title design research: Gone Girl

As a muse for a title design, we looked at the film “Gone Girl”. In the beginning of the title scene, there were 2 main credits. These included the studio, “20th Century Fox” and “Regency Enterprises”, the producer’s name. As the sequence continues, an ominous voice over is heard. This is to install fear in the audience, video visuals include an overhead shot of a woman as we continue to hear the man speak about murdering his wife. This camera angle is used to make the woman appear out of control. Following that visual, a black screen is shown crediting the actors one by one, and the title “Gone Girl” follows appearing on a clip of a lake, either early morning or at night fall. This creates an eerie sense of danger or uncomfortableness. The sequence also includes mysterious whistling in the background. This is to let the audience feel the same emotions as the characters might, unknowingness and fear. This music choice can also help to place fear or nervousness in the audience. As the title fades away, we see clips of a supposedly abandoned town, small, empty shops, and run down homes that would have been nice at one point. Here, we can read small credits such as screenplay, makeup, and camera work. There are certain props and elements in this title sequence that make it feel mysterious. For instance, the mist on the ground and the overrun, or abandoned buildings make you wonder why everyone is gone. Following this creepy montage, we see a man standing in his driveway, staring into the distance. He appears frightened, and then suddenly walks towards his house. This attributes to the mysterious vibe because it pulls you in and gets you interested. Some editing factors are the word on the bottom of the screen in this clip. It says “June 5th, the day of”. This wording makes you want more and makes you wonder what happened on this day. This would appeal to teens and younger adults due to the frightening nature and the “R” rating. We got the title sequence and information from the website ‘WatchTheTitles’.