Credit Sequences: Drama

Credit Sequences: Drama 

For the film opening project, we chose the drama genre. I decided to research different opening credits for three drama films. I analyzed where the credits are placed, their background, and how they helped establish the tone and mood of the story. 

Catch Me If You Can (2002) is a drama about a teenage con artist who tricks people and stays ahead of the FBI. The opening sequence for this comedy-drama film has a highly stylized and animated look that is reminiscent of the 1960s graphic design. The silhouette animation follows a figure representing Frank Abagnale Jr. as he constantly changes disguises to escape and outsmart the FBI. The typography for the credits is in a retro sans-serif font that perfectly matches the film’s 1960s setting and works well with the animation, which is the focus of the opening. The jazzy score by John Williams is playful but also mysterious, making the opening feel fun to match the movie’s crime comedy-drama genre since it highlights the more playful side of crime rather than the darker side. 

Se7en (1995) is a drama about two detectives hunting a twisted serial killer. The opening credits use a scratchy, handwritten-style font that flickers and jumps, making everything feel unsettling and chaotic. But the real focus of the sequence is the disturbing montage of a mysterious figure (later revealed to be the killer) working on his journals. The scenes include close-ups of hands cutting film, pages filled with writing, and fingers removing their own fingerprints. All the footage is dark and grainy and is edited fast and jittery making everything feel disturbing and messy. The score for the opening is Closer (Precursor) by Nine Inch Nails. It is eerie and has a pounding beat letting the audience know that this movie will be dark and unsettling, especially since it focuses on the disturbing imagery of the killer’s twisted mind.  

Black Swan (2010) is a psychological drama about a ballerina losing herself in pursuit of perfection. The opening credits use a delicate, elegant typography that matches the film’s ballet theme and is simple enough to let the audience focus on the visuals. It starts with a dreamlike ballet performance in which Nina (Natalia Portman) dances alone in the spotlight. This lighting is soft and shadowy creating sort of a hypnotic atmosphere with an eerie undertone. The score is Swan Lake by Tchaikovsky, which goes from beautiful to intense, foreshadowing the movie’s descent into a psychological horror.