Title Research: Hostage Movie

What movie was the title sequence from?
For this blog, I chose The movie hostage. The movie is about an officer in the Los Angeles Police Department (Jeff Talley) who quits the force and relocates his family to the suburbs. He becomes the sheriff in a sleepy town and thinks he has escaped the hustle in his old job. All is well until an elaborate local heist puts him back in the center of the action.

How Long was the title sequence?
- The title sequence was 2 minutes and 56 seconds long.

What website did the title sequence come from?
- The sequence was from www.watchthetitles.com

How many titles are displayed during the opening sequences to the film?
- There were 31 titles displayed during the opening sequence. Also, the title of the film was shown after 7 other titles came up on the screen.

What images are prioritized in the opening sequences?
- There were men who were “paused” as in standing still. They were armed with heavy artillery and their gear had symbols from different police forces and departments, such as SWAT. The rooftops of the large buildings were also shown at different angles which explains the setting of the beginning of the film.

What connotation do the images carry?
- Negative because heavy police presence usually means there is a threat. Heavy artillery is the deadly force used to take out an immediate threat.

How is genre reinforced through symbolic and technical codes from the outset?

 - Many of the shots in the titles are in front of pictures of the tops of buildings. They are also not in color which creates suspense and curiosity in the view were because he wants to know what the setting is going to be like.

How does the film establish an enigma from the outset?
- The music that is playing in the background is calm but it gets louder then calm again in a way. The music also has a suspenseful beat to it. Toward the end of the titles and when the film is about to begin, the sound decreased. This created suspense and tension because all of the sound that was playing before was action-like but then it suddenly cease-and-desists.

What strategies are used to ensure the film appeals to its target audience?
- The title of this movie will cause individuals with interest in this genre or type of movie with draw them in. Also, the titles quickly exit as soon as they enter which makes the process of showing them faster and makes it easier for individuals to not lose interest in the movie before it even starts.

How has technology been used effectively? (Consider camera angles, transitions and editing techniques)

- Fade in and fade outs created suspense. Also, the aerial view shots of the tops of the city view established location.