Pull Curtain Before Titles - The Screenshot book by Silke Van Dyck

PULL CURTAIN BEFORE TITLES — The screenshot book

Projectionists — pull curtain before titles This note, stuck on the cans of film reels for Otto Preminger’s contentious new movie, The Man with the Golden Arm, sparked the industry’s capricious love affair with film titles. The year was 1955 and Preminger knew that his collaboration with graphic designer Saul Bass had produced something interesting. And he wanted his audience, who were normally spared the dull roll of credits, to see it. That simple cut-out of a heroin addict’s arm caused a sensation.

Silke Van Dyck

TABLE OF CONTENTS Selected title sequence design history

Title sequences tryouts & experiments

Index

Historical research

Chronological proces

SELECTED TITLE SEQUENCE DESIGN HISTORY Historical research

MY MAN GODFREY 1936

I WAKE UP SCREAMING 1941

THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN ARM 1955 SAUL BASS

NORTH BY NORTHWEST 1959 SAUL BASS

DR. NO 1962 MAURICE BINDER

THE PINK PANTHER 1963 FRIZ FRELENG

A SHOT IN THE DARK 1964 FRIZ FRELENG

DR. STRANGELOVE 1964 PABLO FERRO

Title Designer Pablo Ferro speaks about his work on Dr. Strangelove in this excerpt from the feature article Pablo Ferro: A Career Retrospective.

Dr. Strangelove was produced under your company FMS, right? Right. I was doing commercials and I created a new way to cut and that’s why I got popular. That’s how Stanley saw my work. He saw my reel and he loved it. He said, “I would like you to do the trailer for Strangelove because I like your commercials.” He said we could sell the movie as a product. I said that would be great. So the trailer came first. How did the titles come about? So we had the whole campaign and he talked me into staying [in the UK] for six or seven months. I said to him, “I have a company and I have to do commercials,” and he said, “You can do commercials here.” He made it very pleasant; I had a beautiful house in London and he gave me a telephone number if I ever needed a car. No matter what time I called I would get one! He didn’t need me all the time, so I did several commercials while I was there. The titles for Strangelove were last-minute; I didn’t have much time to produce it. It came up because of a conversation between Stanley and I. Two weeks after I finished with everything, he and I were talking. He asked me what I thought about human beings. I said one thing about human beings is that everything that is mechanical, that is invented, is very sexual. We looked at each other and realized — the B-52, refueling in mid-air, of course, how much more sexual can you get?! He loved the idea. He wanted to shoot it with models we had, but I said let me take a look at the stock footage, I am sure that [the makers of those planes] are very proud of what they did and, sure enough, they had shot the plane from every possible angle. There’s one particular angle where the planes were attached to each other and they were swaying up and down, up and down. I asked him if we could shoot something like that and he said no, use the stock footage. I got the stock and started putting it together and when I was about finished cutting it into more pieces he came in with a piece of music.

An instrumental of “Try a Little Tenderness.” I agreed and to our amazement the music was doing the same thing! It was swaying up and down. “Try a Little Tenderness”… I didn’t have to adjust anything in the cut. And how did you develop the lettering? I tried to do the lettering like it’s usually done in films, but he said, “Pablo, I don’t know whether to look at the lettering or look at the plane. We have to see both at the same time.” I said to myself, oh boy, how could you do that? I remembered that I do my own lettering, just doodling around, thin and tall and things like that, and I thought I’d try that. We did a test and it worked! Stanley filled the screen with my lettering. It was perfect! You could see the plane and you could see the lettering at the same time. The challenge was that I had to do everything, all the layout, and then when I had just done the last layout, he asked me: “Where’s your name?” I didn’t know I was supposed to put my name! The only open space was between two parts so I did it there, very little. You have to look for it. From then on, it was amazing working with him. I never thought that lettering I did was anything special — the only person there that liked it was Stanley. Well it’s very iconic now, and has become the particular style that you are known for. Dr. Strangelove type example

Pablo: Right, it’s almost a stock now that’s being used by everybody. I just finished a font book, part one, and it has lettering that I created that’s never been shown before. The Strangelove lettering is in there also and I am working now on part two. It’s amazing what you can do with lettering, what kinds of shapes it could take to make an A or B and each would be different. I took a look at a bunch of graffiti books. There was some great lettering in there but you couldn’t read it, so I took that and made it my own style. I am going to continue to do some more of that.

THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY 1966 IGINIO LARDANI

BARBARELLA MAURICE BINDER 1968

THE ANDROMEDA STRAIN 1971 UNIVERSAL TITLE/ATTILA DE LADO

SUPERMAN 1978 RICHARD GREENBERG

HIGHER LEARNING 1995 SAUL BASS

MARS ATTACKS! 1996 ROBERT DAWSON

LE SOUFFLEUR 2005 JULIEN WIDMER

ENTER THE VOID 2009 TOM KAN

Like sighs from a scythe in a wheat field of psychosis, the opening title sequence for Gaspar Noé’s Enter the Void is a melting onslaught of typographic design foisted upon the senses. This unrelenting visual overdose hacks pleasurably at the viewer, as the tip of a nail does finding its destiny. Names become bright little deaths fired to a machine gun beat; the images encircle your pupils as LFO’s “Freak” drives the nail deeper. A discussion with Designer Tom Kan, with additional commentary by Thorsten Fleisch.

Please describe the first creative discussion you had with director Gaspar Noé. Pierre Buffin, of BUF, put us in touch. When we first spoke, Gaspar was already in post-production for his film. He was in the picture-editing phase and looking for a graphic designer to work on his title sequence. Gaspar already had an idea for it: he wanted a fastpaced compilation of typefaces, all very different, inspired by films, flyers, and neon signs to announce the tone of the film. It was a peculiar case because the title sequence was in French, English and Japanese… He is very sensitive when it comes to typography — he had already done some himself for movies and posters. He even collects film posters. The sequence is a typographer’s wet dream (or alternatively their nightmare). How were the various fonts and characters chosen? The choice of typefaces came rather naturally. After coming up with a large selection in line with the film’s mood, we simply chose the ones that best suited the characters and the personalities of those in the team. Gaspar wanted each title to reflect the person it concerned. It was a beautiful homage and proof of his respect for the members of the team — a way to thank them. Many typefaces and designs did not get used because the time limit was set — the sound mix was already done and it was impossible to extend. I think we used only 60% of the designs, all in all. Every typeface used in the sequence seems to be a reference to other famous film title or poster fonts. What was the typeface you selected for your own credit and why? We appropriated different typefaces, but we never wanted to copy the titles from other films in an obvious way since I thought that would be misleading. For my own credit, I went in many different directions: aged typefaces in metal, Kanji and Japanese calligraphy, techno typography… In the end, I let Gaspar choose and he went with the biggest, most legible type!

Type variations

Were you involved in any way with filmmaker Thorsten Fleisch who handled the electrophotographies of the words “Enter The Void”? Gaspar was in contact with Fleisch and that typography was already done. His work really impressed me — it imbued my work with a force. LFO’s pounding track, “Freak” also plays an important role in the title sequence. How was the music chosen and did it influence the conception or development of the sequence? Gaspar explored several musical avenues. This song particularly imposed itself since it’s very energetic — very pushy. Over several weeks, Gaspar and his editor adjusted the typefaces’ succession to the rhythm. During that stage, I produced new designs, modified the colours according to the edit. I went to him with several attempts on the sequence, all quite fastpaced, but I think he was very happy with the first run. I worked on the transitions image-by-image, always in fast cuts to give the playback some vibration. I wanted to explore retinal persistence and the limits of readability, which I find the most interesting part of this work. For me, that was the aim. It was very artisanal work. Then for each festival and film screening, we reworked the sequence because the public reception was so enthusiastic. In many ways the credit sequence prepares the viewer for the subsequent film experience — it’s a jarring and grueling onslaught that does more to set the tone of the film than actually show the audience who produced and starred in it. Yes, it functions as a real gateway. Like a prelude or a prologue, we can explain or complete a part of the story. In our case, the title sequence needed to reflect a colourful and varied universe full of rhythm to prepare the audience for Gaspar’s film. Its crescendo rhythm leads you to a euphoric ascension. You feel the visual and auditory onslaught. You don’t need to read, you just experience the typefaces, the names and the music. I find it to be a successful contrast to the really calm first scene.

