The Art of the Title Sequence

Art of the Title at SXSW

Just a quick reminder that Alex and I will be attending the “Title Design Finalist Screening” this evening at 7pm.

Event Details:

Title Design Finalist Screening
Monday, March 15 at 07:00 PM at the Austin Convention Center.
http://my.sxsw.com/events/event/2203
Location: G-Tech

We’ll also be doing an “Studio SX” interview on Tuesday with Austin Kleon.

STUDIO SX
Tuesday, March 16 at 03:30 PM at the Austin Convention Center.
http://my.sxsw.com/events/event/7822

Ian Albinson & Alex Ulloa (panelists, The Art of the Title Sequence) – interviewed by Austin Kleon (panelist)
STUDIO SX provides an intimate and casual atmosphere for industry leaders, speakers and artists from around the world to discuss what is current in the interactive industry today. StudioSX is located on the 4th floor of the Austin Convention Center, and schedule updates will be posted next to the stage daily, as well as online at http://sxsw.com/music/talks/studio_sx.
These interviews will be posted on SXSW’s youtube channel — www.youtube.com/sxsw.

Hope to see you there!

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Up in the Air (+ Gareth Smith interview)

Up in the Air contact sheet

Keeping a sense of scale at arm’s length.

Shadowplay Studios’ opening title sequence for director Jason Reitman’s “Up in the Air” intoxicates us with neatly happenstance compositions of a casual topology from a commuter’s perspective with music by Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings that savors common ground. Just below the stratosphere there is our gaze and our patterns. We’re big, we’re small.

INTERVIEW
A Q&A with Gareth Smith of Shadowplay Studio.

Art of the Title: What were the initial design stages like, from the early inspirations to the development process? How many different concepts did you go through?

Gareth Smith: The script for Up in the Air was fantastic, and a real inspiration for us. It was different from Jason’s other films… more adult, sophisticated and darker.

A title sequence that incorporated aerial footage was our first thought. We assembled a gallery of interesting aerial photography that had an abstract quality and sent it off to Jason. We looked at the artwork and photography of Andy Goldsworthy, Ed Ruscha and Alex MacLean during our research. Our initial thought was to do it by hand somehow – perhaps painting the aerial shots with a subdued color palette. We assumed that there would be NO WAY to actually shoot this footage, given the budget of the title sequence.

My co-designer (Jenny Lee) and I got married right before Jason started shooting the film. And then we left for a long honeymoon while the film was in production. We returned from our trip, refreshed and ready to make a title sequence, and Jason surprised us by showing us that he had captured hours and hours of beautiful aerial footage, shot at a high altitude from a JET. Our jaws kind of dropped when we saw a rough edit of some of the footage in the film. He was planning on using a number of these shots throughout the film for city title cards as well. This was an absolute gift, and we were thrilled to have access to such spectacular footage.

Jenny loves to fly, and she was super happy that her job was to watch a bunch of this footage and to edit it to music. I, on the other hand, hate to fly, but I’ll do it, because it gets you to places where drinks are served in coconuts and where you can see buildings that were built earlier than 1960.

We prepared some simple style frames to show the general look of what we wanted to do. At this point we were thinking that the typography would have a dry, corporate look (think Helvetica and Bryant), a reference to the corporate visual theme that surrounds Ryan’s character in the film. Some of the style frames we created were supposed to look like internal corporate brochures (yawn). We thankfully ditched this approach a bit later in the process.


‘Cut Out’ styleframe (Click to Enlarge)


‘Modern’ styleframe (Click to Enlarge)


‘Modern Xerox’ styleframe (Click to Enlarge)




We discovered that the aerial footage did have an issue… because of the camera rig and altitude, it was heavily vignetted and very grainy. The negative, as the colorist described, was “thin,” meaning there wasn’t a lot of material to work with on the negative.

We decided, therefore, to try to treat the footage – to degrade it further. We experimented with a technique where we printed each frame of the footage on an ink jet printer, then color xeroxed it to give it a vintage quality. At this point the music was going to be “Ramblin’ Man” by Hank Williams. It’s an old recording – and the vintage look was appropriate to the sound of the song. We all really loved this look, but Jason ended up changing the music to a modern recording of “This Land is Your Land,” so the heavily treated look didn’t work quite as well.




