RESEARCH - analyse 2 film title sequences

In a motion picture, television program or video game, the opening credits are shown at the very beginning and list the most important members of the production. They are now usually shown as text superimposed on a blank screen or static pictures, or sometimes on top of action in the show. There may or may not be accompanying music. When opening credits are built into a separate sequence of their own, the correct term is title sequence (such as the familiar James Bond and Pink Panther title sequences).

While there are numerous variations most opening credits use some variation of the basic order in the absence of opening credits, these roles will often be credited in reverse order at the beginning of the closing credits:

(NAME OF THE STUDIO)

Name of the studio that is distributing the film and may or may not have produced it (Walt Disney Pictures, Columbia, Lions Gate, Universal, Marvel Studios, Dimension, Miramax, Palmetto Moon Studios etc.).   

NAME OF THE PRODUCTION COMPANY)

Name of the production company that actually made the film or name of the investment groups or companies that financed a substantial part of the film (usually credited as "in association with" or "A (studio name) production.").

POSSESSORY CREDIT/S

The primary artistic credit for the film. Generally the film director, but sometimes the producer or writer. Normally stylized "A film by (name)" or "A (name) film". Sometimes placed before a title. (E.g. "Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho").

STARRING

Principal actors (sometimes the stars' and director's credits will be reversed, depending on the star's deal with the studio; in other cases, as in the Rodgers and Hammerstein films, or as in all three film versions of Show Boat, or, as in many Disney films, the title of the film will be shown before the names of its actors; sometimes, as in many of Cannon's films, the name(s) of the principal actor(s) will be shown before the name(s) of the producer(s), i.e. "The Cannon Group presents X in a Golan-Globus production of a Y film").

(FILM'S TITLE)

Name of the film.

FEATURING

Featured actors.

CASTING or CASTING BY

Casting director.

MUSIC or MUSIC COMPOSED BY
or ORIGINAL SCORE BY

Composer of music.

PRODUCTION DESIGN or PRODUCTION DESIGNER

Production designer.

 The opening to the film starts with all the titles of the title sequence needed for the audience to understand a bit more of the movie. For example, seeing famous or favorite to the audience actors' names would persuade them even more to watch a certain movie and that's the reason why some film openings start with the name of the actors straight after the production and distribution company. "Forest Gump" starts with its IDENT, after which come the name of producer(s), film title, actors and so on. From the opening we are also introduced to the settings and character with his props. In this case, we see a man who watches a feather fall from the sky at a bus stop and as he sits down on a bench, he removes a copy of The Adventures of Curious George from his suitcase and places the feather inside the pages. The soundtrack also starts from the opening and it is calm and slow music, suggesting that the genre of the movie is going to be romantic drama, possibly a bit of comedy. The order in which the credits are explored is not always exactly the same for every movie. "Forest Gump" starts in the following order: 

 PRODUCTION COMPANY

 FILM TITLE, WHICH IS BIGGER, BOLDER AND STANDS OUT

 ACTORS

 CASTING

 CO-PRODUCER

 MUSIC PRODUCER

VISUAL EFFECTS SUPERVISOR

COSTUME DESIGNER

EDITOR

PRODUCTION DESIGNER

DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY

NOVEL NAME

SCREENPLAY WRITER 

PRODUCER(S)

DIRECTOR(S)

The way these credits are ordered has some meaning to the producers, which they are trying to convey in the audience. The film only mentions about some of the credits, not all, maybe because they want the audience to focus more on the actions on the opening, rather than the names. When the opening starts, the film itself starts so the first actions by the character(s) are significant for the film later on.

The opening of this film starts with an action (a man who is drowning) and that straight away suggests that the genre could be thriller. At the beginning, the first titles we see are Albert R. Broccoli’s EON productions LTD.; Daniel Craig; Ian Fleming’s James Bond 007 and Skyfall. The soundtrack also starts at the beginning and the audience notices that it's Adele's song called Skyfall. The opening shows multiple setting, but it's not clear which is the main setting of the events later on. We also see couple of men but again, it's not clear that they are the characters in the film. The orders the credits come in is completely different and a lot longer than the film "Forest Gump":

CHARACTERS NAMES

CO-PRODUCERS

SCRIPT SUPERVISOR

SOUND RECORDIST

ELECTRICAL SUPERVISOR

SECOND UNIT ASSISTANT DIRECTOR

MAKE-UP DESIGNER

HAIR DESIGNER

MR. CRAIG’S MAKEUP

WARDROBE SUPERVISOR

PUBLICITY AND MARKETING

PROMOTIONS

SUPERVISING AND DIRECTOR

SET DIRECTOR

PROPERTY MASTER

CONSTRUCTION MANAGER

STILLS PHOTOGRAPHED

VISUAL EFFECTS PRODUCER

PRODUCTION SUPERVISOR

LOCATION PRODUCTION MANAGERS

SECOND UNIT PRODUCTION

POST PRODUCTION SUPERVISOR

VISUAL EFFECT AND MINIATURE SUPERVISOR

ASSOCIATE PRODUCING 

UNIT PRODUCTION MANAGER

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR

CASTING

MAIN TITLES DESIGN

SPECIAL EFFECTS AND MINIATURE EFFECTS SUPERVISOR

STUNT COORDINATOR

SECOND UNIT DIRECTOR

COSTUME DESIGNER

EDITORS

DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY

PRODUCTION DESIGNER

MUSIC

WRITTEN BY

PRODUCED BY

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER

WRITTEN BY

PRODUCED BY

DIRECTED BY

The way these credits are ordered and their length also have a meaning. Unlike Forest Gump, Skyfall has all of its credits screened and shown in the film opening. This is clever used, as the film doesn't start from the opening. The opening only show actions which are not the film itself, but just an introduction of what would happen later on in the film.