Analyzing Titles

Assignment

Dexter TV series, 16:9, 2006 Dexter is one of my all-time favorite opening titles. The show is about a serial killer who tries to fit his lifestyle into his job as a forensic blood analyst. The titles begin with a mosquito drawing blood from Dexter's arm when he suddenly wakes up and kills it. Immediately we have two major themes, blood and murder. We then see him performing his daily morning routines (more themes—fitting in, normal life). Each of the actions begin as a super tight close-up shot that seems like something terribly violent, but is then revealed to be something innocent in a wider shot. The sound effects editing also plays a huge role. I find it to be incredibly effective in subverting the viewer's expectations. Its darkly comedic tone and slightly whimsical music set the tone perfectly for the show. Enter the Void Film, 2.35:1, 2009 This is one of the most memorable and unique opening titles I've seen on a film. The film, set in Tokyo, follows an american drug-dealer and his psychedelic experiences with drugs relating to love and death. The titles begin with big, bold credits (Futura bold), with some light strobing. About half-way into it, the electronic music kicks into full effect and we're hit with a rapid-fire of neon-colored names, in hundreds of different styles and typefaces. It basically gives the viewer their own "LSD experience", using light strobing, and hundreds of different typefaces. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom Film, 2.35:1, 1984 These credits are a fully live action scene that plays directly into the the film's storyline, but it's interesting how it's presented, as we don't realize that until they're over. The film begins by fading from the regular Paramount logo into a metallic relief of a mountain, which is then revealed to be part of a large gong. The camera then pans to a stage where women start performing a musical number and the title of the film is then revealed (matted behind the performer, giving it a sense of physical space, and making us question the reality of the situation). The song "Anything Goes" implies a sense of mystery, adventure, and the exotic. We still don't know where or why the song is happening (it plays with our sense of spatial geography) until it ends. That's when the camera turns and shows us we're in a restaurant in Shanghai, where everyone is watching the performance.