House M.D. Title Sequence

Recently I've really getting into the series House M.D. where Hugh Laurie plays a medical diagnostician and solves these 'medical mysteries' each episode. I'm slowly working my way through the box sets but what has really grabbed me, from the very first episode I watched, was the title sequence.

The title sequence is very graphically stimulating with simple visuals placed together in a simple way which seems to keep the audience interested despite being shown at the start of every episode (a lot of show titles, especially if watching them on box sets, tend to become repetitive and irritating...). The sequence isn't very long but nevertheless, very captivating. I find the music almost entrancing and that linked with the slow movement of the images and faded cuts give the title an almost relaxing and entrancing feel. The illustrative quality also makes the show feel a little accessible and inviting rather than showing a sequence of blood, gore, hospitals, and doctors. At the same time though, the illustrations are very detailed, as if they were from a textbook, suggesting the show is more intelligent and driven by science than the average hospital drama.

The executive produced Katie Jacobs denies that there is actually any link between the names of the actors and the images they are put together with but looking closer I feel I can see some kind of link.

Hugh Laurie (Dr. House) is placed together with a view of a brain, the brains behind the team; Lisa Edelstein (Dr. Cuddy) is placed with a network of nerves, the network keeping the characters together; Omar Epps (Dr. Foreman) is placed with a ribcage with the heart almost glowing, the heart of the team; Robert Sean Leonard (Dr. Wilson) against the two hemispheres of the brain, suggesting he is the other side of House's brain, his conscience; Jennifer Morrison (Dr. Cameron) accompanies a cane, House's support, although this was changed in series' 1-3 due to Fox Entertainment objecting to the cane (and originally Vicadin) imagery and so her name is most often shown against an ariel view of a lake; Jesse Spencer (Dr. Chase) is shown next to a spine, the backbone the team; and finally David Shore placed on top of a neck, the creator of the show represented as the brains behind it.

The sequence is created by Digital Kitchen.
The soundtrack is 'Teardrop' by Massive Attack.

Watch the sequence here:

House Main Titles from DIGITALKITCHEN on Vimeo.