My Feature Film Opening

I think the best title sequences pull from concepts in the film. Simple animations to the text can give the audience a very subtle clue as to what to expect, which raises their curiosity. I have no idea what this film is about, but from what I have seen, try using house address letters and numbers for the titles, or mailboxes, or newspapers on people's doorsteps, you get the point. Think of underlying themes and concepts that are in the movie to inspire your title sequence. At the very least, I would put the titles in the negative space in your shots, instead of cutting to black with orange letters. Look at some films, Hostage has a great title sequence. Eternal Sunshine, Memento, and Resevoir Dogs all have good titles/openings. There are many more, but those happen to come to mind.
 
blackbudget said:
Look at some films, Hostage has a great title sequence. Eternal Sunshine, Memento, and Resevoir Dogs all have good titles/openings. There are many more, but those happen to come to mind.
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Awesome! I'll check it out. I'll keep everyone posted as the film goes forward.

Thanks,

-Kris
 
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blackbudget said:
Eternal Sunshine, Memento, and Resevoir Dogs all have good titles/openings. There are many more, but those happen to come to mind.
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You've got that right... especially when viewing a second time. Memento is really a tragic anamoly. That open sequence and other scenes always rip my heart out, but when I watch the entire movie I notice how easily it might be for people to miss the comedy in it.
 
Not the kind of opening that would keep me interested. Way too many dissolves. Unless you're trying to condense time, use a straight cut. Lastly, try and use each shot as if it were a letter in a word, a word in a sentence, a sentence in a paragraph that way each shot means something and builds to a greater meaning. That said, try not to take honest criticism too personally.
 
I thought the transitions were a little too long. The shot where the camera pulled out into the center of the street as the truck was backing out of the driveway was really sweet. I didn't like how the credits ended back out in the desert area after I felt like I had traveled from there to the neighorhood already. The only portion of the opening sequence that looked amateur to me was the car keys shot and some of the sound FX particularly the garage door. I saw a lot in one moment of the sequence, when the car beeped at the truck and the main character stopped and paused as if he was upset about something other than almost getting in an accident. I didn't care for the yellow credits over the black screen. I think the credits would have looked nicer over the pictures. Good mood music. Good luck!
 
dvpixl said:
two things.

1.it was intriguing overall. I want to see more.

2.that intro to the opening garage felt a little too long. I know that's so typical of me to criticize - you probably had your reason.

overall i love your credit sequences. it felt right. and your choice of shots of the bits and pieces of the garage and the car. nice.
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Your one too criticize...Dont you know a masterpiece when you see one :Drogar-Evil(DBG):
you would probably be more entertained in an empty room with just a chair and a table lamp Hippocrit:)
I thought it was Ab SolUtly Fabulas:)
 
ShamrockFilms said:
I thought the transitions were a little too long. The shot where the camera pulled out into the center of the street as the truck was backing out of the driveway was really sweet. I didn't like how the credits ended back out in the desert area after I felt like I had traveled from there to the neighorhood already. The only portion of the opening sequence that looked amateur to me was the car keys shot and some of the sound FX particularly the garage door. I saw a lot in one moment of the sequence, when the car beeped at the truck and the main character stopped and paused as if he was upset about something other than almost getting in an accident. I didn't care for the yellow credits over the black screen. I think the credits would have looked nicer over the pictures. Good mood music. Good luck!
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Your one too criticize...Dont you know a masterpiece when you see one :Drogar-Evil(DBG):
you would probably be more entertained in an empty room with just a chair and a table lamp Hippocrit:)
I thought it was Ab SolUtly Fabulas:)
 
Shakes said:
There's a couple of shots that could be slightly tighter edited.

There's a sadness to the whole thing, and it makes you curious about the character. The opening sets up an atmosphere and a mood.


Don't let any harsh criticism get to you. It's bound to happen when you post the opening to a film out of context.
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I agree with everything written here. Also loved the music... what did you use to score this?

-brown
 
desert, to suburb, to desert... we ran in a circle! -- titles need to be on top of pictures but that's only my opinion... the black matte and orange titles were far too distracting. also, what is the story? i like the idea of the guy almost getting into an accident... tell us why he did, give us a hook, throw us some bait if you want to catch us! perhaps he was drinking alcohol, perhaps he just told his wife he hated her and walked out on her and now karma is coming back to get him. -- i assume you have a point in him almost getting hit (as you are already in production of the film --> let's HOPE you do that is... lol) but you get my point!

music was good, the dolly shot in the middle of the street was top-knotch... made me feel like i was being left behind. also, and this is just a fun-fact question, did you have to warn your neighbors of the long horn sequence?

moral of the story? the fish won't bite unless it's shiny. (i sure hope you understand this or else i will sound like a total dumba$$)
 
..i liked it. it has a very somber feeling to it. i thought it came together nicely, and really painted a picture as to the setting where the film at least starts out at. although the orange titles got me a little , and as someone else said i also found the shot of his reaction to the car honking and all to be a litle wide, as i wanted to see more of his emotional response to that. i agreed with that poster on the keys in the ignition too, but the beauty of it is that my assumtions about the mood and feel and cinematic style of this film after watcing the simple montage of a title sequence are completely irrelevant. I can say what i thought at that point with that level of understanding of the film, but i think it would be rediculous of me to judge the film based on my extremely limited understanding. all i can really do is judge the opening sequence. after all, i thought Napoleon Dynamite was going to really suck when i was watching its title sequence.. i remember looking at my wife and saying .. what the heck is this? .. are we really going to watch this?. I dont think that a title sequence needs to introduce charachters, locations, plot points, or anything else for that matter aside from a general mood and feel for the film, and i thought that you did a great job of that. and i wouldve kept watching had it gone on any longer. i thought it made an interesting and informative platform from which i was ready to wacth the story unfold.
 
