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Opening titles and bugs present you with an excellent opportunity to create a compelling
image of your company and to imprint that image into the minds of your audience. Since
titles are such an important part of the production process, we’ll show you how to use these
critical graphic elements to your advantage.
The purpose behind opening titles is more than merely identifying the production you're
about to see. Used properly, opening titles can influence the audience’s expectations,
excite them, and stir up their curiosity to see more. They may be approached in many different
ways but their purpose is always the same: to invite the audience in, and in short, to
set the mood for what is to come. Using Practical ElementsOne method of creating
opening titles is to use practical elements from your production such as cropped words
on subway signs, calendars or text on the side of a water tower. () For example, the
movie Napoleon Dynamite uses items commonly found in a cafeteria to introduce the cast
and the crew. This allows the director to both give insight into the life of the main
character, and give the names of the people in the film. Simple, to the point, and effective.
Alternatively you might simply fade text in and out, over footage that complements the
theme of your production. An excellent example of this approach is the opening sequence to
the 1991 production of Robin Hood Prince of Thieves with Kevin Costner. Title and credits
dissolve on and off screen over footage of the Bayeux Tapestry, a 900 year old, 224 foot
long depiction of the Norman conquest of England. Although from a hundred years prior to the
events of the movie, the tapestry’s strong medieval imagery perfectly supports the story’s
theme. The 2007 movie, The Kingdom, very effectively utilizes historical news footage combined
with narration as a background for the opening title and credits while providing valuable
information to the audience. Placing your titles over motion graphics is
another very effective way to draw your audience in. The Matrix movies offer great examples
of this technique when computer code turns into the credits for the film.() You can make
your own from scratch with Adobe After Effects or other similar programs or incorporate simple
titles over motion graphics purchased from companies such as Digital Juice or Artbeats.
Titles like these typically look the most professional but take more skill and time
than simply dissolving in and out over footage. It's important to remember that your opening
title sequence should engage the audience and entice them to see more - without giving
anything away, or promising more than your production can deliver. Don’t get too complicated,
simple is oftentimes better. A single-word title such as JAWS, with just the right audio
track, still makes people wary of the water decades after the movie’s release. And don’t
forget the music. There’s nothing like an exciting sound track or sound effect to draw
the viewer in to create an indelible impression of your work in their mind.
Believe it or not, the type of title that you've seen the most is the bug. Though it's
often small and subliminal, bugs are great for reminding your audience who you are throughout
the film. A bug is an identifier graphic whose purpose
is to identify the particular company or network on which a program is airing. Bugs are used
for corporate branding and may be seen on many of the major television networks. () NBC’s
peacock logo and the Disney Channel’s familiar mouse ears logo can be found quietly occupying
a corner of the screen during their programming. Bugs may be used either on-air or online...
and in either case, will help the viewer quickly discover whose program they are watching.
You don’t have to be a major network to incorporate bugs into your branding strategy
and they’re easy to create... so let’s have a closer look at how you can create your
own.
Begin with your company logo and size it to about 50x50 pixels for web video, 120x120
for standard definition or 200x200 for high definition television viewing. Typically,
bugs are semi-transparent so you then need to reduce the opacity from 50 per cent to
almost invisible for a hyper-subtle, near subliminal look. Add a drop shadow for added
dimensionality that helps separate your bug from the background. Monochromatic bugs work
very well; fewer colors equal fewer distractions. Increase its subtlety even further by reducing
the color saturation. Not too much though, you still want your viewers to be able to
easliy identify it . Place your bug in one of the bottom corners above the title safe
area. Which corner you use isn’t as important as consistency; your bug should always appear
in the same location for maximum branding effectiveness. In order to stay subtle, bugs
are typically static. However very light animation such as a subtle rotating or spinning motion
may be acceptable especially towards the beginning of the program.
Creating instant recognition and a positive lasting impression is vital in today’s highly
competitive video production environment. Follow these tips and your opening titles
and bugs will successfully draw in and engage your audience, giving your work the attention
it deserves.