Title Sequences

The Work of Saul Bass

Saul Bass was an American graphic designer and filmmaker. He is very well known for this film posters and motion picture title sequences. During his long 40year career, he worked with some of the worlds best filmmakers including Alfred Hitchcock, Billy Wilder and Stanley Kubrick. Bass became widely known after creating a title sequence for Otto Preminger’s ‘The Man with the Golden Arm’ (1955).Towards the end of his career, Bass worked alongside Martin Scorsese and created the title sequence for the well known film, ‘Cape Fear’.

Saul Bass’ The Man with the Golden Arm (1955)

The subject to this film was a jazz musicians struggle to get over his heroin addiction. This was a huge taboo subject of the time that the film was made. Bass decided to create a controversial title sequence to match the films controversial subject. For the central image of the title sequence, Bass chose an arm. Even today, arms are a strong image relating to drug use. The sequence features an animated, white on black cut out arm portraying a heroin addict. As Bass expected, it caused quite a sensation when the film was released.

The Importance of a Title SequenceThe importance of a title sequence in a thriller is that it sometimes highlights some of the important elements in the film. It doesn’t give away any of the story but it still relates to it. The title sequence to the newer version of ‘The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo’ really entices the audience to watch the film because it shows a form of black liquid running though things like keyboards and wires, portraying that there will be elements of technology in the film. The image of the girl getting tied up really makes the audience feel anxious and wanting to know why she is tied up. Whilst watching this title sequence there were a lot of questions going around in my head. Why is she tied up? What is the meaning of the bees? Why is there loads of wires floating around? What is the black liquid resembling? This is a really good title sequence to look at because it really shows elements in the film but it also makes the audience want to continue watching so they are able to get answers for their many questions.

Title sequences also inform the audience to who the production company are. This can help the audience know if it’s a good film or not. They also show some of the names of the main actors. They help set the scene of the film alongside the opening shot. The music and the type of font they use when showing the names of actors etc. really helps as well. As our thriller is similar to the woman in black I chose to focus on that sequence. For this film, the title sequence is very different and makes you ask a lot of questions. The way that you seem to be moving through the clouds whilst seeing nice things like people getting married really makes the audience thing ‘is this even a horror film?’ Also that the sequence is bright and white really puts across a confusing aspect. White is usually connected with things like purity and innocence, these are not the main thing that is usually the main association in a horror film. if you compare this to the opening to Cape Fear, there is a significant difference between the colour and tone of music that is used. Using the Woman in Black as an example, title sequences can be really misleading but by doing this, it helps the audience really wonder about the film before it has even started. It also gets the audience in the mood for the sort of film that is in store for them. It also lets the audience know what type of thriller it is, you can tell straight away that the Woman in Black will be a physiological thriller because even in the title sequence you get questions in your mind about what is going on.