Alien; Credit sequence analysis

 Alien (Opening credits)

An introduction to one of my favorite horror movies. This movie just has that 1970s-1980s charm that can only be mimicked by todays standards. 

The sequence here shows the camera panning to the right, observing the darkness of a ringed planet. As the credits come and go, the title slowly begins to take shape and appear. Finally the credits get done showing, leaving only the title "Alien" at the top 3rds of the screen. 

What I love about this title sequence is that it makes the audiences eyes go up and down. The audience is interested in what the words at the top are forming into, while their eyes glance down at the names of the people in charge of making this movie. It is a very unique way to keep the audience engaged without much action going on. Also the words in "Alien" is spaced out, so even when the credits are done, the audience's eyes are now being led left to right to fully read the title. And finally when the credits are done showing, all that is left is the ominous looming presence of the title remaining. I am not sure if it was intentional but the way the title is slowly being pieced together reminded me of old computers, like an error has occurred.

Richard Greenberg was the title designer of Alien, whom he worked before on Superman. While Superman gave Greenberg a good start, he was established as a creative voice in Alien. In Greenberg's interview provided by artofthetitle, Greenberg said that the titles "came from the idea of something unsettling". The little bits slowly piecing the title sets up tension and seem very mechanical. 

Greenberg would also use this type of title for the teaser trailer for Alien, saying "It created a sense of foreboding". This sense of terror is also evoked further with the lack of narration, only portraying the title of the film, and also portraying one of the most unsettling taglines in cinema history "In space no one can hear you scream".