24

2. 24 and Style

47 Chapter 2 24 and Style In the previous chapter we saw that 24’s use of the melodramatic mode; action-adventure, spy, western, and soap opera genre conventions; deadline-driven cause-and-effect narratives; and stereotypical characters all contribute to a sense that, on a formal level, and beyond the real-time concept, the series is indistinguishable from many action-adventure films and television series. By contrast, the series gained great distinction and widespread attention for its innovative style. In this chapter, I discuss aspects of visual design, sound, editing, and performance in order to illustrate the series’ unique style and to substantiate my description of 24 as an example of postmodernism. Fredric Jameson describes postmodernism as an aesthetic style that features several key elements in contradistinction to modernism ’s elitism, fetishization of authenticity, and celebration of the singular author. He argues that postmodernism relies on a populist vernacular and employs pastiche and imitation as its defining strategies.1 As noted in the previous chapter, 24 routinely uses pastiche and reimagines scenes from past films and television series, which significantly influences the way we feel about the series and the meanings we take from it. 48 Chapter 2 The series’ commitment to creating a unique style is immediately clear. As each episode begins, the screen is black for a fraction of a second until flickering bursts of yellow light quickly transform into the digital numbers of a clock readout flashing on the screen in randomized blurred fashion. The numbers settle on “24.” The image freezes and, after a beat, fades to black. Then the “Previously on 24” voiceover is heard (except during the first season, where the voiceover begins, “Right now, terrorists are threatening to assassinate a presidential candidate”). In a direct sense, the image accosts us with its urgency—it is as though the yellow-hot numbers are being seared into our eyeballs. The immediate impression is that time is of the essence and the plot is organized by a stopwatch or countdown structure. The use of the digital clock face is a signifier of urgency, but its compelling style also presents itself as a logo, a brand. Thus, the striking appearance of the title also refers to the basic concept of the show—time is running out. The flickering actually tells us quite a lot about the series. For instance, it suggests a loose electric or electronic connection, emphasized by the sounds that connote an electric charge. The implication is that the show will feature electronic technology and especially computers that often have lights that also flicker, confirmed when we see the high-end technology featured in the series. Another element worth noting about the flickering relates more fully to the metaphor of light and illumination. Investigative journalists sometimes describe their job as shining a light in the dark corners of our world. 24 is not investigative journalism, but the metaphor of shining a light on the world is apt given that the principal goal of CTU and its agents is to expose hidden terrorist activity. The graphic design of the title sequence represents this process; moreover, this battle proceeds as light, gradually and seemingly against great odds, stabilizes and becomes so bright as to become impossible to ignore. It is as though the light is mimicking the narrative of the show; the rising story crises are replicated here, in miniature, in the flickering and 49 24 and Style eventually searing images of the title. In this manner, the show can be considered “high concept,” in that it is a production that distills all aspects of its thematic content into a series of relatively homogeneous images, characters, and design elements that can be effectively marketed as a commodity.2 Thus, even in the few seconds of the title image (which ultimately came to serve as the show’s enduring logo), 24 reminds us of the key thematic elements of the series. Beyond its branded title sequence, the most distinctive visual element of the series is its use of multiple-frame compositions . Although these appeared in popular film and television prior to 24, the series’ use of the technique as a critical feature of its real-time narrative attracted significant attention.3 Each episode begins with a recap of previous events, and this is often done in multiple-frame composition. So, in most instances, the initial encounter with the multiple-frame technique is not real time...