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How to Read... Television Drama TitleSequences

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A note about the textsAs this Factsheet is focusing on moving image texts, youtube linkswill be provided for the texts being discussed and were correct atthe time of writing. If the links no longer work you should be ableto search on youtube or yahoo video to find title sequences for thetexts discussed.

At the heart of A Level Media Studies is the skill of practical analysis.You will need to practice and develop this skill throughout yourstudies as it is assessed in examinations and coursework. In theexams for both AS and A2 you will be asked to analyse an unseenmedia text and answer questions on a topic or case study. Bothsections of the exam test you practical analysis skills. In additionyou will need to analyse existing texts when planning yourcoursework productions and then analyse your own work for yourevaluations.

The aims of this Factsheet are to:• Focus on TV drama title sequences, to illustrate the method

used to construct a successful practical analysis• Consider the institutional issues raised by title sequences• Identify the way media concepts can be used to support the

analysis of television drama title sequences

AQA/WJEC/OCR?Different awarding bodies have specific requirements for eachassessment but the analysis skills that are required for the topicsthey specify are the same.

TV Title SequencesAll TV programmes have title sequences of some sort. They vary inlength between programmes and there are many different approachesto the construction of titles. Often they have a very practicalfunction. In many fictional texts, the title sequence is used to givedetails about the names of the actors, the writer(s) and the director.

This information can be provided in text across the bottom of thescreen or can be integrated within the titles themselves. Dependingon the length of the titles, this may continue into the programme. Insimple terms title sequences act as a location away from thestorytelling where information on cast and crew can be given to theaudience. These sequences are crucial parts of the programme asthey provide a ‘brand identity’ for the programme, convey narrativeinformation and act to help attract an audience, drawing them intothe programme itself. The use and structure of a title sequence isoften connected to institutional concerns in the first instance.

Title Sequences: US vs UK InstitutionsCommercial television broadcasting in the US has influenced theway titles are constructed. Many US fictions do not begin with thetitles but with some aspect of the fictional story – usually either a‘previously on…’ summary of the story so far or with a scene thatgoes into the titles with a cliff-hanger of some sort. This is becausecommercial television in America runs commercials more often thanin the UK and producers need to engage their audiences very quicklyto stop them changing channels during the first advertising breakwhich usually runs before the title sequence. The pre-titles sequenceis called the teaser. In the UK, commercial television does not breakas often and programming usually begins with the title sequencebefore the programme starts. The BBC does not need to consideradvertising breaks at all so some title sequences are little more thantheme music over simple, but easily identifiable images.

Some established US programmes have dispensed with titlesequences completely. Both:• Gray’s Anatomy

(http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=ndNAOTYkuEU)• and Numb3rs

(http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=TYHKkxn3yi4)

had typical title sequences in early seasons but later seasons simplyinclude cast and crew information as on-screen text superimposedonto the first scenes as the programme begins and they use a singletitle image to announce the name of the programme. Shorter titlesequences are better for commercial broadcasts as audiences canget straight to the action and are less likely to look elsewhere forentertainment.

Simple yet recognisable – the Eastenders title sequence.

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045. How to Read... Television Drama Title Sequences Media Studieswww.curriculum-press.co.uk

Character information from the title sequence of Caliafornication

As the title sequence is watched over and over by the audience it becomes an important wayto identify the show and set the tone. Music is a crucial part of this – the Friends theme tunebecame hit single and it is difficult to hear The Who without thinking about CSI. This memorabilityis particularly crucial in helping the audience recognise the start of a programme – especially asmodern audiences have a tendency to ‘channel surf’ quickly through the channels whenselecting programmes to watch.

Life on Mars

Subscription broadcasters are less reliant on advertising income and so tend to run fewer commercial breaks. Their programming often haslonger title sequences which divide the teaser (if they use one) and the first act of the programme more decisively.

• Showtime’s Californication (http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=jVa1RXyUyxw&feature=related)• Dexter (http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=SBN-wXgkUSM)• HBO’s The Wire (http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=J3t6io0vW-c,• The Sopranos (http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=3XFyvNIyjyc)• Sex and the City (http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=EpkmJhOr—Q)

Have relatively long title sequences and this relates to their institutional contexts.

Practical AnalysisOne of the first things to consider in any practical analysis is identifying the main functions of your extract.

ActivityWhat is a title sequence for?

Whether in the titles or in the actual text itself, title sequences have a number of jobs to do as they act as introductions to what is tofollow:• They create images and use sound that is intended to be immediately recognisable for the audience

• They help the audience identify the genre of the text

• They set the general tone of what is to come – this is closely related to genre. For example, audiences need to know whether the textis to be treated lightly as in a comedy or if we are about to enter a serious situation as in a drama

• They need to create appropriate audience expectations

• They may provide specific narrative information about the text such as where and when it is set and who the main characters are• They need to engage the audience and be interesting enough to persuade them to continue watching

When analysing any aspect of a media text, one useful approach is to identify its function and then consider how it attempts to achievewhat it needs to do. Media concepts are central to this and the most effective way to work out why a title sequence has beenconstructed in the way it has is to apply the media concepts to what you see.

