http://www.artofthetitle.com/title/napoleon-dynamite/
From this title sequence the viewer can see that the film is going to be perhaps a comedy, this is due to the sound track and also the use of food for the opening credits. The audience can also tell that the film is going to be based on a teenager, in particular a teenage boy, the audience are led to believe this by the student ID card that is present.
This idea is further more established by the food used in the title sequence, most of the food used is unhealthy food such as burger and chips and there is also peanut butter sandwiches in a brown bag which is commonly associated with a school lunch.
The use of the ambient sound at the beginning of the birds tweeting indicates to the audience that the film is set in a suburban rural area in the united states. The use of the Alien insurance card and the drawings of gladiators informs us that this film may have an element of sci-fi and that also the teenager boy is categorized as the high school "geek", this is further more made evident by the use of the library books.
The use of the UFO abduction insurance card suggests that the film is going to be a spoof of the sci-fi genre. This film also carries the conventions of a comedy title sequence as it shows the life of the "nerdy" character therefore this help the audience to identify with the comedy genre.
The audience is also informed that the film may be set in a high school this is due to the presence of the protractor, pencils and rubber.
From the title sequence of the film the audience also assume the film is going to be light hearted, this is due to the logo and the titles being illustrated on the food in different types of sauces, adding a comical effect to the sequence.
The mise-en scene of the title sequence also gives it a light hearted feel, the lighting plays a huge role in this as through out the sequence the lighting is ambient which allows the audience to believe the film is set in real-time and is slowly unfolding. The purpose of the comedy genre is to make people relate it with their own lives, so it follows the conventions of Blumler and Katz, as many of the audience will be able to relate with the main characters life, as they be able to relate it back to their past experiences during childhood.
Another aspect which the audience are able to relate to in the title sequence is the setting. The title sequence is set in various different rooms within a house, one room with a tiled floor another with a carpet, this makes it seem more naturalistic and realistic. meaning the audience will relate the film back to their own lives and experiences.
The title sequences are always portrayed on one object which is set upon a plain background, this adds to the idea of the comedy genre as commonly in comedies the opening titles are always made to appear very striking and eye catching.
Most importantly most of the shots in the sequence are high angle, this is important as it allows the audience to pay attention only to the image portrayed in front of them. It also creates the effect that the audience is superior to him as it is as if they are looking down on him.
The target audience of this film is teenagers, this is shown most clearly by the objects used that teenagers are familiar with in their own everyday lives such as the ID card and the maths equipment.
Fromt the title sequence alone the audience can learn a lot about the narrative of the film, we learn the film is based on a teenage boy named Napoleon Dynamite, who is considered a "nerd", his character also seems to interested in books on space and science. We are also presented with his drawings of gladiators which informs us that his character may have a immature side to him.
There is non-digetic and diagetic sound used in the title sequence which commences 22 seconds into the sequence, these sounds match in with the light hearted atmosphere and also the lyrics of the soundtrack being played fits in with what the audience are seeing on the screen, further more the lyrics also relate to school life and also a teenagers life.
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