Conventions of Title Sequences

A generic timeline of a film opening is usually shown in this order:

1. Production Company: Logo/Indent
2. Production Company: Text
3. Other production companies (distributors)
4. Film title
5. Actors/cast
6. Casting
7. Costume
8. Music Supervisors
9. Music
10. Edited By
11. Production Designer
12. Director of Photography
13. Executive Producers
14. More Executive Producers
15. Director

The order of the film opening timeline usually depends on the level of importance to the film or their hierarchy of importance to the film industry. For example, the production company will be the first people to be shown in a film opening as they are the most important as they are who produce the film and invest their time and money into making the film and who are risking the profit. Also, the cast will be shown before the director or the editors as if a well known actor or an A-List celebrity were to be shown in the film, they are the ones who will attract more people to go and see the film, therefore are also part of the film marketing. 

This film opening timeline is used in the thriller film The Stepfather. As shown in the photo above the first five frames are in the same sequence of the generic timeline. As nearly all thriller films, the fonts used are very basic, usually of an Arial font however may be presented in different colours and different effects. In The Stepfather a basic black simple font is used. As shown in the fifth frame each letter of the title is being chopped up and drifted away from the other letters. This creates the impression that the film has something to do with possibly chopping up or cutting away. The simplicity and orderly font that is used also tells us that the main character is of a simple nature and is very neat and does things with precision which all is reflected later on in the film.

However, thriller film The Taking of Pelham 123 differs to The Stepfather as its film opening sequence is not the same. In this this film opening, the cast was section into very different parts of showing the main A-List celebrity, most recognizable actors first, cutting away to maybe the music supervisors, and back again to more of the cast, only the second time would be of the least known cast. Again, in order of hierarchy of importance. 

In this film opening, the significance to the plot is the black transition that shoots across the screen following part of the timeline. The transition could easily signify that the film is about a fast moving rectangular object, and as a train noise plays at the same time as this transition, it suggests that the transition is about a fast paced train, which could reflect the film. 

In this film also, a very plain and basic font is used. No special effects, bright colours or extravagent fonts, only a basic simplistic and easy to read font. It is used to let people know that it is a serious film and also very straight forward. 

In the film opening of Memento, again a very basic easy to read font is used in a pale blue colour. The font reflects the film of which the lettering of the title is very spaced out which implies that possible the main characters memory is in bits and pieces of which he remembers some things and not others. The font colour may imply that its a sad and cold film which is obvious as the colour blue sets that mood. And also, from the first image to the second, the title is fading which gives us the impression that his memory is fading. As in the background of the second image, a photograph is shown, also tells us that as a result of his fading memory, when the title goes all is left is a photograph which could be his solution to his fading memory.