It wouldn't be right, when researching animated title sequences, to neglect to mention Saul Bass. Not only was he responsible for famous titles for films such as Hitchcock's Vertigo and Preminger's Anatomy of a Murder to name but a couple, but his far reaching influence on the world of design has shaped more recent title sequences for films as diverse as Spielberg's Catch Me If You Can (Nexus Productions) and Pixar's The Incredibles.
Bass' distinctively graphic paper cut out animations, with strong shapes and bold colours, are highly evocative of their late 1950s/1960s period, which may explain why their influence can be seen so prominently in films which seek to suggest a retro feel, or replicate this time setting. This is certainly true of The Incredibles, which attempts to recapture a bygone era, at the height of comic book and spy film popularity; an atmosphere to which the graphic title sequence contributes. Catch Me If You Can similarly uses Bass-esque visuals to evoke the spirit of a former time, the film being set in the 1960s. Yet despite stylistic similarities, more recent titles do not often share the unsettling tone of Bass' work, often being more upbeat, almost pastiches of retro design.
Bass' view on the function of a title sequence is clearly outlined in this quote: 'my initial thoughts about what a title can do was to set mood and the prime underlying core of the film's story, to express the story in some metaphorical way. I saw a title as a way of conditioning the audience, so that when the film actually began, viewers would already have an emotional resonance with it.' This is undoubtedly true; Bass' sequences serve to unnerve the audience, setting the tone for the dark and troubling tales to follow. However, with more and more films withholding title sequences until the end credits, their use in this capacity diminishes, as titles cannot set the mood or create anticipation after the event; perhaps in such eventualities their purpose is more to recapture the mood, or even create anticipation for any potential sequels.
Although these more typical Bass titles showcase complex sequencing, disorienting editing and hypnotic spyrographic imagery, some of his more subtle works are just as effective. Throughout the entirety of the Carmen Jones title sequence (Bass' first) the shot never moves from an illustrated rose framed by the flickering of live action flames. The duration of the sequence allows the potential meanings of these two combined images to be absorbed by the audience, implying a story of lust, love, danger and anger through apparently simple means.
Bass' view on the function of a title sequence is clearly outlined in this quote: 'my initial thoughts about what a title can do was to set mood and the prime underlying core of the film's story, to express the story in some metaphorical way. I saw a title as a way of conditioning the audience, so that when the film actually began, viewers would already have an emotional resonance with it.' This is undoubtedly true; Bass' sequences serve to unnerve the audience, setting the tone for the dark and troubling tales to follow. However, with more and more films withholding title sequences until the end credits, their use in this capacity diminishes, as titles cannot set the mood or create anticipation after the event; perhaps in such eventualities their purpose is more to recapture the mood, or even create anticipation for any potential sequels.
Although these more typical Bass titles showcase complex sequencing, disorienting editing and hypnotic spyrographic imagery, some of his more subtle works are just as effective. Throughout the entirety of the Carmen Jones title sequence (Bass' first) the shot never moves from an illustrated rose framed by the flickering of live action flames. The duration of the sequence allows the potential meanings of these two combined images to be absorbed by the audience, implying a story of lust, love, danger and anger through apparently simple means.
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