Horror Genre Titles and Title Cards - Analysis

I have decided to look more closely at the title sequences for a number of horror films to get a better understanding of the ways titles are presented, the order in which they appear and the style of the fonts used.

I will be looking at the title sequences for 'Get Out', 'Antebellum', 'Split' and the 2018 remake/reboot of 'Halloween'.

'Get Out'

The first title that appears is for a production company (Universal Pictures) in the middle of the screen, over the scene from the film (known as 'type over scene'), and further production and distribution company titles (all in the middle of the screen). This is followed by the name of the film's director (A Jordan Peele Film) and the name of the film, before we see the names of the most significant actors in the film (individually at first, then in pairs and threes). Each title appears in a serif font, typical of the genre and fades in then out. After the actors, the names of important crew members appear underneath their job title (in smaller font).

'Antebellum'

The first title that appears is a quotation from William Faulkner, in an archaic, faded font. This is followed by a production company title (Lionsgate Presents) in the bottom corner of the screen, over the scene from the film, and further production and distribution company titles (all in the bottom corners of the screen). Each title is in a mixture of capital letters and lower case, in a serif font. These titles are followed by the name(s) of the director(s) (A Film By Gerard Bush + Christopher Renz) and the names of the most significant actors in the film (individually at first, then in pairs). After the actors, the names of important crew members appear (in capitals) underneath their job title (smaller, in lower case).

'Split'

The first title that appears is the name of a production company (Universal Pictures Presents) in white font over a black title card. The title sequence is animated with the letters moving in a random, fractured way (reflecting the storyline of the film) using a sans-serif font. The next titles are further production and distribution company names, followed by the name of the director (An M. Night Shyamalan Film) and the names of the film. The next titles are the most significant actors in the film (individually at first, then in threes). After the actors, the names of important crew members appear alongside their job title (in a smaller font).

'Halloween'

This title sequence is slightly different to the others as it is a self-contained title sequence created using CGI. The first title which appears is the name of the film, in an orange serif font which fades out to red on the black title card. This is followed by a series of titles of the names of prominent actors (in capitals) above the names of the characters they play (smaller and in lower case). These also fade in and out and are placed to the right hand side of the screen alongside a carved-out pumpkin which seems to grow with the appearance of each new title. The names of the actors are followed by the names of important crew members underneath their job title (in a smaller font).