‘Modern Xerox’ motion test (Click to Watch Quicktime)




We eventually were invited to see some of the aerial footage in the color timing room, and we were actually really happy with how it looked (this was the first time we saw it projected). It had a real vintage style to it that made it look like it was shot in the 1970s. It looked like it could have been in The Conversation or The French Connection… super funky color that makes you think of jumping and sliding over the hood of a Trans Am. The vignetting and grain accentuated this look, and we decided to go ahead and use the footage as it was, but color correct it to push the vintage look a bit.


Aerial footage still selection (Click to Enlarge)




At this point we were looking a lot at postcards from the 60s and 70s, specifically ones that feature incredibly dull locations. One was labeled “SO. DALE MABRY (U.S. 92) AT HENDERSON BLVD.” Makes you want to visit, right? Can’t wait.


Postcard reference (Click to Enlarge)




These inspired the color treatment, the typography and the simple split screens (with white borders) throughout the sequence. This look really helped the sequence capture the nostalgia for how commercial flight used to be – romantic and fun… back when people actually wanted to fly, and airlines used to have super cool advertising like this:




TWA advertisement (Click to Enlarge)




The sequence ultimately depicts the world as Ryan (George Clooney) sees it: distant, abstract, and detached. Landmarks (like the St. Louis Arch) are visible in the sequence, but they blend into the scenery because of the high altitude of the photography. I love the aerial photography in this sequence, because it shows the world from a different point of view than we’re used to in films. It’s the view you see when you’re flying in a jet, where the world takes on a bit of an orthographic, Google-Earth-like 2D quality.

ATS: How involved were you with the live action aerial photography?

GS: Most of the footage from the title sequence was shot by Robert Mehnert. He shot the 35mm material. These shots have that slightly vintage, shot-in-the-70s quality that we loved so much.




Aerial DP, Robert Mehnert:

“The film aerials were shot from a LearJet 25 operated by WolfeAir and Piloted by Tom McMurtry and Ace Beal, both former NASA test pilots and flight crew on the 747 that transports the Space Shuttle.

The camera system is called VectorVision. It uses an Arriflex 435 looking through a periscope relay lens to a dome on the belly of the airplane. We can pan 360 degrees and tilt down about 56 degrees, so to shoot straight down we either have to sideslip the plane or pitch over which would constitute a dive. For the straight down shots we sideslipped. Diving in the Lear yields overly exciting results and is unadvisable.

We shot 27 cities in five days with the Lear, plus clouds mountains and general scenery. The night shots had to be done with the digital HD camera [shot by Dylan Goss] as the Vector Vision is only about a T4 lens speed.

Originally we had talked about shooting straight down from 30,000 feet to get a Google Earth type look. But at that altitude the port tends to gather ice and that’s a lot of atmosphere to be shooting through. Even at 12,000 feet we were plagued with haze in most parts of the country except Miami and San Francisco. That’s the price you pay for shooting in June or July.”




GS: Dylan Goss shot the high definition material that we used in the sequence, and most of the aerial shots that are used in the film itself. We used his footage for the “George Clooney,” “UP IN THE AIR,” “Anna Kendrick,” and the fabulous crop circle shots just before and under “Chris Lowell.” This material was much crisper than the film footage (as high definition tends to be), so we actually had to degrade it a bit to match the look of the film. This shoot took place late in the process, so we were able to make several very specific requests for footage from this shoot. We asked for a shot to go with the “ribbon of highway” lyric, and several more cloud shots that we could use for the main title card.




Aerial DP, Dylan Goss:

“We used a Cessna 337 airplane also known as a Skymaster. Normally I fly in jet helicopters that are much more sophisticated machines with more power and a much higher cost per hour to operate. The plane was chosen for its economy and ability to transit at a higher speed when not filming since we had such a large area to cover it helped. One thing that was probably mis-understood about this choice is that most of the altitudes we worked at 8k’ or 10k’ (we maxed out at about 13-15k’) can be done in a helicopter and the plane didn’t give a huge advantage there. With the unpressurized cabin the pilot and I wore oxygen masks at or above 10k’.

