Editing The X-Files (section)

== Production ==

=== Conception ===
{{See also|The X-Files season 1|Pilot (The X-Files)}}
{{quote box|align=left|qalign=left|bgcolor=silver|width=20%|source=—Chris Carter on creating the characters of Mulder and Scully.<ref name="BehindTheXFiles">{{cite magazine |title=Opening the X-Files: Behind the Scenes of TV's Hottest Show |first=David |last=Bischoff |date=December 1994 |publisher=[[Penthouse (magazine)|General Media, Inc]] |magazine=[[Omni (magazine)|Omni]] |volume=17 |issue=3 }}</ref>|Mulder and Scully came right out of my head. A dichotomy. They are the equal parts of my desire to believe in something and my inability to believe in something. My skepticism and my faith. And the writing of the characters came very easily to me. I want, like a lot of people do, to have the experience of witnessing a paranormal phenomenon. At the same time I want not to accept it, but to question it. I think those characters and those voices came out of that duality.}}

[[File:Chris Carter (July 2008).jpg|thumb|right|Chris Carter created ''The X-Files'' and wrote the [[Pilot (The X-Files)|series pilot]], along with several other episodes.]]
California native [[Chris Carter (screenwriter)|Chris Carter]] was given the opportunity to produce new shows for the Fox network in the early 1990s. Carter was tired of the comedies he had been working on for [[Walt Disney Pictures]].{{sfn|Edwards|1996|p=9}} A report that said 3.7&nbsp;million Americans believed they may have been abducted by aliens, the [[Watergate scandal]], and the 1970s horror series ''[[Kolchak: The Night Stalker]]'' all contributed to trigger the idea for ''The X-Files''. He wrote the [[TV pilot|pilot episode]] in 1992.<ref name="ew">{{cite magazine |title=X Appeal: 'The X-Files' Builds a Cult Following by Following the Occult |first=Tim |last=Apello |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |date=March 18, 1994 |access-date=September 13, 2011 |url=https://ew.com/article/1994/03/18/x-files-appeal/ |archive-date=September 4, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110904110347/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,301487,00.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

Carter's initial pitch for ''The X-Files'' was rejected by Fox executives. He fleshed out the concept and returned a few weeks later, whereupon they commissioned the pilot. Carter worked with ''[[NYPD Blue]]'' producer [[Daniel Sackheim]] to further develop the pilot, drawing stylistic inspiration from the 1988 documentary ''[[The Thin Blue Line (1988 film)|The Thin Blue Line]]'' and the British television series ''[[Prime Suspect]]''.{{sfn|Edwards|1996|p=13}} Inspiration also came from Carter's memories of ''[[The Twilight Zone]]'' as well as from ''[[The Silence of the Lambs (film)|The Silence of the Lambs]]'', which provided the impetus for framing the series around agents from the [[Federal Bureau of Investigation|FBI]], to provide the characters with a more plausible reason for being involved in each case than Carter believed was present in ''Kolchak''.{{sfn|Lowry |1995|pp=10{{en dash}}12}} Carter was determined to keep the relationship between the two leads strictly platonic, basing their interactions on the characters of [[Emma Peel]] and [[John Steed]] in ''[[The Avengers (TV series)|The Avengers]]'' series.{{sfn|Lovece|1996|pp=3{{en dash}}4}}{{sfn|Edwards|1996|p=12}}

The early 1990s series ''[[Twin Peaks]]'' was a major influence on the show's dark atmosphere and its often surreal blend of drama and irony. Duchovny had appeared as a [[transgender]] [[Drug Enforcement Administration|DEA]] agent in ''Twin Peaks'' and the Mulder character was seen as a parallel to that show's FBI Agent [[Dale Cooper]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2002/05/19/arts/television-radio-the-x-files-finds-the-truth-its-time-is-past.html |title=Television/Radio; 'The X-Files' Finds the Truth: Its Time Is Past |first=Joyce |last=Millman |date=May 19, 2002 |access-date=July 9, 2009 |work=The New York Times}}</ref> The producers and writers cited ''[[All the President's Men (film)|All the President's Men]]'', ''[[Three Days of the Condor]]'', ''[[Close Encounters of the Third Kind]]'', ''[[Raiders of the Lost Ark]]'', ''[[Rashomon]]'', ''[[The Thing (1982 film)|The Thing]]'', ''[[The Boys from Brazil (film)|The Boys from Brazil]]'', ''The Silence of the Lambs'' and ''[[JFK (film)|JFK]]'' as other influences.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/23/business/xfiles-are-closed-a-lawsuit-opens.html |title='X-Files' Are Closed; a Lawsuit Opens |first=Maria |last=Aspan |date=January 23, 2006 |access-date=July 31, 2009 |work=The New York Times}}</ref> Episodes written by [[Darin Morgan]] often referred to or referenced other films.<ref>{{cite web |last=Kirby |first=Jonathan |title=Not Just a Fluke: How Darin Morgan Saved The X-Files |url=https://www.popmatters.com/pm/feature/not-just-a-fluke-how-darin-morgan-saved-the-x-files/ |work=[[PopMatters]] |access-date=January 2, 2013 |date=October 29, 2007}}</ref>

