However, the main credit bass received on the film was as pictorial consultant, an ambiguous credit. She is one of the main designers who helped to elevate the short film and the title sequence. Apr 10, 2012 around the world in eighty days 1956 bass epic, the title sequence for oscarwinner around the world in eighty days was the longest and most expensive ever produced up to that point. Psychos title sequence is fast moving with horizontal and vertical lines flying across the screen. A friend forwarded me your article separated at birth. Concerning his approach to title sequences, bass said.
Aug 28, 2011 the combination of realist and abstract elements in this title sequence anticipated the emergence of full character animation for film titles in the next decade. As a big fan of both the title designs of saul bass and the fabulous opening of hbos game of thrones, i found this little creative project interesting. Mar 26, 2010 paying homage to bass unique, simplistic style, vimeo user hexagonall has created these two title sequences for the popular tv show lost and the classic scifi movie, tron. Oct 21, 2015 in 1977, bass sat down with herbert yager to discuss his process and the theories behind his signature contribution to film. That may seem hard to believe, since it is so similar. Pulp fiction film title sequence saul bass style youtube. Although he designed many iconic logos many still in use he is most known for his title sequences and related materials. This was my first time doing an animation and using after effects. Saul bass, american graphic designer and filmmaker who introduced a new art form. I always say that titles act kind of like book covers. Saul bass on his approach to designing movie title sequences. My first source of inspiration is saul bass, a great graphic designer who made a major contribution in title sequences development. Working on this project, saul bass got an idea of the title sequence which would be moving. Visionary designer saul bass saw the aesthetic potential in these cinematic.
Among his most famous works are the title sequences for such classic films as the man with the golden arm 1955, north by northwest 1959, and psycho 1960. It should be noted that much of saul s title design work after 1960 was made in collaboration with his wife elaine bass. The subject of the film was a jazz musicians struggle to overcome his heroin addiction, a taboo subject in the mid 50s. Author pat kirkham discusses the opening titles for seconds, designed by saul and elaine bass, from her authoritative book saul bass. In 1977, bass sat down with herbert yager to discuss his process and the theories behind his signature contribution to film. Vcd 1 intro to visual communications design for an introductorylevel design class, we were asked to create a book cover for the fictitious biography of a famous designer that would fit the aesthetic of their style. Nicholas pileggi said of saul and elaine bass, you write a book of. A life in film and design, the first retrospective book on the master of film titles, movie posters and logo. Although i am a huge saul bass fan, id never seen that book jacket before your article. Title sequences from saul bass, the master of film title.
In the works that he produced he most of the time used simple geometric shapes to create the imagery for the posters or the title sequences he made for the movies he worked on. He was always able to distill something so simple from a very complex story. Oct 09, 2014 abstract academy film archive actors aesthetic alcoa american ampas animated artists audience avantgarde background bass and kirkham bass brand bass designed bass s titles bauhaus bonjour tristesse camera campaign carmen jones cinema closeup color commercial create creative credit sequence credits appear cuts daily variety director feature. Saul bass 1920 1996 was an american graphic designer and movie title sequence designer whose innovative approach virtually transformed the entire genre in the 1950s. Saul bass title sequences the movie title stills collection. The art of film title design throughout cinema history. This later work with martin scorsese saw the basses move away from the optical techniques that saul had pioneered and move into the use of computerized effects. Saul bass may 8, 1920 april 25, 1996 was a graphic designer and filmmaker, perhaps best known for his design of film posters and title sequences.
Whatever technique he used, bass summarized the film as a metaphor that often. Saul bass title sequence for the 1962 film walk on the wild side watch on. If its hip its here the latest in global design and. Heres his opening title sequence for the man with the golden arm. What saul bass can teach us about web design smashing. See more ideas about saul bass, film posters, saul.
