What's With The New Entrance Movies?

[Andy 2 Randy]

I Don't know how many of you noticed (could be all of you) but During RAW (and SD!) every superstar seems to have a new entrance movie...i say movie, it's just either the superstars signature logo (Cena, Taker) or part of there minitron (R-truth, Laycool). I Don't know what you think, but i personally don't like these, Entrance Movies were a showcase of the Superstars talents in the ring, so is giving them a logo going to change anything or is it just a money saver/maker, let me know...I'm Just Sayin...

 

[Dzone]

I noticed and I see what you mean, since DB changed his entrance music I went weirdly "into" the entrance themes/musics... lol; realised they were changing and didn't like them.

 

[ECWnumbawan]

i noticed this too, im not really a fan of them like the OP said the old videos showcased the talents of each superstar, while the moving logo is just a bit bland really. Ive also noticed that they have now been projecting almost all these new movies onto the ring canvas during the entrance, previously only certain superstars had this, i remember morrison had the disco style colours spinning on the mat but that was it.

I dont like the idea of just the logos, but its not really going to affect anything really since the movies are hardly ever seen on tv, appart from when jericho for example had the countdown.

 

[Bayboy]

I think they are just doing it, to change it up a little bit. They will probably change it back to the wrestlers inside the ring in the videos after a little while. I believe they are just trying to freshen things up.

 

[cbear47]

Probably a money saver, for when they want to re-edit the shorts to get rid of a TNA turncoat or what have you, too.

I remember mid-90s wwf had lasershow graphics on the mat too. Kinda sucked then, and that was when that kind of thing was top shelf stuff. Now?

 

[The Doctor]

I like the new entrance videos. The old ones were cool, but now it seems like the whole wall is one giant piece of artwork that flows together. I think it's really impressive-looking. It's like a giant moving painting, dedicated to whatever wrestler is coming out of the curtain at the time. Plus, some of those new logos look awesome! Nexus' new one springs to mind, as does the face that the spinning cross in Sheamus' entrance is now full sized and takes up both the side-tron, Titantron, and minitron.

As for the in-ring logos, I love them! WWE entrances have been pretty vanilla for a while now. The new trons and logos really spice them up, as does turning off the ring lights for certain entrances. I'd much rather have an interesting entrance than a boring one, wouldn't you say?

 

[Remix]

Are they still using the ring graphics? I didn't spot them at HiaC (probably because the cell was in the way) or at Raw.

As for the gigatrons (what I shall call the combination of main, side and minitrons), they're awesome as a whole, and an example of how simplified titantrons (like TNA's) can look damn good.

 

[Ballin247]

I think Vince stole the idea from TNA or at least someone within WWE management saw the idea on TNA and decided to use it. I noticed that TNA started doing away with highlight videos for the entrances in favor of graphics. They have been doing that for about a year or so. It kinda sucks cuz I felt it was one of the few things that made TNA different. Oh well. Its not that big of a deal

 

[vampirek]

I think Vince stole the idea from TNA or at least someone within WWE management saw the idea on TNA and decided to use it. I noticed that TNA started doing away with highlight videos for the entrances in favor of graphics. They have been doing that for about a year or so. It kinda sucks cuz I felt it was one of the few things that made TNA different. Oh well. Its not that big of a deal

...because TNA were the only company to do this? ... and for the record the WWF had something similar go look at some old In Your House's and then kindly shut the **** up regarding your rubbish.

Anyways it looks awful and rather cheap, entrance videos can be used to sum up the character. However what does an Italian waving tell us about Santino for example, nothing really whereas the old style told us he was a joke character and so on. It will work for Kane as all his titantrons are based on fire anyways however can you imagine this for someone like HHH or Jericho,

 

[zwbruno]

I think from a marketing perspective, assigning logos to superstars allows kids to easily identify merchandise. T-shirts, armbands, hats, and even action figures will be branded with the logos. Since the kids see them, even if peripherally, so often they will subconsciously associate how they feel about the product with how they feel about the wrestler. It'll move a lot, a whole lot, of Cena stuff... and maybe get the older kids who like heels to buy the heel stuff

 

[tokm2k]

Thought I'd post as this topic is one of the few topics mildly connected to my line work (lighting and video for live events!)..

