Difference between revisions of "Title Card"

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''[[Supernatural]]'' changes its opening credits each season, unlike many other series. Some episodes in each season have unique, thematic title cards.
 
''[[Supernatural]]'' changes its opening credits each season, unlike many other series. Some episodes in each season have unique, thematic title cards.
  
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPd00-vDTIU Watch seasons 1—10 opening titles.]
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[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vskvylwNlRo Watch the seasons 1—13 opening titles.]
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==[[:Category:Season 1|Season One]]==
 
==[[:Category:Season 1|Season One]]==
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[[File:S3_title_card.gif|400px|left]]
 
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'''Fandom Rocks''': So to jump in to the title sequence and fans and what fans are talking about. That’s one thing that has also changed, every year in fact, they change up the graphics and things that they use for the title sequence, and some people speculate that the way they’ve change that look kind of ties in to the mood or the themes of that season. Can you give us any insight about that or are we just spinning our wheels?
 +
 +
'''Sera Gamble''': I actually don’t think you are spinning your wheels on that one. I’m not involved in figuring that out, but I think they're always really cool. They’re brief and they’re cool and they’re jarring. I was happy to see the little title cards for this year because they seem to be pretty demon related and this is a pretty demon heavy season for us, so I think it’s not a coincidence.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20100304071153/http://www.fandom-rocks.com/2007/11/04/transcript-sera-gamble-interview-part-1/ Transcript of podcast interview] with Fandom Rocks, November 2007</ref>
  
 
===[[3.08 A Very Supernatural Christmas]]===
 
===[[3.08 A Very Supernatural Christmas]]===
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[[Image:S5_title_card.gif|400px|left]]
 
[[Image:S5_title_card.gif|400px|left]]
 
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When creating the title cards, [producer Todd] Aronauer says, “We’re always trying to figure out what’s gonna look cool and what direction the season is going in, because we always want to add some sort of link to what we’re going to see in the season coming up. The season five blood theme has to do with the Winchester bloodline and also with Sam drinking blood. We tried a whole bunch of things and that was the one that we really felt captured the arc of what we were doing. It just gave the creepiest effect to everybody when they saw it.”<ref>Supernatural: The Official Companion Season 5. Titan Books, 2010: 149-150.</ref>
  
 
===[[5.08 Changing Channels]] ===
 
===[[5.08 Changing Channels]] ===
In [[5.08 Changing Channels]] the "[[Supernatural Sitcom Theme Song]]" plays over [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rjizUGe9WjA opening credits] which mimic those of '80s sitcom like ''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MO5oDScu4ps Full House]''.
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In [[5.08 Changing Channels]] "[[Together (The Supernatural Sitcom Theme)]]" plays over [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rjizUGe9WjA opening credits] which mimic those of '80s sitcom like ''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MO5oDScu4ps Full House]''.
 
{|align="center"
 
{|align="center"
 
|[[Image:5-08 Title Card.jpg|400px]]
 
|[[Image:5-08 Title Card.jpg|400px]]
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===[[6.09 Clap Your Hands If You Believe...]]===
 
===[[6.09 Clap Your Hands If You Believe...]]===
In [[6.09 Clap Your Hands If You Believe...]], the opening credits to the episode are a homage to the 1990's series ''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_X-Files The X-Files]'', using similar music and images. The final text “The Truth Is in There” is a twist on the ''X-Files'' catchphrase “The Truth Is Out There.” The sequence bears a few similarities to the unused title sequences found as an Easter egg on the season one DVDs.
+
In [[6.09 Clap Your Hands If You Believe...]], the opening credits to the episode are an homage to the 1990's series ''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_X-Files The X-Files]'', using similar music and images. The final text “The Truth Is in There” is a twist on the ''X-Files'' catchphrase “The Truth Is Out There.” The sequence bears a few similarities to the unused title sequences found as an Easter egg on the season one DVDs.
 
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVhgM_lGH5A ''Supernatural'' title sequence] for Clap Your Hands If You Believe... real title sequence.
 
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVhgM_lGH5A ''Supernatural'' title sequence] for Clap Your Hands If You Believe... real title sequence.
 
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AN-Jj2SDcls ''Supernatural'' title sequence] for Clap Your Hands If You Believe... with the X-Files theme song.
 
