Game of Thrones title sequence - Sound

I love GOT so much, so naturally it was my first choice from 'artofthetitle.com'. But before I get too hyper over this, I'm going to analyse the sound

GOT title sequence
(Ok, I'm not exactly sure how to analyse a soundtrack but here goes nothing!)

The sequence is quite long, which is unusual for a title sequence. It's full length of 1:50 only has 1 soundtrack playing, which matches the animated and graphic images we see on screen, in that there is no other music or diegetic sounds.

The soundtrack opens with a short intro to the main bulk of it - matching the colourful sun thing we see. This is followed by string instruments coming in, when the sequence moves on to displaying parts of the map - less warm and colourful than before. At this point, there is a sense of movement and zooming on the map.

The main melody of the soundtrack begins, with the main animations also starting - It is notable that the cogs turning on screen and the cities coming to life on the map look magical (castles and kingdoms) and sort of Lord-of-The-Ringsy. Similarly the soundtrack already has a magical and other-wordly feel to it.

As the camera seems to speed over the landscape and the shots get shorter and more fast-paced, the soundtrack takes a higher pitch. The music crescendos until the end of the sequence, where a slight change change in the melody, and a ringing noise signifies the end.

Roland Barthes's 5 Codes

When I got home the night the homework was set, my sister asked me if I wanted to watch a film called "Unknown" with her. I thought 'Hey, why not do media at the same time?'. So cleverly, I did :)

Here's what I got out of the first 10 or so minutes of this film...

OMG Why is it so difficult to find any clips anywhere?!
"Unknown" movie (watch first 10 minutes)

Enigma code:

• What is the character writing in his notebook?
• They are on a plane- where to and why?
• Their luggage was left behind- significant? What will happen?
• Blurry shots - CU - What on earth is going on?
• His phone has lost signal.. hmm interesting.

Action code:

• Getting off a plane is usually followed by a journey somewhere else.. unless you decide to spend your holiday in the airport, fun times.
• Suitcase left behind - Maybe someone will come searching for it.
• Taxi plunges into a raging river of death - surely there will be panic and possibly death?
• Main character waking up in hospital attached to machines - recovery journey.
• Loss of memories - another journey, to find memories?

Semiotic code:

• Plane window - CU - freedom, travel.
• Passport- associated with travel, airports, and also identity.
• Water showering down and tiled walls- know it's a bathroom, without even seeing the whole.
• Woman in white gown, and oxygen mask- hospital, or could be a torture room, but not likely :/
• Reception room with chandeliers and elevators - expensive hotel.

Cultural code:

• Both the protagonist and his wife have big furry coats on - richly dressed.
• Taxi - not black or even yellow, but white - Berlin taxis.
• Blackberry- Product placement. Relatable to audience, since it's become so mainstream now.
• Graffiti on brick walls- we've all seen it before. Associated with rough neighbourhoods- contrast to the fancy hotel before.
• Grand hotel itself- connotations of rich people/ luxury.

Symbolic code:

• Black vs. white - darkness and light - binary opposites between husband and wife (their coats are opposite colours) - Maybe foreshadows a separation or conflict.
• Broken windows - shattered. Symbolic of a shattering relationship - future implications.

POTC film still

Reasons I chose this film still:

• LA angle - this is an interesting shot choice for a scene like this, especially as we have the main characters placed specifically in the shot to look more or less important.
• Foreground and background characters- Again this. as well as their size in the frame, emphasises importance.
• Half the shot filled with sky - The choice was made to have other characters (the rest of the crew) only in the bottom half of the shot, with the vast majority being taken up but sky.