The camera was a hi-def-only system called the Gyron that is housed partially in an 18″ ball. The smaller size of this system allows it to be mounted on the aircraft with minimal weight or structural issues. This was a pre-engineered solution that has been used mainly I believe for sports broadcasting and such where the planes low cost and ability to stay up in the air for a long time before refueling (endurance) make it a good choice.
The camera ball mounts on a vertical track that sits against the left middle side of the plane and allows the ball to be lowered below the fuselage in flight for a more clear view (360′ when aimed somewhat downward). This system is small due to the fact that it only houses the head of a Sony 950 4:4:4 1080p camera while the camera body, controls and record deck are all remote and located inside the aircraft. The gyron ball is married to this Sony system and it is a permanent part of it.




Production photos by Dylan Goss (Click for Slideshow)





With the deck being inside the aircraft I can change tapes etc. without landing. One of the few things we need to land for other than fuel is to wipe the lens if we get anything on it – usually bugs while landing and taking off if the camera is not stowed looking backward. Rain is another issue that is tricky, just a few drops in the wrong spot and it’s a long time down and back up to land. Those are “normal” aerial issues though.

The basic flight characteristics of an airplane took some getting used to. I was in the rear of this plane with small high mounted windows and a poor view (I would use the camera to sight around me. Re-doing things (a second take for example) was unpractical unless the shot was really required – the time to circle back was prohibitive sometimes. Also due to the tight production schedule and the show being essentially done, I often would have small windows to work in – shoot some city at 2pm in higher light since we needed to get to the next by sundown.



‘In Flight’ movie (Click to Watch Quicktime)





From a schedule standpoint one thing that helped was the long endurance of the plane – up to 4.5 hours flying between landings. We would sometimes shoot one city on takeoff, fly to another and film it and land in a third possibly filming it on the way in. When I had cell coverage I spent a little down time trying to figure out some local quick food where we were headed. I am crazy about this very polarizing St. Louis pizza and had one ordered before we landed for 45 minutes of downtime for fuel and rest. Wichita meant Steak-N-Shake burgers I think. Omaha meant a serious steak. All this and GPS based Facebook updates at each landing kept it an adventure after over 5000 miles flown and I think at least five hours of usable footage.”




ATS: What’s your favorite part of the process?

GS: We love the collaboration with the director and other creative folks who work on the film. It’s such a great vibe working with Jason and his team because everyone just wants to make a great movie. We also loved being able to work with, and edit, the beautiful aerial photography we had access to.

Another fun part of this particular title sequence was being able to work with the colorist to create the look of the shots.

ATS: How do you stay fresh?

GS: I think it’s important to be able to turn work off, outside of work. It’s important to let your mind contemplate other things than the specific creative task you’re working on. We love to travel and try to get out of the city as often as possible to clear our heads. Jenny and I never planned on becoming title designers – we kind of just stumbled into this career. Because of that, we don’t live and breathe title design. That said, we love the work, and especially enjoy meeting and working with such talented creative people.

ATS: You’re three for three with Director Jason Reitman. Is this a career for Shadowplay?

GS: I think that our title design work, especially the work we’ve done with Jason, will be what Shadowplay is remembered for. Title design is such a visible form of design, and we’re very lucky to be able to do it. And we’re lucky to be able to work with Jason, who repeatedly directs high quality films that both critics and audiences enjoy. I hope that we’ll be able to continue this collaboration for many years!

ATS: How does Jason approach the title sequences to his films? Please tell us a little bit about the shorthand you’ve developed with him over each of his films.

GS: A good opening title sequence is particularly important to Jason – it’s one of his signatures.

He brings us in very early in the process. For both Juno and Up in the Air, he sent us the screenplay well before he shot each film so we could have some time to work out concepts for the title sequence, and see if there were any ways to take advantage of the physical production. For Juno – we came up with the simple transition idea of Juno walking behind some sort of vertical element that we could use to wipe into the animated world. I sent him the storyboard while he was shooting the movie, and he ended up getting that shot for us. And we were able to go up to Vancouver to photograph Ellen Page – taking advantage of the live action production to help make a stronger title sequence.

Working with Jason is a true collaboration. He trusts us to do what we do well, and we respect and like him very much. It feels much more like doing work for a friend than our typical client relationship. He leaves us alone to explore concepts and to develop the design. And when he makes comments and criticism, he’s spot on and always takes the sequence in an even better direction.

