The sequence of opening credits in a film is like a picture frame. It should enhance and comment on what we will see in the film, prepare the viewer for the emotional charge, and allow them to immerse themselves in the story and style found within the work itself. [1]
The origins of introducing film credits can be traced back to the era of silent films. Title cards with inscriptions and boards presenting dialogues and explaining the plot were used, often accompanied by decorative frames. Depending on the film genre, these boards had different graphic styles. Boards in horror films had thick, large letters, while designs for romantic films were "light" and elegant, featuring decorative fonts.
Films became a big business in the early twentieth century, and the rapidly developing entertainment industry offered affordable entertainment for the masses. As cinemas became centers of social and cultural life, the audience became so noisy that informational boards about the etiquette during the screening were incorporated into the film's opening sequences.
Opening credits themselves also had utilitarian functions. They included the name and logo of the film studio producing the film, the director, the film title, main characters and actors, as well as other creators, musicians, producers, and technical staff. This information was manually illustrated by lettering artists and typesetters [2], and then photographed and incorporated into the film.
For the sake of production efficiency and clarity, the letters were simple and easy to read. In black on white, illustrators used single-line letters or characters with small serifs. The title illustration of the film "The Avenging Conscience" (1914) is typical of the era. It has a black background with white letters and small serifs. A simple border line contains all the necessary information (Fig. 1).
Fig. 1. The Avenging Conscience, dir. D. W. Griffith, 1914. Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=avB4bs4Q6DU
Graphic designs of title illustrations were inspired by various artistic movements. They reflect the styles prevalent in art, in its various fields, particularly in applied arts, interior architecture, sculpture, and graphic arts of the epochs, such as Art Nouveau [3], Art Deco [4], and Expressionism [5]. The title card for "Our Hospitality" has slightly more decorative letters and outlines inspired by the sinuous, fluid, and curved lines characteristic of Art Nouveau, popular from 1890 to 1910 (Fig. 2).
Fig. 2. Our Hospitality, dir. Buster Keaton, John G. Blystone, 1923. Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cRNObtP_Fgo
Through the design, form of letters, illustrators tried to evoke the genre or theme of the film. One breakthrough moment in the history of film intros is the creation of the film "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari" (1920), directed by Robert Wiene. The titular doctor, a crazed hypnotist, uses a restless sleepwalker named Cesare (Conrad Veidt) to commit a series of murders (Fig. 3, left). Critically acclaimed by Roger Ebert as the "first true horror film," this masterpiece of German Expressionism also features the first title sequence, fitting the unsettling themes and visually twisted set design. The title illustration in the German version of the film has sharp, angular typography, invoking a gloomy atmosphere, reminiscent of the equally dark works of German illustrator and Expressionist Josef Fenneker [6].
When evaluating Wiene's work, it is important to consider the prevailing principles of title design in the early days of cinema. In the era of silent films, title cards had a clearly defined purpose—they were purely informational. In addition to presenting actors and creators, they were used to convey dialogue between characters and provide narrative or descriptive information due to the absence of a sound track. Whether it was a title sequence or individual title cards, transparency and readability for the audience were key for designers of that time. Sometimes it was simple text on a black card with basic ornaments, while other times typography and framing were more elaborate, adorned with intricate swirls, and the screen only showed the initials of the studio or director, deeming everything else unnecessary. Wiene disregarded these rules.
In his text on German Expressionist Film, film historian John D. Barlow highlights the use of distorted typography, archaic spelling, excessive underlining, and exclamation marks in the titles and intertitles. These stylistic choices reflect the fantastical tone of the film, as well as its exaggerated set design, lighting, and makeup, immersing viewers in the mad world of the cunning doctor. Contrary to common belief, not all films made during the silent era were black and white. The original cards in the film featured subdued colors like green, blue, and brown.
In addition to the groundbreaking title sequence and cards, "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari" also includes one of the earliest known examples of situational typography interacting with set design through visual special effects, in this case, stop-motion animation (Fig. 3, right). In the climactic scene where the doctor descends into madness, the words "Du Musst Caligari Werden" appear in several places on the screen, later sprouting from a tree standing in the frame, manifesting the doctor's insanity in this way.
Fig. 3. „Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari”, dir. Robert Wiene, 1920.
The Golden Age for Hollywood was the 1930s and 40s. Sound entered the world of cinema in 1927, and by 1929, Hollywood studios were producing almost all films with sound, including musicals. In fact, sound saved Hollywood in the 1930s, as films, with all their artificial extravagance, provided audiences with an escape from the hardships of the Great Depression. Film producers invested in high-budget movies, and the growing awareness of the increasing benefits of advertising contributed to the development of new branches related to the film industry.
Studios engaged sign painters and individuals with expertise in advertising art and typographic knowledge to work on film title projects. Therefore, similar to those inspired by Art Nouveau and Expressionism in the 1910s and early 1920s, film titles from this era reflected modernist design with geometric forms, lines, angles, and an overall modern appearance.
