Title sequences have a lot of power. They’re the beginning of the film. They immediately set expectations for an audience.
My first title sequence was for Abandoned Allies, my first feature-length documentary film about the Montagnard people. Three friends helped me create it: Patrick Jones was my art director, Zach Abrams handled animation, and Kyle Owen created the original score. I’m really proud of what we made together. Here’s the final result:
Abandoned Allies Title Sequence from Zach Abrams on Vimeo.
We learned a lot working on the Allies sequence together. What information needs to be conveyed? How long can the sequence last? How does it fit with the rest of the film? What part of the sequence gets created first?
I have a sincere love for title sequences. They’re so important. Very complex pieces of art.
A powerful still from the opening of “Dexter”
There’s a lot of thought that goes into the making of a title sequence. I recently finished the last episode of Dexter and found myself researching its title sequence. I found a lot of info on one of my favorite websites The Art of the Title. They covered a lot in the write up here.
Dexter – Main Title from DIGITAL KITCHEN on Vimeo.
The original Dexter title sequence was darker. It got changed to the one you just watched, although there are plenty of similarities. Learn more about the original sequence here.
The sequence for Dexter stayed the same through all seasons of the show. Not all of television shows keep the same title sequence through every season of the show. Check out the openings for The Walking Dead or Weeds.
This week I’ve found myself thinking about the Brewconomy title sequence a lot. Obviously we’re working on a film, not a TV show, so there will only be one sequence. It’s gotta be strong — for so many reasons.
What tone will it set? How will it fit in with the rest of the film? What will it look like? What music will we use? What graphics will be included?
We’re in the early stages of discussions as a team. I have a vision of what I want. But I want the creatives to have plenty of room to stretch that vision so they’ll have freedom to make it infinitely better. (That’s one of the great things about working with incredibly smart, talented, passionate people.)
Of course the title sequence is starting to take shape while we’re simultaneously working on the rest of our shoots, editing a rough cut, and sharing exclusive behind-the-scenes info with our Kickstarter backers. There are a lot of things to juggle as an indie filmmaker. Many moving pieces, things happening simultaneously.
But somehow we get it all done. I know it’ll be a lot easier now, thanks to more than 200 very kind Kickstarter backers. I’m a lucky filmmaker to have that kind of support.