Nov 21, 2008
True Blood
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What it is to be reborn.
A closed-mouthed catfish and cheery gator serve as an aquatic admission into a place that suffers the rot of intolerance and blackish baptisms. Stick shacks sulk under Spanish moss. Jace Everett’s song “Bad Things” plucks and coos over the risque and the religious imagery of Alan Ball’s title sequence for “True Blood” contextualizing the slutty and the sweet swamp-goth vampiric mise-en-scène.
Elements of this sequence have been compared to elements of Andrew Douglas’ mesmeric, stunning, one of a kind film “Searching for the Wrong-Eyed Jesus.” Art of the Title’s intention in providing the opening to “Searching for the Wrong-Eyed Jesus” is pure. It is very good southern surrealist cinema.
USA | 2008 | Color | 1.78:1 | English
Direct Link: 480p (QuickTime, 848×480, 19 MB, 01:31) + 720p (QuickTime, 1280×720, 37 MB, 01:31)
Searching for the Wrong-Eyed Jesus – Opening Scene
Direct Link: 480p (QuickTime, 853×480, 43 MB, 04:02)
Digital Kitchen’s True Blood Featurette (contains nudity)
Direct Link: Large (QuickTime, 480×360, 27 MB, 03:01)
Live Action Direction: Rama Allen, Morgan Henry, Matthew Mulder, Matt Clark, Tevor Fife
Designers: Rama Allen, Shawn Fedorchuck, Ryan Gagnier, Matthew Mulder, Camm Rowland, Ryan Rothermel, Jacques Broquard
Compositor: Ryan Gagnier
Editor: Shawn Fedorchuck
Producers: Morgan Henry, Kipp Christiansen, Keir Moreano
Executive Creative Director: Paul Mattheaus
Executive Producer: Mark Bayshore
Production Company (titles): Digital Kitchen
Client: HBO
Excellent job! Thanx for bringing this to us. Very interesting comparison. Keep on!
I like the rhythm of the images increasing speed and repeating scenes untill it ends in a fresh ritual plunge into the lake to return from the water as a true blood freak. I wonder if it was done with the intension to show that the biggest freakshows and local-made cultures are dividing people by letting them think they are true bloods, because of their race or religion.
Stunning work. Absolutely love it.
Holy hell, what a disturbing but fantastic sequence! I love how HBO shows have such a great production value that they put so much effort in at every level. There’s plenty of shows where you can skip the titles but not with true blood!
The opening montage of “True Blood” is the most riveting I’ve ever seen. I never tire of it. Although I’ve enjoyed the show, it doesn’t live up to the mood cast by Digital Kitchen’s work. How could it?
Thanks for making the connection to “Searching for the Wrong-Eyed Jesus,” a movie I now must see.
Long, long ago, I worked for a land surveyor in the Florida Panhandle in swamps like those. I’ve never been the same since.
Finally, give a raise to whoever wrote this magnificent sentence: Stick shacks sulk under Spanish moss.
Who sings the song on the featurette? It’s a truly amazing piece of cinematic excersize.
Indeed magnificent. But who sings the song on the featurette ? (Not on the main trailer)
Radtimesexpress by RTX? (aka Jennifer Herrema, ex Royal Trux)
I feel like I’ve seen some of the footage in these titles before- for example the time lapse of the fox’s body decaying. Is that stuff old stock- does anyone know where I might have seen it before?
Nine Inch Nails – Broken, pretty sure the fox decay sequence was used in that…
ditto, that’s exactly what came to mind.
“Searching for the Wrong-Eyed Jesus” was the first thing that came to my mind when i saw the True Blood titles. I’m glad that somebody else also made that connection. The Deep South Experience is well captured in both.
I’m not sure if the fox decay footage was used in Nine Inch Nails – Broken…but I’m sure it was used in the video for ‘Hurt’ (live version) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iFx2TmQfM-o
I absolutely love these titles. Alan Ball is a genius, and as a showrunner, he certainly knows how to make sure that every tiny aspect of his work functions to serve the whole, both visually and tonally. HBO could have just slapped some simple titles in, but they chose to create one of the most arresting and evocative opening sequences ever to hit the small screen. My only issue is that the titles are too good. It’s not that I don’t like the show, I do. I think that it’s unusual and probably brilliant, but it’s just not as good as it’s titles. The titles freak me out, they make me uncomfortable in the way that I feel the show should, except it doesn’t. It just doesn’t deliver what the “packaging” is selling…
I love this title sequence and feel it is so appropriate for the show. it also seems like they were clearly influenced by the music and collage/montage elements in the movie Natural Born Killers.
