Editing and Sound, Essay Example

Friends is a television show that received excellent ratings during the 1990s and early 2000s. Even today, people continue to admire the shows characters and continue to reference jokes and situations featured throughout its 10 seasons. The most striking aspect of this show is its opening theme, “I’ll Be There for You” by The Rembrandts, in addition to its accompanying footage. The season one opening is the most popular today, which is due to the fact that the scenes were well-edited into a montage of episodes that would be featured during the season and that these images are supported by the timing of the opening song. As a consequence, the introduction to Friends is one of the most memorable aspects of television in the 1990s.

A major aspect of the Friends season one opener that allowed it to be successful was due to the excitement that the scenes projected towards the viewer. The editing was done in a manner that expresses the scenes in a fast pace, highlighting funny and joyous moments from the television series. When the introduction begins, all of the cast members can be seen together having a fun time in front of the iconic water fountain. The camera then pans towards one cast member, focusing on them before bringing the audience to a scene in a different location that represents the personality of this individual. After this is done for each cast member, the group is brought back into focus to emphasize the unity of the group of friends. Since the show is about the interactions that occur between these six people, the producer used this type of editing to show their relationships in addition to what makes each character special.

The sound is the second most important characteristic of the opener. Frequent viewers of the show all know the words to “I’ll Be There for You” and clap along with the track. The visuals that are shown along with the track are very upbeat and make the viewer excited about the show. Because the sound contributed to the show’s success, it was used in future seasons’ openers as well. The song works well with the later seasons for an additional reason. The images shown of the characters closely match with the lyrics of the song. When the song discusses the unfortunate things that happen in life, it shows the characters running into snags in their lives. However, when the song switches to the chorus and “I’ll be there for you” is said, it shows the group supporting one another. This was done in the season one opener as well, but there was not enough footage or character development to support this concept early on in the show.

Ultimately, the expert editing and sound used in the Friends opener contributed to its widespread success and popularity. Many individuals growing up in the 1990s were familiar with the show and reruns continue to be shown on television today. The editing and sound were responsible for making the show the popular culture phenomenon it is today. “I’ll Be There for You” by The Rembrandts continues to be sung and the good humor of the six friends are remembered in conversations today. This demonstrates that an excellent production team has the ability to create a movie or television show’s brand. We think we remember Friends because of the characters, but in reality, this wouldn’t have been possible without the editing and sound crew.