Kyle Cooper is a designer of title sequences for various films and games. His is often accredited for 'revitalising the main title sequence as an art form'. Some of his work include: Seven, The Spider-Man trilogy, Dawn of the Dead (2004), Home Alone 1 & 2, Mission Impossible (1996), Men in Black, The Walking Dead as well as Metal Gear Solid 2, 3 and 5.
What does he think makes a good title sequence?
Kyle Cooper believes a good title sequence has to set expectations for a film, blend seamlessly into the film, and also make you excited for the film.
What is important about the font in the film Seven?
The font used in Seven is not very neat, it looks quite rough and ugly. This was intentional, as this font is meant to represent the handwriting of the serial killer. As shown throughout the title sequence, and what is expected of a serial killer, this person doesn't seem to be particularly stable. His handwriting should reflect this. A muderous, unstable creature shouldn't have neat and attractive handwriting, it should be strange, rough and 'disturbing'.
What reasons does he give for liking the following title sequences?
Cooper is quite fond of the title sequences for the films 'The Dead Zone' and 'To Kill a Mockingbird':
The Dead Zone interested Cooper due to its simple yet interesting use of typography. The music added to the feeling of mystery that the title sequence already had. This is one of Cooper's main inspirations for his title sequences. He learned that typography could be used in different ways to add to a title sequence and make it feel interesting and unique.
To Kill a Mockingbird was also an inspiration for Cooper. The title sequence encapsulates the main characters obsession with the treasure box, and the typography was used with props in the background interestingly, as props would sometimes be positioned in certain ways to display the text in different places and ways, which pleased Cooper as he felt that the typography was well utilised and implemented, rather than being strewn across the sequence with no second thought on how the typography could be interestingly utilised. The distortion of the marble in the background also interested Cooper.
What does he mean by "story based" main title sequences?
A "story based" title sequence is a type of title sequence that is implemented into the story or plot in some way, such as providing backstory, context, letting an audience know what the film is going to be about (such as the title sequence taking place during the actual plot of the film) or even having some kind of metaphor that has something to do with the story of the film. An example of this is the title sequence to Zack Snyder's Dawn of the Dead remake, which Cooper himself designed. The sequence is 'spliced' with various news clips and sequences, letting the audience know there is an ever increasing outbreak of zombies. From the sequence alone, we know there is a zombie outbreak, we know what the film is going to be about, and we know what the main threat of the film is. Another example is another Cooper designed title sequence, Spider-Man 2. The sequence has a similar structure to the opening of the first film, but instead, has various painted images showing various scenes from the first film. From the opening of this film alone, you could learn about or be reminded of the basic plot of the first film, even without dialogue.
What problems might a studio face after an audience test screening?
A studio could face several problems after a test screening.
- They may have to reshoot a scene, and they may not have the budget to do so.
- The audience may not understand what's happening during the film.
Because the title sequence could contain information or visuals that can prevent audience plot confusion and such, or the opening could be re-edited to become a proper sequence of the film, rather than just a title sequence, in order for the plot to become easier to understand if necessary.
What do the title sequences to Dawn of the Dead try to do?
They try to do the previous stated "story based" title sequence. The credits are spliced between and during clips of the news, which are detailing a recent zombie outbreak. With these credits, we already know the backstory of the film, what the bulk of the plot is going to be about and we know the main threat to our main characters, the zombies. We know so much about the film and what it will be about and it has only just started. That is the intention of the "story based" openings, to inform the audience about some part of the story when it starts, so the audience doesn't have to face extreme amounts of exposition later in the film, slowing down the pace of the film.
No comments:
Post a Comment