"it tells us nothing about the story, the characters, or anything else for that matter... unless your whole movie is about a guy that drives his truck in the suburbs... in which case, you hit the nail on the head."

I agree with that. It says nothing about the story at all as far as I can tell, other than imparting some sense of that place to a viewer. Also, script sup and PM aren't normally in the title credits.
 
MicroDot said:
Your one too criticize...Dont you know a masterpiece when you see one :Drogar-Evil(DBG):
you would probably be more entertained in an empty room with just a chair and a table lamp Hippocrit:)
I thought it was Ab SolUtly Fabulas:)
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Do yourself a big favor, kid and take my advice. If you don't have the nuts to disrespect me to my face, have some integrity and don't do it in here either. Ktdmoviemaker posted his feature film opening for feedback and I gave him some.
 
This should start with the dutch shot of the semi truck on the dirt road. Everything before it is boring and doesn't have any significance. The car honking as the truck backs out is staged and cheesy. The garage door and ignition sounds are way too loud. It's simply not interesting to spend that much time on a guy getting in his truck and backing out. Watch the title sequence for T2 if you want to see a good example of 'setting the mood' without jumping right into the story with the first shot. Good cinematography though.
 
For weeks I have read this forum. Great info, many intelligent, experienced people with great ideas, and much talent. This forum is the reason I am using a DVX100.

On this thread I become perplexed. This cut, opening credits or whatever you choose to use to describe it is wonderful. I read comments on timing of this scene or that, whether credits should be over pictures or if black is distracting. What does the sequence have to do with the film...etc.

If every film opened the same way. If no one was willing to break out of "norms". There would be no independent films. How boring would it be if there were no variation in filmmaking. Would we have no Pulp Fiction, Desparado, Sin City... no Box Full of Moonlight.

In this opening sequence I see much thought. The camera hand isn't unsteady in the ignition sequence, it causes the viewer to feel the guy getting into the car, and the shake of the engine when it starts.

Watching the car race by through the window isn't too long of a shot. It hangs because the guy is realistically pausing after nearly being killed. It gives the feature a dose of reality.

No we don't know the plot. No we don't know what will happen in scenes 2 and following. We do experience anticipaton, suspense, curiosity and wonderment. All this in opening credits.

What we look for in filmaking is that opportunity to do something new and original. I expect to be surprised by independent filmmakers. They are the only sect in the industry with guts.

I am ready to pulled into the rest of the story.
 
It seems like you just wanted to go out and shoot something, and didn't give too much thought about the content. Yeah it's fun to shoot a sequence with continuity editing and all that, but honestly, there's no real plot set up here.
 
It's difficult to criticize since it's not a trailer but the very beginning of your movie, and thus difficult to get a feel for the coming pace and such. I do have a couple of suggestions: The music is just not that great, feel a bit generic and repetitive. Also I would start with the wide shots of the trucks and narrow down to the street, then house, etc... but again difficult to say without seeing more.
 
My personal reaction was that the opening didn't grab me. To me, it was disorganized and boring. Guy in a pick up driving by a field... a tractor on a field... I'm bored. Was the pick up driver at least intriguing/interesing? No. Did he do anything interesting? No. Was there a very strong mood? Interesting mood? Strange mood? No. Lifeless suburb and agri fields... yawn. OK, maybe something interesting happens... nope... just a big deal about a garage door opening. And why such a big deal? Oh, a guy emerges in his pickup truck. Yawn. Strange things happening in the sky? Anything, anything at all to arrest my attention? Nope. In short there was absolutely nothing that pulled me in, and made me want to see the rest of the story.

I'm not going to offer technical criticisms, because really there is no point. The biggest problem is that the opening failed to generate interest in the story... to me, this is the alpha and omega of the issue... talking about editing rhythms or camera angles etc. is like talking about a pimple on a man dying of cancer. First things first.

My reaction is of course a personal one, and someone else may have the opposite reaction. The film will succeed or fail on it's own. We can just offer opinions.*

*If you cannot take criticism, don't ask for feedback. People do you a favor by making the effort to give you their opinion. If all you are looking for is ego stroking, say so, and nobody serious will bother giving you any advice. The right attitude is for you to listen and not answer back, unless it is with a followup question to make sure you understand what is being said. That's all. You are not there to argue, anymore than you'll argue with the audience once the film plays... what are you going to do, stand in the theater under the screen and argue "but I meant this, and that"?
 
just watched it again, and have a little bit more constructive criticism ( things to think about )

1. What is the significance of having the main character reflect ( of something ) after the car honks as it drives by. If its for the purpose that it scared him, its too melodramatic and its not needed.

2. timing of the shots are extremely good as well as the framing.

3. The montage sequences after the sound goes out are pointless. It stretches for too long and htere are too many shots.

4. I really dig the sound as it really sets the mood for me for whatever this film is going to be about. ( but play a bit more with your levels and equalizing of your scene sounds )

But yeah, if there is one thing ive really learned form film school so far ( been in about a month ) its get rid of the stuff thats not directly related to your film. I have no idea whta the grand concept is about, but that montage stuff right after the sound cuts really dis engages me as an audience. Whatever you were going for, i got nothing out of it so it would be to your advantage to either give it meaning, cut it shorter, or cut it completely.

look forward to seeing the final product!
 
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