The Importance of Opening Titles

Opening titles - they, despite seeming quite insignificant at first, are a big part of each production. They are the opening sequences of a film or a TV show and their purpose is to introduce the production and give credit to the 'most important' people involved in the making. Additionally, they can set the tone of the film/show and give the audience a taste of what is about to come. The use of codes and conventions can significantly affect how we perceive the whole production and even foreshadow some of the events.

Some logos, such as the 20th Century Fox, have become
iconic at this point. 

The  conventions of a typical sequence include: 

-> the production and the distribution company - usually appear before the movie itself begins and can become an indicator of the quality of the production

-> the director(s), the producer(s) and the executive producer(s) - quite often, names repeat (such as Guillermo del Toro in 'Crimson Peak')
-> the cast - usually, the bigger the role the person plays (and the more popular they are in the show business), the quicker the appear

-> people responsible for the screenplay, music, visual effects etc. (only the 'leaders' of the team)
-> the title of the film/show itself - the way the title is presented can heavily impact the perception of the whole production (the codes used)

There is a variety of technical and symbolic codes that can influence the audience's perception of the entire production if used in the opening sequence. They include:
-> Sound - both diegetic (sounds the characters can hear - if the opening includes any, of course) and non-diegetic (added in post production) can set the tone of the film/TV series. For example, an ominous melody can indicate a horror, while a funky tune (like in 'F.R.I.E.N.D.S.') indicates a comedy.
-> Typography - how the text is presented on the screen, the font used, can indicate the genre
-> Lighting - dark or light, very bright or rather dim, the lighting can build tension and play with the audience's eyes
-> Colours - often set the tone and send a subliminal message to the viewers (red - danger etc.)
-> Camera Movement and Editing - they can set the pace of the production right from the start
-> Mise-en-scene - particular objects and settings can foreshadow certain events (however they should never 'spoil' the film/show, as the audience would see no point in continuing watching)

The opening to Hitchcock's 'Psycho' was extremely effective,
despite not using any extremely advanced technology (and
it was still easily readable). 

A combination of all of the above can result in a very effective opening sequence which will encourage the audience to continue watching. The titles of some productions are little pieces of art on their own. However, the people responsible must not only focus on the artistic aspects. Yes, it is important to make a good first impression, but the main purpose of the title sequence is to present information clearly. Visuals are, indeed, important, but if the audience cannot read what's on the screen because the titles are over-complicated, it cannot be called a good opening sequence.

Below are the opening titles to BBC's 'The Night Manager' - a television thriller about a night manager (how surprising) of a luxurious hotel who helps to take down a weaponry trade giant. This sequence has all of the conventions we would expect to see in opening titles - the cast, the producers, the director etc. (maybe not in the conventional order, but that's not important). Luxurious items turning into weapons have clear connotations of danger and the music used goes with that perfectly, adding intensity to the whole sequence. They set the tone of the production, indicate the genre and generally help the audience understand what they're about to watch (all of this while looking absolutely mesmerising).