Ben Houghton - Skyfall Title Sequence Analysis

Ben Houghton

Title Sequence Analysis

Skyfall

Overall Impression

The overall impression of this title sequence is that it gives the idea that Bond is dead or going to die during the film. You get an impression that it is holding back a lot of information. The dark colours give the idea that Bond is in a troubled situation due to the bullet hole being shown in the sequence numerous times. The pace of the sequence is quite slow which matches with the song and it feels like something or someone is being followed. The presence of guns and blood throughout the title sequence gives the reader the idea that these are involved heavily in the film. You get the feeling that you are going through the thoughts of one of the main characters.

Genre

The genre of this title sequence is action. You can tell this due to the presence of guns and blood.

Cinematography

Throughout the title sequence, different shots are used to convey meaning. The first shot is a low angle shot which shows Bond landing into the water. This then follows Bond as he goes deeper underwater. 

The low angle shot is used to show that he is falling into a bad situation.

This long shot shows the main character being pulled down by a hand. This shows that he is either being helped or he is in more danger.

A hand held shot is used to give the characters point of view. It shows that you are going to see an insight of the film from his perspective.

This tracking shot follows along the ground while knifes fall into the ground. This gives the idea that the character is moving.

An extreme close up is used to give the idea that the audience is witnessing what the character is thinking.

This high angle shot is used to show that the character is being watched by an enemy or by himself.

Editing

The main types of editing used in the title sequence are cut and fade. The fades are used to give a mysterious feel and movement through someone’s thoughts. Rhythmic editing is also used to fit with the music. Also, some shots link to the lyrics of the song at a certain point.

Sound

The sound used in the title sequence is the song ‘Skyfall’ by Adele. This song was created specifically for the film. The mood of the song is dark and dramatic. This fits well with the title sequence because the shots and angles are dramatic.

 

Mise-en-scene

The lighting of the title sequence is dark to show that the character could be dead or thinking negative thoughts. The lighting used on the graveyard shots are very dark to link the idea of death and danger. The costume of the character in the title sequence is a suit. This gives the audience the idea that it is a James Bond film and that the character is linked with agents and spies. Guns and knives are used to convey the genre of action.