Joss Whedon loves details. That’s seen throughout his work in film and on television, but that’s also particularly noticeable in how the filmmaker uses title cards, particularly in the first two “Avengers” films, as noted by YouTube’s Nerdwriter1. In the first movie, for instance, it’s planted as a joke at the beginning. One character asks, “What do we do?” and we get our answer with “The Avengers!” It sets the loose tone for the whole shebang, drawing attention to the fact that we all know this is just a movie, and that it’s not going to take itself too seriously.
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That’s the power of effective title cards, and one that’s often overlooked in popular culture. The general packaging of a film is an artistic choice just like any other. Sometimes, like the relationship between author and book cover, it’s not up to the filmmakers to decide how it’s sold, but when it is, this is a particularly great way to get your audience invested. With Whedon and “The Avengers,” the writer/director didn’t have a choice in the title, but he nevertheless found a creative way to work it into the overall film. These are important decisions that filmmakers should take into consideration. These are the decisions that ultimate establish a tone and, more importantly, set the mood for the evening.
“The audience involvement with the film should really begin with the very first frame,” said Saul Bass, the acclaimed graphic designer behind title sequences for “Psycho,” “Vertigo,” “Goodfellas” and “Casino,” to name a mere few. And using examples from “Casino Royale,” “Seven,” “Furious 7,” “Grindhouse,” “Lord of War” and “Up in the Air,” Nerdwriter illustrates how these words remain true. That said, it seems like the art of title sequences now lives on either at the end of films, using the end titles for “22 Jump Street” and “Blue Valentine” as two clever (and one appropriately heartbreaking) examples, and on television, used effectively in shows like “The Wire” and “True Detective,” for instance. Though title cards often seem like a minor afterthought, especially if they’re poorly done, they’re still an artistic choice, and just as important as any other. In fact, maybe even more so.
