Title Research: Hostage

The first movie title sequence I watched was from the movie ‘Hostage’.

How many titles are displayed during the opening sequences to the film?
 There are 29 titles in the sequence.

What images are prioritized in the opening sequence?

Pictures of heavily armed police and swat members surrounding the house are shown in cartoon style black and white still frames as accents of red are in the background and bleeds into some objects for detail or importance.

What connotations do the images carry?

The images presented in the sequence imply the notion of high stakes. Just from the images alone, one can tell that the police are moving into action and something is causing this disturbance. The title ‘Hostage’ is well complemented by this title sequence as it shows a hostage situation taking place.

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

The genre of Hostage, which is a Drama/thriller, is expertly conventionalized through the black and white filter placed on the title sequence as accents of red slip in to provide depth. Images of swat teams lining up at a door and snipers posted up throughout a block gives off a sense of suspense to what would happen next.

How does the film establish an enigma from the outset?

The film establishes an enigma by using a transition that goes from the still framed black and white to the actual start of the movie. Anyone watching the title sequence will be intrigued to what happens next. Does the hostage get away? Does the swat team successfully infiltrate the house with the kidnapper? The answers to these questions are answered in the movie, but the title sequence catches the audience's attention and tries to hold it.

What strategies are used to ensure the film appeals to its target audience?

To keep the audience interested in the movie, the opening scenes have to build suspense. They cannot reveal too much of the plot to the audience, but they still have to earn their attention.

How has technology been used effectively?

The title consisted of animated still shots of buildings, police and the house that they’re surrounding. There are a lot of pan shots that move up to display the title content on the actual buildings. Zoom ins and dutch angled pans are used to display the producers, actors, editors, and etc. Fades are used to transition from frame to frame showing the audience how the swat members are set up waiting for breach and entry into the house where the hostage is held.