Analysis of Home And Away Opening Title Sequence

• Orange/red bright colours- based around the sun, sand and sea.


• Pictures kept basic, trees, sea, boats, pier, houses could represent in some ways relaxing and easy going.


• However, the pictures are puzzled, cut out in separate squares moving around, this could show how the perfect images and scenery, are not so perfect in reality.


• They are also fast moving, could show how long the timeline of the show is, or how fast time flies.


• Trails to the right, its as if we are driving through their lives up to the end where it all breaks apart and zooms in.


• In one of the separated boxes there was a close up of a net, this could represent the feeling of being trapped.


• There was also an image of a tree, which then was cut up and separated into separate boxes, this could show family breakdown and losses.


• The last image, is a picturesque, empty beach at sundown, could how loneliness, empty feeling etc.


• It then all breaks apart and zooms in, shows we are moving into these characters lives.


• Boat sailing away, could be communicating trying to escape, break free
  
  

Music

• Lyrics are catchy, contain soap title, there is a regular beat- both a man and a woman's voice- complications? love? relationships?

Colours

• Red-deep, love, blood


• Orange-sun, happiness bright


• yellow-summer,peaceful innocence

I also found the opening sequence from 1991 and 1995, i decided to compare them to the new opening because i feel this will help see how technology has developed overtime, and how some aspects have remained intact i.e. the theme song.

1991 Opening sequence:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJOJekRZ_-c&NR=1

1995 Opening sequence:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RN8M0rjrNu4&feature=related

In the 1991 Sequence

• In the 1991 Sequence has a black washout around all the clips-could represent dark background/secrets
• It looks as if a black screen has been rubbed away to reveal pictures of the characters lives.
• Again a happy portrayal of life, families and friend.
• People all having fun, smiling and socialising
• At the end the black around the screen zooms out to show the 'n'- all the black borders could have been a close up of the letters of "Home and Away".

In the 1995 Sequence

• There is a sun and a sea image at the bottom of the screen throughout, giving off the idea of it being based somewhere hot and at the sea.
• Again happy images
• Family and friends happily together
• As the song plays along, the picture of the sun and sea at the bottom of the screen becomes a bigger wave, could represent difficulties and drama.
• At the end someone dives in the bigger image of the sun in the sea, then "home and away" zooms out.
• There is the same stereotype of women relaxing by the beach, kids playing beach games and the men on boats

In Both Sequences

• The soaps theme tune has stayed the same throughout all the new openings.
• They both portray snippets of a happy lifestyle.
• laughing, smiling, playing around
• Friends and families all getting on together
• Sun, sea and sand
• Doesn't show any problems
• The characters stage names are written with the characters real names.
• All happy pictures
• There are stereotypes of women relaxing by the beach, kids playing beach games and the men on boats.
• No images of sadness and i couldn't pick up much from either that could portray any kind of sadness

Evaluation

Majority of the soaps we have analysed, have shown me a similarity commonly used, they tend to base there opening sequences on the setting of their soap, or like Hollyoaks include all the characters.
Taking both the old sequences and new sequences into account i will definitely refer back to these to see what influence and ideas i can retract from them.

Written by Elena Christodoulou