And just as important – he sticks up for us throughout the post production process and helps us get what we need to do our jobs well. With Up in the Air – we were able to spend a number of hours color correcting the footage with his colorist, Natasha Leonnet, for the opening title sequence – a luxury that we often don’t have as title designers. Because the title sequence is so important to Jason, it’s important to everyone else in the post production process.

FILM DETAILS
USA | 2009 | Color | 1.85:1 | English | DVD/Blu-ray
CREDITS
Design Company: Shadowplay Studio
Title Designers: Gareth Smith and Jenny Lee
Additional animation: Sean Starkweather
Producer: Ari Sachter-Zeltzer
Music: Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings
LINKS

Web Extra iconShadowplay Studio

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Archer

A fun step through espionage nostalgia, a ball becomes a blip becomes a bullet becomes a drip connecting the brightly colored character facets in the opening to Adam Reed’s very funny “Archer.”

Art Director Neal Holman details the creation of the title sequence for us.

PROJECT BREAKDOWN
Neal Holman: I animated this sequence in about four days, just as we were wrapping production on the pilot. My plan from the very start was to do an open using silhouettes in some form or fashion. Saul Bass and some later Saul Bass-esque opens, like Catch Me If You Can and Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, were pretty heavy influences. Even the end sequence of The Incredibles. Anything that had that sort of deft blend of fun and action went into the pot.

I saw the mock Saul Bass Star Wars open a few years ago, around the time when we were working on our previous series, The Xtacles and I loved it, just the playfulness of it. It was simple, but really fun, so that prompted a lot of research into that style, who had done it before etc.

Star Wars vs. Saul Bass (Click to Watch YouTube)

Originally, I had this idea that the silhouettes would be made of fire, moving over top of a burned/textured background. I loved the end titles of 300, the depth they achieved by zooming past elements to reveal the next sequence. The “grungy” textures in the back would be separated into various elements, so we can move past them or pan off them, creating a 3D world affect. The in-house mockups below were done to test the look.

Early “Grunge” look test (Click to Enlarge)

The mockups aren’t perfect, but the idea is there. At this time we were all starting to tire of grunge logos and effects, so ultimately we decided not to go this route.

Early “Grunge” look test (Click to Enlarge)

Another approach was to go for more of a cleaner, halftone effect. I liked it as a still, but in movement it wasn’t translating.

Early “Halftone” look test (Click to Enlarge)

Though it might be hard to tell from the pic, the last mockup was the start of the opening sequence as we know it. Once I found the font, the rest followed suit. Every time I finished another bit of the sequence, I would show it to the other guys (there were only 9 of us total) and get feedback. Each of them, Adam Reed especially, had an important hand in shaping the direction of the sequence.

Early “Saul Bass” look test (Click to Enlarge)

The challenge was to do this entire opening sequence with as little new drawings as possible. By using silhouettes as our main character pieces, I could reuse every element we created for the pilot. Scott Sims did the title music, and I felt like simple shapes could be doable and effective in the incredibly short time frame we had. Also note that the show was titled “Duchess” up until around the last day or so of animating the sequence.

Character element breakdown (Click to Enlarge)

We added some bells and whistles once the series got the green light, just to finesse some of the background animations and improve some small timing issues. Overall, I’m still pretty happy with it, though there are some nitpicky tweaks I’d like to adjust. Maybe in Season Two!

As Art Director, essentially, I’m responsible for every visual element you see on screen. Mack Williams, our Animation Director, is responsible for how those elements move and interact, though this doesn’t mean I draw every element (rarely if ever) or he animates every scene (rarely if ever) we’re the guys directing those departments.

I design almost every environment and work with Trinity Animation as they build those environments, also working with Eric Sims, our backgrounds director, on compiling all of the renders which his team then paints. Chad Hurd is our Lead Character Designer so he and I work together, talking with Adam Reed (creator) about how he wants the cast costumed and styled, etc.

The other half is working with Mack and his department fixing anything that’s not working. The total production team is I believe just above 40, including our exec. producers. It’s a great crew. We generally have four episodes in production at once, all in various stages; one being written, one being boarded, one being drawn, one being animated and Adam Reed plays a large role in the all of the production, he’s got an amazing eye.

