Sheldon the TV series

Sheldon the TV Series

For this project we had to research different opening sequences for different TV series looking at a specific genre. The genre that I choose to research was the crime or thriller drama. It represents the modern connotations of the old fashioned cop shows. What I decided to do was to base my own opening on that type of show so I decided that a good example that was simplified and achievable was the model set forth by the TV series of Lewis.  The main aspect of this that I tried to use was the idea of the screen blacking out to show the credits or titles of a film. I also had thought that it would be good to have the main character portrayed in a way that was iconic to this very complex character that is called Sheldon which is his last name. I feel that the project went rather well I think that I worked quite well within the time constraints and I think that I met all the deadlines. I think that as I progress in my studies and learn more and more I will be able to make the different projects more complicated but I think that because a project rarely sticks in the strict guidelines of a storyboard then this animatic that I have created encapsulates the main aspects that would be used in the opening sequence. Also the purpose would be to show the allure and complexity of the character and therefore the show which is why having the character in several different locations added to this. Also the use of the missing posters would give away more clues to the audience that the show is about a detective who finds missing people with the most obscure clues. Altogether though as I have said I am pleased with the project and think that the story board gives the right amount of information as well as attempting to draw an audience in.

"Sheldon" Storyboard Animatic

Review Idea

After looking over my older posts I have realized that I have really changed my idea of what the opening sequence will be like. I have decided as already posted that the name of my show will be called SHELDON. It starts with a view of the country side and the main character whose last name is Sheldon. He is a very mysterious man who solves crimes by looking at obscure clues. It is kind of like Monk meets Lewis. The title sequence would hopefully have the background music which would be a falling piano motif hopefully I will be able to use a piece by Chopin. And the show will have like different things used like cards and newspapers.

Storyboard Animatic

Now for media we have to create an animatic storyboard  and so I have started with just by hand drawing out some story boards that will be scanned into the computer.

Sheldon

I have now come up with a name for my show... SHELDON hope it all works out.

Storyboard Task

As I feel relatively satisfied with my research task and that I have identified key elements and different reoccurring themes and icons I feel ready to move on to the next task which is the designing of my own TV drama.

I figured that it would have to be a relatively simplified idea and that it would have to not be too complex. An idea that I came to with some other peoples input is that I should have an opening sequence that embeds the action that will take place in the show the opening will be similar to that of Lewis. Now I am not positive that this is the final idea but I am relatively sure that it is something that I can create and that will be affective. I have decided that it will be set in the countryside as it is something that could be quite generic.  But this is only the first idea so it could be a victim to change.

Spooks Shots

This is an example of the different light shots used in the TV series SPOOKS.

New Tricks Shots

This is a shot of the final shot of the NEW TRICKs opening sequence.

Brief Analysis of British Thrillers

So what I realized while I was looking over the different aspects of my analysis I have realized that I have not really analyzed many British thrillers. So here I go...

TAGGART : 

In this show which is another crime solving type of show the opening credits are quite different to the rest of the shows because this one doesn’t even show which actors are in the show. There names appear briefly in the opening sequence but the actual actors are not shown. Instead what the audience does see is that there is blurred shots of a town where everything looks a little bleak and there is not much life in the town. Also some of the shots seem to have been filtered through like a glass of water which is the blurriness of the shots. Then another thing that I noticed was that the music used is talking about how this town is so mean which could warn the audience that the show is about a dangerous town one where a lot of crime is committed. Also the creators name appeared at the beginning of the credits not the end which can often be the case. Another interesting feature was that the name of the show was placed where you might have guessed that that was the end of the opening sequence but that was not the case. What the blurred effect of the filming shows the audience is that there is an air of mystery surrounding the town and that could be the crime element of the show. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=isAG49eI4BA

LEWIS: 

This show I am lead to believe is a spin off show from the series called Morse. And in this show it is Morse’s side kick called Lewis who is the main character and someone who is struggling to get over the death of his partner. The opening titles very much like the rest of the series are very subtle. They start with shots of a location and then the image blacks out with bold writing and shows the names of the actors in the series and not the images of the actors or the characters which makes the audience think that the show must be about the allure and the suspense not the plain nature of the show and also the different locations are important to the main plot. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDhQxJty8Nw&feature=related

Without a Trace Shot

This is a shot to show the establishing shot of New York which is used in the show Without a Trace.

Tru Calling Shots

This is a shot that shows how the name of some shows appears on the screen during the opening sequence.


This is a shot that shows how the creators name will appear on the screen right at the end of an opening sequence.

