common techniques and conventions of opening sequences

Analyses of relevant opening sequences: techniques and conventions

History

Since the invention of the cinema, simple title cards were used to top and tail silent film presentations in order to identify both the film and the production company involved, and to act as a signal that the film had started and then finished. In silent cinema title cards were used throughout to convey dialogue and plot and it is in some of these early short films that we see the first examples of title sequences themselves, being quite literally a series of title cards shown at the beginning of a film. The arrival of sound did little to alter the convention except that the sequence was usually accompanied by a musical prelude.

This remained the convention for many years until the advent of television forced the major film studios to invest in developing cinema in order to win back a diminishing audience. The "cast of thousands" epics shot on various patent widescreen formats were a direct response to television's successful invasion of the leisure marketplace. Part of cinema's new prestigious and expansive quality were orchestral musical preludes before the curtains opened and long title sequences,  all designed to convey a sense of gravitas it was hoped television would be unable to compete with. As cinema's title sequences grew longer we begin to see the involvement of graphic design luminaries such Saul Bass, which directly influenced the 1960s television predilection for creating strong graphics-led sequences for many shows.

Film-makers at the beginning of the 21st century have many options open regarding title sequences. Some films superimpose opening credits over the opening scenes, while others elect to do away with titles entirely, instead including elaborate title sequences at the end of the movie.

Movies

Since the late 1950s, film title sequences have often been a showcase for contemporary design and illustration. The title sequences of Saul Bass and Maurice Binder are among the best examples of this though they inspired many imitators both in cinema and on television. In recent years Kyle Cooper's celebrated title sequence for David Finche's Se7en(1995) again influenced a whole host of designers, though it is by no means unusual to see a film whose title sequence merely superimposes text over a black background, reflecting that the form's function remains the same today as it did with the advent of silent cinema.

Television      

    In general a television title sequence will at some point badge the show with a typographic logo. Around this key element can be incorporated shots of highlights from earlier episodes or shows and key presenters' or cast members' names. Musical accompaniment can be either instrumental or a song and aided by the visual treatment of the images helps to convey the tone and mood of the programme.

In serials, because a title sequence is produced at the outset of a series, it will usually include scenes from early episodes already shot when the sequence was prepared. Short clips of key characters will often climax in a freeze frame as that cast member's name is Superimposed In and around these elements will be other footage depicting the locale (a particular city, country, building or fictitious location) in which the series is set and therefore its era. A title sequence might also be used to explain the premise of a series, normally using clips from its pilot episode.

Examples of opening sequences in television series

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1cYgqSdjMTk

This clip shows the opening sequence of the popular television series Futurama notice that in every opening the opening sentence is always different. 

Clip provided by Youtube.