Original Yaxha Opening Sequence

[LadyCoetzer]

OK, maybe this just shows that I have too much time on my hands, but I've noticed something about the opening sequence of the show...for Yaxha anyway!

If you watch the opening montage of the Original Yaxha members (Gary, Brianna, Rafe, Amy, Jamie, Morgan, Stephenie, Lydia, and Brian...in sequence) it seems as if the tribe is divided into three groups by the way their photos are presented--NOT the "active" moving shots of them in the game, but their face shots!

The photos of Brianna and Morgan--the two evicted pre-Episode 4 shakeup--are BOTH shown with the camera just panning over their face-pics (i.e. no sudden close up or change in clarity/focus) from a maintained distance. Thus THEY are grouped together ("The First to Fall").

The photos of Gary, Amy and Brian--those chosen to stay with Yaxha after the mixup in Episode 4--are ALL shown from a distance and then in a close-up (i.e. the camera zeroes in on their face shots from a distance...far to close-up). Thus THEY are grouped together ("The Outnumbered Unfortunates").

The photos of Rafe, Jamie, Stephenie and Lydia--those shunted over to Nakum on Episode 4--are ALL shown going in and out of focus. Thus THEY are grouped together ("The Alliance of Former Yaxhas").

This treatment/presentation of their photos cannot be simply accidental! It doesn't really tell us anything post-merge...other than to perhaps hint that the "Alliance" grouping might be the only ones to make it that far? Had anyone else noticed this? Maybe I just need to get out more...

Lady Coetzer

[LadyCoetzer]

The Original Nakums are a bit harder...but there are some photos that seem to be able to be grouped together, though not as neatly as the original Yaxhas

The face photos that go in and out of focus on Nakum? There are only two! Jim and Brooke, the first two voted out of that tribe (The First to Fall)...mirroring the doomed "Grouping of Two" on Yaxha of Morgan and Brianna.

The face shots of Judd, Bobby Jon and Brandon are all shown with water flowing over them/water droplets coating them...perhaps another grouping of those who will make the merge only to be picked off when outnumbered by the "Alliance" + Judd (only to have the "Alliance" turn on Judd when he's no longer necessary and utterly outnumbered--like Margaret's warning to him of "It'll be 4 to 1 and you'll be powerless" in Episode 4 post-mixup)...foreshadowing? (Their grouping? "The Outnumbered Threesome")

The face shots of Cindy and Danni are shown with the camera close-up and then panning back from their pictures (Their grouping? "The Last of the Nakum")

The face shots of Margaret and Blake are shown with the camera panning over their pictures from left to right (i.e. their faces move slightly to the left during the time their face-pics are on screen) thus grouping them together ("Messed Over by Their Own Tribemembers")...Left was once seen as SINISTER, so perhaps a sign those two will fall prey to the sinister machinations of their own tribemembers...OK, that's a stretch, and I know it!

These groupings are not quite as succinct as those on original Yaxha, but still provides food for thought, methinks.

Furthermore...it's curious that the first shot we see of the original Nakum tribe (i.e. "Bobby Jon's Original Tribe") on their raft at the VERY BEGINNING of the opening sequence is shown going in and out of focus...like the face-shots of Jim and Brooke: the first two to be eliminated from that tribe. Is this pehaps a harbinger of the eventual elimination of Nakum at the hands of Yaxha--whose BLUE sand (the Yaxha tribe's colour!) is shown blowing off the Survivor show title-piece? Time will tell...

Lady Coetzer

[starkisssed]

good eyes there.. i have to admit to ff'ing through the opening so i would have never caught any of it

[cable101]

I'm afraid your Nakum groupings are a bit weak, as the camera focuses and zooms that you used for Yaxha give quite incorrect groupings for the other tribe. The running water shouldn't be used to group the Survivors, but to determine who won't win. With fire representing life in Survivor, water is a classic representation of the opposite. This means Gary, Brianna (water in her ladder-climbing shot), Amy, Jamie, Morgan, Stephenie, Brian, Brandon, Brooke, Judd, and Bobby Jon are all out the running for the million.