The graphics projected onto the ring canvas are just patterns or 'gobos' if you want the actual/technical term, that are projected from lighting fixtures, they're not real video projection, though I know that is something they're thinking of trying, but for number of (quite boring and technical) reasons, they haven't.

Their production designer Jim Robinson has been trying some new things to 'theme' the ring to each wrestler (much as they last re-designed the set to include more video elements that would allow them to make it look unique-ish for each entrance). One was doing the drop down circular screen at WM this past year. Another was to swap the ring skirt for a video display of some sort, but again that idea was nixed due to budgetary reasons, damage susceptibility and the fact it'd just add even more extra time to the load-in each day.

With regards to the set in general, as I said above, the last re-design of the set was done with the idea that nearly everything could change colour or look different for each wrestlers entrance. With the way things are in the industry with regards to available equipment, its easy to merge control of video and set pieces made of, or embedded with, LED cells to allow you to treat the whole thing as one big video surface where you can have the set complement or be very similar to whats on the 'tron..

Hopefully I've explained all that in a way that makes sense to everyone who isnt a lighting/video tech!

T

 

[THTRobtaylor]

There is a reason to go for older/classical music for wrestlers... it is out of copyright thus cheaper... WWE also did this in the 1990's using "Ode To Joy" from Beethoven's 9th for Hunter...

Licensing costs big bucks...for the last few years WWE has commissioned "smaller" bands to do ring tunes and paid royalties on them at a small rate, as past wrestling fans, the bands were not getting huge amounts of royalties... I only remember 3 pieces of music that were "A-List" ever being used in WWE... Voodoo Chile by Hendrix for Hogan which cost them a reputed $600,000 per year... Rollin' by Limp Bizkit, which Fred Durst famously gave for free in return for a PPV appearance and being in the video game as a character... and TATU's "All The Thing's She Said" that was Victoria's music about 7 years back... by that point it had already been #1 around the world and WWE probably got it cheap as the band wanted to crack the States...

WWE of yesteryear always had logos for their talent... think back to 1990 sticker albums... there was always a foil of a log... WWE Wrestlefest is a prime example of the use of them...

They still have Jim Johnston who frankly the only other unsung hero of WWE in the hall Of Fame... this guy wrote Bret Hart's theme, the Warriors and the single best ring tune ever. if WWE moves that side of things back in house it can only be a good thing in my eyes...

WWE is FINALLY getting smart... they had it right 20 years ago in essence... now all they are doing is refining and moving funds away from labels who sign an act cos a WWE act wants to use their song... even the guy who did the video package in theory earns a credit...

It's all about the royalty payments... and as a Music biz professional and musician... I know how much of a pain in the ass they are

 

[LSN80]

I noticed it too, and I dont like it all. I always felt that the graphic of a superstar doing his signature moves during his entrance was a much better way of "introducing" the superstar, or making them recognizable.

Randy Orton punting Vince in the head, or Cena making Edge tap to the STFU were far better ways of "storytelling" in terms of who the superstar was. To me the new entrance "movies" which seems like a correct term, is just overkill. U can always recognize a superstar by their entrance music, so whats the need to add the "Cenation approved" to the graphic? You already have the superstar coming out in their gear, so they should be easily recognizable.

But as was earlier stated, this is probably another way of appealing to the younger generation to allow them to "identify" their favorite superstar. Its just another marketing ploy to push more merchandise.

 

[Ruthless-RKO]

yehh, nt very good, its what TNA does aint it!! i'm not too bothered, and no one should be reli.. its just part of the entrance, and u only see it for a few mins... doesn't really bother me!

 

[The Devils Angel]

I personaly don't mind it for some wrestlers. Sheamus' works as he hasn't got that many highlights, and the Undertaker's (for now), as his was just the same since '04. But Cena's and Ortons should go back as they have a lot on their highlight reel to show of there in ring ability. But don't forget the enterance vids are playing on the screens above the ring.