The Sopranos Opening Sequence Essay

How we view shows today is not just based on the episodes themselves anymore. We can now have an idea about what a show is all about by just watching the opening title sequences. No longer do we have to sit through an entire show before deciding if we like it or not. By watching the opening sequence of a show, it allows us to depict what we think the show is about. That’s what is great about semiotics, we can decipher what each scene represents just by watching behavior, gestures, language and scenery that is depicted. We the audience can inject ourselves into forming an opinion or analysis about the main premise of the show and how it can provide several different meanings to us. Its job is to make the language known and more visible making it easier to analyze. So the show that I have chosen to analyze is The Sopranos, which aired on HBO from 1999-2007. Given the shows name you can already decipher that the family is of Italian heritage. What it does not do is give a hint that this is a family who has connections to the mob. So how do you analyze the opening sequence for The Sopranos by using semiotics? For one you have to really delve into every shot, its …show more content…
The HBO logo comes on to the television in full static form before ending with a harmonious choir sound at the end. By doing this HBO wants to show that this is indeed a time for celebration and we can be happy just by watching their network. Unlike other premium networks viewers are fully aware that this channel will be commercial-free, have less government regulations and have more suggestive themes allowed. And by that I mean you can expect to hear curse words, see people getting killed with actual gruesome imagery, nudity, drug use and other suggestive themes. After all this a premium cable network. It gives the audience a chance to enter a realm of curiosity that beneath the layer builds excitement for what they are about to