Blog Task 4 (Art of the Title) - The Sopranos

The Sopranos:

Which credits do we see and in which order do we see them in?

• Main Cast
• Guest Stars
• Casting
• Editor
• Production Designer
• Director of Photography
• Co-Producer
• Producer
• Executive Producers
• Creator
• Writer and Director
• Title

What font type is used for the titles (if you don't know, describe what it looks like)?
The credits are displayed in a font named Letter Gothic, however the main title is in the font Compacta. The credits font are plain white, capitalised and bold throughout the title sequence and the title is slightly more unique and stands out due to the fact that the 'r' in 'Sopranos' is in the shape of a gun shown sideways.

How we see the font - where do we see it in the frame (at the top, bottom, moving etc...)?
The credits font is always at the bottom of the frame and rushes off the screen after a few seconds to be replaced with another credit.The main title is bolder though and stands in the middle of the frame and for a longer period of time as the scene behind it fades to black.

What happens behind the font - what do we see, who are we introduced to, what sound do we hear?
Behind the opening credits we are able to see the main character driving in his car smoking a cigarette, along with many shots of the city from the car that he's driving. The title sequence ends with him getting out of the car and the main title coming up on the screen, concluding the sequence.

What do you like about this sequence, why did you pick it?
I find this sequence interesting and I like how it consists of shots of both him driving in the car; the look on his face, him smoking a cigarette, and so on, along with shots of significant scenery throughout the journey to give the viewer an idea about what's going on and a sense of the environment he's passing through. The typography is also interesting and I was curious about the main actor.

Anything else you can find out about the title sequence either from the designer themselves or responses to the title from other people.
From an interview with both the logotype designer, Brett Wickens, and the creator, David Chase, we find out things about the title sequence such as:

The idea was to show that they were specifically filming in New Jersey, making sure that it's imprinted rather than the movie being set elsewhere. There were no other concepts and the creator took the rest of the cast out and showed them the places he had in mind in terms of shooting. The title sequence drags out and only reveals the main character fully at the end, as he exits the car, building suspense and curiosity. The logotype designer started with the font Compacta and made it his own, unique to The Sopranos and representing mobsters well.