HW 2b - Analysis of titles in film openings (DYM)

Coraline 2009

The Parent Trap (1961)

CORALINE TIMELINE:

• Distributor
• Studios
• Title of Film
• Main Cast
• Lead Animators
• Concept Artist
• Art Directors
• Storyboard Supervisor
• Editors
• Visual Effects Supervisor
• Music
• Supervising Animator
• Director of Photography
• Producers
• 'Based on the novel'
• Written for the screen and Directed by...

THE PARENT TRAP TIMELINE:

• Distributor
• Studio
• Main Actor
• Film Title (+ based on the book)
• Stars
• Co-stars
• Featuring...
• Director of Photography
• Art director/Film editor/Set Decoration/Sequence Consultant/Special Photographic Effects/Costume Designers/Costumers/Make Up/Hair Stylist/Music Editor/Sound Supervisor/Sound
• Associate Producer/Associate Director/Dialogue Coach
• Music/Orchestration/Songs
• Special Titles/Sung by
• Written for the screen and Directed by...

Similarities:

• In both film openings, the opening titles began by crediting the distributor, followed by the studio - in both, these credits occur before the title of the film is established. 
• In both film openings, the main cast are credited early on; around the time when the title of the film appears.
• In both film openings, the titles end by crediting the writer and director - coincidentally, in both films, the roles of writer and director are shared (the title 'Written for the Screen and Directed by...' appear).
• In both film openings, the titles are used alongside a puppet animation as an alternative focus (this is most likely because of the young demographic of these films, who might get bored if there is nothing to entertain them but credits).
• In both film openings, the credits for the main cast is followed by the credits for the artistic faction of the crew; in The Parent Trap, these include the set designers, costume designers and photography experts, and in Coraline, these were devoted to the lead animators and art directors. 

Differences: 

• The titles in The Parent Trap are (for the most part) in the centre of the frame and large; the titles in Coraline were to the side of the frame or in the corners.
• The titles in The Parent Trap were effected by the animation behind and moved around (e.g. moved on from the side by the curtains behind); the titles in Coraline faded on and stayed stationary, less distracting from the animation.
• In the opening of The Parent Trap, there were more titles, probably due to the old nature of the film, which put more emphasis on opening titles and made the crew and cast more overt for the audience than in current films; in the opening of Coraline, there were less titles, as more emphasis was put on the opening animation that sets up the iconography (dolls, buttons etc.) and story elements of the film. 
• In The Parent Trap, the titles were separate from the puppet animation and the theme song; in Coraline, the titles appeared on top of the opening animation.