A title sequence has in its power to either whet the appetite of the audience for the show about to begin or provide an extra bit of time on or before the first commercial break to go to the bathroom, get a drink, text a friend, etc. It's a difficult line to walk. How do you create something interesting and unique keeping it fresh over the course of several seasons while also maintaining a sense of familiarity?
First thing: you need a good theme tune. Everyone knows the words to "I'll Be There for You", the theme that launched Friends every week for ten years on NBC. Even though later seasons would see the title sequence whittled down to a mere two or three lines, Friends never went the way of some shows which cut a title sequence all together in order to increase time for the story. Another that comes to mind is Smallville's "Save Me", an appropriate title for a series about a fledgling superhero.
The song can work against you however and you need to be careful. Damages uses the song "When I Am Through with You" and has the same two lines play over and over. It's almost as if the writers are trying to hit you over the head with the "point" of the theme. Whereas "Save Me" is an actual song, "When I am Through With You" which I'm sure has more lines, is used very awkwardly and is a low point in Damages' otherwise can't miss aura.
The visuals are another key. Most shows go with shots of the main cast from episodes around that point of the season, changing up the sequence a few times over the course of the year. Friends followed this pattern all the way until the end mixing with images of the actors from the first season dancing around a fountain. Some shows will use scenes regardless of the cast names such as The Office which has used the same sequence since its first season. Unfortunately it seems a bit out of place considering how much of the characters' looks have changed over the course of the series. House, M.D. mixes images of locations around the fictional Princeton-Plainsboro hospital mixed with shots of human anatomy only ending with a wide shot of part of the main cast. Law & Order has used the same images of crime and overhead city shots for the past nineteen years, the only changes being the photos of the main cast as it has evolved over the years.
A show does not necessarily need a title sequence to provide that sense of familiarity and anticipation. ER eventually did away with its credit sequence leaving only the intertitle featuring a few chords of instrumental music that led into the "Previously on ER . . ." segments which signaled it was time for another trip to County General. Last year however the decision was made to change up the theme music, most likely in
a effort to provide a fresh take. Longtime fans were disappointed with the change and numerous appeals on message boards have been made to restore the original intertitle for the last few episodes. A similar change occurred on Quantum Leap in its last season where the theme was "amped up" which left fans, especially those from the beginning, in a bit of an uproar. Other hour-long shows such as Reaper and Terminator: The Sarah Chronicles (using well recognized chords from the film franchise) have similar intertitles in lieu of an actual title sequence.
Title sequences are bit of a grab bag. Some shows work without them, launching right into the story, while other benefit from that welcoming refrain which starts off each episode. One of the best, in my opinion, currently on television is NBC's Chuck. Across stills of the main cast, an AOL man-type figure engages in stock spy moves, such as repelling down the side of the screen, avoiding an onslaught of bullets and high-speed driving. The instrumental "Short Skirt/Long Jacket" is a catchy and upbeat theme and the entire sequence provides an atmosphere of an exciting group of characters while the visuals suggest that it's not meant to be taken too seriously. A perfect segue into the show and a must see whenever it comes onto the screen. Any tasks will have to wait until the first commercial break. It helps that the cast is one of the funniest on television with anything delivered by Ryan McPartlin or Adam Baldwin worthy of at least a chuckle.
First thing: you need a good theme tune. Everyone knows the words to "I'll Be There for You", the theme that launched Friends every week for ten years on NBC. Even though later seasons would see the title sequence whittled down to a mere two or three lines, Friends never went the way of some shows which cut a title sequence all together in order to increase time for the story. Another that comes to mind is Smallville's "Save Me", an appropriate title for a series about a fledgling superhero.
The song can work against you however and you need to be careful. Damages uses the song "When I Am Through with You" and has the same two lines play over and over. It's almost as if the writers are trying to hit you over the head with the "point" of the theme. Whereas "Save Me" is an actual song, "When I am Through With You" which I'm sure has more lines, is used very awkwardly and is a low point in Damages' otherwise can't miss aura.
The visuals are another key. Most shows go with shots of the main cast from episodes around that point of the season, changing up the sequence a few times over the course of the year. Friends followed this pattern all the way until the end mixing with images of the actors from the first season dancing around a fountain. Some shows will use scenes regardless of the cast names such as The Office which has used the same sequence since its first season. Unfortunately it seems a bit out of place considering how much of the characters' looks have changed over the course of the series. House, M.D. mixes images of locations around the fictional Princeton-Plainsboro hospital mixed with shots of human anatomy only ending with a wide shot of part of the main cast. Law & Order has used the same images of crime and overhead city shots for the past nineteen years, the only changes being the photos of the main cast as it has evolved over the years.
A show does not necessarily need a title sequence to provide that sense of familiarity and anticipation. ER eventually did away with its credit sequence leaving only the intertitle featuring a few chords of instrumental music that led into the "Previously on ER . . ." segments which signaled it was time for another trip to County General. Last year however the decision was made to change up the theme music, most likely in
a effort to provide a fresh take. Longtime fans were disappointed with the change and numerous appeals on message boards have been made to restore the original intertitle for the last few episodes. A similar change occurred on Quantum Leap in its last season where the theme was "amped up" which left fans, especially those from the beginning, in a bit of an uproar. Other hour-long shows such as Reaper and Terminator: The Sarah Chronicles (using well recognized chords from the film franchise) have similar intertitles in lieu of an actual title sequence.Title sequences are bit of a grab bag. Some shows work without them, launching right into the story, while other benefit from that welcoming refrain which starts off each episode. One of the best, in my opinion, currently on television is NBC's Chuck. Across stills of the main cast, an AOL man-type figure engages in stock spy moves, such as repelling down the side of the screen, avoiding an onslaught of bullets and high-speed driving. The instrumental "Short Skirt/Long Jacket" is a catchy and upbeat theme and the entire sequence provides an atmosphere of an exciting group of characters while the visuals suggest that it's not meant to be taken too seriously. A perfect segue into the show and a must see whenever it comes onto the screen. Any tasks will have to wait until the first commercial break. It helps that the cast is one of the funniest on television with anything delivered by Ryan McPartlin or Adam Baldwin worthy of at least a chuckle.
No comments:
Post a Comment