What do Rings of Power, The White Lotus, and Time Bandits Have in Common?
As well as being some of the biggest TV shows of the 2020s, they feature stunningly inventive title sequences – all of which were created by small and tight-knit Seattle-based design company Plains of Yonder.
Different Approach to Title Sequences
Plains of Yonder takes a different approach to larger LA-based firms, fostering close relationships with show-runners in order to create “high aesthetic designs” that turn key creative themes and Easter eggs from the shows into intricate works of art that have the power, as we saw with the wildly popular opening to The White Lotus, to become cultural phenomenons in their own right.
Visualizing Sound: The Concept Behind the Rings of Power Title Sequence
The concept of “visualizing sound” is key to the Rings of Power title sequence. This comes back to season one, when the studio approached Plains of Yonder to pitch and come up with ideas. The series is really going back in time, showing how Tolkien’s world is created by time and the ebb and flow of nations and alliances. They came across his creation myth, which is about these Ainur, these angelic beings singing the world into creation. This connection between music and physics brought them to the idea of Cymatics, which is a real-world phenomenon where you put sand on a plate, and you apply a vibration to that plate, and according to hertz and resonance, you get a certain symmetrical pattern that forms.
Revisiting the Idea for Season 2
For Season 2, there were some challenges. Of course, you need to evolve from Season 1. You always want to push the envelope and go further into a concept, but you need to create a new tone with the exact same music. So, they stayed in the world of Cymatics, with the same music, but created a new tone. Experimentation is the way they work. They experiment and kind of run wild, trying to capture a mood. For every shot that’s in the main title, there’s probably 20 or 30 shots that they built roughly to see if it captures the mood.
Title Sequences: A Puzzle to Solve
Title sequences are often abstract and expressive, but also have to convey practical information and match up with music. Are these constraints challenging or do they present creative opportunities? They see title sequences as a little portal, a way to distill and encapsulate a world, and bring viewers into that world. They like to stay a little bit tangential to the show, so they don’t see their job as replicating the show. They try to stay creative, experiment, and push the envelope.
The Titles for The White Lotus Became a Viral Hit
I think you’re surprised when every dance club in the world is playing the song. That you can’t predict, but as a social satire, it hit something for people. They do think that when you have a show and a main title and music, and everything is in real synergy, it can be culturally powerful.
What’s the Secret to Stopping Viewers from Hitting ‘Skip Intro’?
If they’ve done their job right, it feels integral to the show. When they think about titles that are super important and critical to them, there’s certain shows you have where you would never skip it, because it gets you excited in a way that if you didn’t have it, you would feel incomplete. That’s electric.
Conclusion
Plains of Yonder’s approach to title sequences is unique, fostering close relationships with show-runners and creating “high aesthetic designs” that turn key creative themes and Easter eggs into intricate works of art. Their concept of “visualizing sound” and experimentation with Cymatics have resulted in stunning title sequences that have captured the attention of audiences worldwide.
FAQs
Q: What is the concept of “visualizing sound”?
A: The concept of “visualizing sound” is the idea of using real-world phenomena, such as Cymatics, to create a visual representation of music and sound.
Q: How do you approach revisiting an idea for a second season?
A: They experiment and try to capture a mood, building multiple shots to see if it captures the mood they’re going for.
Q: What’s the secret to stopping viewers from hitting ‘Skip Intro’?
A: If they’ve done their job right, it feels integral to the show, and gets viewers excited and engaged.
Q: How do you stay creative and push the envelope in title sequences?
A: They experiment, try new things, and stay true to their creative vision.
Q: What’s the importance of synergy between the show, title sequence, and music?
A: When everything is in real synergy, it can be culturally powerful and capture the attention of audiences worldwide.