=== Casting ===
{{multiple image
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| caption1 = Duchovny portrays [[Fox Mulder]] as a main character for season 1–7, 10 and 11 of the series, as well as an intermittent lead in the eighth and ninth.
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| caption2 = Anderson portrays [[Dana Scully]] for the entire eleven seasons of the series. She was the first female writer and director of an episode in 2000.<ref name="gabio">{{cite web |author=Anderson, Gillian |url=http://www.gilliananderson.ws/about/bio1.shtml |title=Biography |publisher=Official Gillian Anderson Website |access-date=April 10, 2011}}</ref>
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Duchovny had worked in Los Angeles for three years prior to ''The X-Files'', focusing on feature films. In 1993 his manager Melanie Green gave him the script for the [[The X-Files (pilot episode)|pilot episode]] of ''The X-Files''. Green and Duchovny were both convinced it was a good script so he auditioned for the lead.<ref>{{cite episode |title=David Duchovny |series=Inside the Actors Studio |series-link=Inside the Actors Studio |credits=[[James Lipton]] (interviewer); [[David Duchovny]] (interviewee) |network=[[Bravo (American TV network)|Bravo]] |airdate=April 10, 2005 |season=11 |number=17}}</ref> Duchovny's audition was "terrific", though he talked rather slowly. While the casting director of the show was very positive toward him, Carter thought that he was not particularly intelligent. He asked Duchovny if he could "please" imagine himself as an FBI agent in "future" episodes. Duchovny, however, turned out to be one of the best-read people that Carter knew.<ref>{{cite news |author=Carter, Chris |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/xfiles/interviews/carter/clip0.shtml |title=Casting Mulder |work=[[BBC News]] |access-date=July 12, 2009}}</ref>

Anderson auditioned for the part of Scully in 1993. "I couldn't put the script down", she recalled.<ref name="gabio"/> For the role, the network wanted either a more established actress or one that was "taller, leggier, blonder and breastier" than the 24-year-old Anderson, a theater veteran with minor film experience. After auditions, Carter felt she was the only choice.<ref name=interviewwithanderson>{{cite news |newspaper=[[The Times]] |title=Interview with Anderson |first=Kevin |last=Maher |date=March 29, 2007 |access-date=September 13, 2011 |url=https://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/film/article1580600.ece |archive-date=June 15, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110615075057/http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/film/article1580600.ece |url-status=dead }}</ref>{{sfn|Lowry |1995|pp=15{{en dash}}16}}<ref name="twentyohsix">{{cite news |newspaper=[[Chicago Tribune]] |author=Ryan, Maureen |title= Gillian Anderson hasn't disappeared; it just seems like it|date=January 18, 2006 |access-date=June 29, 2009 |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-2006-01-18-0601170320-story.html}}</ref> Carter insisted that Anderson had the kind of "no-nonsense integrity that the role required." For portraying Scully, Anderson won numerous major awards: the [[Screen Actors Guild Award]] in 1996 and 1997, an [[Emmy Award]] in 1997, and a [[Golden Globe Award]] 1997.<ref name="gabio"/>

The character [[Walter Skinner]] was played by actor [[Mitch Pileggi]], who had unsuccessfully auditioned for the roles of two or three other characters on ''The X-Files'' before getting the part. At first, being asked back to audition for the recurring role puzzled him, until he discovered the reason he had not previously been cast in those roles—Carter had been unable to envision Pileggi as any of those characters, because the actor had been shaving his head. When Pileggi auditioned for Walter Skinner, he had been in a grumpy mood and had allowed his hair to grow. His attitude fit well with Skinner's character, causing Carter to assume that the actor was only pretending to be grumpy. Pileggi later realized he had been lucky that he had not been cast in one of the earlier roles, as he believed he would have appeared in only a single episode and would have missed the opportunity to play the recurring role.<ref name="Walter_Skinner">{{cite news |url=http://www.hieran.com/office/firstint.html |title=Mitch Pileggi interview |first=Robin M. |last=Mayhall |date=June 1995 |access-date=July 10, 2009 |work=The X-Tapes}}</ref>

