Every time I hear the Transformers Prime opening I want to cry because it’s one of the best cartoon openings ever imo. Not just song wise, but the entire animation too.
It’s a battle march that starts off with the main instruments (can’t quite tell what it is but it sounds like lower strings mixed with some sort of horn) sounding sorrowful but intense, while the video is very blue and dark (introducing the autobots). Then the main bit crescendos into the second part, which is higher, lighter, and overall has a more hopeful feel to it. The marching beat all but fades away. The animation is colorful and bright, focusing on greens (hope) and just the slightest bit of red (passion) as they introduce the kids.
THEN IT HITS THE DECEPTICON PART and it’s strong and intense and downright wrathful. The beat is more intense, more focused, more of a sprint than a march, and the instruments are low and heavy. Likewise, the animation is vividly red (passion and anger) and dark, fitting the music perfectly.
Also: the camera follows the movement instead of being fixed and letting things move. Just look at when Optimus transforms or when Starscream flies by. Everything flows into each other.
And just like that, they’ve managed to set the emotional tone for the overall plot and each of characters (Autobots, humans, and Decepticons), all in less than a minute.
TLDR; the opening might be my favorite part of Prime judging by how much I just analyzed it and it’s really fucking well made from a sound design and scene composition point of view.
How's it hummin'? 