Desperate Housewives
The image of a red apple is used throughout the opening
sequence. The apple signifies the Biblical story of Adam and Eve in which Eve
is tempted by a serpent to eat an Apple from the Garden of Eden. This tale is about sheer temptation and the
breaking of a strict rule, which is suggested to be reflected within the drama.
The Apple also signifies the German fairy tale; Snow White. In Snow White, a
witch tempts Snow White with an apple, which is secretly a poison apple. Snow
White gives in to temptation and consequently ‘dies’. Within both of these
stories, the individual offering the apple has an ulterior motive. Ulterior
motives and secrecy seem to feature in the drama. The apple is also a bright
red. Red connotes passion, anger and blood. In the beginning of the sequence,
when the apple is first introduced, it falls into the frame and squashes a man.
This suggests that it a very female dominated show, not only with characters
and story lines but also target audiences, this idea is also reinforced by the
title ‘Desperate Housewives’. The title is in a calligraphy styled font, which
suggests sophistication and history. It also connotes the theme of letter
writing, which in this era of technology, isn’t done that often. This creates
the idea that conversations are being held that shouldn’t be traceable on
phones or computers and so it reinforces the element of secrecy. The title is
also in white, upon the background of a red apple. This not only helps it stand
out but highlights a contrast between red and white. Red connoting anger and
passion, white connoting innocence and purity.
In the background, non-diegetic orchestral music is played.
The orchestral music reinforces the ideas of sophistication and history presented
by the calligraphy and old fashioned men and women. Orchestral music is also
renowned for its many and interweaving layers of instruments. This creates the
impression that the drama will interweave in and out of each of the characters’
lives. Throughout the sequences, men and women from contrasting eras are shown,
people from Ancient Egypt, the Victorian era and also pinup girls from the
40’s/50’s. This highlights how the roles of women, young and old, have
progressed throughout the ages. However they have stayed relatively the same
but have just shaped to match the societal rules of their time. At the end of
the sequence, the main characters appear, centre frame, in front of a tree that
bares apples into their hands. In the tree, discretely placed, is a snake. This
links back to the idea of Adam and Eve and the snake seems to represent the
serpent from the Biblical story. The serpent connotes lying and deceit, which
further connotes and reinforces the element of secrecy.
Sex and the City
The sequence begins up in the clouds with a beautiful blue
sky and a tracking shot. Blue connotes confidence and so this is reinforced by
the glamourous text. The sequence beginning up in the sky also suggests that
the characters are not living in true reality and that they are living in
blissful ignorance full of luxury. The text throughout the sequence is silver
and shiny which connotes glamour, extravagance and wealth. When the text fades,
it leaves behind silver sparkles which also connote this. The camera then pans
down to an aerial shot of New York when it was just an island. It progressively
shows New York building itself up into the sky scraper filled city that it is
today. This suggests that the show is going to be very modern and luxurious.
The song ‘New York’ by Alicia Keys is played throughout the sequence which is
very relevant to the setting. It is also a very empowering song and so gives
the audience feelings of empowerment and capability. The central protagonist
also narrates the opening sequence, which makes the audience feel more personal
with the character as it is almost like the character is talking directly to
them or that they are hearing all of the characters thoughts. The target
audience would be mainly women due to the stereotypically ‘girly’ central
protagonist and the glamorous imagery throughout.
Mad Men
The man featured in the sequence is in a business suit and
is presented as a silhouette. The business suit connotes sophistication,
intelligence and superiority. The silhouette connotes secrecy as it suggests
that the man belongs in the shadows. Alternatively, the man stands out from the
rest of the setting, so much so that it leads to the question of whether the
man belongs there or not. The silhouette is obviously black and so that
connotes mystery. Immediately after the man steps in the room, the room begins
to fall apart. This suggests that in the business world, in which the man is
clearly in, one wrong move and you could lose everything. The man the falls out
of the window, as the man is falling, the background music begins to increase
in speed. This increase in speed creates suspense and you would assume that the
man, after plummeting from a multi-storey building, would subsequently die. While
falling, plastered on the buildings are images of old fashioned advertisement,
this suggest that advertisement is prominent and continuous theme in the drama.
Towards the end of the fall, the image of a foot from the advertisement moves
towards him, in the motion to kick him. The foot doesn’t kick him, however it
gives the impression that within this drama, everything you do will have
repercussions.
At the end of the sequence he is presented in an arm chair,
with his back to the audience, with either a cigar or cigarette in his hand.
Clearly relaxed. His back to the audience presents the man with a nonchalant
attitude. The man smoking in an arm chair also reveals that the drama is set in
an era where it was socially acceptable to smoke inside homes and offices.
Throughout the opening sequence the text is all red and black. This, as well as
the capitalisation of all the letters, makes the text stand out. Red also
connotes anger and passion which is very commonly found in the business world.
Black connotes mystery and death which could also be a theme throughout the
drama as there is often foul play revealed in dramas where competing businesses
and consequently rivalry are found.
Six Feet Under
Majority of imagery in this sequence relates to death and
the leaving of Earth and loved ones. In the beginning there is a single bird
flying which signifies the ideas of peacefulness and a person leaving Earth.
This is also shown by a person fading into light at the end of a hospital
corridor. The light signifies purity and innocence and ultimately, Heaven. Old
hands releasing their grip of one another symbolises the letting go of a loved
one. Bright and clinical images are used to signify the hospital and morgue
which would be featured within the drama a lot. There is a close up shot of a
beaker filled with a clear liquid, with a 6 marked on it. The 6 is cleverly
used to reinforce the memory of the title ‘Six Feet Under’. There is also a
shot of a bouquet of flowers alive and progressively withering until they are dead. This symbolises how life is short and flowers
are also a signifier of funerals and what you give to a loved one when they are
sick or dying. The end of the sequence is set at a funeral. Several shots of a
crow are shown, the crow is sinisterly said to be the bird of death.
Dexter
At the beginning, the central protagonist is seen to be
killing a mosquito after it bites him. The mosquito is immediately hit and the
hit is a loud and sharp, diegetic sound, which would make some of the audience
jump. The element of death and pain is immediately introduced in the sequence
and is continuously used throughout. After the central protagonist, who the
audience assumes to be Dexter, kills the pest, he sinisterly smiles after.
Dexter then cuts himself while shaving and there is an unnerving focus on the
blood as it drips into the sink. Blood signifies killing, murder, pain and
intensity. These are assumed to be reflected in the drama. When Dexter puts on
his shirt, he does it in a way that resembles the suffocation of someone. The
central protagonist is presented in a rather animalistic manner when cutting
and eating his breakfast as the sound of him chewing the flesh is loud, almost
as if you are hearing it from inside his head. You also see him slicing open a
blood orange, with juices flying in all directions. The juice symbolises blood
spraying and splattering as if you were being sliced in to. The title ‘Dexter’
is capitalised to show its importance. The title is also written in blood,
which finally, highlights the recurring theme of blood.
All of the central protagonist’s daily rituals resonate the
ideas of pain, torture and death but are disguised as purely innocent things.
These all suggest that the character should,
conforming to the stereotypical ideas of a ‘good’ character, be the central antagonist.
However, the cheeky but awkward smile his gives at the end of the sequence
while walking away, suggests that this is not the case.
