Title sequence analysis - Laura Bebber

This is England title sequence

1. This shot introduces the scenery and portrays a typical British council flat, whilst reinforcing the genre of a gritty, coming of age drama. According to the director, the typography was created to symbolise a British soldiers dog tag.
2. This mid shot of three male characters represents the age group that the film is based around. The graffiti shown behind them on the wall could connote typical teenage rebellion. The quality of the focus is weak, perhaps to create a mysterious atmosphere and build the audience's curiosity. The typography is white, which is seen as a typical British colour, and could be in reference to the Union Jack. Again, this reinforces the British culture. The small digits on the screen are said to be representative of the number of soldiers that have died. (referenced www.artofthetitle.com/?s=this+is+england)
3. This shot displays various individuals in a party environment. The green lighting effect reinforces excitement and the incorporation of a live rock band is a stereotypically British trait. The characters show enthusiasm and portray lively animalistic personalities. The snapshot displays scenery and emphasises the importance of youth culture.
4. This close up shot of a couple kissing reinforces a strong sense of passion and romance in which is a typical convention of a coming of age drama. It provides us with the knowledge that relationships will be a key aspect of the film and that various emotions will be explored. The fact that they used a close up shot to convey this image could perhaps suggest that these particular characters may have significance throughout the entirety of the film.
5. This shot displays three men holding the British flag. The fact that it is at a low-angle could reinforce their power and status. The Union Jack emphasises the British culture in which the audience will explore. We are blind to their appearence and so are left to draw our own conclusions as to who they could be. The companionship in which they are portraying could show that we will be focusing on the development of relationships and various emotions.
6. This close up shot of a child watching television establishes the era of the film. The scene is particularly old-fashioned and proves that historical aspects will arise.
7. It is unclear of what is happening in this shot and so a sense of mystery is inflicted upon the audience. The muddy environment emphasises the realism of characters and setting used throughout the film. Youth culture is once again imported as it appears as if perhaps the characters are at a typical British festival.
8. This shot displays numerous army soldiers in a deserted environment. This could reinforce the fact that the audience will be visoning a captivating storyline and focusing upon emotional conflict.

Overall I feel that this particular title sequence is extremely effective as it foreshadows later events and grips the audience's attention. It appears as if each individual aspect has a significant purpose and tells an interesting story. I thoroughly enjoyed watching this sequence, I feel that it flowed well and that the titles were cleverly incorporated on top of the images. Despite being extremely long in length, I never lost focus of what events were occurring.