Before the seventh season aired, Duchovny filed a lawsuit against [[20th Century Fox]], claiming that Fox had undersold the rights to its own affiliates, thereby costing him huge sums of money. Eventually, the lawsuit was settled, and Duchovny was awarded a settlement of about $20&nbsp;million, but the lawsuit put strain on Duchovny's professional relationships. Neither Carter nor Duchovny was contracted to work on the series beyond the seventh season; however, Fox entered into negotiations near the end of that season to bring the two on board for an eighth season.{{sfn| Kessenich |2002|p=80}} After settling his contract dispute, Duchovny quit full-time participation in the show after the seventh season.<ref name=bbcnews>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/1337685.stm |title=Duchovny Quits X-Files |work=BBC News |date=May 18, 2001 |access-date=July 5, 2009}}</ref> This contributed to uncertainties over the likelihood of an eighth season.<ref name=salon>{{cite web |author=Spencer, Russ |url=http://www.salon.com/2000/04/28/chriscarter/ |title=A close encounter with Chris Carter |work=Salon |date=April 28, 2000 |access-date=July 5, 2009}}</ref> Carter and most fans felt the show was at its natural endpoint with Duchovny's departure, but it was decided that Mulder would be abducted at the end of the seventh season and would return in 12 episodes the following year.<ref name=space>{{cite news |author=Elber, Lynn |url=http://www.space.com/sciencefiction/tv/xfiles_duchovny_000518_wg.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040924004848/http://space.com/sciencefiction/tv/xfiles_duchovny_000518_wg.html |archive-date=September 24, 2004 |title=Fox Mulder 'Ready to Get Back to Work' |agency=Associated Press / Space |date=May 18, 2000 |access-date=July 5, 2009}}</ref> The producers then announced that a new character, John Doggett, would fill Mulder's role.{{sfn|Shapiro|2001|p=278}}

More than 100 actors auditioned for the role of Doggett, but only about ten were seriously considered. [[Lou Diamond Phillips]], [[Hart Bochner]], and [[Bruce Campbell]] were among the ten. The producers chose Robert Patrick.<ref name=doggettjohn/> Carter believed that the series could continue for another ten years with new leads, and the opening credits were accordingly redesigned in both seasons eight and nine to emphasize the new actors (along with Pileggi, who was finally listed as a main character).<ref name="TheTruthBehindSeasonEight"/> Doggett's presence did not give the series the ratings boost the network executives were hoping for.<ref name=nyt>{{cite news |author=Gates, Anita |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2001/02/18/arts/television-radio-without-mulder-most-of-the-time-the-x-files-thrives.html |title=Television/Radio; Without Mulder (Most of the Time), 'The X-Files' Thrives |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=February 18, 2001 |access-date=July 5, 2009}}</ref> The eighth-season episode "[[This Is Not Happening (The X-Files)|This is Not Happening]]" marked the first appearance of Monica Reyes, played by Gish, who became a main character in season nine. Her character was developed and introduced due to Anderson's possible departure at the end of the eighth season. Although Anderson ultimately stayed through the ninth season, Gish became a series regular.{{sfn|Hurwitz|Knowles|2008|p=190}}

==== Minor recurring characters ====

[[Glen Morgan]] and [[James Wong (producer)|James Wong]]'s early influence on ''The X-Files'' mythology led to their introduction of popular [[List of The X-Files characters|secondary characters]] who continued for years in episodes written by others: Scully's father, William ([[Don S. Davis]]); her mother, Margaret ([[Sheila Larken]]); and her sister, Melissa ([[Melinda McGraw]]). The conspiracy-inspired trio [[The Lone Gunmen]] were also secondary characters.<ref name="SALON">{{cite web |author=Stark, Jeff |title=Interview with Chris Carter |url=http://www.salon.com/2001/03/13/carter_2/ |publisher=Salon Media Group |work=[[Salon (website)|Salon]] |access-date=June 29, 2009 |date=April 13, 2001}}</ref> The trio was introduced in the first-season episode "[[E.B.E. (The X-Files)|E.B.E.]]" as a way to make Mulder appear more credible. They were originally meant to appear in only that episode, but due to their popularity, they returned in the second-season episode "[[Blood (The X-Files)|Blood]]" and became recurring characters.{{sfn|Hurwitz|Knowles|2008|p=49}} Cigarette Smoking Man, portrayed by William B. Davis, was initially cast as an extra in the pilot episode. His character, however, grew into the main antagonist.<ref name="Threadsof">{{Cite AV media |people=[[Frank Spotnitz|Spotnitz, Frank]], [[Chris Carter (screenwriter)|Carter, Chris]], Shiban, John, [[Kim Manners|Manners, Kim]] and [[Howard Gordon|Gordon, Howard]] among others |year=2004 |title=The X-Files Mythology, Volume 1 – Abduction |title-link=The X-Files Mythology, Volume 1 – Abduction |medium=DVD |chapter=Threads of Mythology |publisher=[[Fox Home Entertainment]]}}</ref>

