Opening Credits Analysis (Panic Room)

In order to create the most effective thriller opening possible we will have to have a very unique set of opening credits as they are a key factor within any thriller, so in order to do this I decided to look at a variety of  different opening credits to gain some ideas and a better insight into what makes a good and effective set of opening credits. 

In order to carry out this research I used http://www.artofthetitle.com/ to view the opening credits for the film "Panic Room" this was a very useful website as it enabled me to have a real look and analyse why these credits are so effective and the impact they have on the audience. 

The opening credits start with a trademark Columbia pictures graphic however the music and sound have been changed, the normal gentle and warm sound has been replaced with much darker sounds such as the crashing of thunder and lighting. This is effective as straight away gives the audience the impression that this film is that of a dark nature. This then fades into black and you can then hear a set of sirens in the background what appears to be an establishing shot of New York, with the first set of text appearing on screen, the text is bold and clear and is also 3D, this is an effective way of drawing the audiences attention towards the credit rather than whats happening in the background shot of the city.  this is then accompanied by some very sinister music again giving the audience the impression this film is quite dark and very serious. Following on from this the credits then take the audience on a journey around the city and different buildings within it, each building is accompanied by a jump cut and a different set of credits, whether it be actors within the film or big companies involved in the production. Whilst all this is taking place the sinister music and background noise from the city remains, this is an effective way of building up tension which is something usually associated within Thrillers. Eventually there is a panned shot in which the title of the film is revealed, the text is a lot bigger and stands out a lot more in this shot, not only this but the music becomes much sharper and the tension increases to give the audience a real sense of authority and power. The is a very effective way of titling as it draws the audience into the film straight away. The tour of the city then continues with yet more buildings and credits of companies and people involved with the film however the music is now slightly more upbeat and cheerful accompanied by can only be described as a 'ticking' sound. 

Personally I believe as a group we can take a lot from this, we can analyse what Panic Room did well and how effective it was in drawing it's audience in making them feel apart of the action from the start.