I’m reminded of Alan Parker’s “Angel Heart” (1987) when watching this. That lazy environment populated with sweaty skinned, heavy aired, high passion subdued, religion of fire and water, death and rebirth that makes the south so terribly haunting/appealing. I’ve never seen the show, but that sequence is enough for me to check it out.
Love the title sequence — mood, music, and photos. Just downloaded “Bad Things” to my iPod. Amodall, glad you compared it to Angel Heart. That’s one of my all-time favorites, and so few people I know have ever seen it.
Amazing sequence, still one question – is the animal in the water really a catfish? It looks strange.Has anyone ever seen something like that?
CLASSIC!!!!!!!!! I thought I was the only one that appreciated the title sequence to this episode.
I love how you captured and explained the elements of the opening scenes to True Blood. Thanks for comparing and providing such great explanations. I actually keep this opening scene availalbe on the our fan site to watch all the time, it’s amazing.
Thank you for explaining the opening sequence. It was really confusing me. I can’t wait for season 2 of true blood.
Jim White’s album that the film takes its title and intent from is a wonderful work of art for art’s sake. Why no mention? “Wrong-Eyed Jesus” is a great American album. So is “No Such Place”. Do yourselves a favor and check them out.
I always wondered ’bout the meaning of the opening scenes. This show is awesome and Alan Ball is a genius.
Thanks.
Seems to me its all about transformation, using fabulous deep south imagery. Makes me want to go to Louisiana.
Love the titles SO MUCH! The one thing I’ve been trying to figure out, and still cant from the pictures and making of, is what exactly is that material that “washes up” with the title on it… is it just film that is being washed with liquid? it seems kinda thin to be celuloid… anyways maybe SOMEONE knows. either way, amazing sequence!
It is the top layer of a polaroid picture. They took a picture of the “TrueBlood” type and then using acid separated the film on top of the exposure. Mix that with watered down fake blood being poured over the film on a light table at an angle and using compressed air from a can of air used to clean keyboard (for the bubbles) and there you go. That’s how they did it.
The fox decaying was also used in the film Adaptation. Such a disgustingly fascinating bit of footage.
The animal in the beginning isn’t a catfish, its an axolotl, a salamander-type animal from mexico. Just saw the exact footage from Animal Planet. Pretty sure that’s where they took it from
This a very enjoyable post, thanks! I actually don’t like the opening of true blood because I find the imagery dark and disturbing. I love the show on the other hand, since it is good fantasy fiction (not dark and disturbing!).
Is true blood changing their opening sequence? I hope not…
I just swaw something that said SEASON 2 OPENING POSTED on youtube. It was really cool. But WTF!!
The origional is so much Fu__ing better.
The rouge “Season 2 Opener” I saw on Youtube I did like but…
they just sucked out all the southern stuff except the bayou and the cypress trees, and inserted a bunch of lesbian vamps. Again WTF???
Did “Trent” actually lend his song to this? OR is this just some senior HD video project from Combustion class?
YouTube link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gyTvvUfaq38*
Art of the Title edit:
Okay just found out its a fake…
Would be great for another TV project though…jsut take out the bayou and cypress…
“VEGAS VAMPS”
Is the girl receiving the baptism and the club girl (the one dancing) the same girl?I
Have not I seen them so much drama it’s the opening sequence!
Compelling sense of the kind of vision, yet provocative images.
Hey, it really isn’t a catfish. I think its some kind of a helibender or an eft. Look at its outer branchia. I’ll try to find out and write in here.
I’ve foud it out. It’s Ambystoma mexicanum or some similar species. It’s adult – gills are reduced.
Web: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Axolotl
Pics: http://bit.ly/15gxbW
But I don’t know whether this creature lives in the USA.