Analyse the Opening Sequence for Heroes

In this essay i will be analysing the first three minutes of the television programme Heroes I will be comparing it to other TV shows in the same genre as well.
The opening to heroes shows a solar eclipse of the Earth. This striking image had become synonymous with the show since it has been created. The reason this image remains so popular is because of its uniqueness compared to other TV shows with an opening title. Comparing the title sequence of Heroes to that of Smallville you can tell the distinct differences between them. In Smallville the title sequence is considerably longer, shows each of the main character & has theme music which is both contemporary and popular. However in Heroes the title sequence shows none of the main characters and doesn’t have a particular theme song, only having a strange eerie noise in the background. The differences in the title sequence of heroes to other contemporary TV dramas may indicate what audience Heroes is trying to reach. I believe that the audience that Heroes is trying to reach by having this eerie, more adult title sequence is that of C1 &B2 perhaps with aspiring C2’s this is because it is more serious, dark & controversial than other TV shows and this type of more intellectual viewing might be better for this type of audience.
Following off from the title sequence there is a voice over telling you the events of the previous episode. This is a very traditional aspect of TV dramas especially ones that are made in the United States. This could show that although Heroes is a new & contemporary television show it also has strong traditions with American culture & television. The voice over itself is of a very serious tone which is typical of American television. This is done to create a serious reflection of the events in the story so far.
The first shot is a bird’s eye view of the protagonist falling from a building. This is an enigma code in the sense that it makes the audience wonder why he is doing this. The fact that he is falling is a denotation however the connotations of him falling are that perhaps he cannot control his destiny or that he wants a change. The symbol of a man falling is a very powerful image as it has been used throughout times and even in dreams to show the frailty of mankind.
The image then cuts to the image of the protagonist (Peter Petrelli) lying in a hospital next to his brother, Nathan, this dramatic change in scenes gives the audience a feeling that peter was involved in this event but is now over it. This means that the previous scene was possibly the driving force behind the next scene. This makes the audience aware of what they’re watching in the show.