=== Filming ===
[[File:Stanley Park 1999 Rain.jpg|thumb|"The End", the season five finale (1998), was the last episode to be filmed in [[Vancouver]] until the revival in 2016. ]]

During the early stages of production, Carter founded [[Ten Thirteen Productions]] and began to plan for filming the pilot in Los Angeles. However, unable to find suitable locations for many scenes, he decided to "go where the good forests are" and moved production to [[Vancouver]].{{sfn|Lowry|1995|p=17}} It was soon realized by the production crew that since so much of the first season would require filming on location, rather than on sound stages, a second location manager would be needed.{{sfn|Gradnitzer|Pittson|1999|p=16}} The show remained in Vancouver for the first five seasons; production then shifted to Los Angeles beginning with the sixth season.{{sfn|Meisler|2000|pp=18{{en dash}}19}} Duchovny was unhappy over his geographical separation from his wife, [[Téa Leoni]], although his discontent was popularly attributed to frustration with Vancouver's persistent rain.<ref>{{cite news |author=Strachan, Alex |url=http://www.mjq.net/xfiles/dd-sun-interview.htm |title=The Alienation of David Duchovny |newspaper=Vancouver Sun |date=February 17, 1998 |access-date=July 27, 2009}}</ref> Anderson also wanted to return to the United States, and Carter relented following the fifth season. The season ended in May 1998 with "The End", the final episode shot in Vancouver and the final episode with the involvement of many of the original crew members, including director and producer [[R.W. Goodwin]] and his wife Sheila Larken, who played [[Margaret Scully]] and would later return briefly.<ref name="TheTruthBehindSeasonSix">{{Cite AV media |people=[[Chris Carter (screenwriter)|Carter, Chris]] |year=2000 |section=The Truth About Season Six |medium=DVD |title=[[The X-Files season 6|The X-Files: The Complete Sixth Season]] |publisher=[[20th Century Fox Home Entertainment]]|display-authors=etal}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |author=Strachan, Alex |url=http://www.mjq.net/xfiles/cc-farewell.htm |title=X-Files Creator Bids B.C. Sad Adieu |newspaper=[[Vancouver Sun]] |date=March 30, 1998 |access-date=July 27, 2009}}</ref>

With the move to Los Angeles, many changes behind the scenes occurred, as much of the original ''The X-Files'' crew was gone. New production designer Corey Kaplan, editor [[Lynne Willingham]], writer David Amann and director and producer Michael Watkins joined and stayed for several years. Bill Roe became the show's new director of photography and episodes generally had a drier, brighter look due to California's sunshine and climate, as compared with Vancouver's rain, fog and temperate forests. Early in the sixth season, the producers took advantage of the new location, setting the show in new parts of the country.<ref name="dir">{{cite web |author=Hurwitz, Matt |url=http://www.dga.org/news/v26_6/feat_kimmanners.php3 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100316022856/http://www.dga.org/news/v26_6/feat_kimmanners.php3 |title=Directing ''The X-Files'' |work=DGA Monthly |publisher=[[Directors Guild of America]] |date=March 2002 |archive-date=March 16, 2010}}</ref> For example, Vince Gilligan's [[Drive (The X-Files)|"Drive"]], about a man subject to an unexplained illness, was a frenetic action episode, unusual for ''The X-Files'' largely because it was set in [[Nevada]]'s stark desert roads.<ref name="TheTruthBehindSeasonSix"/> The "Dreamland" two-part episode was also set in Nevada, this time in [[Area 51]]. The episode was largely filmed at "Club Ed", a movie ranch located on the outskirts of [[Lancaster, California]].<ref name="TheTruthBehindSeasonSix"/><ref name="TheTruthBehindSeasonSeven">{{Cite AV media |people=[[Chris Carter (screenwriter)|Carter, Chris]] |year=2000 |section=The Truth Behind Season 7 |medium=DVD |title=[[The X-Files season 7|The X-Files: The Complete Seventh Season]] |publisher=[[20th Century Fox Home Entertainment]]|display-authors=etal}}</ref>{{sfn|Meisler|2000|p=65}}

