Welcome to a completely special blog post. Today we will talk about a topic that few people have talked about, and I would almost say that it is not common at all, which is making your own anime theme song.
In this post, I will share with you five amazing ideas of my own that will help you design the theme song for the anime or cartoon you are working on.
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We all know the importance of the opening song, or theme song, which is known as OpeningIt is the first thing we see before entering the work, and from it we learn about the nature of anime, and get an idea about the drawing, animation, and classification of the work as well.
So, if you want to learn about these common ideas in anime openings with clear examples, come with me!
Idea 1: Fixed Fees
This method is based on drawings or still images, and is free of any character movement, as we rely on digital camera movement, with the addition of visual effects such as flashes, stars, fires, and others.
The basic idea here is to have complete control over the pacing of the scenes through the camera alone, or at least to be the primary driver of movement, rather than moving the characters, which undoubtedly saves effort.
Examples:
You will notice in the anime Bakuman In its first season, many of the opening sequence scenes were manga pages or still drawings, with camera movement either Zoom In or Zoom OutWith the addition of sound effects to complete the theme song.
Implementation mechanism:
- We draw still life scenes inspired by the work or episodes.
- We use editing tools to perform Zoom, Pan, and Tilt.
- We add the opening song, or replace it with music specifically for the theme song.
- The programs used are often video editing programs such as After Effects
Idea 2: Clips taken from the episodes
Have you ever seen a series opening credits that show you clips from inside the episodes? Yes, this is the second method.
What’s special about it is that we won’t need to move new footage specifically for the opening credits, but we just assemble selected scenes that go along with the opening song, which reduces costs and speeds up the production process.
Examples:
- In some seasons Captain Tsubasa وOne PieceThis technique has been used, especially for filler rings.
- And also in NarutoThe first opening credits included live scenes from the first episode.
This method may suffer from one drawback, which is the loss of creativity and uniqueness, especially since the viewer may see these shots later within the episodes, or some events may be spoiled for him, so care must be taken to select shots carefully.
Implementation mechanism:
- Reviewing episodes to select visually striking scenes
- Cut and edit the scenes to fit the rhythm of the music or song.
Idea 3: Custom animation for the starting badge
I know, and you know, that this is the preferred method of studios and anime fans, where scenes that do not appear within the episodes are animated and are intended only for the opening of the work.
Here we can present symbolic shots, introduce the characters in an artistic style, and create a visual sequence that expresses the anime, but it is a difficult method and requires more time.
Examples:
- in Attack on Titan In the first and fourth seasons, terrifying and distinctive footage was used that did not appear in the episodes.
- As well as Fullmetal Alchemist: BrotherhoodEach opening credits featured specially animated scenes, with hints of upcoming events.
Implementation mechanism:
- Create a storyboard specifically for the badge, using a new idea or one taken from the story.
- Synchronize the animation with the music for precise synchronization.
- Using fast camera movements and visual effects to enhance the quality of the badge
Idea 4: 3D Animation
There is a special type that many may overlook, which is 3D animation. 3D.
In this way we can design the characters entirely in a three-dimensional style, and present them in the opening credits in a different way, so that the audience sees the characters as two-dimensional within the episodes, and three-dimensional within the credits.
This style makes the opening appear as an independent work of art in itself.
The life of an Arab mangaka: Organize your time between drawing and life.
Examples:
In anime Beastars A brilliant combination of puppetry and 3D animation was used, making the badge a unique and distinctive work of art.
Implementation mechanism:
- Designing characters and environments using 3D software such as Blender وMaya وCinema 4D
- Animating characters based on the storyboard
- Adding effects such as realistic lighting and shadows
In conclusion, you should know that anime openings are not just an introduction that ends, but an independent element with its own rules, and they must be respected.
Through the opening credits alone, the viewer can know what is coming up, and it may stick in his mind more than the episodes themselves, as is the case with Spacetoon's opening credits.
So, be creative with your badges, and thank you, and I'll see you in the next post, God willing.
