The opening credits sequence in a film is like a picture frame. It should reinforce and comment on what we will see in the film, prepare the viewer for the emotional impact, allow them to immerse themselves in the story and style that can be found within the work. [1]
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Richard Alan Greenberg, Robert Greenberg
Starting with "Stop," a short film that Richard Greenberg shot at university in the late 1960s, the characteristic feature of most of the title sequence projects by R/Greenberg Associates is the unique application of typography. In 1977, Alan Greberg and his brother founded the design studio R/Greenberg Associates. The creators received a call from Steve Frankfurt, who was then the president of the advertising agency Young & Rubicam. Frankfurt opened a department for promoting feature films and offered the opportunity to work on Superman. Richard gained a reputation for the title sequence for the 1978 film Superman (Fig. 1). He used a computer to create three-dimensional titles. From 1979 to 1990, Greenberg created title sequences for films such as Alien (1979), Family Business (1989), Flash Gordon (1980), Altered States (1980), Another You (1991), Death Becomes Her (1992), Executive Decision (1996), Foxfire (1996). Many of these title sequences are visual metaphors that relate to the atmosphere of the film.
Fig. 1. Superman, dir. Richard Donner, 1978.
Source: https://youtu.be/Rk1aQx9hTaE
Pablo Ferro
Alongside Saul Bass, considered one of the masters of film title design, is Pablo Ferro – a Cuban filmmaker who learned animation using Preston Blair's book, a former animator for Walt Disney Productions and the MGM animation department. In the mid-1950s, he began working as a freelancer in the New York animation industry for Academy Pictures and Elektra Studios. He met and befriended artists such as former Disney animator William Tytla and Stan Lee, the future editor of Marvel Comics. In 1961, he was one of the partners who founded Ferro, Mogubgub, and Schwartz, but in 1964, he started his own company, Pablo Ferro Films.
He created many groundbreaking title sequences for films such as Dr. Strangelove (1964) (Fig. 2.), The Thomas Crown Affair (1968), A Clockwork Orange (1971) (Fig. 3.). During his career in the advertising industry, Ferro introduced many techniques: fast-paced editing, hand-drawn animations, extreme close-ups, split screens, hand-drawn letters. Many designers believed that his fast-paced editing style influenced what later became known as the "MTV style".
Fig. 2. Dr. Strangelove, dir. Stanley Kubrick, 1964.
Source: https://youtu.be/e5hX0RdD34s
Fig. 3. A Clockwork Orange, dir. Stanley Kubrick, 1971.
Source: https://youtu.be/UPCScFIPlUg
In the title sequence for the film To Die For (1995), Ferro portrayed the main character through a montage of shots depicting newspaper pages featuring her (Fig. 4.). His fresh approach to hand-drawn titles in film opening sequences and animations for television, such as the logo for NBC, were his trademarks.
Fig. 4. To Die For, dir. Gus Van Sant, 1995.
Source: https://youtu.be/Xmj07oyZ5JY
Until his death in 2018, Pablo continued to produce, direct, and design, often collaborating with his son Allen Ferro. He was widely acclaimed for his contributions to film and design, receiving the Chrysler Design Award, Art Directors Club Hall of Fame Award, and the AIGA Medal. Ferro is also the subject of the 2012 documentary film "Pablo" by Richard Goldgewicht.
Kyle Cooper – Seven
Saul Bass and Pablo Ferro inspired Kyle Cooper, which had a tremendous impact on his career. He was one of the first designers who breathed new life into the conservative film industry in the 1990s. He embraced modern trends in graphic design and utilized computers to blend conventional film processes with digital ones. He studied under the legendary graphic designer Paul Rand and worked at R/Greenberg Associates in New York, where he co-created the title sequence for the film True Lies in 1994. In 1995, he created the title sequence for David Fincher's thriller Seven (Fig. 5.).
The story told through shots depicting the hands of an unknown man, likely the antagonist, John Doe, who writes notes in his journal alongside excerpts from books and handcrafted photographs. The atmosphere is mysterious and the imagery is unsettling. We can infer that the person preparing all this is most likely mentally ill and has very sinister intentions. The title sequence introduces a very dark mood, suggesting to the viewer what they can expect.
Film title sequences initially served utilitarian functions, starting as simple cards. Over time, they evolved into works of art, setting the mood for the upcoming viewing experience. As filmmakers became more aware of the role of title sequences, they sought ways to execute their intended projects to the best of their abilities, blending classical techniques with computers, physical materials such as photographs, mechanical devices with digitally generated sources. Artistic environments influenced each other, intertwining in a way. Meanwhile, musicians, painters, photographers, and filmmakers collaborated and drew inspiration from one another.
Fig. 5. Seven, dir. David Fincher, 1995.
Source: https://youtu.be/-BJkDyCdw0c
This sequence draws elements from the grotesque photography of Joel-Peter Witkin, while its execution is inspired by the work of experimental filmmaker Stan Brakhage, known for employing innovative and unconventional film techniques such as painting directly onto celluloid, dynamic editing, multiple exposures, and handheld shots. The format of the sequence resembles the titular project by Stephen Frankfurt for Robert Mulligan's 1963 thriller "To Kill a Mockingbird", where we also see close-ups of objects that describe the psyche of the key character.