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AN-Jj2SDcls ''Supernatural'' title sequence] for Clap Your Hands If You Believe... with the X-Files theme song.
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===[[6.18 Frontierland]]===
 
===[[6.18 Frontierland]]===
The opening titles are a homage to the 1960's Western series ''Bonanza'', [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLg8tZkW71k&feature=related See its opening titles here]. The music played during the credits is somewhat similar to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecstasy_of_Gold Ennio Morricone's "The Ecstasy of Gold,"] a piece he wrote for the Clint Eastwood movie ''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Good,_the_Bad_and_the_Ugly The Good, the Bad and the Ugly]''. Watch the scene [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2PwpOmjAu1M here].
+
The opening titles are an homage to the 1960's Western series ''Bonanza'', [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLg8tZkW71k&feature=related See its opening titles here]. The music played during the credits is somewhat similar to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecstasy_of_Gold Ennio Morricone's "The Ecstasy of Gold,"] a piece he wrote for the Clint Eastwood movie ''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Good,_the_Bad_and_the_Ugly The Good, the Bad and the Ugly]''. Watch the scene [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2PwpOmjAu1M here].
 
[[File:CreditsFrontierland.gif|400px|left]]
 
[[File:CreditsFrontierland.gif|400px|left]]
 
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==[[:Category:Season 10|Season Ten]]==
 
==[[:Category:Season 10|Season Ten]]==
[[Angel]] [[grace]] and [[demon]] smoke mix together in an explosion revealing the title "Supernatural" over an inverted [[pentagram]].
+
[[Demon smoke]] dissipates leaving a cleansed soul, culminating in an explosion revealing the title "Supernatural" over an inverted [[pentagram]].
 
[[File:SPN10.gif|left]]
 
[[File:SPN10.gif|left]]
 
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==[[:Category:Season 11|Season Eleven]]==
 
==[[:Category:Season 11|Season Eleven]]==
 +
A white light flashes, and the title "Supernatural" appears in gold over a dark smokey background. Unlike previous seasons, the season's number flashes  briefly on screen.
 
[[File:SPN11.gif|left]]
 
[[File:SPN11.gif|left]]
 
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[[Category:Canon]][[Category:Episodes]]
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==[[:Category:Season 12|Season Twelve]]==
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"Supernatural" explodes over a [[Men of Letters]] [[Aquarian Star]], that becomes seared into flesh.
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[[File:SPN12.gif|left]]
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==[[:Category:Season 13|Season Thirteen]]==
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"Supernatural" appears over a golden [[Nephilim]] iris, as bolts of lightning crackle in the surrounding dark clouds. The iris is bisected by the image of the rift to [[Apocalypse World]]. The "T" in ''Supernatural'' flickers and appears as an inverted cross.
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[[File:SPN13.gif|left]]
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===[[13.16 Scoobynatural]]===
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Starting from the typical ''Scooby-Doo, Where Are You?'' opening, it quickly cuts to an animated version of the season 13 title card, with "Scoobynatural" replacing "Supernatural" and ending with Scooby-Doo laughing along with the supernatural noises.
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[[File:Scoobynatural.gif|left]]
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==[[:Category:Season 14|Season Fourteen]]==
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A flash of light leads to a pair of angel wings surrounded by rings of blue fire (reminiscent of an archangel's halo), as the wings flap the fires are extinguished revealing a pentagram.
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[[File:SPN14.gif|400px|left]]
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'''opelan''' For the Supernatural title card which changes each season, do you have much freedom to come up with the designs or do the producers/writers already have very concrete ideas you have to implement?
 +
 
 +
'''AnsleyCG''' Yeah they come up with the theme to go along with the story (ie. The Darkness, Michael’s wings, etc.) and then the Comp Lead creates it as his first task of the year. I was very happy I got to take part in the process this year by texturing the wings :)
 +
 
 +
'''Petar_BG''' Actually that's a job of our comp lead so I don't have much details but I do know that there's a theme to be followed.<ref> [https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/anv4qd/we_are_the_vfx_crew_of_the_tv_show_supernatural/ We are the VFX Crew of the TV show Supernatural. AMA!]</ref>
 +
 
