Opening Credits Analysis 3 - Alien

Analysis of Alien Opening Credits

The music starts with an image of space but you can see a ring to a planet on the right edge of the screen which connotes alien lands and new adventures/ exploring further than ever before. 

The music continues as the shot pans to the surface of the planet on the right of the screen and a single line appears in the middle of the screen which connotes that something is developing. 

More lines appear on the screen which are first shown in a dark blue colour and then they fade into white which connotes peace developing into a new land with new features. 

The shot is still panning the planet with the rings while the lines are appearing on the screen. 

The colour of planet is very dark which connotes that there is no life there because there is no sun to be able to provide life. The planet looks dead and this is because of the dark colours that connote death.

The planet does have a white/silver lining around it which we associate with the saying 'every cloud has a silver lining' suggesting that the planet could possibly have life and there could be more to it than what the eye can see. 

The music is still playing as more lines are appearing on the screen but it has started to take a dark side and the music is suggesting that something is wrong because the peaceful music that was once there has modulated into something that will cause problems. The lines on the screen are starting to spell out 'Alien'.

As the word appears on the screen, the whole planet has been shown in a pan which connotes that it has been visited and left. 

Order of Titles:

a Brandywine-Ronald Shusett production

a Ridley Scott film

Main Characters 

Music By

Conducted By

Executive Producer

Screenplay By

Story By

Produced By

Directed By

Alien