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Do changing titles/console rooms etc indicate a lack of confidence?
thorr
Posts: 2,153 Forum Member
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Contentious I know, but is the constant changing of titles, and other "trivial" items indicative that the production team are under confident is the shows content. Changing the titles is a guaranteed means to prompt discussion and delight amongst the views, but does it detract from the story? The latest offering clearly had high production values, was visually spectacular, get the story pedestrian IMHO. Yet the 30 sec intro credits generated much discussion - hence this post. Are the producers going for an easy win, but is it at the expense of plot? Dr Who is at its best when it is small, intimate and quintessentially British. Is it trying too hard to be showy - maybe trying to hard to appeal to an international audience and compete with the higher budget US offerings...
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These being the change to HD filming and moving to a new production facility.
As to the Titles, many shows change their titles over the years and having new titles when they get a new Doctor seems fine to me.
Maybe they should have kept the same titles all the way through Matt's tenure but maybe they did not know he would be leaving when they redid them for Series 7.
I also think that it's almost the perfect show to tweak the titles. Some might say why tinker with it if it was decent enough when it came back but for a show that casts a new lead every few years then a tweak here and there with the theme and titles can be good to keep in line with the new Doctor.
In the past when a new sequence has appeared i've though, that's a little different, but usually get used to them fairly quickly.
This time however I didn't like them at all and though the theme tune was truly awful.
It's one of the most iconic tv tunes in history and this version does it no credit whatsoever imo.
Saying that, it will have no bearing on me taking in the story of the show.
No.
I am typing the rest of this because DS won't let us post less than five characters.
Didn't they start filming in HD in 2009?
What Minky said.
Which is why you barely see inside the TARDIS during the Specials as the set would not hold up to HD filming.
In SD, Matt Smith's chin is normal size - honest.
They need to let they set in for a while before the change seems necessary. But, having fresh titles for Capaldi is fair enough.
It would have been ridiculous if they had altered the TARDIS in a drastic way so soon after the new set was introduced.
As for the console room that has often changed in the past.
Although the changes were not a radical as recent changes.
Moffat on the other hand. I think just get's a bit fidgity and isn't satisfied by what he has got in terms of console room and titles.
Even though I personally dislike the new titles, it would be good if they on the console room, on principle, were to stay the same for a good 2-3 series. Especially the console room. Just felt stupid that 2 doctors had the same console room yet Matt smith had about 3 different designs.
I will say though, apart from the books and chairs, I can't see what is different about Capaldi's supposedly redecorated console room to How it was last.
Yes but you just said the set updates are to do with preparing for HD.
The Tardis set was done over for series 7 and changed slightly for series 8. That has nothing to do with going HD which occurred years ago.
The Series 5 set was the one produced for HD.
The latest one was done after they moved to a new Production facility like I said.
I can understand the titles changing with the change of doctor but why the constant changes to the theme music? - why keep changing the Tardis - I get changing it for HD transmission but the money they waste on theme tunes and new sets could be better spent elsewhere on the programme.
Not only is it a far-cry from recent takes on the tune, it really evokes the mystery and alien-ness of the show.
I would have preferred it with something closer to the original bassline. For some reason, Murray Gold (or whoever worked on it this time) keeps it very rigid.
The Tardis interior is OK too - love the added library and blackboard stuff! Although my favourite interior was the ORIGINAL one back in 1963! I miss those huge 'roundels' and the big doors!
The exterior Police Box is too clean as well! I reckon it should look a bit messed-up like it did with the earlier Doctors - all battered and mucky! Just my opinion
Opening Titles - Series 1-4, S
The RTD titles were brilliant. Aside from some small changes along the way (the change to the logo in Series 3, and the theme in Series 4) they were very consistent, fast-paced, adventurous and a simple concept that hasn't been bested since. I understand that Series 5 was the good opportunity to refresh the titles but I don't think any of the successive titles are as striking or effective. Series 4 hit the nail on the head tonally I think.
Opening Titles - Series 5-7a
I liked the use of the time vortex still, however the redesign wasn't nearly as interesting. It was all a bit dull to look at, and it looked like the Doctor was abiding by some really low speed limit in there too...it was all just a bit too slow and ineffective, much like the less impressive music that didn't have that Doctor Who sting about it. The watery vortex we saw in the Series 5 teaser trailer and on merchandise was much more effective. Even once that was a distant memory, the awful filters applied to the opening credits for 7a were probably the low-point...it just looked plain awful. The experimentation with the texture of the logo each week was a nice idea, but ultimately contributed to Series 7's very broken feeling.
Opening Titles - Series 7b
An improvement compared to what came before them, I just think the time vortex looked really tacky and awful. In its own way I was glad to see it not used for the entire sequence despite loving vortex-titles, but it was weird how the Series 7 vortex looked a whole lot cheaper, tackier and dated than the Series 1 one. I barely remember the theme music at all from this version.
Opening Titles - Series 8
It's nice to have a bit of consistency in style again, and I feel the speed of the new titles is also quite good. Whilst not as impressive or simple as the S1-4 titles, these are the best in appearance since. Oddly enough though I prefer the fanmade version that inspried them (I think its the fonts used) and I'm not so keen on the music - it's grown on me a bit since I first heard it, but it's got more of a retro vibe about it than I'd like and isn't as sharp or as hard-hitting as I'd like it to be.
Console Room - Series 1-4, S
As well as having my favourite opening titles, the RTD era also had my favourite console room. I don't know if that's because it was my first? I really like that it feels quite alien, but at the same time it also felt quite homely too...there was a safe, warm feeling about it...even when the Doctor (particularly Eccleston) used the mood lighting
Console Room - Series 5-7
Wasn't a fan of this style at all. I can see where they were going with it, and there's some nice ideas but it looks and feels a bit too much like a set - particularly early on, and especially the way the door is laid out. It was also too bright early on, with awkward colour choices... orange and green together mostly...it just looked a bit, pukey.
Console Room - Series 7-8
I had mixed feelings about this console room to begin with. I love the rotating bit at the top in the middle, but the walls and colours were all too cold and bland. Series 8 has fixed this though with warmer lights, bookcases and chairs. It's the first time the Tardis has felt homely for me since Series 4!
Prefer this one
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x251onm_doctor-who-titles-using-50th-closing-theme_shortfilms