Entitled to Title?

For me, part of the fun of sitting in that darkened multiplex has always been in waiting to see the title of the feature presentation appear on screen. From the visually arresting intro of any given James Bond film, to the three hour wait before those plain white letters labeled the last shot of Inception, the titles have a certain magical quality to them. An aura that is part of the movie-going experience.
           So, that having been said, I have been toying with the question of whether "Single Shot Cinema" images should contain titles; and if so, where? After all, the whole idea is to mimic the feel and texture of a motion picture, using a single photograph. So why not have titles? The key is not to have them overpower the image. Locating them in the bottom corners, or in the letterbox margin seems to be the most logical solution, for the most part.
          I am also thinking that they should show some creativity - much like any photograph title. A shot of a man walking down W. 57th Street should not be titled: "Some Guy Walking Down The Street," but should have some aspect of cinematic creativity to it. "Another Agenda" or some other such enigmatic, 'movie-sounding' title.
           Will it work? Will it add to the images? Make them feel like one-shot cinema? Time will tell. Stay tuned....

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C. M. Franke | Photography

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