Don't Skip the Opening Credits! 1/2

If you click that "skip opening credits" button, you're bypassing the essence of this entire article, because our sole focus is the captivating world of opening credits.

It's an intriguing phenomenon found on major video streaming platforms—the option to swiftly jump past those initial moments. It's a peculiar thing. People desire to skip the opening credits simply because they don't find them visually appealing. But if there's nothing of value to be seen, why invest effort in their creation in the first place?

Within the realm of opening credits, numerous American TV shows have crafted standalone masterpieces that amass dedicated fans who deliberately watch them repeatedly. These opening credits possess the ability to conjure vivid imagery with just a snippet of the accompanying theme. The Emmy Awards even acknowledge their significance through categories dedicated to Outstanding Main Title Design.

In our pursuit of visually captivating opening credits, let's initiate a 'no skipping' movement!

1. Succession

The Dissonant Tune

The most accurate description of the opening credits for Succession goes like this: "There are many more complex and creative opening credits in the world, but none of them are as chilling as the opening credits of Succession.“

The theme music haunts your dreams, making you feel like you've just participated in a high-stakes power struggle even after waking up from an eight-foot bed.

In the opening credits of "Succession," there are intercutting scenes of snowy home videos and aerial shots of the metropolitan cityscape. The home video-style footage portrays authoritative patriarchs, extravagant mansions, and children whose souls have been stifled and hollowed out. The visuals are reminiscent of David Fincher's 1997 film "The Game," but the masterful soundtrack elevates the opening credits to another level. It delves into the depths of your mind, evoking deep unease, and haunts you every time.

The composer of this theme music, Nicholas Britell, has been nominated three times for the Academy Award for Best Original Score ("Moonlight," "If Beale Street Could Talk," and "Don't Look Up"). He skillfully blends classical music and hip-hop in a peculiar and quirky way. The magnificent piano exudes the scent of money, while the dissonant notes create a sense of turmoil and unrest. The drum patterns mimic hip-hop rhythms, adding to the suspense.

The melody teeters on the edge, falling like coins, hinting at something ominous and pathological. It captures the sinister undercurrents of a family's battle for inheritance and the impending collapse of a vast media empire.

With just a listen, you feel like you own a 3,000-square-meter mansion but have to engage in a fierce struggle with siblings, father, and mother. Exhausting.

2. The Good Fight

Slow-motion Explosion

The opening credits of The Good Fight gives the same feeling as watching the main show - one word, thrilling. Against a black background, a gavel, designer handbag, whiskey, laptop, high heels... one by one, they explode and shatter, all going to hell, FUCK THEM ALL.

The initial concept didn't have the strong visual impact it has now. The visual effects director, Lawson Deming, originally designed a scene with slow-motion falling vases, but the screenwriter, Robert King, remembered the ending scene of Antonioni's 1970 film, Zabriskie Point. In that scene, a mansion explodes in slow motion, set to the sound of Pink Floyd, with everything disintegrating. It was even cooler.

So, the team went to the studio, brought in high-speed cameras, and blew up each object, capturing it on film. Real explosions were used because achieving the slow-motion effect through visual effects was difficult and costly. The final result for the opening sequence was 25,000 frames per second, a level of detail that would be too challenging for computers, so they decided to blow up a few laptops instead.

During the production of each season, the filming team would go out and buy some things to bring to the studio and blow up, providing a satisfying and stress-relieving experience. It is said that when they were shooting the fifth season, they returned to that studio and found remnants of their previous season's explosions, with a few pieces embedded in the ceiling.

Another interesting thing was the music composed by David Buckley, which was created concurrently while the visual effects were still in progress. He only heard that the visual effects team was incorporating the concept of explosions but couldn't see the final footage to synchronize the rhythm. If the timing didn't match, all rhythms and melodies had to be readjusted. However, in the end, every explosion point was embedded in the music, becoming a part of it.

3. The White Lotus

Wallpaper Puzzles

At first glance, the seemingly static wallpaper-style opening of The White Lotus doesn't seem to align with the logic of grabbing attention. However, upon closer inspection, it is brimming with details.

Since the first season, show creators Mark Bashore and Katrina Crawford have consciously matched the characters with elements on the wallpaper. In the tropical jungle wallpaper of the first season, the wild animals appear restless, as if engaged in a battle. The monkey represents Tanya, the chameleon represents Shane...

In the second season, the wallpaper takes on a classical oil painting style from the paintings in the Sicilian hotel. The order of the paintings' appearance carefully corresponded with the character names in the subtitles, hinting at their stories.

For example, Jennifer Curridge, who played Tanya, has her name appear next to a monkey. It not only continues the symbolism from the previous season but also in this particular image, the monkey is chained around the neck, suggesting Tanya's predicament. Another example is Aubrey Plaza's name appearing next to a pair of birds pecking at each other, representing the ongoing conflicts between Harper, whom she portrayed, and her husband.

This enigmatic style of opening credits is quite common, with elements and even spoilers of the series quietly hidden within. However, "The White Lotus" is undoubtedly the most exquisitely crafted and intricate. Within the seven-month production period, an entire month was dedicated to selecting elements and visuals that corresponded to the characters. Each wallpaper was meticulously illustrated by artist Lezio Lopes, based on the original photographs taken at an Italian hotel. The opening credits production team specifically traveled to Italy to capture murals as references, aiming to capture the essence of the 16th century while matching the style of "The White Lotus" series.

Many artists called to inquire about the price of these wallpapers, hoping to decorate their bathrooms with them. The creative team jokingly regretted not including a clause in the contract allowing the wallpapers to be licensed for sale. Otherwise, they could have become wealthy and not work anymore.

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