Although the sixth through ninth seasons were filmed in Los Angeles, the series' second movie, ''The X-Files: I Want to Believe'' (2008), was filmed in Vancouver,<ref name="Province">{{cite web |url=http://www.canada.com/theprovince/news/story.html?id=3c696f83-c42f-4b57-9f7b-9372a358eea2&k=93084 |title=Filming of the X-Files Sequel Wraps |date=March 12, 2008 |author=Schaefer, Glen |work=[[Vancouver Province]] |access-date=September 5, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120823050139/http://www.canada.com/theprovince/news/story.html?id=3c696f83-c42f-4b57-9f7b-9372a358eea2&k=93084 |archive-date=August 23, 2012 }}</ref> According to Spotnitz, the film's script was written for the city and surrounding areas.<ref name="Province"/> The 2016 revival was also shot there.<ref name=vancouvercitation1>{{cite web |last1=Grainger |first1=Peter |title=New 'X-Files' Episodes to Shoot in Vancouver, Smoking Man Confirms |url=http://bc.ctvnews.ca/new-x-files-episodes-to-shoot-in-vancouver-smoking-man-confirms-1.2299762 |publisher=[[CIVT-DT|CTV Vancouver]] |access-date=March 27, 2015 |date=March 26, 2015}}</ref><ref name=XFilesNews>{{cite web |last1=Quijada |first1=Avi |title=XFN Exclusive: Chris Carter on #XFilesRevival |url=http://www.xfiles.news/index.php/news/latest-news/85-xfn-exclusive-chris-carter-on-xfilesrevival |publisher=XFilesNews |access-date=March 29, 2015 |date=March 25, 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160125142527/http://www.xfiles.news/index.php/news/latest-news/85-xfn-exclusive-chris-carter-on-xfilesrevival |archive-date=January 25, 2016 }}</ref>

=== Music ===
{{Main|Music of The X-Files}}
The music was composed by [[Mark Snow]], who got involved with ''The X-Files'' through his friendship with [[executive producer]] Goodwin. Initially Carter had no candidates. A little over a dozen people were considered, but Goodwin continued to press for Snow, who auditioned around three times with no sign from the production staff as to whether they wanted him. One day, however, Snow's agent called him, talking about the "pilot episode" and hinting that he had got the job.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.soundtrack.net/content/article/?id=19 |title=The S Files |website=Soundtrack.net |access-date=June 6, 2008 |date=May 27, 1998}}</ref>

{| border="0" style="float:right; font-size:80%; color:black; width:130px;"
| {{Listen|filename=X-Files Theme.ogg|title="The X-Files" (sample)|description="The X-Files", the theme from the television series, as performed by Mark Snow. The sample illustrates the noted whistle and echo effects.|format=[[Ogg]]}}
|}

The theme, "[[The X-Files (composition)|The X-Files]]", used more instrumental sections than most dramas.<ref name="TheTruthBehindSeasonOne"/> The theme song's famous whistle effect was inspired by the track "[[How Soon Is Now?]]" from the US edition of [[The Smiths]]' 1985 album ''[[Meat Is Murder]]''. After attempting to craft the theme with different sound effects, Snow used a [[E-mu Proteus|Proteus 2]] rackmount [[sound module]] with a preset sound called "Whistling Joe". After hearing this sound, Carter was "taken aback" and noted it was "going to be good".{{sfn|Hurwitz|Knowles|2008|pp=34{{en dash}}35}} According to the "Behind the Truth" segment on the [[The X-Files season 1|first season]] DVD, Snow created the echo effect on the track by accident. He felt that after several revisions, something still was not right. Carter walked out of the room and Snow put his hand and forearm on his keyboard in frustration. By doing so, he accidentally activated an echo effect setting. The resulting riff pleased Carter; Snow said, "this sound was in the keyboard. And that was it."<ref name="TheTruthBehindSeasonOne">{{Cite AV media |people=[[Chris Carter (screenwriter)|Chris Carter]] |year=2000 |title=''[[The X-Files season 1|The X-Files: The Complete First Season]]'' |medium=DVD |chapter=The Truth Behind Season 1 |publisher=[[20th Century Fox Home Entertainment]]|display-authors=etal}}</ref> The second episode, "[[Deep Throat (The X-Files episode)|Deep Throat]]", marked Snow's debut as solo composer for an entire episode. The production crew was determined to limit the music in the early episodes.<ref name="Commentary-DeepThroat">{{Cite AV media |people=[[Chris Carter (screenwriter)|Carter, Chris]] |year=2005 |title=''[[The X-Files season 1|The X-Files: The Complete First Season]]'' |medium=DVD |chapter=Audio Commentary for "Deep Throat" |publisher=[[20th Century Fox Home Entertainment]]}}</ref> Likewise, the theme song itself first appeared in "Deep Throat".{{sfn|Hurwitz|Knowles|2008|pp=34{{en dash}}35}}