When I was a child and watched horror movies, the monster would only appear in the third act. I was lucky that I watched Se7en earlier, and I remember that after watching that movie, I wanted to see the killer earlier... somehow to introduce the killer at the beginning. I asked if I could see all the props and something that Fincher might be interested in, and there were two notebooks with items that had a lot of notes, and I thought it would be good to do a session with them and have it be about their preparation, as if it were John Doe's work to prepare them [2].
What distinguishes the title sequence is the combination of ephemeral film shots, juxtaposed with handwritten text scratched into the emulsion. Words flicker, suddenly change position on the screen, and are duplicated. We see snippets of shots interspersed with longer segments showing various activities. The shots are punctuated by short bursts of bright shapes. Techniques such as double exposure and image overlay are used. Close-ups and details are predominantly used, enhancing the sense of mystery and intensifying the feeling of horror.
For the director of the title sequence, Fincher originally considered Mark Romanek, who had previously worked with Trent Reznor on the music video for Closer and shared similar aesthetic impressions. However, Cooper felt an immediate connection with the material and presented Fincher with a proposal to expand upon his previous ideas, which he had used in several previous title sequences.
I took many photos on the table - I just shot burning money for the dead presidents, and actually, by cutting out "God" from the dollar bill, I thought about it when looking at the dollar bill with the word "God" burning in it, and I thought about what John Doe could do [3].
Patrick Clair, Raoul Marks – Westworld
The day awakens over an unfamiliar landscape. It's not the sun, and it's not the natural scenery of the American West. It's a horse's rib cage—not from a living creature, but from a manufactured toy for the amusement park. Robotic tools dance with precision, string wire piano strings and tendons, connecting key to hammer, muscle to bone. The horse begins to gallop, Muybridgian in its motion, gaining speed as the machines continue their work. A pale rider in the saddle, half-formed and half-unhinged, holds a six-shooter in hand. The detail of a narrowing pupil, the piano plays, and two lovers embrace, intertwined, exposed and unfinished bodies. The piano continues to play, this time without its pianist—it returns to the shaping tool and sinks into the fluid.
Based on Michael Crichton's 1973 science fiction thriller of the same name (which also served as a template for Jurassic Park amusement park), HBO produces Westworld, produced by Jonathan Nolan, Lisa Joy, and J.J. Abrams. The trio's vision is expansive and includes both the ersatz Wild West inhabited by cybernetic cowboys—or "hosts"—as well as the gleaming complex of a technological future, inhabited by caretakers and park creators. The park's attractions are enjoyed by regular visitors of Westworld or "newcomers," as they are called—who can fulfill their wildest and most depraved fantasies in a highly interactive environment, without any consequences.
Fig. 6. West World, creators Lisa Joy, Jonathan Nolan, 2016-2022.
Source: https://youtu.be/ZgvXU5R-xWs
The main titles by Elastic announce this ambitious vision—a "theme park for adults," evoking the works of Leonardo Da Vinci, Mamoru Oshii, and Chris Cunningham, while also pointing to broader ethical and existential themes contained within the boundaries of the story and this convoluted tourist attraction.
We witness the stages of creating cyborgs, which are technological works of art, manufactured at advanced workstations operated by robots. Both human and animal "models" are created, capable of the same behaviors as their living counterparts. To render the shots, the Octane renderer from Otoy, based on GPU technology, was used to speed up calculations. The Octane engine utilizes algorithms with correct spectral light—mathematically modeled and physically accurate. The wavelengths have properties similar to real ones, which ultimately results in more credible reproduction of light behavior in the 3D scene (Fig. 6).
Danny Yount
Danny Yount is a production designer and filmmaker based in Los Angeles. He has won numerous industry awards, including two Emmy Awards and one Emmy nomination. Working at Prologue Films, he designed and directed the main titles for films such as Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, Iron Man, Tron: Legacy, Iron Man 3, and Sherlock Holmes (Fig. 7.). For television, he designed and directed the award-winning main titles for the series Six Feet Under. He also created the opening titles for the Semi-Permanent Portland 2013 conference.
Fig. 7. Sherlock Holmes, dir. Guy Ritchie, 2009.
Source: https://youtu.be/YKfTT1gNY6s
His mastery of using negative space is immense. He can dramatically use typography to suggest the main storyline of the film. The title sequence has the character of newspaper clippings. We see many 19th-century newspaper headlines, from which we learn about Holmes and Watson's exploits, and we are eventually led to the opening scene of the film.
Article author
Bartłomiej Wróblewski, MA
WIT Academy graduate
[1] Walter Murch – Jon Krasner „Motion Graphic Design, Applied History and Aesthetics”, p.52 [translation by the author of this text]
[2] https://www.artofthetitle.com/title/se7en/ [translation by the author of this text]
[3] https://www.artofthetitle.com/title/se7en/ [translation by the author of this text]
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