Credits/Title Analysis

Credits/Title Analysis

Film title design is an essential part of any motion picture. The style used for the title and following credits are important, as they should blend in effectively with the genre, themes and narrative used within the film. Some of the famous main title designers of their time were responsible for the new creation of captivating title sequences, such as Al Hirschfield and Saul Bass.

Al Hirschfeld:

Albert Hirschfeld was an American caricaturist, best known for his black and white portraits of celebrities. He drew many original movie posters, such as those for ‘Charlie Chaplain’s’ films and ‘The Wizard of Oz’. Major film studios led film title art by employing artists like Hirschfeld. They were used to create artwork to set a mood and capture the audience before the movie started.

Saul Bass:

Saul Bass was an American graphic designer, best known for his design of motion picture title sequences, film posters and corporate logos. Within his career, he had worked with some of Hollywood’s most prestigious filmmakers such as Alfred Hitchcock. One of his famous title sequences includes the design for Otto Preminger’s movie, ‘The Man with the Golden Arm’. Before Saul Bass was introduced within the industry, the title sequences were generally static. The innovative and revolutionary graphic design work created by Bass shaped the film title sequences ever since. Bass used a very unique style compared to other title opening sequences as he used graphic design to create original designs that were not static.

Many title sequences within the modern film industry all use new and effective ways to portray their movie within the first few seconds before it has begun. The font, design, style and colours used represent the film in a specific way to engage the audience before the film begins. 

The ‘Sherlock Holmes’ title is written in bold lettering making it stand out from the lighter background. The background has the effect of being old, as a particular style had been used making it look as if it had a film reel flicking style. This could link in with the theme for the film, as the movie was set during the 1800’s, so the use of the effect may be successful as it is relevant to the narrative style used. 

The ‘World War Z’ title is effective as the font is written in a metallic style. This could suggest the movie may be about guns that connote danger and violence. The use of emphasising the ‘Z’ within the title also makes it stand out as the audience may wonder what it stands for. The use of the slow fade in and out of the title also makes it dramatic as the audience may anticipate what happens next.  

The ‘Paranormal Activity’ title uses a unique effect of making the lettering seem as if it is flicking and like a static television. These effects are conventions of horror films so the sequence may be effective in delivering fear within the audience before the film has begun. The use of the bright colours with shading upon a black background also makes it stand out and give an eerie sense, linking to the theme and genre of the film.