TV SHOW DETAILS
USA | 2009 | Color | 1.78:1 | English
EXTRAS
CREDITS
Title Designer: Neal Holman
Cleanup: Eric Sims
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The Thing³ (+ Krystian Morgan interview)

Two fine fire melt title reveals open Howard Hawks’/Christian Nyby’s “The Thing from Another World” and John Carpenter’s immutable and Hitchcockian “The Thing,” respectively. In speaking with Krystian Morgan, a 21-year-old from Wales we relearned a thing or two about work ethic, humility and the importance of fresh eyes. Morgan’s title sequence, based on Carpenter’s vision, was created when Morgan was in his final year in university where he studied motion graphics and compositing. His grave atmospherics veer into different territory, away from the effective simplicity of the originals with mutations rising to the fore, all the while echoing 90’s Romanek/Reznor and involuntary quivers of the Brothers Quay.

Special Optical Effects, Peter Kuran discusses the title effect from John Carpenter’s “The Thing: Terror Takes Shape”:

“When I did the effect for the title I used…a fish tank that was about four feet wide by two feet high. I put smoke in the fish tank and on the back of the tank I put the title that was drawn on an animation cel and behind that I had a piece of plastic garbage bag which I stretched over a frame and behind that I had a light pointing through the letters. When I photographed it, I put a flame from a match to the plastic. The plastic would open up and let the light through the letters. That is how the letters look like they form and burn on with the [light] rays. It was a simple process but we went through a lot of takes; one take only formed the letters “N.G.”

NOTE: On a film set, the mark of “N.G.” or “N.F.G.” is taped to any equipment that does not work. No good.

INTERVIEW
A Discussion Krystian Morgan.

Art of the Title: Please discuss your inspiration for this piece on an immersive and influential level. What stirred your soul to go this dark with the material?

Krystian Morgan: When I saw the title sequence for Se7en for the first time, my mind really was opened to how perfect imperfections could be. Up to that point i was so used the the same after same ‘perfect’ white titles on the opening footage, that seeing this raw, and wrong looking type showing up on screen was just mesmerizing and more than that was that it had reason to be. I also remember at that time really being excited about the style of the opening and closing animation of the 2008 Onesize reel. I am inspired by the thought processes that goes into the work of others. The titles for Dexter for example. I’m a big fan of substance over style.

I tended to trade between dark projects and lighter projects in university. I relate with the darker material a lot more, that side of films; humanity, morality even. I’ve always been fascinated with the power that film and video can have over a person, that people can be taken to places. With that in mind I wanted people to be unsettled by this piece, to want to look away.

ATS: The beat in the action at the beginning is invasive and the text penetrates and issues forth. Tell us about how you went into animating the type, conceptually, from start to finish.

KM: For me the text is the representation of ‘The Thing’ itself. I wanted the text to encapsulate the essence of what the ‘The Thing’ is and what it does, in a subconscious way. We know that the creature is made up from all the different forms of life that it has come in contact with, so the text had to have that same mutt characteristic. It’s oddly shaped, it’s made up from different font styles and sizes, it latches on, it changes and morphs. It’s relentless, when it fades away into the background it finds a way back in a different form (the next name). I wanted it to feel organic, alive and unpredictable in movement.

ATS: It is interesting you did not attempt to match the look of the film but managed to get the feel of it.

KM: It’s always quite a touchy subject talking about updating something that is so recognizable and loved passionately by so many. John Carpenter’s remake was warranted and worked because he felt he had something to show that the original Howard Hawks film didn’t. But I found it strange that whilst he updated the monster and the film that the titles are almost identical to the original. I like both titles, but personally think the original Hawk’s titles are superior from a visual stand point and the Carpenter’s titles are better in the sound department.


Howard Hawk’s The Thing From Another World (Click to Watch QuickTime)



The prospect of getting a fish tank and filming the burning of the titles practically, was exciting, but I wanted to explore some different ideas, some of which meant taking certain liberties by means of a different perspective and not being destructive to the film by trying to either repeat or one-up it.

