Star Wars : opening credits

If you were a kid in 1977, you probably still remember the impression of infinity given by the first images of George Luca's chef d'oeuvre. 

The title of the movie appears and then fades away on the screen amidst a field of stars, while the first notes of a triomphant tune burst out. 

This special effect is not in itself extraordinary, but it narrates, through movement, the beginning of an escape, of an adventure. What comes next is a complete breakthrough in 1977.

 

These opening credits were designed by Dan Perri (http://www.danperri.com/), who revolutionized the presentation of the animation stand, making letters that glide through space.

 

Every single part of the movie, including the credits, participates in the story : depth of field is created even before the first images are shown.

 

The camera then shows a panoramic view of the world the spectator is about to discover… 

An organized space of depth, the horizon of a planet at its base, a satellite left of the screen, and another planet in the background surrounded by shining stars. 

But something is about to happen.

A spaceship comes into the frame, floating over the spectators’ heads.

What is this photogram ? A blinding brightness that takes over the screen for a split second. The spectator perceives it but doesn’t really see it. But the brightness contributes to the heart of the action.   

The spectator realizes the fleeing spaceship has been attacked.

I want to insist on the fleeing spaceship to… I’m pretty sure you have already guessed why...to show the importance of depth of field in this first scene. 

 

George Lucas presents his film as an answer to the stakes of the genre: this fiction’s setting is the infinite space of the universe.

The spectator witnesses a chase ! a sidereal chase!

Flashes of light represent the impact of laser rays on the space ship. Special effects have evolved since 2001.

Imagine the impression caused by this massive ship that seems to fly over the spectators’ heads ! Lucas makes the spectators look up at the stars.   

The spaceship continues to invade the screen.

We recognize the same movement previewed by the animation stand in the opening credits. 

Reverse shot: the chase continues, the movement of the spaceships emphasize the depth of space.

The camera swoops down to the fleeing spaceship.

The spectators discover the « characters » aboard the attacked spacecraft. We are in a far away future. 

C-3PO and R2D2 abandon the spaceship and watch it float further and further away... Just a small detail in the story but a real feat in special effects.

Let’s follow the two robots in their adventure.