The platform streaming Netflix is famous all over the world. In addition to its fantastic series and its superb ‘Skip Intro’ feature – which saves us some time when we’re doing a series marathon – it also has an intro short and to the point. This intro, only 3 seconds long, has intrigued Internet users for years trying discover its origin. It has been described as the sound of a basketball hitting the backboard and bouncing off the rim. Others have assumed that it came from an episode produced by Netflix but who is right?
What exactly is the sound of the Netflix intro?
The sound so characteristic of Netflix was created expressly for the intro. Todd Yellin, Netflix’s vice president of product management, led the process of creating what they call “the ta-dum“.
I believe it the famed sound editor Lon bender, who worked in cult movies like Braveheart and The Revenant. Although he later mixed it with others, the sound comes from his hand – specifically, his wedding band – hitting the side of the bedside table in his bedroom at home.
So it doesn’t come from House of Cards?
The urban legend says that Netflix’s sound comes from the first series exclusively produced by the platform, House of Cards. Although it is a sound very similar to the one that the character of Frank underwood (Kevin Spacey) does with his ring every time he gets up from a table, the audio is not taken from any episode.
On the contrary, it enters the last scene of the final episode S02E13. This is one of the most iconic shots of the series, where the protagonist admires the presidential desk with reverence for a few seconds, before going back to his old ways, mistreating the furniture (and what is not the furniture) of everything he finds at his disposal. He passed.
Other versions of the Netflix intro
Yes, there are other versions. The most veteran of the platform will remember their favorite series with an animation of White background and the full Netflix name. This intro was created in the year 2013 and it already had the audio that we discussed:
In February 2019 changed to a black animation, with only the initial N scattering to create an explosion of bars of light in a variety of colors.
And finally, in August 2020, Netflix announced that it had recruited the cult songwriter Hans zimmer to create a theatrical version. This lengthened the intro from three to sixteen seconds and gave it his touch of king Midas, very subtly keeping the original sound.
Hans Zimmer had previously worked with Netflix. He is the author of the title song of The Crown, which sounds during the opening of each episode. The regal and intriguing music, along with the special effects that create the crown, make it one of the many Netflix series where we never hit the ‘button’Skip Introduction ».
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQ9ftKMWTW4