TW: Analysis of Title Sequence - Napoleon Dynamite (Hess, 2004)

NB - the title sequence is only available on Vimeo, which doesn't enable embedding. The link is - http://vimeo.com/5524216

Order, duration and description of Titles
0:00 - 0:02 - MTV films
0:05 - 0:09 - Fox Searchlight Pictures - in Tomato Ketchup around a plate (plate contains food)
0:11 - 0:15 - and Paramount Pictures Present - in Mustard on a plate with food
0:17 - 0:21 - in association with MTV Films - in Mayonnaise on plate (surrounded by cut up eggs)
0:25 - 0:27 - Starring Jon Heder - on a card titled 'U.F.O Abduction Insurance' (is then thrown to the side)
0:29 - 0:33 - Preston High as Napoleon Dynamite - on a school identity card (is then thrown to the side) 
0:35 - 0:40 - Jon Gries - in Mayonnaise on top of a steak on a plate
0:43 - 0:48 - Aaron Ruell - in Salsa Verde sauce on a plate with Nachos
0:50 - 0:54 - Effren Ramirez - in Mustard on a sausage on a school tray with other foods
0:56 - 1:00 - Tina Majorino - in Chocolate sauce in a sandwich on top of a lunch bag
1:03 - 1: 05 - with Diedrich Baber - on a silver, hand-made, star (is then thrown to the side)
1:11 - 1:13 - casting by Jory Weitz - handwritten note
1:18 - 1:20 - music by John Swihart - handwritten note
1:24 - 1:27 - Edited by Jeremy Coon - on a sweet carton (is then flicked away)
1:31 - 1:35 - Production Designer Cory Lorenzen - chapstick turned in hand revealing name
1:38 - 1:42 - director of photography Munn Powell - handwritten on doodle
1:45 - 1:49 - executive producer Jory Weitz - handwritten on doodle
1:51 - 1:55 - produced by Jeremy Coon, Chris Wyatt, Sean Covel - on capitalised lettering on magnets
2:01 - 2:06 - written by Jared Hess and Jerusha Hess - written on a rubber, three pencils (then sweeped away)
2:08 - 2:12 - Directed by Jared Hess - written with sauce on burger and chips (burger is then closed.)
2:12 - 2:40 BLACKOUT

NB - all food titles are carried away by hands

Analysis of typography - font, shape, colour, positioning, animation
The titles are embedded into objects that are a part of Napoleon's life - revealed by the fact that all props in the title sequence are included in the film (Source - IMBD) , in a form of title sequence called tabletop photography.
The font in each title is the only real consistency - it is all in a handwritten font, which implies a juvenile and artistic nature of Napoleon - which is useful as it establishes the character early on. Furthermore - the soundtrack, 'We're Going to be Friends' reinforces the child-like qualities.
The shape in each title, in terms of denotations - is wavey, which has connotations of an artistic nature - a key feature of the main protagonist.
Colour - due to the fact the colour of typography ranges from 'tomato red' to 'mayonnaise white', this is difficult to pin-point. However - the colour always contrasts the background, ensuring it stands out. We should use this in our own production, and this may also reveal Napoleon's unique nature which makes him stand out.
Positioning - the titles are always complementary to the visuals - for example, the sauces are placed with appropriate foods.
Animation - although the titles remained fixed, the plates, notes, or drawings come off and on screen due to an actors' hands - this reveals the low-budget and rustic nature of the film.  

Relationship between text and visuals (link to style, genre, institutional context.)
Made on a budget of less than $400,000, the title sequence reflects this. Director, Jared Hess, proves this point in an interview by saying that the backgrounds were all carpets rented from a nearby carpet store.
Furthermore - the title sequence is important as an idea of the film to come. This is exemplified by the nonfunctional, and unfashionable props used in the title sequence, and the integration of props which are a part of the protagonist's life. In terms of genre - Napoleon Dynamite is a comedy, and the humourous title sequence exemplifies this, mainly through the usage of props. I believe our group's usage of props reveals the horror genre we have addressed.
Lastly - the title sequence is important in revealing the context, and more specifically - the date of the film, as the old-fashioned clothing in the film may confuse viewers, the usage of cards with the date 2004 on them reveal the film is set in the present.

How can I use this in our own production?
The most interesting aspect of this title sequence is the use of diegetic titles - as they are not brought in by post-production. Our initial idea was to have titles appearing after movement on the screen reveals an area of space - but from this research I have come up with the idea of writing our titles beneath props which are picked up, leaving them to be revealed. This ties in with the low-budget nature of our production, and allows us to use specific fonts and styles which we feel are appropriate. It is certainly an idea we will consider for our second shoot.
Moreover - this clip uses stylistic features in terms of shape which automatically reveal the nature of Napoleon; this is something we wish to achieve in other ways in our opening sequence, but this clip has made me realise that the titles can be used to reveal this also. A handwritten, note-taking style for our titles could do this, and the development of the play on Latin words can also be utilised. For example - 'Assistant Director, Jack Sporle', could be written as 'Cooperantes Director, Jack Sporle'.