With OTT platforms replacing our regular television content, there are a few big names which have made themselves familiar: Netflix, Prime Video, Hotstar, Disney+
And while most of them come with their unique set of shows and series, their intros also stand out: Made exclusively for the platform.
For Netflix, which has become the millennial favorite, the ‘ta-dum’ intro that plays ahead of every show has become a signature sound - with many on the Internet praising the uniqueness of the sound, unlike other popular opening intros.
People have also tried guessing what the sound possibly could be.
Netflix was like “let’s make our bumper intro SFX the sound of a basketball hitting the backboard and clanking off the rim”— ben hendricks (@acertainben) August 26, 2020
Netflix intro sound when you tap them https://t.co/zsN4XFyyxy— ⚓ ⁷ KOO BDAY BASH ᴺᵒ¹ (@dopaminyoongi) August 26, 2020
Recently, Netflix also announced that it was extending its intro sound, by roping in German film composer Hans Zimmer to jazz it up. Since Netflix is looking at theatrical releases, which have longer sounds, and the original one is 3 seconds, they extended the sound to 16 seconds, still keeping their trademark ‘ta-dum’ in it.
But what really is sound?
The sound, which was launched in 2015 (Just five years ago!) Netflix VP of Product Todd Yellin revealed that it’s actually called “ta-dum" internally. Yellin is a former filmmaker with an affinity for sound design, and he led the process of creating the ta-dum.
He revealed the origin of the sound on a podcast episode of the TED-adjacent sound-centric podcast Twenty Thousand Hertz, host Dallas Taylor.
Yellin along and Oscar-winning sound editor Lon Bender, compiled the sound together out of a mishmash of unexpected things. They also revealed that in an attempt to create their own version of the MGM lion’s roar, they tried out a goat bleating.
“I liked the sound of a goat,” said Yellin. “It was funny and it was quirky and it was our version of Leo the lion.”
Ultimately, the goat didn’t make the final cut - and the “ta-dum" sound we hear today is made up of him knocking his wedding ring against a cabinet in his bedroom, a “slowed anvil sound” and the more musical “blossoming” noise, which is a decades-old recording of a 30-second electric guitar phrase that has been reversed.
Yellin also reveals that him and staff deciding that they didn’t want anything that sounded like a recognizable instrument, which is why the guitar sounds absolutely nothing like a guitar, thus making the sound a lot more unique.
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