Retina-burning colors, clashing patterns, bold attitudes. 9-to-5ers in outfits they’d never dare to step into otherwise, except maybe on Halloween. Is it hypocritical? No way. I think it’s refreshing to see people step out of the sober and embrace the opportunity for expression against the white canvas of winter.

alt.soundtrack: “Ghost” featuring 50 Cent, Patrick Swayze, Demi Moore

One of the things that thrills me as someone that makes music is the power of music to completely change our emotional reactions to a visual story. Over brunch one day, I was having a conversation about “alternative soundtracks” - what would happen to iconic moments of cinema with a musical intervention. It amazes me how the power of a soundtrack - any soundtrack - can command the emotional tone of visual moment. Thanks to the late Patrick Swayze, Demi, Fiddy, and especially the Righteous Brothers, who even though absent from the video, kind of made this opportunity possible.

7 seconds: How Battlestar Galactica gets pulses pounding

Every time you tune in to a TV show, whether it’s your first episode or you’re coming back for more, title designers typically have less than a minute to set the tone, establish the context, and get your heart racing.

The title sequence of Battlestar Galactica begins with serene chanting juxtaposed with violent images that define the central conflict. Then something interesting happens.

At 33 seconds, a flash. The soothing voices fade away, replaced by pounding drums, and you’re exposed to a 7-second peek into the future as major events from the episode you are about to see flash before your eyes. This tiny glimpse into the future is enough to turn what would otherwise be a canned title sequence into a jolt to the imagination.

If you’re designing an experience that calls for setting a tone, establishing a context, how can you give your audience a peek ahead to get their hearts racing without giving too much away?