Below is the title sequence to the film, One Hour Photo. It is an American Psychological Thriller written and directed by Mark Romanek.
The opening titles to One Hour Photo say a lot about the theme of the film. It opens with a clean, simple white font on a black background. The text comes on from the side in the style of a piece of film being processed. The music is dark and foreboding, suggesting a dark theme.
As the film opens, we see a photograph of Robin William's face slowly processing on a computer. He has been arrested, suggesting that there is a criminal theme in this film. Additionally, Robin William's character is middle aged and shown to have a comb over and large glasses, not a conventional criminal. This clip raises intrigue as well as establishing this character as the protagonist.
A wide shot establishes that he is being held in an interrogation room with clean, white walls. The lack of music and the white, sterile walls give the scene a strange, uncanny atmosphere.
When Williams' character is asked to give a motive, the is a long pause in which we are shown a close up of his face. A single note of string music plays, ominously. The audience is very much aware that something very bad has happened and that this character has played a large role in it.
Williams' character then monologues in voiceover. As he speaks, we are shown colourful home-movie style clips of families playing. This juxtaposes with the sad, piano music which plays over it. This scene seems very contradictory and creates conflicting emotional responses on the audience.
