personal development plans: Gerry Anderson

I was thinking about title sequences a bit more last night and tried to recall anything that I found particular effective, and although i've not seen it for quite a few years now there is one particular TV show whose opening sequence has always impressed me. Captain Scarlet.

I think this sequence more than most is one of few instances where i've liked the title sequences more than the actually film itself, it's opening starts with the sound of footsteps as the camera rolls down a dark alley and I always found that a little freaky as it is completely model based yet looks (and sounds) realistic. And the familiar sub-theme which plays throughout the show during transitions between scenes is used in conjunction with the title of the show....it worked well I thought.

The closing sequence to Captain Scarlet was also brilliant because whilst it didn't reflect any storylines in the show itself, it gave a background story to the title character giving him more depth and showed the kind of situations that could be possible to him outside of those that were possible using the puppetry in the programme.

Gerry Anderson created 'Captain Scarlet' and there are at least two other memorable title sequences from his work that sprung to mind which i'm sure most people will be aware of, the opening sequence to 'Thunderbirds' and the ending sequence to 'Joe 90'.
With all of the title sequences from his TV shows there was always a certain mood to them and perhaps these aren't as celebrated as they probably should be.