Following is an excerpt from their conversation, as. Saul bass powerful title sequence for the man with the golden arm changed the way directors and designers would treat the opening titles. With saul bass onboard, a credits sequence became a distinctive, memorable element of any film. Jul 11, 2016 moreover, as in the case of mad men, the sequence has given rise to a huge number of fanmade variations. The book contains a list of graphic designers and features sa. From saul bass to the spiderverse, we take a look at some of the. My second source of inspiration was the title sequence of se7en. The poster is basss trademark graphic style, with its handlettered. His title sequences included the opening credits for otto premingers the man with the golden arm. During the title sequence the symbol bass created for the movie comes to life.
Saul bass, master of the movie title sequence creativepro. The title sequence for the 2009 adaptation of the comic. I selected saul bass, a notable designer who is largely responsible for incorporating graphic design into the movie title sequence. He became famous for hollywood film title sequences in the 50s, causing a sensation in the man with the golden arm, a story about a jazz musician addicted to heroin, starring frank sinatra. Apr 29, 2015 reference wikipedia bass once described his main goal for his title sequences as being to try to reach for a simple, visual phrase that tells you what the picture is all about and evokes the essence of the story. Catch me if you can is a title sequence that was made by saul bass which plays out the story that is being told in the movie almost like a prologue.
Film title sequence symbolize and summarize saul bass. The iconic title sequences saul bass created for hitchcock. Jul 26, 20 i received a surprise email the other day from film director steve fuller who, along with his partner mark gardner, designed the mad men title sequence. Psycho 1960 was the last title sequence bass produced for a hitchcock film. The art of the title sequence the influence of saul bass. Saul bass made the title sequence into a film star the new. Working with an allstar roster of film directors like alfred hitchcock, otto preminger, billy wilder, stanley kubrick. Bass own explanation, as appears in the book saul bass. Many of these early sequences and movie posters are characterized by bass s signature blocky shapes and quirky type. My initial thoughts about what a title can do was to set mood and the prime underlying core of the films story, to express the story in some metaphorical way. May 12, 2020 saul bass 1920 1996 a new york city based graphic designer and filmmaker, most famous for his work in creating film posters and title sequences for directors such as stanley kubrick, alfred.
He largely designed motion picture title sequences, corporate logos and movie posters. Key characteristics for the artist saul bass happygosmiley. Director john frankenheimer, who was already working with saul on grand prix, was of the opinion that saul was the only person capable of designing an appropriate title sequence for seconds, a faustian scifi drama about a secret. Anatomy of film design, writer janchristopher horak notes that bass work was seen as avantgarde which helped him succeed in the film world, as directorproducers pushed their hollywood pictures to artsy extremes. The art of the title sequence the influence of saul bass on. Aug 30, 2016 in this exclusive extract from new largeformat book saul bass. For scorsese, elaine and saul bass created title sequences for goodfellas, cape fear, the age of innocence, and casino, their last title sequence. Bass decided to create a controversial title sequence.
Psycho title sequence and bass presentation motion graphics. In the contemporary media landscape the opening title sequence continues to. To celebrate the release of the longawaited book saul bass. Nov 07, 2011 the first major book on his work, saul bass. Saul bass was an american graphic designer and oscarwinning. Amazing saul bass inspired star wars trilogy posters geektyrant. Title sequence designed by saul bass, from the film anatomy of a murder. Mar 16, 2016 film posters and title sequences in the classic saul bass style. Bonjour tristesse, premingers film adaptation of the. Across his 40year long career, graphic and motion designer saul bass adopted the international style that had developed in switzerland in the 1950s, particularly with his title sequences for the man with the golden arm, north by northwest, and psycho. Fans of either of those properties will get a kick out of these, and so will fans of the work of saul bass and if youve seen any of those aforementioned movies, how. Employing a range of techniques over time, he created a series of arresting designs and sequen ces that helped establish the mood and theme of the story to come.
A life in film and design, the first retrospective book on the master of film titles, m. Along the way, the montage illustrates the evolution of style over the course of those 40 years, showing how titles grew in ambition and. One of the giants of 20thcentury design and filmmaking, saul bass 1920 1996, was a visual communicator par excellence, who produced a diverse. Saul bass was a prominent american graphic designer of the twentiethcentury. After discussing the sequence and the work of saul bass they discuss what a. How saul bass transformed opening movie credits forever. The iconic title sequences saul bass created for hitchcocks.