(THESE SHOTS ARE TAKEN FROM THE SHOW TRU CALLING.)

List of Main Features

The main features of an opening sequence:
- Name of show
- Name of actors and show creators
- Action shots
- Close up of actors
- Pulsing electric music
- Establishing Shots

NCIS Shots

This is a shot that shows the establishing shot of NCIS in the opening sequence and where the title of the show comes up.


This is a picture that shows the different action a character that will show that the actor name appears on the screen. This is agian a shot from NCIS.

Codes and Conventions of TV Thrillers

In the genre that I have decided to analyse there are probably a few main codes and conventions. As previously stated there is the idea of the order that the cast appear in and the main ideas of an opening sequence and there are a lot of main features. What the idea of showing things in an order of importance then the audience can understand that when creating a TV drama there is the idea of corporate control. By this I mean the idea that the creator specifically in American dramas all appear at the end of the credits and often right in the middle of the screen and it is made really bold and obvious it is a way of showing the importance of the creator of the show. Another feature is that if you consider the lighting specifically of the opening sequence then you see that most of the opening sequence of the thriller genre are often really dark and the don’t have much light not like you would expect a comedy or other light hearted show to have. What this is a sign of is that there is a lot of dark in these shows and that they are serious to some extent and it could even by a way of making obvious to the audience which is the binary oppositions and the fact that the main characters of the thriller are the heroes and they are trying to combat evil in whatever present society that they are inhabiting. The titles or credits are also important to a show in the genre of thriller they are often in a kind of typewriter or newspaper script they are not lose of fluid but solid and garish. Again I presume this is done to show the importance or seriousness of the show. I have already talked about the music of a show but again this is often a really important feature as it shows that reinforced build-up of tension and seriousness. The metronome is something that normally pulses at the same rate as the human heart beat and if you listen to the music it normally pulses and it shows that there is often a time limit in crime and it needs to be solved soon and the music reflects this and warns the audience about the show and the suspense that will be created. Also most opening titles music is made on digital instruments and keyboards rarely would you find an opening theme with live classical instruments. There is often the idea of building up tension and expectancy in the opening sequence of a thriller TV drama and strangely a common feature that seems to be reoccurring is the idea that when the audience is privy to viewing the characters of the show they are either seen in the close up to show the audience there faces or they are shown running or pointing a gun occasionally they are seen to be doing both of these things. The running shows that there is that idea of the pressure of time which is an important factor in building up tension and the pointing of the gun shows the action and how much an agent has to use their gun this is most commonly seen in American TV dramas. What this could show is a sceptical idea that producers are trying to get across to the audience which is that an agent is only as good as their gadgets and without their guns which are weapons of destruction they are generally quite helpless.

Opening Sequence Shots

Because the moving images that are often shown on an opening sequence usually come from previous episodes of the show they often use a variety of shots. This could be aerial and then close up medium shot and then a few long shots. The openings sequences of a TV drama will often have a lot of close ups used to show the audience who the different characters are and who the actors are. It is like a personal head shot saying this is who I am this is who I play. The use of the long shot and aerial are used to show where the show takes place the location of the show. But, the use of shots that show distance are mainly used in shows that are set in a specific location and not all shows use a specific location so they are more likely to focus on an iconic image and not really an establishing shot of a location. The medium shot would be used when a specific action was occurring to show the character in the moment. For example in Tru Calling there are mid shots of the main character running to save the victims. Also a long shot would mainly be used at the end of a sequence to show either where the characters  are or like where they are going and it is used for suspense.

An Observation

What I have realised is that when analysing an opening sequence it is hard to analyse as thoroughly a sequence to a show that you have absolutely no idea what it’s about.  Also although many title sequences aim to follow a specific pattern many of them while following the pattern make it so that the titles are specific to the show also the best title sequences let the audience know what the show is about and the more elusive ones unless you are following the series are probably not as effective.

Main Analysis of TV Title Sequences

                                                Main Analysis:

For this media task we were asked to research different types of opening sequence based on a genre of our interest. My main shows that I have analysed that are specific to the genre are already posted and then there are a few which are more varied and not entirely specific to the genre.

The genre that I have chosen to analyse is Thriller now as I was not 100% certain of what this lose title meant I assumed that it meant to be a kind of police crime problem solving type of theme. As this was the case I decided to analyse a variety of different opening sequences. Some are American and some are British and although there is a large cross over between the two there are also a few differences between the different types of opening sequence.

