Don't skip the intro!

"Title sequences can be like the first line of a novel, setting the tone and drawing the viewer into a different world". – Tamsin McGee, Huge Designs.

Several years ago Netflix introduced a feature – Skip Intro – that allows viewers with short attention spans to zip past the opening titles of a show and slam them straight into the first scene. As a former titles designer, I cry sacrilege! Here’s a quick defence of the art of the title sequence and I hope it makes you pause and think before hitting that skip button…

Although not directly comparable to say a book or album cover or a wine label, a great title sequence plays a similar role in film, tv and games. An opening sequence does not influence a decision to watch, buy or rent, (a good trailer might do that), but it certainly sets the scene and like a cover or label entices you in, informing you and setting up the mood for what’s to follow. A tasty starter, before the main meal.

From short, snappy title ‘stings’ (think Killing Eve) to highly complex film openers (think James Bond – any of them) the opening sequence has to convey basic information – ie the title of the show. It often additionally includes the leading cast members (in contractual order) and the director too for dramas; the event or subject matter for factuals and sometimes tertiary facts to help orientate the viewer – time, location, event etc. But beyond this the sequence has to engage the viewer – great imagery, compelling music, pace, composition and structure all combining to grab and hold attention. And unlike in print design the title designer has time, movement and sound to play with.

Some of the very best examples are arguably better than the content that follows (don’t judge a book by its cover!) and the genre is rightly considered an art form in its own right. The ‘Art of the Title’ and ‘Watch The Titles’ websites for example are great repositories of some of the best work around, with in depth analysis of stunning sequences by some of the best in the business, from pioneers Saul Bass and Maurice Binder through to contemporary artists such as the Greenberg Brothers, Daniel Kleinman, Kyle Cooper and Michelle Dougherty. Well worth a visit.

Here are a few notable examples just on the theme and legacy of Saul Bass - (They say that imitation is the best form of flattery)

North By Northwest (1959) - Designer: Saul Bass https://youtu.be/1ON67uYwGaw

Anatomy of a Murder (1959) - Designer: Saul Bass https://youtu.be/QccJ2L-7DVk

Catch Me If You Can (2002) - Designer: Florence Deygas https://youtu.be/aN715Rp4L74

Rango (2011) - Designer: Henry Hobson https://youtu.be/zI8nmhwzqCo

Feud: Betty and Joan (2017) - Designer: Oliver Kuntzel https://youtu.be/BIlaOajamlk

Having spent a considerable chunk of my own career designing, producing and directing title sequences, and being lucky enough to currently work with an amazing team of motion designers here at WORKS, I for one will never click the ‘Skip Intro’ button – even if it’s for the 20th episode of a box set – knowing how much skill and effort is required to tell a story in less than 30 seconds, it would be unforgivable!

https://www.artofthetitle.com/

https://www.watchthetitles.com/

WORKS - Motion Reel - https://vimeo.com/343645398

#saulbass #designer #titlesequence #motiongraphics