Exploring title sequences in film openings: 300

1) Shots types/angles/movements?

There were different types of shots such as close up of the spears when flying through the field and it said one of the titles on the spear, there was a natural

framing shot whilst going through the natural frame and into the war field, it makes the audience feel like there actually going through field and as if they were

in war, it’s very interesting compared to other title sequence but it fits the purpose of narrative and

theme of this film. The movements of camera shots was taking us through different parts of the battle

scene it made sense as it was going though a story in a orderly manner.

The Spear says the title “Music by Tyler Bates”, it’s also quite bloody and it’s a close up shot of the spear compared to bottom picture.

This is not a close up, but a mid-shot of all the spears attacking the warriors, it shows the contrast and the movement but it flows with the story/narrative pattern.

In this shot we see the natural framing of what looks like a cave but before that it was merged with a title and developed into a natural framing shot.

Then we follow the camera and were going through the natural framing and to the main battle field which makes the audience feel as if they were actually there.

2) Visual style – Lighting/colour?

The characters are in a style of Japanese manga and have a silhouette during the whole title sequence, I think they used this type of style

because Frank Miller made the 300 comic books so they kind of wanted to stick with the comic

novel looking idea by using it in the title sequence. The colours used in the title sequence

were mainly black, red, orange/yellow and white. The black was used as the silhouette, the

red for the blood, the orange/yellow of the sunset/sun and the white to represent the moon

etc.

We see the white colour which is the moon showing the different between night and day as before the setting is during sunset.

We see the orange/yellow colour which represents the day (the sunset), it makes the contrast of the colour feel surreal and it fit wells with the other colours, it’s not to bold but suttle.

All the characters are in silhouette and in black, because to make it in the style of Frank Miller comic novel as this film is based upon that and it’s very interesting of the way they developed it and how they showed the silhouette being in action and their dramatic deaths.

When the title appears or when one of the characters are dying, there’s always blood splattered across the screen and over the typography which has a great affect, red connotes danger/death/blood which really fits in with the genre very well.

3) Editing – fast/slow/pace/long takes/exposition of narrative – character –

setting – time?The pace of the title sequence was very fast, they

did this because during the war scene by using silhouettes, they wanted to show the killing/the war was going very quickly it’s as if you were in the war/fight yourself which is very appealing for the audience as they want to feel like they are a part of the film as well, it makes it more intriguing. This also sets the time period of all

the weapons that are used such as spears etc to suggest that it maybe the film is set in the

Roman period.

4) How does the opening suggest the genre or the themes of the film?

The opening suggest the genre as well as the theme of it too. The theme of the opening is murder/crime/death, from getting these are the main themes from the opening as there were blood splattered around the titles as well as

Japanese manga images of the characters. We also see the Japanese manga images killing each other with props

which lead to their death. The props i.e. weapons (bow and arrow) connotes violence which is strongly shown

throughout the title sequence, this further highly suggests to the audience of genre of the film will be which in this

case it’s action/war and mixed with fantasy too. Furthermore the typography is sans serif, the style of the typography was quite droopy looking to represent blood

as well as it was the colour red too.

Typography:Sans serif, colour red – connotes blood/death and blood splattered around/droopy looking

and the font is quite big/bold to show emphasis that this is the main name of the film

as there was also a loud crash sound which dominated the other sounds as a whole.

5) How is sound/music used to draw us into the world of the film?

Drum beat sounds are to show the fast pace of the war/action happening in the title sequence and show emphasis/dramatic of the killing/war, drum beats a

usually a signal of starting something and stating that something is beginning/happening. The type of music that is used sounds like Greek/Arabian music stating

the historical background of the film. There is harmonic male voice (either tenor/bass voice) which also kind of represents the history of when the film is suppose to be set in. When it states 300 title on the

screen, it makes huge, loud crash sound to show emphasis on the main name of the film. There’s quite

a lot of non-diegetic sounds too.

6) If the film is part of a franchise – how does it fit with the conventions of previous title

sequences in the same franchise?

In the 300: Rise of an Empire (the sequel to the 300 film), the titles are quite similar to each other as the pace of the titles are quite fast and how the titles are shown to the audience are in the similar style of the war field of the first film (the camera going through

the field). Whilst the titles are shown across the field, the titles being the colour of red to represent blood in the war field as well as to reinforce the action genre. The difference between the two titles are different

location of the war field and in the second there are more cold colours like dark blues etc whilst in the first

film there are warm colours like orange etc.

Overall of what I found inspirational in this title sequence of how it made me feel as an audience to watch this, because it felt like I was there and

as if I was in some way involved in the action which is very interesting/unique in many

different ways as for an audience it’s something unexpected/unusual which makes it unique.

Furthermore, I like how they used silhouettes because it linked back to Frank Miller comic

novels which is great as this film was inspired by the comic novel, it’s quite similar to another

Frank Miller comic novel “Sin City” which you see the same sort of styling even though they were filmed by different directors. The typography fit the genre of the film which I will remember to

some way use it in my own titles for the opening.