>How do film techniques create meaning in the opening sequence? part 2.

>Camera movement, or the way the sequence moves, is an important part of setting the movie in a genre, and creating mood.
In the Spiderman 2 opening titles, the director has chosen to use fast, smooth motion, almost swinging from one focal point to another. e.g. going from an image with the producers names, to a screen with just the directors name.
This technique seems to make the credits look like they are on one large area, or piece of paper, and the camera is simply moving from one area to another, the speed at which the camera moves gives the impression of action and drama, setting the genre.

By using this combination of speed and direction, the genre is well represented, allowing the viewer to understand the type of movie they are going to watch. The genre of Spiderman 2 is action/drama. By looking at the camera movement, we can see this being linked. The movement represents the fast pace of the movie and the ongoing drama and action throughout the entire film. The director has chosen specifically to use this kind of movement to enhance the effectiveness of the opening sequence, by linking the movement to the genre of the film, we get a preview almost, about what the film is going to be like. Having seen the movie and watched the opening sequence countless times, it is safe to say that the director has done well to portray the action and drama of the entire film, in only 3 minutes.


The technique creates meaning in the sequence by recreating some of the movement made in action scenes in the film. We often see this kind of motion throughout the film, when Spiderman is fighting badies, or in some kind of action scene. Therefore, we can link the action in the film to the opening sequence by the movement.