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.
Stuck up girl Introduction- Torquay
High Street:
A rule created by Levi Wigglesworth which means that two characters should always have the same left and right relationship to each other. (If the camera crosses the invisible 'axis' connecting the two subjects it is called 'crossing the line'. The shot remains within a 180 degree radius and if the camera crosses the line it creates confusion for the film viewers, because it makes it look like the two characters have switched places in the scene. 
One thing that became clear is the importance of someone within the production dictates their appearance in the titles: For example, the director comes first and then this is followed by the screenplay and then the producer etc. The last member of the production team to be show is the casting director, who is then followed by the actors. 
They too follow the same pattern with prominence in the film dictating their order - the main actors come first, followed by less key characters. The minor characters are also often listed in groups, which from my research appears to be common. Finally the title of the film appears. (Having said this, it is also common for all this to be in reverse: i.e. title first, then actors, then production team. It is either this way or the order that Captain America has followed that title sequences seem to appear.)
The title sequence also highlighted the significance of music, graphics and typography. It has shown that the genre and theme of the movie determines how these features pan out. Captain America was initially a MARVEL comic and the transition graphics and typography are done in a style that is somewhat comic-like. The music too follows the pattern of the genre: Captain America is an American hero and the diagetic music that accompanies the sequence feels very patriotic. The three factors: music, graphics and typography are all used to continue the theme of the movie.
Mystery/Crime Thrillers: Mystery and crime thrillers go hand in hand; both tending to have a good guy (usually someone who enforces the law, e.g. a detective) trying to stop a criminal. Crime thrillers on their own often focus on the criminal and the criminal acts, whereas mystery thrillers often follow the protagonist and discover information as the 'hero' does. Mysteries tend to be a lot more psychological and play on the audiences minds, unlike crime thrillers which can often focus more on the action itself; however, the two are often blended to create a film full of both suspense and action.
Disaster Thriller: Disaster thrillers normally focus on groups or persons who are attempting to survive natural or artificial events. These can sometimes be natural disasters such as tsunamis, or man made issues (e.g. nuclear explosions). They sometimes reinact disasters that have happened; but often create artificial disasters and play with the concept of "what if this will actually happen in the future?!" - and use this idea as the main way to cause a reaction from the viewers.
Techno/Supernatural Thrillers: These thrillers usually provide a otherworldly element when being viewed. Supernatural thrillers usually focus on a powerful force, perhaps from a higher power, and so can be linked to religious thrillers. The protagonist is usually involved in fighting the supernatural power, often having supernatural power themselves. Techno thrillers are not dissimilar as they usually involve a protagonist trying to stop powers from the future; often ideas such as robots/aliens taking over the planet are played with.
Thrillers tend to follow, by and large, a fairly similar story line. Usually the underlying thread of the movie is a mystery or investigation to solve; with the protagonist tending to be the only person who can actually solve the mystery. The film usually contains enigmas which, throughout the showing, often place doubt and another level of mystery and danger into the story line. 
Characters in thrillers vary depending on the sub-genre; however, there are various traits that are common amongst thriller characters. There is always a protagonist(s) and normally an antagonist within the plot and the 'hero' is involved in solving a crime or mystery or surviving an event (etc). Stereotypical characters often include: an isolated hero who is always morally right, the good/ bad guy sharing various traits.. and so on. 