The design of a film title conveyed the film's tone through communicative and expressive letters and graphic layout. Typical designs included ribbons and flowery letters in romantic films, "Wanted!" poster-style typography in Westerns, and lettering designed to look hurried and casually prepared for the always popular slapstick comedies.
Artists in the 1930s, when creating film titles, used more sophisticated letters and typographic effects, including font mixing, two-color lettering, adding shadows to separate letters from the background, and incorporating images depicting the main characters or the film's setting (Fig. 4).
Fig. 4. „Pigskin Parade”, dir. David Butler, 1936.
Film titles are often the first images we see when the lights go out in the movie theater. They are works of art themselves that have evolved since the 1950s. They immerse us in the right mood, show us the atmosphere that will prevail in the film, and prepare us for the screening.
Saul Bass
Saul Bass, american graphic designer and film director, was involved in typography, creating logos, and designing posters. Bass was a creative child who enjoyed drawing. After completing high school, he studied at the Art Students League in New York and then attended Brooklyn College, where he was taught by the renowned designer Gyorgy Kepes. Before moving to Los Angeles in 1946, he worked as an advertising designer. Initially, he worked in advertising agencies, then moved to Los Angeles, where he founded the company Saul Bass & Associates in 1946. There, he dealt with the printing of film advertisements and posters. He was a pioneer in the field of graphic design for film title sequences. In the 1950s, he led the market, and his designs were works of art in themselves, film miniatures. He worked for directors such as Alfred Hitchcock, Martin Scorsese, Stanley Kubrick, and Otto Preminger.
Bass also created iconic logos for companies such as the American Bell Telephone Company, AT&T, Continental Airlines, Girl Scouts of America, and Quaker Oats. In addition to his design work, Bass directed the science fiction thriller "Phase IV" (1974) and wrote, produced, and directed several short films. His "Why Man Creates" (1968) won an Oscar for Best Short Subject Documentary.
He created his first title sequence for the film "Carmen Jones" in 1954. The poster design he created for promotional purposes made such a great impression that he was asked to create the film's title sequence. He realized that the title sequence could enhance the story.
His next animated title sequences for Otto Preminger's films, "The Man with the Golden Arm" (1955) (Fig. 2.6) and "Anatomy of a Murder" (1959), elevated the significance of title sequences as an introduction to the film due to the stylistic and thematic integration of the opening credits with the form and content of the film (Fig. 5.).
Fig. 5. „The Man with the Golden Arm”, dir. Otto Preminger, 1955. Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7ksspRHgAA
In 1954, Otto Preminger once again challenged the Production Code guidelines by adapting Nelson Algren's novel "The Man With The Golden Arm," addressing the taboo subject of drug addiction in mid-century America. The challenge for Saul Bass was to create a symbol that would capture the drama and intensity of the film without resorting to sensationalism. He crafted a captivating image of a distorted, disjointed arm (Fig. 6.). The semi-abstract form helped distance the image from the harsh realities of shooting up, though they linger in the (de)figuration. The black arm is not only detached from the body but looks petrified and transformed into something else, much like Sinatra's character in the film is transformed by his addiction.
The title sequence was equally fascinating. It was modern art on the movie screen. Saul stated:
"The intention of this title was to create a mood, a lean, intense mood... [expressing] the distortion, the disjointedness, and the disarray of the life of the drug addict, which is the subject of the film".
Fig. 6. Anatomy of a Murder, dir. Otto Preminger, 1959. Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IULMwP8AJCQ
Set to dynamic jazz music by Elmer Bernstein and against a black background, white stripes appear, disappear, and create abstract patterns before finally coming together to form the film's symbol. The contrasts between black and white enhance the sharp intensity, and the disconnections reflect the mood of the main character, a downbeat drummer with a penchant for gambling and drugs. Due to an incredibly tight schedule, Bernstein had to compose the music at the same time Saul was creating the title. Saul explained:
"He gave me the beat, the 'beat' during the conversation, and I designed to that beat. It was a stressful moment when we watched the elements come together for the first time" [7].
As the film reels reached cinemas nationwide, Preminger made sure to include a note instructing the projectionist to start the first reel only after pulling back the curtains.
In the early days of silent cinema, title sequences interested producers only for the legal and copyright information they contained regarding the displayed film. Eventually, they began using them to present cast and crew information. Designing these placards became the task of a lettering artist.
Thanks to pioneers like Pablo Ferro, Maurice Binder, or Saul Bass, these static information placards were ultimately transformed, giving rise to the discipline of film title sequences in the early fifties. The combination of graphics and moving images created a new way to introduce films that not only informed viewers about their crew but also played a fundamental role in giving each film its unique identity.