An American title sequence usually follows a distinct pattern. The opening sequence will start with an iconic shot and the music will probably come in quite loudly to accompany the iconic image. An example of this is the opening of NCIS which starts with the opening which is a boat and the sound of what I think is a simulated fog horn sound. But in contrast this could start with the iconic image and a softer sound that will get louder and more powerful as the credits role. In Tru Calling there is the image of the eye and then there is a falling and light motif that is played before the rest of the titles role in. The music is established as well as the location then the actors are shown in order of importance like the main character is shown first and then the smaller characters or parts are shown and they are usually preforming some kind of action but they have a moment where they all look into the camera for their close up and then their name appears. Whatever action they are preforming will usually have to do with what is iconic to their character whatever they portray for example if you were looking at a crime thriller there would be the cop with his gun out in front of him and then he looks into the camera then there would be shots of the other characters such as the forensic scientists in their labs and maybe a man on a slab in a mortuary so the actors are shown in role and importance which gives away clues as to what the show is about. Then the most obvious American feature which is to have the name of the creator appear on the screen right before the opening sequence fades out.

A British title sequence is slightly different but they still follow the same principle of having the actors show with a montage of their role and the action. But what is different is that it will not necessarily show the actors in order of importance. And the opening sequence will not necessarily have an establishing shot but it seems to focus more on the people who are acting in the show and the characters not as much as to what they are doing or where they are. Although they will try to show what the characters do.

There are also some different title sequences that use special effects or are all animated and then the names of the actors just appear and they depend on the use of the iconography to show what will happen in the show.  

Missing Link

http://www.empireonline.com/features/tv-title-sequences

This is just a link that should go with the last post which was More Openings this link is where to view the different opening sequence.

Some More Openings

Opening of a drama research:

Analysis of Shows (from empire website)

Garth Marenghi’s DarkPlace:

The basis of the show is an egomaniac who self-obsession means that he writes novels and then wants them to be turned into a TV show but because there is no money then it is all really cheap and tacky tries to stick true to the style of 80’s shows. The theme music is very phsyicadelic it is very fast and is kind of in the style of the most popular 80’s music which makes it fit with the gags and the 80’s style editing.

Caprica:

The show is a kind of space show that also links with a soap opera about a crime family. The opening sequence is full of different aspects of the show and tries to introduce the different characters and the music is very subtle and has no words but there is also like a light melody when a specific character appears on the screen.

Rome:

The show is about Rome and what it was like as archaeologists discover it. The opening sequence is done with the use of animation. The idea that on the stones there is a lot of graffiti and that the graffiti is alive and tells the story. This is said to be done because the images are a little graphic and so if you have them done as an animation then they are less offensive to the viewers but the idea of the show is still obvious. Also the idea of the music is that there was a use of ancient roman instruments is that they are more authentic.

Game of Thrones:

The opening sequence of the show is all animated and it is a show of the different locations where the show takes place. The locations look like they are on a map and the title game of thrones shows that there are obviously the thrones which are the different areas in this imaginary world. Apparently the opening sequence changes all the time depending on the location of the show.

Thriller TV Drama Opening Research

Thriller TV Drama Openings Research : 

NCIS : 

The opening to NCIS is one that seems to follow the pattern of many crime thrillers which is that the open sequence starts with an establishing shot of the location of the show where it takes place which is Washington. The show then has music which enters the sequence quite dramatically and then has a pulsing rhythm that is quite upbeat for a TV drama and it is also used while the rest of the sequence is rolling. The opening sequence consists of the different characters being shown with the names of the actors show beneath the image of the character and the cast seem to be shown in order of importance of the show. This is an american so it has the names of the creators right at the end of the title sequence.  And right before the name of the creators is  shown the screen  is taken over by the american flag.This is quite a good opening because it shows the establishing shot and has the actors as well as images of the actors in role which shows what the different episodes in the series are about. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Osv0l1a0Msc

Psych:

The opening to the show Psych is quite different to other openings but it still follows the pattern of having the creators shown right at the end of the sequence and it also shows the characters in order of importance as they start with the central character and then continues with the rest of the characters. Psych might not be a opening sequence that would be typically analyzed for this kind of research because it is a cross genre between kind of crime solving as well as comedy. The show also changes it’s opening music dependent on the kind of show it is for example some different ones where a christmas theme and also a Bollywood theme. This is a good opening and it does closely follow the same pattern as many other american opening sequences. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6aFvsJoA0hU

Tru Calling : 

