Analysis of Opening Credits

• There are two different types of opening credits. The first is credits on a plain background, and the second is having the credits over the top of the opening scenes of the film. Both of these types are effective.
• Having the credits on a plain background  (for example a black background with white text for the credits) is effective as instead of being distracted by the opening scenes of the film, the viewer will be able to focus on the credits, noticing who the directors, actors etc. are.
• Having the credits over the top of the opening scenes is effective as then the audience will not get bored of watching the credits, and will straight away be able to view the film. Though the negative side of this is the fact that the viewer will not notice who the directors, actors etc. are, they will be more interested in the film itself.

An example of credits on a plain background is The Grudge.

• This opening clearly shows how effective it is to use a plain background with text over the top for the credits, as the focus is on the credits, instead of being distracted by the film on screen when using the credits over the top of the opening scenes idea.
• Also, what is effective about the opening of The Grudge is that the text is edited in a way so it looks like hair is moving over it, relating to the character in the film.
• The colouring of red is chosen to relate to the killings in this film. This would be a good idea to use for our film credits, as it then shows a relation to the film and makes it interesting, already showing to the audience that this film will be scary. The credits are also quite mysterious, in the way that the audience doesn't know what is going to happen, as there is a lot of hair affects being shown, and a sudden hand print over the screen. But the colour red obviously shows it is something negative.
• At 2:55 there is the title of the film, but also with a black to red gradient as the background, this is effective once again as there is emphasis on the colour red, but now also black, which is seen as a negative colour, giving the audience something bad is going to happen.
• This film also shows once again how by using the colour red is effective in showing fear, and making the audience feel tense even before they have watched it. This is shown by at the beginning of the film, text is used to create fear. Also, words are left behind in red font. Words such as "curse" and "death" are in red, highlighting this is what the film is going to be about. By using this idea, it gives away what the film is about, but doesn't say who are the characters or what is causing all of the deaths.

An example of credits over the top of the opening scenes of the film is The Ring.

• This clearly shows how by using credits over the top of the opening of a film, the viewer will not get bored. But it also clearly shows the fact that the credits aren't noticeable, as the happenings in the scene distracts the viewers eye away from these.