Perfect is a strong word, I know, but I dare use it. This intro is as professionally done as could possibly be. Watch this fan-made intro by YouTube user “billydakiduk” and tell me I’m wrong.
Go ahead. I double-dog dare you.
Billy takes the intro in a direction that I think is fitting for Peter Capaldi’s Doctor. With an older actor (finally) embodying the role, Billy has tossed in some elements that are reminiscent of the classic intros while taking the entire concept forward.
He’s included the seal of Rassilon, but also the pocket watch that Tennant’s Doctor used, paying homage to both eras of Doctor Who. Then he takes the watch and puts Capaldi’s reflection on it which nicely morphs into a smile, a staple of the classic series. The ending is pretty intense with the watch falling into a black hole that’s also sucking up an entire solar system.
This guy thinks big. His imagination and talent deserve recognition, especially by the wonderful people at the BBC. Watch the video then help spread the word, especially tweeting at @bbcdoctorwho and @DoctorWho_BBCA to get their attention.
Shameless Plug: If you want to make it easy on yourself, follow me @Thogar and retweet my Doctor Who tweets. It wouldn’t hurt my feelings if you retweeted anything else you find worthwhile and/or amusing.
Here’s Billy’s description of what he was working toward (I’d say his efforts were met with great success):
New title sequence idea for the Capaldi era, with a totally original concept. If you want to see higher definition stills please click here:http://www.behance.net/gallery/Doctor…
I wrote myself a brief… it’s mantra was “Journey through space and time”.
First section is the Doctors watch, and we fly inside. The journey through the cog-wheels end with our exit through the untempered schism. And into an escher-esque timey wimey never-ending clock face (a metaphor of time travel and the time vortex).
Our journey catapults us through the vortex into a void where the seal of Rassilon is drawn in aged metal, accompanied by the Doctor Who logo, with some subtle embellishments. The seal of Rassilon burns away, reminding us of the Doctor’s disdain for the Time Lords; revealing the new Doctor’s reflection in the back of the watch which then tumbles away to the black hole in the distance.
I wanted it to feel ancient/steampunky 🙂
The BBC need to hire Billy Hanshaw immediately. His work on that intro is so far ahead of anything else fan-made that it leaves them all lost in the time vortex forever. His imaginative use of imagery to completely re-tool the intro while still making it feel like a true Doctor Who intro puts all the professional efforts to shame as well.
Check out BillyDaKidUK’s YouTube Channel
Billy Hanshaw’s Website on Behance.com (Includes trailer & lots of hi-def images)
Follow Tom (@Thogar) acting like a kid on Twitter
[Huge thanks to Twitter user @TrenzaloreTomb for the tip!]
