Research into film distribution companies

Marvel films is a subsidiary of Marvel Entertainment. They are responcible for funding and supervising the production of film adaptations of thier popular comic book characters including Spiderman, The X-men & The Avengers. As of 2009 they are owned by The Walt Disney Cooperation. Marvel usually produce mainstream comic book action films, which are usually more light hearted and humorus than the films of thier main comic book/film rivals DC (Batman, Superman). For example, one of Marvel's most popular character's is Tony Stark AKA Iron Man. In the 4 films he is featured in so far (Iron Man, Iron Man 2, Avengers Assemble and the upcoming, creatively titled Iron Man 3), he is not only a fantastic superhero who attacks bad guys and causes shoot ups and explosions, but also a very funny character, often doing what he wants and cracking joke after joke. This light-hearted take ont the superhero genre have resulted in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (The six most recent films produced by the company; From Iron Man to Avengers Assemble) the fifth highest-grossing film franchise of all time. But even before this Marvel have been selling thier films to the masses with such classics as the X-men franchise and the Blade trilogy. They have also had a few flops, like Elektra & Howard the Duck, but for most of thier cinematic career, Marvel Comics have made some fantastic and very successful films.

Vertigo Films is a British company based in London. Because the company is London based, most of thier films are made in Britain by British people. Vertigo was created in 2002 by  Allan Niblo, James Richardson, Nick Love(who also directed the company's first feture film The Football Factory) and current managing director of Vertigo Rupert Preston. Many of thier films present realistic versions of British issues(The Football Factory & The Firm are about football hooligans,The Buissnes is about the drugs trade and Bronson is about the real life British criminal Michael Gordon Peterson AKA Charles Bronson). Vertigo's filmography spans a wide range of genres including Crime Drama(Bronson, The Sweeny), Horror(Shrooms, Wake Wood) and science fiction (Monsters). All of thier films are produced on very modest budgets, so despite a few of thier productions being made oversees (Streetdance 2 in Paris, Monstes in Belize, Mexico, Guatemala, Costa Rica and Texas), most of thier projects are shot in the UK.

20th Century Fox is one of the "big six" American film companies (Fox, Paramount, Columbia, Universal & Disney). As one of the most succsessful companies of all time, Fox produce a wide range of films in many different genres. They colaborate alot with Marvel on the X-men films.

Further research: Titles analysis

These titles are mainly produced with CGI animation, however the key points and usual traits of opening tiles are the same. It's titles occour in the usual order, beggining with the studio that made the film, followed by the film's title. From there it goes into the cast, begging with the three lead roles and then onto the supporting cast. It then goes through backstage roles in order of importance, begging with things like casting and finishing with the big three (producer, writer & director). The sequence is accompanied by a fast, exiting piece of music, connoting the films fast paced action.

The opening scene of Love Actually is, in contrast, much different. It is a live action sequence mainly in slow motion and features clips of people hugging each other at the arrival lounge of Heathrow airport. A voice-over explains why love is fantastic and all around us, even in times of tragedy. The music again connotes the films style. It is calm and dreamy music shows that the film is a rom com. Like the other film, the company who made the film is shown at the beggining. However, this one skips the long list of names and simply shows the title at the end of the sequence, in time to the narrator saying the words that make up the title.
 Some of the most unique, original and innovative opening titles are from the 1975 sci-fi comedy musical film "The Rocky Horror Picture Show". The film is a parody of the overly camp Horror/sci-fi films of the 1950's and 60's. Because of it's camp, sexual satire the titles open with a black screen and a pair of bright red lips connoting sexuality (which the film uses in a satirical way). The lips then begin singing a song with lyrics that reference and pay tribute to many old sci-fi movies. Whilst The chorus is performed the picture freezes and the titles themselves come up, in a dripping blood style font that references the horror genre. At the end the lips zoom out, the song finishes and the screen fades into the first shot of the film. Whilst they don't appear traditional, Rocky Horror's opening titles are unique and experimental and at least worth mentioning in this blog.
 Juno's opening titles employ animation to foreshadow the film's plot. The film's titles employ a mixture of hand drawn, traditionally animated background and cutout animation on the part photo/part drawing of Juno. This childish form of animation and the chilled relaxed song in the background connotes Juno's carefree life where she has nothing to worry about, which also foreshadows the change in her attitude as the film progresses. The title's are unique and creative.

First research into film openings

Some examples of film openings I could use a similer style to:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mVLJkIZvFlo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gaLDyrun_Cc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZmjsWAfn14

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYkcrgced9U :-This one has the end cut off.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Px8PKZTWLgE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUq46apWsM4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pHr_oSk57kQ