Title Sequence Analysis.

The opening sequence I have chosen to analyse is from the series Broadwalk Empire. This is an effective opening to a series for multiple reasons. It begins with a man stood in front of an ocean with his back to the audience, this is done in order to have the audience assume that this character is a shady one who may be heavily involved in illegal activities. This suspicion is confirmed when shots of the man continue to appear but he is never fully in focus, indicating that he cannot be trusted, or that he has a face which cannot be seen by the public eye.

The shot of the clouds developing indicates something negative, this is because it implies that the character has no control over time and that it is slipping away from him, it may also be used to imply that he regrets actions from the past.

The bottles of alcohol appearing in the ocean are also an effective tool used by the director. The whole shot forged in such a way that makes it look surreal and juxtaposed. It also suggests that the character the audience is presented with is a heavy drinker, he may choose to drown memories that have had negative impacts on his mental health in alcohol, just to force himself to forget the bad deeds he has done in the past. At the very end of the title sequence, the character walks towards buildings visible in the distance, as though he is now ready to face the reality of whatever his situation may be. None of these things can be said for certain, but they are ideas that may be developing in the mind of the audience through a perfectly executed title sequence.