Enter the Void film still

What is the reason for using two sets of credits at the beginning of the film? A full set appears in a strobing style and then directly after are the main typographic treatments you produced. Why both?

The ‘opening’ end credits

Gaspar always begins his films with the end credits — he intends to create a gateway to his story with the titling sequence at the start. In his other film Irreversible with Monica Bellucci and Vincent Cassel, the whole story was a flash-back. The film starts with the end credits to tell the story using an incredible flashback structure. When we discussed these opening titles with Gaspar, he wanted to credit the crew in a radical rhythm instep with the music. Then he wanted to increase that visual rhythm and dramatize the titles in order to bring the spectator to a visual climax with the names of the actors. And again, it’s his way of thanking the whole crew. How creatively satisfying is it to break with traditional approaches to title design and come away with something as special as this? There was tremendous satisfaction working the way we did. Gaspar placed a lot of importance on this sequence. It was important to explore and push the graphics and visually, we knew it would have a strong impact. How does one approach working with a provocative genius who understands that his vision must exceed the risk involved?

Paz de la Huerta working credit

Gaspar gave me a lot of freedom and I hold dearly the experience of working on this title sequence, because experimentation and research played a huge role. It was a real laboratory. I really believe that Gaspar is among those creators who advance the progress of their field by considering the title sequence as its own whole. Talk to us about the influence of Jean-Luc Godard’s opening for A Woman Is a Woman, a film that shares a few themes with Enter the Void. Actually, I had never heard of that sequence before finishing this project. Gaspar didn’t mention it.

I find it very modern for its time; it is very efficient and catchy. The typography over the black background is a bold choice. The titling becomes an essential element to the opening and the presentation. I’m not surprised that this structure and graphic form has already been exploited. Also, how do you feel about the influence of your sequence on other media? For example, Kanye West’s “All Of The Lights” video. I had mixed feelings when Gaspar sent me the link to the video when it first came out. I was amused that my work was being referenced by a well-known artist, but I was also disappointed that he had not contacted Gaspar nor myself to work on it. Kanye West had sought out artists in the past to illustrate his videos. The first version of his video was very, very — maybe too much — inspired by the graphics and the mood of our title sequence. The similarities were too blatant and I believe plagiarism always devalues the imitator. Even if it’s an homage, there must be an added personal touch. It was good for him and his team that they re-worked the designs for a very different second version. What recent work has taken you by surprise? Who inspires you? I am pleasantly surprised by the rise and popularity of motion graphics and the richness of its production. In an indie kind of way, a new generation of graphic artists can express themselves through video and audio production at a low cost, which used to be impossible. Blogs and the Internet then relay these creations and allow creators to benefit from this very accessible means of distribution. As for my sources of inspiration, it varies. Anything that opens my eyes and makes me curious is inspiring. Each day I discover new things. And what’s next? I don’t know what awaits me. I take on projects in a heartbeat — when it’s love at first sight! The motivation must remain and each project is a new adventure.

KROLL SHOW 2013 JONATHAN KRISEL / CRIS SHAPAN

TYPOMAD 2014 2014 JEROEN KRIELAARS

Conference title sequences, unlike their film and television counterparts, have an unfortunate tendency to be unfocused, meandering pieces; a list of names with little in the way of context and a theme far removed from the topic at hand. Typomad 2014 is thankfully an exception to this rule. This is a sequence about typography, how it is created, and how we understand it. A discussion with designer Jeroen Krielaars of Calango.

