Research into similar products: Childrens Opening Sequence 1

Sabrina the Teenage Witch is a teen sitcom premiered on Nickelodeon. The show is based on a teenage witch called Sabrina. The length of the opening sequence is quite short, being only 21 seconds long however it is still effective in keeping the target audience interested as it allows them to get a clear understanding of what the episodes are going to involve without boring the audience. Therefore i think the length of the opening is appropriate in keeping the audience interested. The opening sequence only introduces Sabrina's character, which tells the audience that she is the main character.  


Camerawork:
A long shot is used throughout the majority of the sequence which allows the audience to see both Sabrina and her surroundings. The shot shows Sabrina's character looking into the mirror whilst using her powers to change outfit, which emphasises to the audience that she is a witch. This shows the audience a feminine aspect of her personality as well as showing the audience her appearance and the fact she plays the most important role in the show. 


Editing:
A lot of editing is used within this sequence to represent the fact Sabrina is a witch. The opening sequence starts with a window floating in the sky. Though the sky is clearly blue with clouds here, we can see by looking out the top of the window that the sky is dark with stars here, showing the night sky. We can also see that the curtains are blowing around a lot and behind them is a dark night sky as well, this immediately demonstrates a sense of magic and suggests to the audience that through the other side of the window is a different, magical world.  This is also seen when a black cat walks through the window, the fact it is black raises the superstition of black cats being related to witches, which is acknowledged here. This shot has been placed first to fascinate the audience and make them wonder what the show is about.
The shot then zooms and pans to the title of the programme 'Sabrina the teenage witch', the 'Sabrina' font is in pink and is used in a font that looks as though it has been handwritten as a signature as opposed to 'The teenage witch', which is in a gold plain font that has been placed in boxes. The fonts so far make the programme seem feminine. However, the background is now the night sky with stars allover which could be targeted towards girls and boys. The background also has a large picture of the moon behind the title, this is another aspect that can be generalized with witches. The title then fades out and then a character we assume to be Sabrina comes into the shot surrounded by a glittery mist which demonstrates conventions of the unnatural. 


Sound:
The theme tune is upbeat and catchy. The song used starts off with a magical tone. However, after this it turns quite exciting and is the music that an average teenager will listen to, this helps engage the audience and relate to Sabrina herself. There are no lyrics used in the song, I think this is because there is such a range of different editing techniques already that lyrics too would make the sequence seem crowded. Also, not having lyrics allows Sabrina to speak during the sequence. 


Mise-en-scene:
The different outfits used highlight the fact that Sabrina is quite feminine, and as well as this a funny character due to the lobster outfit which will interest the target audience. The fact she is posing in a mirror prop also demonstrates this effectively as it demonstrates her as an ordinary teenage girl, something that the audience wouldn't have expected when seeing she was a witch. Low-key lighting is used in the background to emphasise the fact she is stood in the middle of the night sky. The colour schemes used are all very dark colours except parts of it such as her name which is in a pink font and her outfits she wears; these two contrasting concepts highlight different elements of Sabrina's personality. 


Narrative:
Sabrina talks for the first and only time at the end of the sequence when she tells a joke to the audience in relation to her lobster outfit, "Don't be shellfish". This is something that the primary audience of children and young teenagers will find funny and distinctive about the sequence as it varies slightly from usual conventions in this way. 


Representations:
The fact Sabrina is the only character in the opening sequence tells us she is very important and as well as this shows her individuality. The fact she seems so happy and looks to be enjoying herself sends out a positive message to the audience; this contrasts with what the audience would usually think of a witch. The background still remains as the night sky and the stars are now moving around; the fact she is stood in this hints at another factor of being a witch; the fact she can fly. At the bottom of the screen, the first sub-title used is "Starring Melissa Joan Hart", which tells us this is the actress that plays Sabrina. This is followed by other actors names which will be appearing within the series. Overall the sequence shows that the show will have some elements of comedy in it. 


Conventions:
The sequence goes against conventions by not having lyrics within the theme tune and as well as this, having the character herself talk. Additionally to this, Sabrina is the only character introduced within the opening sequence which tells us that show is primarily based on her. The sequence shows conventions of a witch by using the night sky, the moon and a black cat, which all effectively tell the audience the main story line of the show - being that Sabrina is a witch.