The Art of the Title Sequence

The Conversation

A hovering perspective, hypnotic in its descent. Union Square bustles. Through the first transition programmable servo lens, engineered for this very shot, we hone in on a thousand little theaters settling on a disquieting mime. Long reaching shadows breed paranoia as the wondrous sound design is at once jazzy and dissonant, much like Harry Caul himself.

USA | 1974 | Color | 1.85:1 | English

Extras

Image Extra iconCommentary excerpt with editor and sound mixer Walter Murch.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

(From The Conversation DVD)

Credits

Title Design: Francis Ford Coppola and Walter Murch

Bookmark and Share

Category: Film

Tagged:

  • hb
    does anyone know what font that is? thanks!
  • We believe that it is Gill Sans.
  • My favourite movie!

    Has ever an opening sequence set you up so well for the rest of the film?
  • Lu Nelson
    The idea as described by Murch -- If I recall -- was to make use of the ultra-long lens that would be the sort of visual equivalent of the long-range microphone; also, it is made possible by the use of a motorized zoom control, something relatively new at the time of the film I believe. Nice use of new technology
  • Shawn
    So true. One of best films made. It's a great opening.
  • My favorite Coppola film. And thank the Lord for Walter Murch! Even though we are instantly (from frame one!) complicit in the world of surveillance, the length of the shot also acts as a nice slope of experience taking us into Caul's world. And, beautifully, we are observing HIM, not one of his jobs, thus drawing attention to our own act of watching. Considering the film's themes, how could you do any better than that? Brilliant!
blog comments powered by Disqus

Interviews

Gareth Smith on Up in the Air
Krystian Morgan on The Thing³
Johnny Kelly on Het Klokhuis
ISO Design on A History of Scotland
Danny Yount on Sherlock Holmes
Gareth Edwards on How We Built Britain
Yellowshed on Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
Chic & Artistic on Dan Black's “Symphonies”
Nirvan Mullick on Willard
Sfaustina on Tetro
Kevin Dart, Stephane Coedel and Cyrille Marchesseau on A Kiss From Tokyo
Matteo Manzini on Chéri
Jim Capobianco and Alexander Woo on WALL·E
Edd Kargin on Novaya Zemlya
David Daniels on Freaked
Kyle Cooper on The Incredible Hulk
Garson Yu on Hulk
Zephyr on Wild Style
Howard Nourmand on The Dog Problem
Nina Paley on Sita Sings the Blues
Stephane Coedel on The Amazing Adventures of Kid Cole & Klay
Stefan Bucher on The Fall

Advertising

Browse

Latest Updates via Twitter

Twitter Updates

    follow us on Twitter

    Master Index

    © 2010 The Art of the Title Sequence. All other names and trademarks appearing on ArtoftheTitle.com are the property of their respective owners.