We've been living in a true crime boom for nearly the last decade, as seemingly every month a new documentary captures the public's attention and dominates conversation. From The Jinx to Making a Murderer to Tiger King, these series have brought shocking stories into the mainstream, and sometimes have had real-world implications. While we can't talk much about it, we've been hard at work on a project in the genre ourselves, and we thought it was only fitting to show off some of our inspirations in this week's Moodboard Monday.
One common thread of all these shows is that their title sequences reveal quite a bit about the themes and characters within their stories. While all of the graphics tend to have an edgy, serious tone, there are subtle differences that jump out. The title for Tiger King, for instance, is dominated by Joe Exotic -- and of course, his personality dominates the story. Meanwhile, Making a Murderer used a truly haunting font and backdrop for its title sequence, making the viewer feel uneasy before even getting into the show. We wanted to keep in mind the power of the title card while we were working, and to think of ways we could influence the audience solely from that intro sequence.
A lot of the story beats are pretty consistent throughout all of these series, and all of them rely on firsthand news accounts, as well as a detailed look at the investigations of the cases. How these shows differ, though, is how they present that information. Some shows love to rely on stylistically presenting newspaper clippings, while others, like Fear City, attempt to find interesting ways to seamlessly integrate TV broadcasts from the time period. There are similar divides in how to reveal evidence and investigative materials. In some cases, we will see actual evidence from the case, or a recreation of how that evidence was gathered. Other shows will create graphics packages to allow the viewer to see a timeline of the case, and get a clearer view of where the investigation is headed.
There are so many fascinating elements that go into every true crime show, and while we have been taking notes on all of them, the visual and graphic components are what have intrigued and inspired us the most. Maybe you'll see some King Penguin work in the next viral true crime series. Until then, you can enjoy our Moodboard!
Comments