What does a title sequence look like? Conventions?

Conventions of a opening sequence!

In an opening sequence to any movie clip we can see that there are a number of factors which are used to make it an opening sequence for example: 

CONVENTIONS:

The shot types that are used, there is an establishing shot which is to give you the feel of the setting, and tell you were the sequence may continue from. There are also alot of extreme long shots so that you can see some characters in the distance, however it's used specifically so you don't know what's going on in the shot type, an example of this would be in Brick when he is at the lockers reading a note. We then have alot of extreme close-ups in the opening sequences this is to make us feel as though the clip is obscured and that we are still waiting to find out what is going to happen.

This is a clip of extreme close ups used in Brick to obscure identitiy of the character, by using close ups.

What the clip involves

The purpose of an opening sequence is to give hints to what may happen or what the clip maybe about, an example of this would be in the opening of Wallander, as we can see hints building up to the identity of the female such as use of the music, and the short shots of the girls walking. This is also again used in Momento, when we see the short shots of the objects flying up to the man, however the clip is in reverse which is already obscuring the clip itself, which is another convention.

Another convention is that the opening sequence has to hook the audience in, otherwise it will be unsuccessful movie, we see use of this in Sixth Sense, when the women is down in the cellar and we start hearing banging noises and we can see that she looks scared, which makes the audience want to carry on watching the clip. Again we can see this is used in Brick, as small hints are given away and we want to find out how the man relates to the women who is dead which is successfully building up our curiosity and want to make us carry on watching, again we then see use of this in Memento as it's hooking us in straight into violence, which is confusing as that wouldn't normally happen in a clip. 

This is use of action in the shot Memento which would grab the audiences attention as the clip is in reverse, and we have to think about what is happening.

Another important convention of the opening sequence is, it has to settle the audience and make them ready to watch the clip, this is very important because if it's a thriller for example they have to concentrate through the movie. This is normally done through use of the music in the opening titles, for Memento it creates an eerie feeling that builds up and makes us want to continue watching. In the clip Brick, we also hear the soundtrack as high pitched which is already creating questions which will make us want to carry on watching. Also in the clip Sixth Sense, the music is high pitched and eerie which is setting up a paranormal feeling which is telling you that the clip maybe jumpy or slightly scary which it is settling the audience to prepare them for the movie which is going to happen.

The soundtrack in the opening of Sixth Sense which is used to settle the audience.

Lastly, the opening sequence must have titles so that you know what you are watching, as well as titles you must have distribution and production agency, these are two different thing the distribution company is the company that disputes the movie, the production company produces the movie itself so that we are able to watch it, they are very important conventions of an opening sequence because without them there would be no movie to watch.

This is the distribution company of the Sixth Sense, as it appears on screen first.

This is the production company of the Sixth Sense, as it appears on screen second.

This happens in every film opening, it is a key conventions the opening titles, the distribution company is shown first and then the production company. This is shown in all films examples would be: Now you see me, Sherlock, Brick, Sixth sense. All genres of film have these in their opening titles. If a film didn't have them there would be no film to watch.