In the 1959 film "Anatomy of a Murder," Saul Bass literally used the film's title, presenting each crew member alongside dismantled body parts. It starts by showing the whole body, representing director Otto Preminger. Then, each body part is dismembered and presented as if it were part of a puzzle. Using simple elements like paper cutouts on a uniform gray background, this title sequence has endured decades, maintaining its innovative style. No advanced technology was needed—just a workspace where a graphic designer could come up with a simple idea for introducing the film.
"The first title sequence of this 1959 crime drama is a classic graphic design—giving the film a strong, timeless identity that continues to inspire filmmakers today".
– says designer Julien Vallée [8].
Today, the "Anatomy of a Murder" sequence still inspires as one of the most distinguished opening titles of our time, and its influence is evident in films like "Catch Me If You Can," "Monsters, Inc.," and even "Thank You For Smoking," which introduce the film's theme right at the beginning. All these title sequences share one of the key features that Bass introduced in his "Anatomy of a Murder" sequence: giving the film a strong, distinct identity.
Friz Freleng
Friz Freleng joined Warner Bros. Studio as the chief animator in 1930, after working for Walt Disney and United Film Ad Service. In 1933, he became a full-time director and mastered the synchronization of motion with music for Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies cartoons. For these series, initially designed to promote the studio's musical portfolio, he created or redesigned characters known as Bugs Bunny, Porky Pig, Yosemite Sam, Sylvester the Cat, and Tweety Bird. Freleng won four Oscars for his cartoons at Warner Bros. In 1963, he co-founded DePatie-Freleng Enterprises, for which he served as a producer and director for television and theatrical cartoons and short films. He created the character of the Pink Panther for the animated titles of the film "The Pink Panther" (1963) and later used this character for a series of cartoons for DePatie-Freleng. He won his fifth Oscar for the originality of this series, "The Pink Phink" (1964), and continued producing Pink Panther cartoons until his retirement in 1981.
Fig. 7. „The Pink Panther”, DePatie-Freleng Enterprises, Inc., 1963. Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4am-WTwO1GM
In the 1960s, Friz Freleng, known for his work on "Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies" for Warner Bros., created the opening title sequence for the animated film "The Pink Panther" in 1963. Animated typography—bouncing letters, shrinking words, spinning phrases—gave a modern look and caught the eye. Some of the text was arranged on multicolored strips that entered the frame, enlarged, or resembled typewriter paper, on which letters appeared (Fig. 7).
Maurice Binder
Maurice Binder is the author of the opening titles for the first in the series of James Bond films - "Dr. No." In the intro sequence to "Dr. No" from 1962, he used a shot where the camera looks through the barrel of a revolver. We see the hero turning around and shooting towards the camera. This shot was later used in the Bond title sequences and became characteristic of the series. The classic motif became a trademark of the famous spy films (Fig. 8.).
Dir. 8. Dr. No, dir. Terence Young, 1962.
Terry Gilliam
Terry Gilliam was involved in animation and drawing comics. He worked for the satirical magazine "Help!" There, he met John Cleese, an English comedian, which resulted in joining the Monty Python group. Initially, he created only animations. He used cutouts, photos, and illustrations, including his own (Fig. 9.). Cutouts allowed him to work quickly, and it was the easiest and sufficient form of storytelling.
The whole point of animation for me is to tell a story, make a joke, express an idea. The technique itself doesn't matter. Whatever works is right. So, I use cutouts. It's the easiest form of animation I know [9].
Fig. 9 Life of Brian, dir. Terry Jones, 1979. Source: https://youtu.be/1S3rd37ZR7o
Film openings initially were simple boards serving utilitarian functions. Over time, they evolved into works of art, introducing the viewer to the atmosphere of the upcoming screening. Aware of the role of the film opening, authors sought ways to best realize their intended projects, mixing classical techniques with computers, physical materials such as photos, mechanical devices with digitally generated sources. Artistic environments had mutual influence, somewhat interpenetrating. Meanwhile, musicians, painters, photographers, and filmmakers collaborated and mutually inspired each other.
Part II: Continue reading...
Article Author
Bartłomiej Wróblewski, MA
WIT Academy graduate
[1] Walter Murch – Jon Krasner "Motion Graphic Design, Applied History and Aesthetics," p. 52 [translated by the author].
[2] A skilled typesetter in a printing house who performed manual or machine typesetting for printing purposes.
[3] Style in European art of the last decade of the 19th century and the first of the 20th century, classified within the framework of modernism.
[4] Artistic style encompassing architecture, painting, graphics, and interior design, prevalent in the years 1919–1939.
[5] Artistic movement in European and American culture in the first half of the 20th century, present in all artistic disciplines.
[6] German painter, graphic artist (1895-1956).
[8] https://www.artofthetitle.com/title/anatomy-of-a-murder/ [translation by the author]
[9] Jonathan Crow – Terry Gilliam Reveals the Secrets of Monty Python Animations: A 1974 How-To Guide, [translation by the author].
Comments