Analysis of title sequence - Eastenders

I am going to analyse a title sequence for a soap. I have chosen to analyse the title sequence for Eastenders. I am going to look at four different areas when analysingthe title sequence, I will cover the use of the different camera shots and angles and what they convey, I will also cover the use of the mise-en-scene and what it is trying to portray to the audience. I will explain how the editing is used and what the purpose of editing in the way they do is. Finally, an important aspect to this title sequence is the sounds, and I will also explain the purpose of the sounds in this title sequence.

The camera work for the Eastenders title sequence is very interesting and unique as it is just one long camera shot. The camera starts above the river Thames as this is the area that the soap is set in, it starts of just above the river and starts to spiral upwards and outwards in an anti clockwise motion, slowly revealing an entire area. The length of the camera shot and the fact that it is only one shot could possibly suggest that whatever goes on in this place is ongoing and never ending, this is backed up by the way the camera spirals out, as this could portray that there is a cycle of ongoing and never ending events. As the camera spirals out further each second reveals more of the area and this tells the viewer where the soap is going to be set. I also believe that the lengthy camera shot allows the viewer to become immersed and it sinks into the viewers head where this soap is set. In the frame at the end of the shot we have a birds eye view over the whole area, this could have used in order to make the viewer feel as if we were spying over all the people and that we know about everyone's lives In the soap.

The mise-en-scene in this soap title sequence reveals where the soap is set and this can’t be mistaken. The viewer can very easily identify that this soap is set in the east end of London, this becomes apparent by the things we see in the frame such as the 02 arena and the river Thames, these are well known landmarks in east London. We also see clouds as the camera moves upwards, these clouds could be a reflection on all the hidden secrets within the soap.

The music starts of with a deep and intense drum sort of noise and then moves into a more calm piano rhythm. Starting of with these deep intense sounds could be representing the intensity of the soap and seriousness of the soap. The more calm music that follows could suggest that things do become calmer throughout this soap.

There is not much editing in this title sequence as there is only one shot, however at the end when the camera stops moving, some writing fades in which says 'Eastenders' and 'BBC' underneath it. The writings forecasts a shadow over part of the setting, this effect could have been used again to convey the idea of secrets and hidden mysteries in the soap or it could even be a reflection on the audience being nosy.

To conclude the title sequence of Eastenders is quite revealing as it tells us where this soap is going to be set by, this is done by the combination of the camera work and the mise-en-scene and it also tells us that there is a lot of drama in this soap this is portrayed by the music. It also tells us that there are secrets within this soap and nothing is ever really calm, this is conveyed through combining all four aspects as the camera work, mise-en-scene, sound and editing all back each other to show what this soap is about, for example the music tells us that things are quite dramatic in this soap and this is backed up by the camera spiralling outwards.

Analysing a title sequence gave me a deeper knowledge of how soaps attract an audience and become recognisable to them and again i noticed how soaps put together a piece of media to communicate to the audience. I deffinately needed to analyse a trailer of a soap as this was what i was going to be creating later on, therefore this was my next step