1. The document compares the opening title sequences of the films Panic Room and Ill Manors.
2. Panic Room uses computer-generated titles over shots of the city to establish setting, while Ill Manors introduces characters through edited photos set to music.
3. The document analyzes differences in editing, sound, and how each title sequence prepares viewers for the type of film. It concludes the document's author will take a simpler approach like Ill Manors for their own film titles.
3. BACKGROUND INFO
In class, we watched the opening title sequence to the film Panic room. Panic Room is
an American thriller so it has a slightly different target audience to us. However we
analysed the titles to help us decide what titles we should use on our film. Panic
rooms opening titles were all computer generated onto shots of the city the film is set
in rather than a title sequence like in ill manors which has mini film that introduces
characters. Ill manors is a British gritty crime thriller which is the genre our film will be
so we are likely to adopt similar titles to ill manors.
(panic room) (ill manors)
4. In Panic Room, all the shots are long shots of the city which establishes that this is
where the film is going to be set. It also connotes something bad is happen as in the
long shots you rarely see people which suggests people have been evacuated from the
city. However Ill Manors mixes between shots of London and shots of characters. The
shots aren’t filmed; they are time-lapsed pictures that have been edited together in a
sequence. The effect is that the viewer gets to see a lot of background information
about the characters in a short space of time. This works well because it means before
the film even starts the viewer understands what it is going to be about.
(panic room) (ill manors)
CAMERA
5. EDITING
Panic room’s credits have been made using CGI to look like the buildings. This could be
to replicate the walls of the panic room. Also the font is serif showing that the film is
set in modern times. The shots have been edited so that each shot is quite long to
match the slow paced non-diegetic music. When the music increases in pace, so does
the editing and a lot of quick quits are used which could be to foreshadowing the
panic soon to come in the film. The title ‘Panic Room’ is only just revealed before the
film starts. Ill manors has simple text that pops up over the film. Unlike in Panic
Room, the title ‘Ill Manors’ is revealed right at the start of the title sequence. This
shifts the focus from the titles to what is actually going on in the film so that the
viewer focuses on the information being shown about the main characters.
6. SOUND
In Panic Room the music is non-diegetic and is slow to start with creating an eerie
atmosphere connoting something is going to happen soon. After the title ‘Panic Room’
is revealed, the non-diegetic music increases in pace signifying a race against the clock
– a common convention of thrillers. However Ill Manors has a Plan B song which has
lyrics that relate to the film. The song sets up the story well with the opening line
being ‘I am the narrator’ which establishes the soundtrack will narrate the story
throughout the film.
7. INFLUENCE ON OUR FILM
From this research, I think we should use the simplicity of the ill manors titles. This is because we
want our titles to come up while being introduced to the protagonist. Therefore we don’t want
the viewer to be distracted from watching him by big pointless titles. We will reveal the main title
at the end of our opening scene for dramatic effect and as a pause in the film so that the viewer
is left to wonder what is happening before the film comes back on.
FILM TITLE
A font like this will be good for our film. It looks quite urban therefore it fits with the genre of our
film. It also has quite a big impact, which we need because the title our film (SHAMELESS
MONEY) has a lot to do with the story so we want the name to stick. Also the capital letters make
it look more like a graffiti tag which will reflect the gritty streets our film is set in.