Snow was tasked with composing the score for both ''The X-Files'' films. The films marked the first appearance of real orchestral instruments; previous music had been crafted by Snow using digitally sampled instrument sounds.{{sfn|Hurwitz|Knowles|2008|pp=34{{en dash}}35}}<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Larson |first=Randall |title=Dark Music {{en dash}} From Ambient Sound Design to Mahleresque Melody|magazine =[[Cinefantastique]]|date=October 1998|volume=30|issue=7/8|pages=47{{en dash}}48}}</ref> Snow's soundtrack for the first film, ''[[The X-Files: Original Motion Picture Score]]'', was released in 1998.<ref>{{cite web |last=Love |first=Bret |title=X-Files (Score) {{en dash}} Mark Snow|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/x-files-score-mw0000037330|work=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=December 5, 2012}}</ref> For the second film, Snow recorded with the [[Hollywood Studio Symphony]] in May 2008 at the Newman Scoring Stage at 20th Century Fox in [[Century City]].<ref name=scoring>{{cite news |author=Dan Goldwasser |url=http://www.scoringsessions.com/news/143 |title=Mark Snow Scores ''The X-Files: I Want to Believe'' |publisher=ScoringSessions.com |date=May 30, 2008 |access-date=July 27, 2009}}</ref> [[UNKLE]] recorded a new version of the theme music for the end credits.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/film-xfiles-dc-idUSN273206820080628 |title=''X-Files'' Theme Gets a Fresh Spin for Summer Film |work=Reuters |date=June 27, 2008 |access-date=July 27, 2009}}</ref> Some of the unusual sounds were created by a variation of silly putty and dimes tucked into piano strings. Snow commented that the fast percussion featured in some tracks was inspired by the track "Prospectors Quartet" from the ''[[There Will Be Blood]]'' soundtrack.<ref>{{Cite AV media |people=[[Chris Carter (screenwriter)|Carter, Chris]] and [[Mark Snow|Snow, Mark]] |year=2005 |title=The X-Files: I Want to Believe |title-link=The X-Files: I Want to Believe |medium=DVD |chapter='Trust No One' Documentary |publisher=[[20th Century Fox Home Entertainment]]}}</ref> The soundtrack score, ''[[The X-Files: I Want to Believe (soundtrack)|The X-Files: I Want to Believe]]'', was released in 2008.<ref>{{cite web |title=The X-Files: I Want to Believe {{en dash}} Original Motion Picture Soundtrack|website=Amazon|url=https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001AKTZSM/|access-date=December 5, 2012}}</ref>

=== Opening sequence ===
[[File:XFilesCreditsS1-7.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|Shots from the show's original and current opening credit sequence]]
The opening sequence was made in 1993 for the first season, and remained unchanged until Duchovny left the show.<ref name="TheTruthBehindSeasonEight"/><ref name="TheTruthBehindSeasonOne"/> Carter sought to make the title an "impactful opening" with "supernatural images".{{sfn|Hurwitz|Knowles|2008|p=35}} These scenes notably include a split-screen image of a seed germinating and a "terror-filled, warped face".{{sfn|Hurwitz|Knowles|2008|p=35}} The latter was created when Carter found a video operator who was able to create the effect. The sequence was extremely popular and won the show its first Emmy Award, which was for Outstanding Graphic Design and Title Sequences. Producer [[Paul Rabwin]] was particularly pleased with the sequence, and felt that it was something that had "never [been] seen on television before".<ref name="TheTruthBehindSeasonOne"/> In 2017, James Charisma of ''[[Paste (magazine)|Paste]]'' ranked the show's opening sequence #8 on a list of ''The 75 Best TV Title Sequences of All Time''.<ref name="Paste">{{cite magazine |title=The 75 Best TV Title Sequences of All Time |website=[[Paste (magazine)|Paste]] |url=https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2017/01/the-75-best-tv-title-sequences-of-all-time.html |author=Charisma, James |date=January 4, 2017 |access-date=January 16, 2017}}</ref>