The less competitive and commercial history of British broadcasting means that UK programmes have traditionally had very simple title sequences–evidenced when looking at the titles for Eastenders (http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=cZYa_KfLTtM)and Coronation Street (http://uk.youtube.comwatch?v=7H1M5oBKWE0&feature=PlayList&p=F3A521D7473328D4&playnext=1&index=27)

– both of which come from eras when audiences had only three or fourchannels to choose from. As digital channels increase and competitionfor viewers becomes more intense, some modern UK programmes haveadopted conventions from US television and are producing moresophisticated title sequences that are graphically interesting andengaging for example:(e.g Spooks (http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=TsoNjrrIqN4 )).and Life on Mars (http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=vavHlnztnuo)

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045. How to Read... Television Drama Title Sequences Media Studieswww.curriculum-press.co.uk

An Example: Dexter (Showtime: 2006)The Dexter title sequence isconstructed in a similar way to otherexamples of the form in that it uses amontage of images. However, it islonger than conventional titles andthe editing between the images isrelatively slow. This follows a convention used in adult dramassuch as The Sopranos and The Wire where the titles construct asummary of narrative and thematic information which is linked tothe programme itself. Dexter uses an unusual piece of music whichquickly becomes recognisable and associated with the programme.The tone of the music is not wholly serious but rather than beinghumorous it has an ironic tone which links to the images in the titlesand the show itself.

The first three frames of the sequenceare both shocking and closely relatedto the themes of the show. In extremeclose-up we see a mosquito feeding ona man’s arm (below) and the man killingthe mosquito.

The programme name follows, in red with ‘blood’ splashes (above).The titles use a limited colour palette; the first third uses only red,white and black. The titles follow the mundane activities of gettingup and having breakfast. The media language choices, however,make these familiar activities appear strange and unusual as theyare presented in extreme close up, from unfamiliar angles and, inthe case of the shot of the mirror, without a clear focus. In addition,some shots are accompanied by enhanced sound effects such asthe rasp of the razor as the lead character shaves. Red is repeatedthrough the titles in the blood caused by a shaving cut and blood isalso referred to on the way tomato ketchup is splattered and smearedon the plate. All of the images: the breaking and slicing of the egg,the frying of the meat and even flossing and tying up shoe lacesrefer to iconographies relating to serial killer narratives.

Breakfast becomes loaded with potential violenceAs all these images combine, slicing fruit and squeezing its juicebegins to have violent undertones. The final image of the titlesjuxtaposes with this as we are shown the main character, representedas an unremarkable, regular guy, enter a sunny mise-en-scene inwhite clothing. The combination of the unsettling representationof conventional images at the end act to make the final shot sinister– even though there is nothing specific in the media language toindicate this. As the protagonists leaves his house he makes directeye contact with the camera and there is a slight nod ofacknowledgement towards the audience. Where this would usuallybe a positive image that would draw the audience in, as a resolutionto the titles it acts to include the audience in on a deception of somesort as, despite the normality of the images shown, the way they arerepresented indicates that all is not as it appears on the surfacehere.

The lead character Dexter works for the police as a forensic expertbut is a serial killer who tries to apply a moral code by killing thosewho evade punishment under the law. These are people he sees asbeing as low as parasites – just like the mosquito in the openingshot. This is an unusual representation of a hero and the audience’suncertainty as to what type of character he is begins in the titlesequence.

Dexter – Just a normal guy

Within the series Dexter’s point of view dominates and the audienceare often given insights into his perspective via voice-overs (as infilm noir) and so they are aware that, despite his outward appearanceof normality, Dexter has a secret life filled with violence and murder.The title sequence makes ordinary events appear unsettling andthis ties in with the main theme of the programme.

The face of a killer…

A familiar domestic image

Without showing any violence, the sequence sets up the tone andthe audience would expect the programme to have a darkundercurrent. The show offers some black comedy at times and thisis also in keeping with the atmosphere generated by the titlesequence – especially in the music. The music uses intertextualityas it is similar to the theme from The Third Man (1949: dir. C. Reed)which is a famous film noir and the genre is referenced through thisassociation. No plot information is provided in the title sequencebut the genre is implied, the general tone and themes for theprogramme are identified and the audience is drawn into identifyingwith the lead character, although his representation is a littleunsettling. The appeal of the title sequence is largely in enigma asit provides no detailed information about the programme but impliesthat it will contain mystery, intrigue and violence.

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Acknowledgements: This Media Studies Factsheet was researched and written by Steph HendryCurriculum Press. Bank House, 105 King Street, Wellington, TF1 1NU. Media Factsheets may be copied free of charge by teaching staff or students, providedthat their school is a registered subscriber. No part of these Factsheets may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any other form orby any other means, without the prior permission of the publisher. ISSN 1351-5136

Functions of title sequences

Create instantly recognisable images/sound.

Helps the audience identify the genre?

Sets the general tone of what is to come?

Creates appropriate expectations for theaudience?

Provides specific narrative information aboutthe text such as where and when it is set, whothe main character is?

Engages the audience and be interestingenough to persuade them to continuewatching?

How does the title sequence achieve this?

Dexter

Another Example

ActivityComplete the following table using the title sequence and another that you are familiar with:

Exam Hint:- If you are given a TV title sequence to analyse in an unseen examination, make a close analysis of the medialanguage choices used and then identify how those choices help meet the general function of title sequences themselves.Consider what information is provided for the audience and how appropriate expectations are constructed. Importantly, considerhow the title sequence would encourage the audience to continue to watch the programme.