The Emmy nominations were announced yesterday and, as always, there were the usuals, the surprises, and the snubs. I'm not here to discuss who should or shouldn't have been nominated (okay, I will join the bandwagon of outrage that Nick Offerman, aka Ron Swanson from Parks and Recreation, didn't get a nod) but instead to look closely at one of the more interesting categories...Outstanding Main Title Design.
There are many artistic (and sadly, non-artistic) forces that come together to make a TV series. The obvious artists involved, and the ones that receive the most recognition and acclaim, are the actors, writers, and directors yet that is only a small, if significant, piece of the puzzle. I've always been intrigued by the marketing and key art that goes along with big productions, whether on film or TV, and, believe it or not, the execution of a good title sequence can have significant bearing on the show.
There are many approaches to designing titles. My favorites of the past include the artsy Six Feet Under and the über-creative simplicity of Lost. Do you go informative and creative like HBO's Game of Thrones or Too Big To Fail? Beautiful and oddly mysterious like Boardwalk Empire (another HBO show) or Any Human Heart from PBS? Lastly, you have the kinetic infographic approach of AMC's Rubicon. They are all wonderful works of art, if I had to choose a favorite, well, for me Game of Thrones is just about unbeatable.
Rubicon
Boardwalk Empire
Game of Thrones
Any Human Heart
Shout out to ArtoftheTitle for highlighting this underappreciated category!