 +
===[[14.12 Prophet and Loss]]===
 +
The end card is a negative of the usual credit card. In other words, the color of the background is white rather than the usual black. This previously occurred at the end of [[4.22 Lucifer Rising]]
 +
[[File:Prophets and loss end card.png|400px|left]]
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==[[:Category:Season 15|Season Fifteen]]==
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A flash of light explodes from a cosmic background as a Hell Ghost flies into frame and explodes, revealing the "Supernatural" title over a burning organic structure before exploding and disappearing into an inverted pentagram.
 +
[[File:SPN15.gif|400px|left]]
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==External links==
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'''Meta'''
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<div style="-moz-column-count:2; -webkit-column-count:2; column-count:2;">
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*[https://blacklid.livejournal.com/261368.html Supernatural Title Cards and the 5 elements] by blacklid (September 2009); [http://archive.today/2019.02.18-014620/https://blacklid.livejournal.com/261368.html archive link]
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*[https://meiou-set.livejournal.com/14753.html Supernatural Title Cards and their meanings] by meiou-set (September 2009); [http://archive.today/2018.08.26-221117/https://meiou-set.livejournal.com/14753.html archive link]
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*[https://missyjack.livejournal.com/637387.html shattered reflections - a meta on the opening titles] by missyjack (September 2010); [https://web.archive.org/web/20190702013512/https://missyjack.livejournal.com/637387.html archive link]
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*[https://movingalan.tumblr.com/post/31966889021/there-are-several-slight-variations-of-the-symbol untitled observation on the season 8 title card] by movingalan (September 2012); [https://web.archive.org/web/20190630022950/https://movingalan.tumblr.com/post/31966889021/there-are-several-slight-variations-of-the-symbol archive link]
 +
*[https://clusterjam.tumblr.com/post/105414970005/season-10-title-card-a-thing-of-beauty Season 10 Title Card: A Thing of Beauty] by clusterjam (December 2014); [https://web.archive.org/web/20190630010036/https://clusterjam.tumblr.com/post/105414970005/season-10-title-card-a-thing-of-beauty archive link]
 +
**[https://agentfreewill.tumblr.com/post/112838858572/so-a-while-back-someone-wrote-a-brilliant-and interesting addendum to the title card meta] by agentfreewill (March 2015); [https://web.archive.org/web/20190630010053/https://agentfreewill.tumblr.com/post/112838858572/so-a-while-back-someone-wrote-a-brilliant-and archive link]
 +
*[https://k-vichan.tumblr.com/post/166344795629/inverted-crosses-in-s13s-title-card Inverted crosses in S13′s title card] by k-vichan (October 2017); [https://web.archive.org/web/20190630012204/https://k-vichan.tumblr.com/post/166344795629/inverted-crosses-in-s13s-title-card archive link]
 +
*[https://k-vichan.tumblr.com/post/166344042849/yourfavoritedirector-season-13-title-card-okay gif of title card with commentary] by yourfavoritedirector, k-vichan  (October 2017); [https://web.archive.org/web/20190630015930/https://k-vichan.tumblr.com/post/166344042849/yourfavoritedirector-season-13-title-card-okay archive link]
 +
*[https://mittensmorgul.tumblr.com/post/166402655835/elizabethrobertajones-tinkdw yellow in the title card + 13.01] by trisscar368, englishlitgirl, tinkdw, elizabethrobertajones, mittensmorgul  (October 2017); [https://web.archive.org/web/20171018010613/https://mittensmorgul.tumblr.com/post/166402655835/elizabethrobertajones-tinkdw archive link]
 +
*[https://postmodernmulticoloredcloak.tumblr.com/post/188295477512/the-season-15-title-card-a-selection-of The Season 15 Title Card - A Selection Of Screencaps] by postmodernmulticoloredcloak  (October 2019); [https://web.archive.org/web/20191013150100/https://postmodernmulticoloredcloak.tumblr.com/post/188295477512/the-season-15-title-card-a-selection-of archive link]
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</div>
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 +
==References==
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<references/>
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[[Category:Canon]][[Category:Episodes]][[Category:Production]]

Revision as of 22:23, 17 May 2020

SPN.gif

Supernatural changes its opening credits each season, unlike many other series. Some episodes in each season have unique, thematic title cards.

Watch the seasons 1—13 opening titles.

