoon clouds, we transition into real ones, looking out on the landscape and locations of the movie. The colors are bright, vibrant, and almost otherworldly. The opening credits do a great job at showing what the film will be like, a children’s comedy. The only thing that could possibly be confusing is that it begins as a cartoon, but I think as it is paying respect to the original book and the beautiful transition used to move into live-action, I still consider it a good opening, especially because even with the change in style, the mood remains the same.

CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY - TIM BURTON

To finish off today’s blog post is Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. From the start, it is dark and gothic, golden letters of companies standing against a cloudy sky.​ Mysterious music plays in the background that picks up as more of the factory is revealed. Then, the title of the movie appears in those same golden letters on a swirling chocolate background. This establishes a good sense of the movie, as it mainly centers around chocolate and takes place in the factory that the audience is shown. While a candy factory seems exciting, the opening credits communicate that this might not be as fun of a place as it may seem.