That’s how the saying goes and I’m inclined to believe it. Get someone hooked early and you’ll have ‘em for the duration. I believe this translates to cinema as well. Opening credits, although they may seem like a formality, are absolutely key in forming a person’s opinion of a movie. Sure, the movie itself might be so good or so bad that the person’s impression of the opening credits doesn’t count for much but I think they are few and far between. I tend to find that if I’m impressed with the opening credits of a film I will be much more receptive to the rest of it’s duration. there are three main components in a title sequence; Typography, Visuals and Music/Audio. The key, it seems, is knowing how to apply them in the correct proportions. The best opening sequences apply the three components in a way that best suits the movie. I’ll show you three of my favourite ever title sequences each of which uses one of these components to a greater degree than the other two.
continue reading It’s all about first impressions.