However, I'd put much more stock in your Yaxha groupings than any other opening analysis because I think Rafe, Jamie, Stephenie, and Lydia will be our last Yaxhas. If your Nakum groupings made a bit more sense, I'd be inclined to believe them too, as Cindy and Danni are definitely in the position to be the last 2 Nakums.

[dustparticle05]

Very interesting discoveries. I bet you're right on the Yaxha part of it. Not sure about Nakum, but who knows what will happen...

Cable - I'm pretty sure that LadyCoetzer was just trying to find similarities with the original Nakum tribe and it is their speculation as to what their significance could mean. I agree that water should represent that the particular Survivor won't win, but I doubt that MB would make it that obvious. I don't have the opening credits on-hand at the moment, but if Brooke/Jim, Margaret/Blake, and Danni/Cindy were all grouped together the way that LadyCoetzer mentioned, then I'm sure they were just looking for what way Judd/Bobby Jon/Brandon's could be grouped together and the water was the only thing they all had in common.

[waywyrd]

Have they had clues in the opening sequences before? This is only my second season watching, so I have no clue...

[LadyCoetzer]

I freely admit the Nakum groupings are FAR weaker than the ones for Yaxha....and even then they are only useful as an observation in retrospect. It was because of the Yaxhas that I made a valiant attempt to squeeze the Nakums into groupings as well.

It was more of a "if this game plays out the way it seems that it might due to the present alliances and numbers, this is a way it could be grouped if you were looking to do so" than an actual predictor of anything specific.

It was more the Yaxhas that I was interested in (RAFE!) and freely admit that the groupings tell us nothing more than how that one particular tribe was/could be dissected pre-merge if you were looking to do so.

And yes, Cable, the water imagery was a total "Hail Mary"/desperation to find something in common with the Bobby Jon, Brandon, Judd photos since the others were already paired.

LC

I'm afraid your Nakum groupings are a bit weak, as the camera focuses and zooms that you used for Yaxha give quite incorrect groupings for the other tribe. The running water shouldn't be used to group the Survivors, but to determine who won't win. With fire representing life in Survivor, water is a classic representation of the opposite. This means Gary, Brianna (water in her ladder-climbing shot), Amy, Jamie, Morgan, Stephenie, Brian, Brandon, Brooke, Judd, and Bobby Jon are all out the running for the million.

However, I'd put much more stock in your Yaxha groupings than any other opening analysis because I think Rafe, Jamie, Stephenie, and Lydia will be our last Yaxhas. If your Nakum groupings made a bit more sense, I'd be inclined to believe them too, as Cindy and Danni are definitely in the position to be the last 2 Nakums.

[cable101]

Have they had clues in the opening sequences before? This is only my second season watching, so I have no clue...

Well, the veracity of opening secquence clues has always been debatable. The debate over their authenticity comes from the idea that anyone can create clues when there aren't any there. Armed with hindsight (or enough speculation), it is quite feasible to go over the tape and "see" clues that point to the actual results of the season. Therefore it is necessary that any theories based on these opening credits be taken with a grain of salt.

However, I've never been one to enjoy salt with my Survivor experience, so I fully support the search for clues in the opening sequence of each season. As far as I know, no Survivor with water in their opening credit has ever won. It's very possible that this will continue to be the case after the winner of Guatemala has been declared. There could also be any number of other clues present. The opening credits of Survivor: Marquesas had the camera zoom in on the "V" in Survivor; many took this to mean "Vee" (Vecepia) Towery would win the season, and indeed she did. Could there be something similar in this season's opening? That's for us to find out.

[echo226]

I'm still wondering if the shot of Cindy's butt running in the opening sequence means she'll run away with it.

[lopevian]

I'm still wondering if the shot of Cindy's butt running in the opening sequence means she'll run away with it.

I thought that was Steph's butt.

This is all very interesting. Now I want to go back and watch each season's opening, to study and compare. I'll have to get back to you guys. One thing I know for certain..."water flowing over/water droplets coating" and "Bobby Jon" sound really really good when said together. LadyCoetzer, you have a way with words. I've slo-mo'd Bobby Jon's. I am not a perv, I just have exquisite taste.