Skyfall Opening Title Sequence

Skyfall Opening Title Sequence

Skyfall is the latest installment of the James Bond legacy. The charismatic spy films are known for their intense, non stop action, their attractive women, and their charming British style; however they are also well known for their opening title sequences:

James Bond title sequences follow a few general guidelines: a dramatic theme tune, girls dancing, and 007 strutting his stuff; and the Skyfall sequence doesn't disappoint.

It begins with 007 being pulled underwater and then being engulfed by the sand at the bottom. Then various "scenes" join together via clever editing. The scenes appear random; however, they become apparent as the film progresses. For example, the Chinese dragons seem to have no relevance with the other scenes in the title sequence (which are mainly to do with grave yards and being underwater) however, later in the film there is a scene in which Mr Bond goes to a Chinese Casino. 

This dragon scene is then followed by an array of fire related effects and, having seen the film, it is then possible to see that this fire following the dragon links to a scene involving explosions following on from the Chinese casino scene in the main feature. The title sequence is used almost as a summary of the films future events, foreshadowing what is to come.

The editing attempts (and succeeds) to create the usual smooth and somewhat enticing title sequence that usually precedes James Bond features. The story line summary is interwoven with the classic women dancing and silhouettes of guns using blends of colors and shapes. One of the ways this is achieved is by the camera zooming into an object in the scene and then emerging from the object in a new scene. We can see this below where the camera has zoomed in on the eye and then emerged in a gloomy building.

The music also plays a crucial role in the sequence. James Bond films are known for their big ballads in which singers belt our a seductive and powerful melody. This is the case once more in Skyfall with Adele being backed by a full orchestra to create the iconic 007 tunes. The musics main role is to add drama and glamour to the sequence; along with the dazzling effects it builds up the iconic image of 007. The lighting and 'set' are fairly dark and somewhat sinister with the occasional splash of color. Unlike previous 007 films, the Daniel Craig films have been darker and less tongue and cheek and so I feel this is an effective way of addressing that the film is a perhaps more mature and serious take on the original films.

The typography plays a fairly minor role in the titles. It's kept modern, but quite discreet to perhaps address the sophistication and class of the film. It remains white throughout and fades in and out of various points on the screen; nevertheless, it still merges with the rest of the sequence as it has the same style as the animations within the sequence.