Give us a little background on yourself, and your design studio Calango. I studied concepts and brands at the Amsterdam Fashion Institute. It gave me certain creative skills, but I quickly discovered that a career in fashion was not for me. I always enjoyed the graphic design and presentation of my projects more than the actual content. So, in the evenings I taught myself the basic principles of design and played around with software. Right after my graduation I worked at MTV Networks for a month. That’s when I decided to start my own business, as working for a boss was not my cup of tea. I started small, by doing some flyers and animations for Club 11, one of Amsterdam’s best night clubs back then. From there it slowly grew into a more serious practice. Now, almost 10 years later, I’m having the success I dreamed of back then. It feels really good to have achieved so many goals, while still having lots of goals to strive for. I’m still mostly a one-man company, but I have a great network of freelancers around me, so I can comfortably service larger clients as well. How were you approached for this project? A friend was one of the speakers. I had just done my first talk about my side business Animography at a small event called High On Type. I wanted in on the action at Typomad so I contacted them. Instead of a talk, I got asked to do the opening titles. Last year’s titles were done by Tavo. They did a great job and set the bar pretty high. And later on I also got invited to do that talk after all. Could you tell us about the original concept for the title sequence and how you developed the visual puzzle ideas. The theme of the event was “oculto,” or in English: the hidden part of type. So I started to think of ways to distort, hide and reveal typography. I’ve been playing around with flat colors in 3D for a while. It allows me to use true 3D perspective without losing the graphic look and feel that I love.

Initial sketches and type reveal concepts

This project was a perfect chance to do real significant project within that style. Because all the colors are

flat, I could hide all kinds of geometry within certain perspectives. With that in mind, I started to sketch out all kinds of ideas on paper. How was it working with Typomad? What was the feedback process like? It was very nice, because they trusted my judgement and gave me a lot of freedom. After showing them a little moodboard with some references, and a really brief explanation of my concept, they gave me the green light to get started. I checked in with them a couple of times to make sure everything was up to expectations. It was a breeze. No killed darlings. No cutting corners. Nothing of all that. A little friction between me and a client is usually good. But this time they kept a certain distance and just let me do my thing. It felt really good and I am very pleased with the end result. The best project and best client of 2014. Were there any visual puzzle ideas that you ended up not using? Yes, a couple. I had some sketches that I did not use. And only one animated scene that just was not interesting enough. Which tools and software did you use to put it all together? I used pencil and paper, Cinema 4D to build everything, and After Effects for a little compositing. What is the typeface used, and how was it chosen? I was given a list of typefaces that were designed by the speakers. I went with Lasiver, a very nice clear typeface that matched perfectly with the whole concept. It remains strong even when I distort it in various ways. It stays interesting in large sizes and still offers great readability in smaller sizes. That last quality is extremely important in motion, because you can only see it for a limited time. It came in plenty of weights to choose from. I used the black weight for the initials and the medium weight for the full names. Various weights of the Lasiver font

What elements of this sequence are you most happy with? What are some of your favorite reveals in the piece? I like the scene with Dave Crossland, because I think it’s just a really clever reveal. I think a lot of people miss how it works when first seeing it, but that’s okay. I like it when people scrub back to really catch the trick. The scene with Rafa Galeano is another favorite. The same trick is used with in the bird/cage optical illusion. It is so simple, but really fits Rafa since he is also a motion designer with a love for typography. But I like the scenes of Octavio Pardo and Erich Scheichelbauer the most. It was such fun to build little machines like that and figure out all the math behind it. It enabled me to operate them with just two or three keyframes. It feels like you’re really building your own little invention. What was the music and sound design process like? Filmstills Typomad 2014

I worked together with Matteo Taheri from Pastelle Music for that. He is one of my trusted sound designers. I instructed him to let the sound determine the feeling of the materials. With these flat colors you have no clue of scale or material. Take the rolling balls for example. With sound you can make it feel like glass marbles rolling on grainy wood. That has a very distinct sound. Rubber balls on a smooth surface sound totally different. Since the visuals are so minimal, the sound is 50% of the experience. We had a few rounds of revisions to make it sound just perfect. The visuals are very digital, so I wanted audio to form a contrast. Like they were little mechanics the were hand build with small servo motors etc. For the music Matteo presented me with two options. A poppy beat, which was not at all what I had in mind. And a more cinematic piece. It reminded me of a Harry Potter-esque atmosphere. It really took the whole piece to a new direction. It became adventurous in a small contained way. It could also work for an opening scene for a movie with tiny people living in human houses. Much like The Secret World of Arrietty from Studio Ghibli. It really grew on me.