The opening of Tru Calling is again one that follows a similar pattern to several other american TV drama’s it starts with an iconic shot from the show in this case a shot of Tru the central character in a grave yard which sets up the narrative of the show because the show is about a young woman called Tru who saves dead people who ask for her help. The show then shows Tru in all her different scenarios while listing the characters in order of importance and then shows the creators right before the end of the opening credits. The music is strange because it has words which is not as common for the opening of a thriller.  An interesting feature of this opening though is that it starts with looking through someone’s eye which is an icon again of the show because the dead open their eyes to ask Tru for help.  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xzNt4kAn7EY

Without A Trace :

The opening to Without A Trace is again different this one also follows the pattern of opening the sequence with an establishing shot and then carrying on to show the different actors in order of importance and ending by showing the creators of the film. The opening music also has no words but helps to build up tension. The credits for this are particularly good because they are unique in the way that they show what the show is about which is mainly through the photographs of the missing people and where they were before they went missing also there are words that come up in the sequence the most predominant one which is ironically missing. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5QWpGODOOwc&feature=related

New Tricks : 

The opening for the show New Tricks is quite different from the rest of the openings because it shows all the characters in a different order maybe because there is not one that is the main protagonist which is often the case with the american TV dramas. Also the music is very strange as it has words and the credits seem to highlight comical parts of the show not the more serious also the actors names come in at an angle and not just front and center on the image of the character. And the creator of the shows name does not appear at the end. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7ZKnk3mJB4

Spooks : 

The opening sequence does not seem to contain the names of the actors which is not a trait seen in many of the other shows and there is no real establishing shot. The images or more disjointed and more focused on showing the audience the different characters and their faces and then the title of the show is shown right at the end and there is a strange use of light in the shows opening. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YsQZ-U_LgBU&feature=related

The Prisoner Evaluation

The Prisoner Evaluation:

 As many of my other posts have said this project was a little hard going at first and there were quite a few obstacles that had to be overcome. The main problem that I would say I faced was the fact that the time barrier meant that I couldn’t shoot the film where I wanted to as it would have required advanced notice and a means of transport. To over come this I simply had to decide that the location had to be changed and that the original idea had to be simplified so that it would be an achievable aim. This was quite easily overcome. The change of location though did mean that there were other elements that caused problems the main one being that the lighting on the film was terrible but this was over come to with the use of the editing equipment which meant that once edited the brightness and contrast could have been adjusted. Another main issue that I fear my have been raised during the filming was maybe that the simplified version of the film meant a lot of the smaller details where lost but at the same time to add them may not have made the film as effective. I think that in general that the film was mainly a success and that we achieved the main ideas of the film and that also there is room for improvement and what not to do next time. So I think that the overall evaluation is that the project was a limited success as it could have been made much more effectively if there were better circumstances and resources. 

The Prisoner Storyboards

The Prisoner Project

Brightness and Contrast

For my film editing I had decided to film the sequence in the attic room of my house. Unfortunately the wall in that room is red and when the time came to film it was dark outside so there was not a lot of luck instilled in the project as it seemed that all the footage was very dark and sinister. This did work to our advantage as the film was meant to have an eerie dark sinister feel to it but we also discovered that to make the film better we could adjust the brightness and contrast on the editing software to make the film easier to see.

The "Stuck in a Rut" stage of editing

 

The “Stuck in a Rut” stage of editing:

For this blog entry I am going to express a few of the problems that I have come across while making this film. The first problem is that I am not able to get on to the computer that I would normally work off which means that I cannot back up my work onto the hard drive of this computer. Another issue that has risen is the fact that getting the sound onto the film is proving more difficult than imagined this is because the computer that I am currently working off has not got a CD drive and when I tried to log on to another computer to get the music that did not work either. Also I need to place the last bit of my shots on to the computer. So as of yet this really doesn’t seem to be my day.

Learning from filming errors

Learning from filming:

This blog entry is probably not the most optimistic entry that will be written. After spending a few minutes experimenting with the film our first problem was that the costume that we had decided to use was not effective as it seemed to deviate for the central image of the film. Other problems that we then encountered where that the light in the room was too dull and so the image is a little dark. To work our way round this issue I think it is important to say that we will have the atmosphere that is dark will help to add to the allure of the film. More on the filming to continue...

Media Project :

For this next media project I am going to be filming a form of prison sequence.
I have decided that a simplifed version of this film would work the best because the concept of this could evolve into a complicated piece of work. I am only going to have two actors and the locations are going to be very basic.

Media Schedule:

 

Monday :	1st Rehearsal of film (changes made if necessary)
Tuesday:	First filming session trying to get all the attic scene filmed and entrance to the attic
Wednesday:	Film the landscape film and the entrance to house.
Thursday:	Section one of editing
Friday:	Continuation of editing

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Camera Movement Project