What Makes a Good Title Sequence According to Kyle Cooper?

Kyle Cooper is an American designer of motion picture title sequences. He is best known for the work he did on the opening of the 1995 film “Se7en” He has been accredited with the man who singlehandedly revitalised the main title sequence as an art form.

What Makes a Good Title Sequence?

In an interview Cooper mentioned three things a good title sequence should do:

- It should tail seamlessly into the film

- It should set an expectation for the audience

- It should get you excited for what's to come

(Embedded Video for Se7en)

What is Important about the Font Used in Se7en?

- Kyle Cooper believes that the fact that the font in the credits is handwritten is a great way to show that the person writing is a serial killer. This makes the opening more dramatic.

- The typography is also very important to him as it makes us believe that the killer is the one who is writing the credits.

Cooper’s favourite title sequences: 

- The Deadzone: This was the first title sequence that made a big impression on Kyle Cooper. He explains that the typography was very simple and the music was great. He enjoyed this because it had a mysterious feel to it.

- To Kill a Mockingbird: He enjoyed this title sequence because it encapsulates the main characters obsession. He believes the opening was beautifully photographed and the form of the typography is integrated rather than being an afterthought. 

“Story Based” Main Title Sequences:

Cooper explains that Story Based title sequences have a specific backstory or a clear metaphor or pun that relates to what the story is about. He often does this by starting with an idea and then backing into an execution. An example of this is the opening for the zombie film “Dawn of the Dead” The typography is splattered blood and we are shown images of people with blood on them and others wearing contamination suits. We are provided with voiceovers of news channels and conferences talking about a virus that has got out. This gives the audience an idea about what has happened to turn these people into zombies.

Studio Problems after an Audience Test Screening:

- Studios might not have enough of a budget to shoot another scene for the movie.

- Another problem may be that they realise the audience doesn’t understand an aspect of the film.

Why the 2 ½ Minutes of the Title Sequence Become Important: 

The title sequence is a great tool because it can become another scene or prologue for the movie. It makes it easy for studios to put in some information that they might have left out in the movie to make it clearer for the audience. 

"Dawn of the Dead” Title Sequence:

The title sequence for Dawn of the Dead tries to suggest that there are zombies and carnage all over the world. It helps set the mood for the rest of the movie. An end title sequence was used to give a dark ending after a test screening revealed that audiences didn’t react as well to a happy ending.

Why Cooper Thinks Titles are Important to Films:

Title Sequences are important because they can provide a backstory for the film. They can also put the audience where they need to be before the film. They can help keep with time restrictions because in production you may realise that the title sequence already explains a certain scene in a film.