The bias comes from the fact that I am currently marathoning Deadwood, a show which I somehow managed to miss despite the prevalence of Calamity Jane and/or Timothy Olyphant and his crazy Law-Man eyes.
So without further ado, a list of amazing title sequences and possibly the reasoning behind why I deem them awesome. They are in no particular order, so don’t get your knickers in a knot over what’s placed where.
The Trifecta of Digital Kitchen’s trailers:
1. True Blood
Design page. The ‘Making of’ is an incredible thing.
2. Six Feet Under
-and-
3. Dexter
DK’s Dexter page
Basically, everything Digital Kitchen produces is golden. They were also involved with the Nip/Tuck creds, Shark Week, and a number of Levi, Sundance, Budweiser, MGM, and other campaigns. Their aesthetic is amazing, and it’s one of the few creative/digital companies that I would sell my soul to work for. When I become a show creator/runner and producer, I know where I’ll be heading for title design.
4. Deadwood
Along with Carnivale, pinpoints the aesthetic and atmosphere of a darker time in turn of the century America.
5. How to Make it in America
Arguably the only good part of the entire show. You can tell by the amount of Helvetica and still frame shots that this show is about hipsters.
6. Dead Like Me
Grim Reapers playing basketball with a soundtrack that sounds like it belongs in The Bird Cage. Deal with it.
7. Weeds
http://youtu.be/i8StRAJCork
Bastards have restricted embedding. I still miss the title sequence. Not even Elvis Costella and the mishmash of guest singers for season 2 (and 3?) compared. Granted, now that Nancy and the show’s gone to a whole ‘nother plane of existence when it comes to the show itself, it makes sense that the Title creds have been nixed.
8. Mad Men
http://youtu.be/85_pl_2Ugjs
Once again, embedding disabled. Also, probably the most sympathetic a Mad Man will ever be, flailing as he falls from a building.
9. Lost
Yeah, it’s simple, but I dare you to find someone who hasn’t spent time going “and then there are those 2 seconds when LOST comes into focus. That’s deep, man.” And in the final episode? Shit got real with color inversion (spoiler? SPOILER!)
10. What The Walking Dead Opening Sequence should have been
It speaks for itself. I applaud you Daniel. You’re better than the people who half-assed the real credits. Maybe they can revamp the opening creds since they hired an entire new writing team anyway? (But that’s a whole different story).
If you’re like me, and spend way too much time youtubing Title Sequences, then go HERE to Art of the Title. It’s an indepth study into a number of different title sequences, often with a background to the Production Company and what the Producers, Show Runner, and Writers were looking for in terms of atmosphere, tone, and how to convey the themes.
Posted on July 8, 2011
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