credits are likely to become more and more important. Furthermore, in an environment
full of clutter, the first impression of the film in the movie theater, or on the television
screen, prepares the viewer for what is to come just like the cover of a book. In this
respect, film credits fulfill the important role of outlining the filmmaker's intentions and
setting up the expectations of those watching.
In order to analyse film credits successfully, one needs to look at how and why
film credits have evolved into their current form. This way, one can understand the
influences behind contemporary title design.
For this project, i am going to analyse opening film credits to grasp an understanding on how and why production comapnies have presented them.
The opening shot bestows a bold, simplistic font that catches the reader’s attention instantly. The colours used are a garish white to introduce the production company, thus making them a primary factor within the opening scene, implying confidence in contrast to the symbolic chaste colour. This colour used could also suggest empowerment towards the production company as white also has the connotations of holiness. The font shown is in the middle of the screen so that the audience’s attention is focused there; the word ‘PRESENTS’ is in a smaller font below the production company to suggest that it is insignificant in comparison to the company and is subordinate to it. This white colour is placed upon a green background, which seems to visually represent the textual material of grass, which suggests a natural organic theme. Being this colour also shows the contrast between the font and the background so that the audience’s attention is focused primarily towards the font instead of the background. The grass is also seen to look animated, which could refer to a façade that might later on be told as the story progresses. The production font lasts on the screen for one second. The next font to be shown on the same background is ‘A CARLO PONTI PRODUCTION’ this font is translucent, revealing fragments of a moving image within the letters, this builds up suspense and tension, which engages the reader. The moving image is dark and muffled which also creates enigma as well as giving the font a glossy and expensive effect. This font lasts for 6 seconds which means that they have the prevalence. Both these fonts have included a clear cut so that the audience recognises the change in font and what the font is about. The title is then revealed in a large font which encompasses most of the space on screen; this font is specifically enlarged to grab the reader’s attention to the title. The large font and the way it enters the scene accentuates the name of the film ‘BLOW UP’; the font still being situated on the green background. This enlarged font is also transparent and enables the reader to grasp more knowledge of the moving image. Even though this image, like the one before, has no significance to the audience yet, it is becoming more comprehendible as we can establish a man processing a camera with other cast members moving around him. This Title lasts for 6 seconds until the title comes towards the camera till fully disappeared; thus drawing in, involving, and engaging the audience into the film for a couple of seconds until almost instantly the image is veiled again by the organic green background and they are taken back to the opening titles; this is subjecting the audience to snippets and separate scenes that they try and make sense of, thus empowering the production company and leave the audience wanting more. This builds up a climax due to the fact that the audience think the film is going to start but essentially turns into an anti –climax.
The next font to be shown is the staring list which presents three names and lasts for 7 seconds. The font is again bold but in a colour of blue against the green background, but this time depicts what looks to be a woman posing within the letters. The impression given then becomes more sexualised rather than obscure. The letters shown take up most of the space which emphasises the importance of these characters, and the fact that they share the same font size suggest that they are as important as one another. The order in which the names are presented also show relevance in importance as there are two female names before the male name, which could suggest that the movie is more heavily focused on woman than the male gender.
The next part of the opening scene shows the ‘WITH’ list who are in much smaller font which suggest that they are subordinate to the other names mentioned, implying that they will not be a prominent feature within the film. Throughout the duration of this font the woman posing in the background is still shown which shows her to have prevalence. The font structure is presented through a more systematic approach resembling a column layout. This last for eight seconds but does not denote it to have more status as the leading actors, due to the larger amount of names that is presented.
The Director of photography, stating the way the film was shot appears on the screen for 6 seconds. With the less important information placed at the bottom right hand side of the screen in an increasingly smaller font. Furthermore, Music for five seconds as was the Dress Designer, Assistant Director, Sound Recordist and Location Manager, who apart from music shared one page in a small font that appear in all four sides of the screen, suggesting that they are not as major as the former roles.
For a further 12 seconds there is presented three long lists of job roles and their names. The fonts for these are very small suggesting that they play minor rolls. They then for a split second cut back to the almost animated grass before presenting the Art Director; I believe they have done this to separate all the different directors from the cast members and prop designers as they did this also before they introduced the cast members and prop designers. The Art director, in bigger font than the last to be shown, features for 5 seconds before the Executive producer is presented singularly at the bottom left hand corner for a further 5 seconds. Additionally, for 5 seconds the ‘STORY BY’ ‘SCREENPLAY BY’, ‘PRODUCED BY’ and ‘DIRECTED BY’; all on separate pages are presented, but with the ‘PRODUCED BY’ being in small in the bottom right corner, it allows there to be a bigger entry for ‘DIRECTED BY’ when that appears last in the middle of the page. The 'DIRECTED BY’ is in a smaller font in comparison to the name of the Director ‘MICHELANGELO ANTONIONI’ so that the Director is more emphasised and is empowered, this is the last font to be shown before the full storyline begins. After this font ends so does the green background, by using juxtaposition we are cut from an organic connotation to a much urbanised long shot.
Throughout the final shots that present the ‘DIRECTOR’ and other various people that attributed to the film, the woman is still being shown through the translucent font, which suggest female dominance.
As the font progresses so does the storyline. You start to see that the different snippets are fragments of the same scene but from different angles and different closeness. It illustrates men to be the voyeur towards this woman posing on a building, with one man holding a camera in hand.
There is Non- diegetic sound that runs throughout the whole opening scene. I believe they have done this so that the attention does not stem away too much into a dialogue. By doing this the producers make the audience unsure about what is going on; creating suspense and withholding the audience.