Season One

The first season's title card was fairly simple, the word "Supernatural" zoomed in and then out of the screen. It mimics the jerky movements of Supernatural's ghost's flickering. An alternative, but not used title sequence was produced and published on the Season 1 DVD as a special feature. Two different versions of the title sequence can be watched here.

S1 title card.gif


Season Two

This title card features the word "Supernatural" appearing out of bursting flames with the letter "A" in the form of a pentagram.

S2 title card.gif


Season Three

First, the "Key of Solomon" symbol appears followed by "Supernatural" amidst what look like thunderclouds, or possibly the iconic demonic "black clouds."

S3 title card.gif


Fandom Rocks: So to jump in to the title sequence and fans and what fans are talking about. That’s one thing that has also changed, every year in fact, they change up the graphics and things that they use for the title sequence, and some people speculate that the way they’ve change that look kind of ties in to the mood or the themes of that season. Can you give us any insight about that or are we just spinning our wheels?

Sera Gamble: I actually don’t think you are spinning your wheels on that one. I’m not involved in figuring that out, but I think they're always really cool. They’re brief and they’re cool and they’re jarring. I was happy to see the little title cards for this year because they seem to be pretty demon related and this is a pretty demon heavy season for us, so I think it’s not a coincidence.[1]

3.08 A Very Supernatural Christmas

The title card is preceded by a version of the old CBS Special Presentation ident. Sleigh bells are heard and a Christmas ornament explodes on the screen and then the episode's title appears.

SPNXMAS.gif


3.13 Ghostfacers

The season three title card is interrupted by Harry Spengler and Ed Zeddmore as they introduce the Ghostfacers pilot episode with their own opening credits sequence.

GF1.jpg GFSam.jpg
GFDean.jpg GF2.jpg


Season Four

This season begins with a bunch of wings flapping followed by the sound of someone screaming and then "Supernatural."

S4 title card.gif


4.05 Monster Movie

This episode's title card was designed to fit the look of the old school black and white films from the early to mid-1900s.

SPN405-1.jpg
SPN4x05MonsterMovie 002.jpg
Title405a.jpg
Monster Movie intermission.jpg
SPN405-2.jpg
Monster movie end card.jpg


4.18 The Monster at the End of This Book

The title card of 4.18 The Monster at the End of This Book featured the artwork from the covers of the Supernatural books written by Carver Edlund.

SPN418.gif


4.22 Lucifer Rising

The end card is a negative of the usual credit card. In other words, the color of the background is white rather than the usual black.

Title end22.jpg


Season Five

As always, "Supernatural" appears on the screen, but this time with a drop of blood dispersing in the background, accompanied by the sound of a heart beat, angels whispering, and a high pitch sound.

S5 title card.gif


When creating the title cards, [producer Todd] Aronauer says, “We’re always trying to figure out what’s gonna look cool and what direction the season is going in, because we always want to add some sort of link to what we’re going to see in the season coming up. The season five blood theme has to do with the Winchester bloodline and also with Sam drinking blood. We tried a whole bunch of things and that was the one that we really felt captured the arc of what we were doing. It just gave the creepiest effect to everybody when they saw it.”[2]

5.08 Changing Channels

In 5.08 Changing Channels "Together (The Supernatural Sitcom Theme)" plays over opening credits which mimic those of '80s sitcom like Full House.

5-08 Title Card.jpg Supernatural 508 0040.jpg
Supernatural 508 0044.jpg SPN508-4.jpg
SPN508-5.jpg SPN508-6.jpg


Season Six

A pane of glass shatters, revealing the title "Supernatural."

SPN6.gif


6.09 Clap Your Hands If You Believe...

In 6.09 Clap Your Hands If You Believe..., the opening credits to the episode are an homage to the 1990's series The X-Files, using similar music and images. The final text “The Truth Is in There” is a twist on the X-Files catchphrase “The Truth Is Out There.” The sequence bears a few similarities to the unused title sequences found as an Easter egg on the season one DVDs.

Xfilestitle1.jpg 6.09-2.jpg
6.09-3.jpg 6.09-4.jpg
6.09-5.jpg Xfilestitlecard2.jpg


6.18 Frontierland

The opening titles are an homage to the 1960's Western series Bonanza, See its opening titles here. The music played during the credits is somewhat similar to Ennio Morricone's "The Ecstasy of Gold," a piece he wrote for the Clint Eastwood movie The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. Watch the scene here.