May 08, 2020 at the same time, this sequence has the saul bass hallmark of communicating the essence of a film in a very graphic and abstract metaphor. Brooks and martin scorsese, who urged the basses to return to main title design. Saul bass in his work or in his unique style he was best known for keeping things very simple. Saul bass, the filmmakers graphic designer eye on design. When the reels of film for otto premingers controversial new drugs movie, the man with the golden arm, arrived at us movie theatres in 1955, a note was stuck on the cans projectionists pull curtain before titles. Together, they developed many projects for directors such as martin scorsese and danny devito. This encapsulates what saul bass and elaine bass, who worked with him on this sequence did so well. Mar 31, 2015 my first source of inspiration is saul bass, a great graphic designer who made a major contribution in title sequences development. For scorsese, saul and elaine bass created title sequences for goodfellas 1990, cape fear 1991, the age of innocence 1993, and casino 1995, their last title sequence. His work, in the words of martin scorsese, distilled the poetry of the modern, industrialized world. For 40 years bass designed film titles which are recognizable for their remarkable synoptic economy in the four minutes or less allocated to them. Saul bass most iconic film posters, chosen by pat kirkham. He was a pioneer of the modern title sequence designing.
In the early 60s there was an international or swiss style of. Saul bass made the title sequence into a film star the. All the free saul bass style font you could ever need, so. One of cinemas great craftsmen, saul bass is a name you may not recognize, but you no doubt know his work particularly his striking, minimalist title seque. Title sequence designed by saul bass, from the film its a mad mad mad. Bass was familiar with hitchcocks style as he was commissioned by hitchcock to design his previous feature titles such as vertigo and north by northwest. He wanted the title sequence to become a prelude to the films story, something that will make it more engaging and help spark some curiosity to the moviegoers. Saul bass style in creating a title sequence was focused on making it more than the pop corn time that it was during his era. Apr 4, 2012 this pin was discovered by keith temple. Saul bass was born in new york city in 1920 and is a widely acclaimed graphic designer with a career spanning over 40 years. His style was modern, flat design as opposed to older illustrative styles and more modern 3d looking designs. Most of the time in his creations of film title sequences, bass would try to find a strong graphic. Bass would return to a similar style for its a mad mad mad mad world for stanley kramer in 1963, although its not quite as inventive.
Kepes introduced bass to moholys bauhaus style and to russian constructivism. Saul bass, master of the movie title sequence creativepro network. Horak writes that the title sequence of vertigo exemplifies an influence of experimental cinema. Saul bass 192096 is perhaps best known for his movie credit sequence designs of the 1950s and 1960s, including films by alfred hitchcock and otto preminger. What saul bass can teach us about web design smashing magazine.
A life in film and design, by his daughter jennifer bass and the design historian pat kirkham, redresses the balance by analyzing an eclectic career. For scorsese, elaine and saul bass created title sequences for. Saul bass did it all, and the principles that informed his work are just as valuable now as they were 50 years ago. Bass used his innovative ideas and unique perspective of the. Florence deygas and oliver kuntzel have a discussioninterview of the stylistically transposed handmade design sequence. The goal of this project was to see if and how colour. Bass became notorious in the industry after creating the title sequence for otto premingers the man with the golden arm 1955. All the free saul bass style font you could ever need, so don. Elaine designed title sequences alongside saul bass for 40 years, and employed diverse filmmaking techniques from bunraku style maneuvers in spartacus 1960, live action sequences in walk on the wild side 1962, nine hours to rama 1963, the victors 1963, seconds 1966, grand prix 1966 to timelapse photography in the age of innocence. Toward the end of his career, saul bass was rediscovered by james l. Responsible for title sequences in films like north by northwest and anatomy of a murder, as well as a number of iconic posters and brand logos over the years. He enjoyed four decades of successful career in his lifetime, winning academy award for his exquisite graphic designing. Saul basss style is unique and all its own due to the rough.
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