(1) World War Z
The beginning of the opening credit sequence is rather scientific. While the credits are rolling, regardless of the variety of shot there is some type of movement. All the shots show nature, animals, human overpopulation, and our effects on the world. We have non-diegetic audio of the news acting as a sound bridge and then showing real news about real unworldly things. For example, it shows dolphins being stranded ashore, CO2 emissions dramatically increasing, along with other clips showing the catastrophic human world. Throughout the credits development, we can see people slowly starting to wear masks after the audio announces that people have been acting strangely. And then it shows a bunch of different clips of nature taking its course. So, for example, it just shows survival of the fittest (ants eating a crab, wolves fighting, cheetahs running towards mules). Instantly, I can see the then clips pace changing and increasing. making the movement seem even more chaotic. Then, finally, the title is slammed on the screen.
This beginning credit scene was quite effective in making me tense. Not only was I getting information slowly integrated into my brain, but I was also watching the beginning of the storyline unfold. This credit scene gave me context without directly telling me, which was creative.
2) Sole Survivor
This movie was released in 1984 and focuses on one individual's guilt of survival after a plane crash. The film involves the dead people who come to collect her. The film begins with a stoplight continuously flashing red for more than 20 seconds in what seems to be an abandoned town. The reality is that the town is not abandoned nit is just so late at night that it is isolated. The next shot is also an establishing shot, and it includes a flashing light stating "DONT WALK". A few seconds later, the title pops up, and the credits start rolling. The cut to a different scenery of the town late at night gives the audience a fearful feeling and just flat out makes them uncomfortable. The font for the title and the other information seems to be rather simplistic, which I would say is a good decision because it keeps the audience's undivided attention on the lonely shots. As it keeps going, we keep switching locations, and the sound begins increasing. A low-angle shot is given to show a mannequin, which is extremely creepy, and the next shot is two other different mannequins, one laughing really weirdly and the other one moving. Before showing a creepy bridal mannequins we have our first human movement, which is a bus going down the street. A beautiful and very well-aligned shot is shown next to the inside of the bus, again showing that there is NO ONE there. This only reinstates the fact that it is extremely late at night. A character gets shown in the middle of the screen, again, this was done purposefully to make her look not only tiny but also vulnerable and alone. Then we get a close-up, and the girl pulls out alone. As soon as this happens, there is a sound bridge to the next shot of a woman screaming. She seems to have had a bad dream; she looks extremely pale and sweaty. While the woman is panicking, we get a shot of a plane coming towards the camera, and many things in her house begin shaking. The woman instantly pulls out a notebook and starts sketching the crime scene. We can infer that the plane crashed with the zoom in on the dead bodies, the pan. The scene ends with a dead man opening his eyes.
Overall, although quite simple at the beginning, this story was able to come together nicely due to the density and quality of the plot and the events that unfolded during the credits.
(3) Carriers
The opening credit begins with stem cells, people strolling through the streets, and animals, including chickens. It shows the deadly cycle of the chickens and swans, including a virus in a news clip. With the chickens being burned alive, we can infer that the virus had spread originally from animals with feathers, and humans tried their best to find a solution. The next few clips just show chaos in China and people moving away from their home state. They show the disease spreading, being dealt with, and studied. Non-diegetic audio is rolling in the background 9mostly news reporter) and also it shows the world becoming chaotic, and it shows people rallying and just overall panicking (while the audio starts increasing and becoming more suspenseful). The credit sequence ends by showing the peace after chaos.
Again, this shows the backstory of the movie by showing small amounts of context through different use of clips.
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