Saul Bass

Link to Hitchcocks Pyscho, 'shower scene':
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8VP5jEAP3K4


The opening of Pyscho is full of suspense,the viewer can then tell this film will thrill them.Psycho's opening sequence tells of the impending violence that will come,with the use of the high pitch string orchestra. The high pitch of the music,sets the viewers hairs on end,it makes them feel anxious,tense and terrified for what will happen. The building up of all the instruments builds suspension along withe pace which is quite fast;a victim being chased,a vision of helplessness and eeriness.  The dark colours link with the theme of horror and death,along with the graphics,which are distorted. The horizontal lines enter and exit the screen in a stabbing motion,again foreshadowing the violence. The names that appear are scrambled at first,suggesting an unhinged mind and the identities will be jumbled,expect the unexpected.


 Introducing the audience to a film, through mis en scene,lighting,sound and setting can often foreshadow events in the film. Theme is also another way to hint to the audience, each genre has conventions and rules to follow, which can also be used as an introduction to content of a film. The build up of instruments creates suspension and added with the black,white and neutral colour theme,adds no clue on which character to suspect of the upcoming violence,this makes the viewer suspcious of every person,until the action happens. However the graphics foreshadowing the violence,tell the audience,this will be a violent,shocking film with plenty of twists.

The opening title sequence,can set the tone for the whole film,a viewer will either be thrilled or bored by the title sequence,it preempts/foreshadows what will happen in the film. Saul Bass said 'making a main title was like making a poster, you're condensing the event into this one concept,this one metaphor;a back story that needs to be to told or a character that needs to be introduced' 




SAUL BASS: Further research

"My initial thoughts about what a title can do was to set mood and the prime underlying core of the film's story, to express the story in some metaphorical way. I saw the title as a way of conditioning the audience, so that when the film actually began, viewers would already have an emotional resonance with it."

Saul Bass was one of the original pioneers to realize a story could be told during the opening and closing credits of a film,using a variety of different techniques such as; animation,live action and type treatments. He believed that the credits were the real beginning of the story,in which the viewer would come to terms with the content of the film,using graphics and music and that the closing credits were a 'semi prologue' in which the story could come to a close in a logical experience.

May 8 1920,New York City,this legend was born and raised. Interested in art from a early age,he attended Brooklyn College,in which came his greatest influence Gyorgy Kepes.Deeply involved in his studies at the Modernist School of Design,the education he received here would be with him for the rest of his life.

In 1954 he received his chance to enhance the film viewers experience,designing and creating a title sequence for Carmen Jones, also creating mini narratives to help introduce the viewer to the film.
As Bass went forward, he proceeded in perfecting these thoughts, creating mini-narratives which would help bring the viewer into the film.

Writer Ken Coupland feels that in this respect, Bass is something of a magician:
"I believe that a great title sequence almost literally hypnotizes
you, especially the work of Saul Bass where there's a very strong
repetitive swirling motion and abstract things that happen that's
putting you into a dream-like state."

Some of Bass's early title work is very 'graphic design-centric' but as he went on, he moved away from that center, using a number of mediums, particularly animation. His work on two pictures in particular shows his knowledge and understanding of animation including it's effects and influences on it's audience and it's surroundings (here the feature that followed/proceeded it).





Analysis on Ocean's Eleven: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnG3OjIcN8M&feature=related



The animated text of the opening credits,are on a black background, with , colourful lights, which as the connotations of  Las Vegas, the colours are vivid and fun and reminescient of Las Vegas and the glamorous,rich fast paced lifestyle associated with living there.

The lights then transform into numbers,ascending 1-11, which introduces us to part of the film title and again reiterates the gambling,casino lifestyle of Vegas, with the fast pace of the number sequence. The use of this could pontetially introduced us, as opening sequences do, to the main characters, 11 main protagonists, as well as the fast pasted, exciting film.
However not only does the black background make the text more striking and prominent, it also hints at the darker, uglier side, in the glamorous lifestyle; addiction,debts and prostitution.
The lights then again transform into connotations of the Vegas lifestyle, with decking cards and fruit machines used in the prominent gambling scene in Vegas. This again acquaints the audience with potential events,settings and action that will take place in the  film.

The use of the 'male,female' animation, in the fruit machine, tells the audience, there will be a romance in  the story and as its shown in a fruit machine, it will be a gamble,lottery and risk. The use of this, would make the audience,more females potentially empathise more with the female character, as they could of potentially been her in position. However the sinister, angry look on the males face, will make the audience fearful for what he could do to his lover and intrigued about why he is feeling like this. As the characters disrupted a potential winning streak, it could be foreshadowing that the couple involved, will lose, whatever they have been trying to strive for.