The premiere episode of season eight, "Within", revealed the first major change to the opening credits. Along with Patrick, the sequence used new images and updated photos for Duchovny and Anderson, although Duchovny only appears in the opening credits when he appears in an episode. Carter and the production staff saw Duchovny's departure as a chance to change things. The replacement shows various pictures of Scully's pregnancy. According to executive producer [[Frank Spotnitz]], the sequence also features an "abstract" way of showing Mulder's absence in the eighth season: he falls into an eye.<ref name="TheTruthBehindSeasonEight">{{Cite AV media |people=[[Chris Carter (screenwriter)|Carter, Chris]] |year=2002 |section=The Truth Behind Season 8 |medium=DVD |title=[[The X-Files season 8|The X-Files: The Complete Eighth Season]] |publisher=[[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox Home Entertainment]]|display-authors=etal}}</ref> Season nine featured an entirely new sequence. Since Anderson wanted to move on, the sequence featured Reyes and Skinner. Duchovny's return to the show for the ninth-season finale, "[[The Truth (The X-Files)|The Truth]]" marked the largest number of cast members to be featured in the opening credits, with five.<ref name="TheTruthBehindSeasonNine"/> The revival seasons use the series' original opening credits sequence.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/mipcom-new-x-files-wows-829845 |title=MIPCOM: New 'X-Files' Wows at World Premiere |work=The Hollywood Reporter |first=Scott |last=Roxborough |date=October 6, 2015 |access-date=March 8, 2018}}</ref>

