Planning Our Own Opening Sequence

This screen-grab was taken from our group blog. This is only the storyboard, and not a script, due to the fact that there is no real dialogue our opening sequence when we planned the opening sequence. We added in a voiceover at short notice.

The Voiceover's dialogue:

The voiceover was all done by the main actor of our short film, because it is a flashback of her memory, therefore it is in her point of view.

(The very beginning, when we are first shown her face):

"February 13th. it was Friday after school. I was studying English in an empty science room, just because they're always quiet. I didn't realise how late it was. It all started with a knock."

(Later one, when she turns around after running out of the building"):

"Someone was defiantly following me."

(Very last scene):

"I thought I was dead. But that was just the beginning."

Production Credits

The Most Common Opening Credits Order

While there are many ways in which production credits can be presented, most opening credits use some variation of this basic order.

• (NAME OF THE STUDIO)

Name of the studio distributed the film. (For instance, Walt Disney Pictures, Columbia, Lions Gate, Universal, etc.).

• (NAME OF THE PRODUCTION COMPANY)

Name of the production company that actually made the film. You can also put the name of the investment groups or companies that financed a significant amount to the film (usually credited as "in association with" or "A (studio name) production.").

• POSSESSORY CREDIT/S

The primary artistic credit of the film. This is, generally, the film director. Sometimes the producer or writer is specified too. This is normally credited as "A film by (name)" or "A (name) film". It is sometimes placed before a title. (E.g. "Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho").

• STARRING

Main actors (Occasionally, the stars' and director's credits will be reversed, depending on the star's deal with the studio. In some cases, as in the Rodgers and Hammerstein films, or, like in many Disney films, the title of the film will be shown before the names of the actors. Sometimes, as in many of Cannon's films, the name(s) of the principal actor(s) will be shown before the name(s) of the producer(s), i.e. "The Cannon Group presents X in a Golan-Globus production of a Y film").

• (FILM'S TITLE)

Name of the film.

• FEATURING

Featured actors.

• CASTING or CASTING BY

Casting director.

• MUSIC or MUSIC COMPOSED BY or ORIGINAL SCORE BY

Composer of music.

• PRODUCTION DESIGN or PRODUCTION DESIGNER

Production designer.

As a variation some of the below may be noted:

• SET DESIGN
• COSTUMES or COSTUMES BY or GOWNS (not so common now, as this specification was used in older movies)
• HAIRDRESSER
• MAKE-UP ARTIST
• SOUND RECORDING (not so common now, as this specification was used in older movies)
• VISUAL EFFECTS DIRECTOR or VISUAL EFFECTS BY

• EDITOR or EDITED BY

Editor.

• DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY

Director of photography.

• PRODUCER or PRODUCED BY, EXECUTIVE PRODUCER

Producers, co-producers, executive producers, (credited as 'also produced by') Often, though, the name of the producer will be the next-to-last opening credit, just before the director's name is shown.

• BASED ON THE BOOK (PLAY, GRAPHIC NOVEL etc.) BY or FROM A PLAY/BOOK BY (older movies)

If based on a book or other literary work.

• BASED ON THE CHARACTERS BY or BASED ON THE CHARACTERS CREATED BY

If based on characters from a book or other media.

• (SCREEN) STORY or STORY BY

Person responsible for writing the story on which the script is based. This is credited, "story by" and is the first screenplay credit to appear, unless the script made significant changes to the story.

• WRITER(S) or WRITTEN BY or SCREENPLAY or SCREENPLAY BY

Screenplay writers.

• DIRECTOR or DIRECTED BY

Director.

Opening Credits to 'Titanic' (1997)

Overall: The opening titles to 'Titanic' gives out an older, historic vibe overall. This is determined using a sepia filter to give it an old fashioned effect- as if to say that the footage was actually taken then (context of production- the video editor is trying to re-create the effect of 'olden day', non-coloured footage; colour in films was developed during the period of 1903-1935, so this was around about the same time as the actual Titanic event, [which happened in 1912.]).
The non-diegetic sets the mood for the entire movie- sad.  It has this effect because uses mellow instruments, and a soft, gentle, beautiful voice. This opening sequence would not have the same hard hitting effect as it does, if the music was loud, boisterous, and in the genre of Rock 'n' Roll.

Titles:

The colour white is used to stand out so that it is visible for the audience to see, but it is also used to blend in with the sepia effect. You could also say that the colour white symbolises clouds, or heaven to represent the innocent souls that lost their lives in the event. The text is used as a tribute.