HW 2b- Analysis of Titles in Film Openings

The two film opening sequences I chose to compare are Juno and The Blues Brothers. Both are quite different films, made in very different times which can be reflected in the differences but also both show some similarities

Running Order:

In Juno the running order of the titles starts with the film company, the film title and then the actors starting with the main character and progressing as the roles get smaller, it then moves to the various members of the crew which builds up in terms of what is seen as is most important climaxing with the director. In The Blues Brothers its much more simplistic simply showing the two main actors alongside their characters followed by the film title and then showing the writers, producers and finishing with the director. This could be especially reflective of the period in which the film was made and how there were less obligations to show all people involved, it also reflects how the film is so solely centred around the two main characters. In contrast Juno shows many more actors to be show which shows the many more important roles that are present throughout the film. In terms of similarities though they both finish with the director which  shows there significance.

Placement:

In the Blues Brothers the titles are placed under a closeup of each of the characters consecutively, this gives the impression that the characters are being captioned and being introduced to the audience, this is then followed by the film title which is placed in between the two main characters in a wider shot of them both, this adds to the feel that the film very much follows these two characters, this is helped the by the actual title "The Blues Brothers", this shows that the "Brothers" in question are these two characters on screen. In contrast, Juno is quite different, with a much longer title sequence it shows continuous different titles and shows them all around a constant image of the main character walking alone, it shows them in various space around the main character.

Stylistic Choices:

In The Blues Brothers, the titles of the actors and the film are done so they appear on screen alongside the climaxes on the song playing in the background, they're also done in a font that looks much like a sign and is very bright and stands out which contrasts the writers, director and producer which is done in much more low-key font maybe showing how they're not as important in introducing the audience to the film. In Juno the title sequence is done as an animation that looks like a drawing and all of the shots are jumping to give a kind of old school home made impression, this is in keeping with the films general genre as a family teen drama.