The sequence ends with the tagline "The Truth Is Out There", which is used for the majority of the episodes.{{sfn|Hurwitz|Knowles|2008|p=35}} For certain episodes, the tagline was changed to be more thematically-relevant; a list of the episodes that received alternate taglines is as follows:
{| class="wikitable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" 
! Episode
! Tagline
! Source
|-
|"[[The Erlenmeyer Flask]]"
|"Trust No One"
|{{sfn|Lowry|1995|p=156}}
|-
|"[[Ascension (The X-Files)|Ascension]]"
|"Deny Everything"
|{{sfn|Lovece|1996|p=120}}
|-
|"[[Anasazi (The X-Files)|Anasazi]]"
|"{{lang|nv|'éí 'aaníígÓÓ 'áhoot'é'}}"<br>("The truth is far from here" in [[Navajo language|Navajo]])
|{{sfn|Lovece|1996|p=176}}
|-
|"[[731 (The X-Files)|731]]"
|"Apology is Policy"
|<ref>{{cite episode |title=731 |series=The X-Files |network=[[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox.]] |date=December 1, 1995}}</ref>
|-
|"[[Herrenvolk (The X-Files)|Herrenvolk]]"
|"Everything Dies"
|{{sfn|Meisler|1998|p=27}}
|-
|"[[Teliko]]"
|"Deceive Inveigle Obfuscate"
|<ref>{{cite episode |title=Teliko |series=The X-Files |network=[[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox.]] |date=October 18, 1996}}</ref>
|-
|"[[Terma (The X-Files)|Terma]]"
|"{{lang|it|E pur si muove}}"<br>("And still it moves" in [[Italian language|Italian]], a quote attributed to Galileo)
|<ref>{{cite episode |title=Terma |series=The X-Files |network=[[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox.]] |date=December 1, 1996}}</ref>{{sfn|Meisler|1998|p=102}}
|-
|"[[Gethsemane (The X-Files)|Gethsemane]]"
|"Believe the Lie"
|<ref>{{cite episode |title=Gethsemane |series=The X-Files |network=[[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox.]] |date=May 18, 1997}}</ref>
|-
|"[[Redux (The X-Files)|Redux]]"
|"All Lies Lead to the Truth"
|<ref>{{cite episode |title=Redux |series=The X-Files |network=[[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox.]] |date=November 2, 1997}}</ref>
|-
|"[[The Red and the Black (The X-Files)|The Red and the Black]]"
|"Resist or Serve"
|<ref>{{cite episode |title=The Red and the Black |series=The X-Files |network=[[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox.]] |date=March 8, 1998}}</ref>
|-
|"[[The End (The X-Files)|The End]]"
|"The End"
|<ref>{{cite episode |title=The End |series=The X-Files |network=[[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox.]] |date=May 17, 1998}}</ref>
|-
|"[[Triangle (The X-Files)|Triangle]]"
|"{{lang|de|Die Wahrheit ist irgendwo da draußen}}"<br>("The truth is out there somewhere" in [[German language|German]])
|<ref>{{cite episode |title=Triangle |series=The X-Files |network=[[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox.]] |date=November 22, 1998}}</ref>{{sfn|Meisler|2000|p=41}}
|-
|"[[The Unnatural (The X-Files)|The Unnatural]]"
|"In the Big Inning"
|<ref>{{cite episode |title=The Unnatural |series=The X-Files |network=[[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox.]] |date=April 25, 1999}}</ref>
|-
|"[[The Sixth Extinction II: Amor Fati]]"
|"{{lang|la|Amor Fati}}"<br>("Love of fate" in [[Latin language|Latin]])
|<ref>{{cite episode |title=The Sixth Extinction II: Amor Fati |series=The X-Files |network=[[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox.]] |date=November 14, 1999}}</ref>{{sfn|Donaldson|2007|pp=8–9}}
|-
|"[[Closure (The X-Files)|Closure]]"
|"Believe to Understand"
|{{sfn|Shapiro|2001|p=139}}
|-
|"[[Nothing Important Happened Today|Nothing Important Happened Today II]]"
|"Nothing Important Happened Today"
|<ref>{{cite episode |title=Nothing Important Happened Today II |series=The X-Files |network=[[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox.]] |date=November 18, 2001}}</ref>
|-
|"[[4-D (The X-Files)|4-D]]"
|"erehT tuO si hturT ehT"<br>("The Truth is Out There", backwards)
|<ref>{{cite episode |title=4-D |series=The X-Files |network=[[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox.]] |date=December 9, 2001}}</ref>
|-
|"[[Trust No 1]]"
|"They're Watching"
|<ref>{{cite episode |credits=Chris Carter and Frank Spotnitz (writers); Tony Wharmby (director) |title=Trust No 1 |series=The X-Files |season=9 |number=6 |airdate=January 6, 2002 |network=Fox}}</ref>
|-
|"[[Improbable (The X-Files)|Improbable]]"
|"{{lang|it|Dio ti ama}}"<br>("God loves you" in Italian)
|<ref>{{cite episode |title=Improbable |series=The X-Files |network=[[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox.]] |date=April 7, 2002}}</ref>
|-
|"[[My Struggle II]]"
|"This Is the End"
|<ref>{{cite web |title=Review: 'The X-Files' Season 10 Episode 6, 'My Struggle II' Brings Us a Bitter End |url=https://www.indiewire.com/article/review-the-x-files-season-10-episode-6-my-struggle-ii-brings-us-a-bitter-end-20160223 |website=Indiewire |first=Liz Shannon |last=Miller |date=February 23, 2016 |access-date=March 10, 2016}}</ref>
|-
|"[[My Struggle III]]"
|"I Want to Believe/I Want to Lie"
|<ref>{{cite episode |title=My Struggle III |series=The X-Files |network=[[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox.]] |date=January 3, 2018}}</ref>
|-
|"[[This (The X-Files)|This]]"
|"Accuse Your Enemies of that Which You are Guilty"
|<ref>{{cite episode |title=This |series=The X-Files |network=[[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox.]] |date=January 10, 2018}}</ref>
|-
|"[[Ghouli]]"
|"You See What I Want You to See"
|<ref>{{cite episode |title=Ghouli |series=The X-Files |network=[[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox.]] |date=January 31, 2018}}</ref>
|-
|"[[Kitten (The X-Files)|Kitten]]"
|"A War is Never Over"
|<ref>{{cite episode |title=Kitten |series=The X-Files |network=[[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox.]] |date=February 7, 2018}}</ref>
|-
|"[[Rm9sbG93ZXJz]]"
|"VGhlIFRydXRoIGlzIE91dCBUaGVyZQ="<br>("The Truth is Out There" in [[Base64]])
|<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.indiewire.com/2018/02/x-files-season-11-episode-7-rm9sbg93zxjz-review-no-dialogue-followers-base64-spoilers-1201934001/ |title='The X-Files' Review: 'Rm9sbG93ZXJz' Keeps It Simple and Silent for a Creatively Daring Episode |website=IndieWire |first=Liz Shannon |last=Miller |date=February 28, 2018 |access-date=March 8, 2018}}</ref>
|-
|"[[Nothing Lasts Forever (The X-Files)|Nothing Lasts Forever]]"
|"I Want to be Beautiful"
|<ref>{{cite episode |title=Kitten |series=The X-Files |network=[[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox.]] |date=March 14, 2018}}</ref>
|-
|"[[My Struggle IV]]"
|"{{lang|la|Salvator Mundi}}"<br>("Savior of the World" in Latin)
|<ref>{{cite episode |title=My Struggle IV |series=The X-Files |network=[[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox.]] |date=March 21, 2018}}</ref>
|}