1960 versionOCEANS 11 TITLE SEQUENCE

INSTITUTIONS

The 1960 Ocean’s 11 was distributed by Warner bros. Pictures, this larger production company assisted Lewis Milestone, the films director in producing the film. Although Production rights went to milestone there was a lot of assistance in finance and status by Warner brothers’ intervention.

Warner brothers at the time of production had a style that consisted around Style and glamour which was continued by the Casino based, Jazzy style of Ocean’s 11.

Warner Brothers holds a Crime-thriller distribution theme, also distributing such films as Clockwork Orange.

The Crime-thriller genre is one targeted stereotypically at adult men, ranging approximately from 18 onwards. To appeal to the target audience films including Oceans 11 add in action, glamorous female affairs and male role models as the important characters. The title sequence is all edited and allows for iconographic imagery of poker chips etc. which appeals to the audience as we associate gambling, casino life with ‘cool’ strong men who live a fun life which appeals well to the male audience.

To bring in the female contingent of audience members we see the film include Big names such as Frank Sinatra which appeal to them as attractive cast. The names they used were already big so the title sequence only includes the name, no need for imagery of the person. This again gives off the impression of Cool, idolised characters as there is no need to see them straight away yet the audience are still interested as they are well known.

The genre is supported by this film as the characters and plotline are portrayed to be relaxed and made out to be the favourable characters. Most crime-thrillers do this, villainising the heist target or the authority which become more evident in the film but the chilled music hints at this.

AUDIENCE

The opening of the title sequence counts up in neon seeming numbers that assist in revealing the key actors in the cast. This groups the characters together as a group by having two different sections, one with the numbers which appear more low key than the next section which reveal the characters, then the latter half of the sequence which is glamour filled with Casino imagery; the separation bands the two in side, the heisters and the target. The large neon numbers do match the imagery the casino holds but overshadow the names of the actors which connotes the bright casino has an advantage over the characters, hence why they would raid the casino as they wish for the great riches that it obtains to bring them up to the glamourous level that is made to be the ideal in the film.

The second half of the title sequence is used to reveal the rest of the credits and hold the main casino iconography. This holds significance as it shows off the ideal rich life that the casino holds, creating a narration that this life includes alcohol, sex, money etc. which are all things desired by the antagonists but similarly to the target audience. By incorporating images of alcohol etc. in the cards that are iconographic of casinos we understand that money is supposed to be the root of this desired life as it is part of the casino ideal, supporting why the characters would wish to rob them.The dark colours suggest a dark, shady undertone to the life and the film as a whole, the casino lights being shone over this hints that the idea blinds the public but there is a dark life under it (when the casino doesn’t pay off).

The title sequence glamourizes the life that is associated with Casinos due to the Jazz music, bright lights and fast colourful editing. This therefore gives off the view that the crime ridden life that accompanies this movie is not to be frowned down on as crime-thrillers often do, they cast the light of antagonist onto the heist/ criminal organizers which is done well in this via the happy feel to it and the glamour style.

There is a money orientated representation by the casino imagery, the one in this clip suggests that money is the root to a higher life, the imagery of the man in the top hat and the martini glasses represents and endorses the lifestyle that is desired in this film.

REPRESENTATION

The narrative in the title sequence of Ocean’s 11 is not direct, it doesn’t show the lives of characters or give any clue to the story line. The hints to the narration of the story we do get stretch to the iconography of a casino; the plot follows the heist of a casino so we are understanding that this will be the main location of this.

The music gives a glamourous feel to the film as it is a jazz style that has differing stages of intensity. The jazz is linked to the glitzy lifestyle of a casino but also suggests laid back characters, narrating that the heist organizers will not be panicked as expected, further emphasising that they are characters who will appeal to the audience.

NARRATION