Opening Credit Analysis!

Hey! One of our assignments is to analyse the opening credit scene in 3 different films. Having an opening credit scene is widely important because it helps set the tone and the mood for the rest of the film. It gives the audience a sneak peek of the style of the movie and the atmosphere before the film really begins. Most of the time, the opening credits aren't the main focus since the credits are added while the opening scene is going on. But, the opening credits help highlight the most important cast and crew, which can help prepare the audience for what they are about to experience. My group and I are still figuring out what we want to include and how we want to do our opening credits, but the research and the viewing of these three films can help lead us in the right direction.

Mean Girls (2004) Directed by Mark Waters

This iconic scene in the blockbuster hit Mean Girls helps introduce the main character of Cady Heron.
The opening credits of the movie match the aesthetic of the rest of the film. The iconic font that is utilized to display the main actors and the cast is also used for the title of the movie. This sequence of opening credits is the most typical way that it can be used since it's being shown while the rest of the

opening scene is being displayed. Something unique is that the main production company and actor are shown in the first thirty seconds of the film, with the title card following right after. The rest of the cast and crew's names don't show up until Cady arrives at North Shore High, despite a sequence of backstory scenes being shown before. This can be implied that the director wants the audience to focus on Cady's backstory instead of the credits. The first 30 seconds of the film is something that I would like to include in my film to draw attention to the main producers and actor of the film. 

Juno (2007) Directed by Jason Reitman

This credit scene for the film Juno is very unique. The directors took the creative ability to animate Juno McGuff and the rest of the characters for the credits. The animation visually reflects the quirky,

childish, and unique personality of Juno's character. The credit scenes are shown after the opening scene where we learn a little about the backstory of Juno's character. According to the article about Juno by Watch the Titles, it is states that "this allowed the audience to really get a sense of, and get immersed in, Juno's unique, quirky point of view of the world." This opening sequence helps us understand the character before the movie really beings. The animation portion of the film is something that would be fun to include in our film opening to add different aspects of media. 

Pearl (2022) Directed by Ti West. 

Click HERE for opening credits. 

This film is a little bit of a different take on coming-of-age, but it is still considered a CoA film. Out of all of the openings, this one might be my favorite. The opening scene of this film displays a really good characterization for Pearl, by showing that she values fame, grace, and herself. The film is taken place in 1918 and the font perfectly acknowledges that fact. The way that the text is places is also a stereotypical way of how films used to be credited. The credits follow Pearl while she's doing different tasks in her farm. This emphasizes the focus and importance of mentioning the cast and the crew.

The opening credits can be really deceiving since it has no mention of what occurs in the rest of the film.Towards the end of the opening scene, the true character of Pearl is shown, which can be a huge twist since she is displayed as an innocent person. The last shot of the opening title pauses on the scene where Pearl feeds the duck to the alligator and the title "Pearl" is fully displayed on the screen, paralleling the bold actions and behaviours that happen throughout the course of the film.