CreditsFrontierland.gif


Supernatural: The Animation

From the Japanese anime adaptation of Supernatural.

Supernatural The Animation Title Card.gif


Season Seven

Black text on a white background. The word "Supernatural" appears out of thick black explosion of mist and drips black fluid like Leviathan blood.

S7 title card2.gif


7.08 Season Seven, Time for a Wedding!

A wedding cake explodes, morphing into the goo of the season 7 titles.

Weddingcaketitle.gif


7.14 Plucky Pennywhistle's Magic Menagerie

As Sam is attacked by evil clowns, the title explodes out of rainbow-coloured sparkly goo.

Clownglittergiftitles.gif


Season Eight

The title "Supernatural" explodes on the screen from a Word of God tablet.

S8-Title-card.gif


8.11 LARP and the Real Girl

As Sam and Dean take part in the Battle of the Kingdoms, titles roll honoring those who died in the battle.

Endtitles8-11.jpg
Endtitle28-11.png
Endtitle3-8-11.png


Season Nine

The title "Supernatural" appears over a set of burning angel wings, that explode in a blinding white light.

SPN9.gif


9.04 Slumber Party

Unused alternative title card. This was tweeted by Jared a day before the episode aired. It features the message: "This is for the SPNFamily whose dedication and love drive us to continue creating this wonderful world. Keeping up the Family Business."

SPN904.gif


9.18 Meta Fiction

The burned out wings and title are sucked back in, to reveal, in another explosion of light the title "Metatron" in all its angelic glory.

Metatron.gif


Season Ten

Demon smoke dissipates leaving a cleansed soul, culminating in an explosion revealing the title "Supernatural" over an inverted pentagram.

SPN10.gif


10.05 Fan Fiction

The DIY title card used for the Supernatural musical, is followed by a montage of all the title cards ever used (with the exception of the title cards for season 4, 4.18 The Monster at the End of This Book, 5.08 Changing Channels, season 7, 7.14 Plucky Pennywhistle's Magical Menagerie, and season 8) ending on the season 10 card.

SPN1005-2.gif
SPN1005.gif


Season Eleven

A white light flashes, and the title "Supernatural" appears in gold over a dark smokey background. Unlike previous seasons, the season's number flashes briefly on screen.

SPN11.gif


Season Twelve

"Supernatural" explodes over a Men of Letters Aquarian Star, that becomes seared into flesh.

SPN12.gif


Season Thirteen

"Supernatural" appears over a golden Nephilim iris, as bolts of lightning crackle in the surrounding dark clouds. The iris is bisected by the image of the rift to Apocalypse World. The "T" in Supernatural flickers and appears as an inverted cross.

SPN13.gif


13.16 Scoobynatural

Starting from the typical Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? opening, it quickly cuts to an animated version of the season 13 title card, with "Scoobynatural" replacing "Supernatural" and ending with Scooby-Doo laughing along with the supernatural noises.

Scoobynatural.gif


Season Fourteen

A flash of light leads to a pair of angel wings surrounded by rings of blue fire (reminiscent of an archangel's halo), as the wings flap the fires are extinguished revealing a pentagram.

SPN14.gif


opelan For the Supernatural title card which changes each season, do you have much freedom to come up with the designs or do the producers/writers already have very concrete ideas you have to implement?

AnsleyCG Yeah they come up with the theme to go along with the story (ie. The Darkness, Michael’s wings, etc.) and then the Comp Lead creates it as his first task of the year. I was very happy I got to take part in the process this year by texturing the wings :)

Petar_BG Actually that's a job of our comp lead so I don't have much details but I do know that there's a theme to be followed.[3]

14.12 Prophet and Loss

The end card is a negative of the usual credit card. In other words, the color of the background is white rather than the usual black. This previously occurred at the end of 4.22 Lucifer Rising

Prophets and loss end card.png


Season Fifteen

A flash of light explodes from a cosmic background as a Hell Ghost flies into frame and explodes, revealing the "Supernatural" title over a burning organic structure before exploding and disappearing into an inverted pentagram.

SPN15.gif


External links

Meta

References

  1. Transcript of podcast interview with Fandom Rocks, November 2007
  2. Supernatural: The Official Companion Season 5. Titan Books, 2010: 149-150.
  3. We are the VFX Crew of the TV show Supernatural. AMA!