What are some of your personal favorite title sequences, either classic or contemporary? This is a small selection of the sequences I really like: TEDx Tianhe by Bito, MAD 2014 by Sebas & Clim, and the MTV EMA 2012 opener by Sehsucht. Was there anything that took you by surprise when working on this sequence? Not really. The process was really smooth. It was hard to come up with all the different puzzles, but the actual production went fluid. Normally I run into a huge problem because I canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t seem to build what I had in mind. I was waiting for that moment to happen, so I had to take a few steps back and try something different. That didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t happen this time. Maybe that was the surprise. That everything went according to plan for once. What excites you outside of design? I like to spend time with my 4-year-old son, reliving my own childhood. Play with cars, build robots from Lego, looking at nice illustrated books, and have a good wrestling match on the couch. To clear my mind from stress at the studio I go to the climbing gym. The focus that is required to make it to the top is a form of meditation for me.

TITLE SEQUENCES TRYOUTS & EXPERIMENTS

Chronological proces

CRYSTAL 2014 CHELL STEPHEN

BACK TO THE FUTURE 1985 ROBERT ZEMECKIS

THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL 2014 WES ANDERSON

HER 2013 SPIKE JONZE

INTO THE WILD 2007 SEAN PENN

WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE 2009 SPIKE JONZE

DRIVE 2011 NICOLAS WINDING REFN

HOW THE WEST WAS WON 1962 JOHN FORD

BRAZIL 1985 TERRY GILLIAM

MON ONCLE 1958 JACQUES TATI

GUMMO 1997 HARMONY KORINE

RUBBER 2010 QUENTIN DUPIEUX

THE ROYAL TENENBAUMS 2001 WES ANDERSON

STEVE + SKY 2004 FELIX VAN GROENINGEN

MAN WITH A MOVIE CAMERA 1929 DZIGA VERTOV

PINK FLAMINGOS 1972 JOHN WATERS

NOSTALGIA FOR THE LIGHT 2010 PATRICIO GUZMÁN

COFFEE AND CIGARETTES 2003 JIM JARMUSCH

100

COFFEE AND CIGARETTES 2003 JIM JARMUSCH

101

102

NETWORK 1976 SIDNEY LUMET

103

INDEX

CRYSTAL 2014 CHELL STEPHEN

P 57

HER 2013 SPIKE JONZE

P 63 / 65

Typeface: vectrortrace of orginal font Crystal

Typeface: Helvetica Neue Light / Bold

Link:

crystalthefilm.com

Link:

myfonts.com

Effect:

write-on effect

Music:

no music was used in this intro

Effect:

text reveal to the sound of music computer screen look

Music:

Arcade Fire - Song On The Beach

Programs: Illustrator CC / After Effects CC Duration:

00:00:12

BACK TO THE FUTURE 1985 ROBERT ZEMECKIS

Duration: P 59

Typeface: Hitchcock typographica.org

Effect:

revealing images

Music:

no music was used in this intro

00:00:05 P 61

Link:

typography.com

Effect:

image rotation

Music:

Alexandre Desplat - Mr. Moustafa

Programs: Illustrator CC / After Effects CC 00:00:12

Effect:

write-on effect

Music:

Eddie Vedder - Tuolumne

P 67

Programs: After Effects CC Duration:

Typefaces: Archer & Futura

Duration:

INTO THE WILD 2007 SEAN PENN

Link: dafont.com

Programs: Illustrator CC / After Effects CC

THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL 2014 WES ANDERSON

00:00:45

Typeface: Daniel

Link:

Duration:

Programs: After Effects CC

00:00:37

WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE 2009 SPIKE JONZE

P 69

Typeface: Men in black credits Link:

dafont.com

Effect:

write-on effect

Music:

Igloo - Karen O And The Kids

Programs: After Effects CC Duration:

00:00:30

DRIVE 2011 NICOLAS WINDING REFN

P 71

Typeface: Futura medium condensed vectrortrace from Drive logo James White Link: myfonts.com cargocollective.com/signalnoise

MON ONCLE 1958 JACQUES TATI Typeface:

Karla Regular / Bold

Link:

fontsquirrel.com

Effect:

text reveal to the sound of music Franck Barcellini - Mon Oncle

Effect:

fade in text

Music:

Kavinsky - Nightcall

Programs: After Effects CC

Programs:

Illustrator CC / After Effects CC

Duration:

Duration: 00:00:52 HOW THE WEST WAS WON 1962 JOHN FORD

P 73

00:00:24

GUMMO 1997 HARMONY KORINE

Link:

myfonts.com

Effect:

classic text slide

Effect:

Music:

Alfred Newman - How the west was won

Music: no music was used in this intro

text reveal on queue with voice of the narrator wiggler effect

Programs: After Effects CC

Duration:

Duration: 00:02:15

00:01:00 P 75 / 77

RUBBER 2010 QUENTIN DUPIEUX

Typeface: Courier new

Typeface: Univers Bold

Link:

myfonts.com

Link:

myfonts.com

Effect:

typewriter effect zoom in / zoom out

Effects:

fast text slide

Music:

Michael Kamen - The Office

Music:

Rubber - Mr. Oizo

Programs: Photoshop CC / After Effects CC Duration: 00:00:35

P 81 / 83

Typeface: Heavyweight Deutsch Gothic Link: fontsquirrel.com

Typeface: Friz Quadrata Bold

BRAZIL 1985 TERRY GILLIAM

P 79

Programs: After Effects CC Duration:

00:00:45

P 85

THE ROYAL TENENBAUMS 2001 WES ANDERSON

P 85 / 87

MAN WITH A MOVIE CAMERA 1929 DZIGA VERTOV

Typeface: Futura Bold Weiss Bold Archer Light Italic Avant Garde Gothic Bold Courier New SF Sports Night Saddlebag Helvetica Times New Roman Bold

Typeface: Arial Black

Link:

P 93

Link:

myfonts.com

Effect:

3D-effect

Music:

For a Minor Reflection - Kyrrð

Programs:

After Effects CC

myfonts.com fontsquirrel.com

Duration:

00:00:22

Effect:

the fonts are used as typographic translation of the characteristics of the different personas. sliding Text

PINK FLAMINGOS 1972 JOHN WATERS

Music:

Ysaÿe Quartet - String Quartet in F Major The Clash - Police & Thieves

Typeface: Dickie Link:

novolume.co.uk

Programs: After Effects CC

Effect:

tv warp / wiggler

Duration:

Music:

Link Wray - The Swag

00:00:26

STEVE + SKY 2004 FELIX VAN GROENINGEN

P 91

P 95

Programs: After Effects CC Duration:

00:00:15

Link:

myfonts.com

NOSTALGIA FOR THE LIGHT 2010 PATRICIO GUZMÁN

Effect:

neon effect

Typeface: Univers Thin Ultra Condensed

Music:

Explosions in the Sky - Look into the Air`

Link:

myfonts.com

Programs:

After Effects CC

Effect:

text to dust

Duration:

00:00:13

Music:

Miranda y Tobar - Nostalgia de la Luz

Typeface: Arial Rounded MT Bold

Programs: After Effects CC Duration:

00:00:53

P 97

COFFEE AND CIGARETTES 2003 JIM JARMUSCH

P 99 / 101

Typeface: Brandon Grotesque Light / Bold Link: myfonts.com Effect:

smoke reveal text

Music:

Richard Berry - Louie Louie

Programs: Photoshop CC / After Effects CC Duration: 00:00:22 NETWORK 1976 SIDNEY LUMET

P 103

Typeface: Incised 901 Nord Link: myfonts.com Effect:

80â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s text old tv effect

Music:

no music was used in this intro

Programs: After Effects CC Duration:

00:00:22

Design & Layout Silke Van Dyck Graphic Design St Lucas University College of Art & Design, Antwerp 2014 - 2015 silke@silkevandyck.be www.silkevandyck.be

Blog www.silkevandyck.be/onderzoek

Print Provo nv Brulens 23B 2275 Gierle +32 (0)14 61 86 01

Typefaces Body text: Univers Light 10pt Titles: Alegreya Bold pt12 Caption: Univers Light 8pt

Selected title sequence design history www.artofthetitle.com www.watchthetitles.com www.titledesignproject.com

Thanks To everyone who has supported me in any way, to bring this project to a successful end.

PULL CURTAIN BEFORE TITLES —

The screenshot book