My concept was to both show the creature and not show the creature. I wanted ambiguous shots. The way I see my title sequence is a precursor to the film; what actually happened to the Norwegians? It was important that I used real footage as I wanted even the thought of such textures near you, on your skin to be excruciating.

ATS: The hand is a very effective cap to the sequence. Did budget constraints fuel creativity?

KM: I had pretty much zero budget on this sequence, I think I ended up spending less than 20 GBP’s on the entire video. I used a combination of a borrowed HDV camera with my trusty mini dv and point and click camera to capture all the footage, and worked almost only in After Effects.

I felt the end needed some reality something that a viewer could identify which would transfer us from the sequence to the film itself. It was suggested to me to watch Jacob’s Ladder its use of suggestion has the viewer questioning if what we saw actually happened. The idea being that the hand is instantly recognizable as human, but the movement suggests otherwise. This is one of the areas of the sequence that I would have liked to have taken further, I believe I could have found something more there.

ATS: You mentioned you believe your stills are stronger than the video itself. If you step through a sequence shouldn’t every frame seduce the eye?

KM: When I said that I think I was far to close to the video, it was my life for a while and the way it turned out wasn’t exactly as I pictured it beforehand. I’m now looking at it for what it is and not what it was set out to be. I don’t think every frame of a sequence needs to seduce the eye, I think that could be a limiting idea. Like films the in-between shots can be used to make the ‘key’ frames or key plot points more resonant and I think if you skip frame by frame through most films or title sequences you will pick out high points from the low points. Of course this is not always the case. The titles for ‘The Island of Dr. Moreau’ is so saturated with imagery and design that any frame is as good as the last.

When I made the title sequence I was still very much trying to find myself, I still am, but it’s a lot clearer now. I experimented with a different workflow and structure…[it] is hard to [address what] didn’t work because to this point it’s a video that’s taken me farther than most of my others and I’ve had a lot of great feedback; something I was initially scared of, I was worried I’d be savaged by the film’s fans for trying to tamper with something that’s important to them, but this has not been the case. But I have to say I probably wont use the same approach again.

I haven’t yet been able to fully translate what is in my head but I’m still learning everyday and trying to improve, more so now than ever since leaving university and now doing it every day as an occupation.

ATS: Why did you make this? What were the requirements (self-imposed and instructed)?

KM: It was my third and final year at university and I was feeling a bit disappointed in myself that I hadn’t worked nearly as hard as I could have in prior projects. This particular project was open so I got to decide what I wanted to do. I really enjoyed doing a title sequence in year one and title sequences are definitely the thing I like most about motion graphics and design in general. I knew I wanted to go dark, and I wanted something “virusy.” My tutor Chris and I were discussing possible ideas, namely thinking of a Cronenberg type of movie. Later on I posted on Twitter asking for suggestions for movies based on my ideas for the video and someone [Rupert] suggested, “The Thing.” He told me that he had stayed with Dean Cundey, the Director of Photography of “The Thing” and got a chance to see a lot of the props from the movie. So the next day I told Chris about the prospect of doing “The Thing” and he thought it was a perfect choice. It worried me a little as the original title sequence was shown to us in year one in a compilation of brilliant examples of title sequences, he also told me that he expected a lot from me on this project as he too was a fan of the film and wanted me to do it justice.


John Carpenter’s The Thing opening titles (Click to Watch QuickTime)



I’m ashamed to say that up to that point I had not seen the film, so I bought a double dvd of both the Hawks’ and the Carpenter’s versions and watched in awe. The John Carpenter film seemed like home, like I’ve seen it a hundred times before, like “Jaws” or “The Shawshank Redemption.” Once I came up with the concept of where I wanted to take the title sequence I couldn’t think of anything else.

ATS: How do you view the idea of collaboration after going through this process?

KM: Now, great!

I’ve always been a solitary designer, I come from a small village in Wales and have trouble relating with a lot of people as my interests are so different to what is considered normal there, so I’ve always felt by myself in that sense and even when there were more like-minded people in university I always took my work home and brought it in when it was due. “The Thing” to me is a movie primarily about isolation, you could watch it with the mindset that there is no creature and everyone’s suspicions [fueled] the killing and it would still work.

Up to that point “The Thing” sequence is ironically the most collaboration I had done on a project, in the sense that I listened to someone else’s suggestion and feedback. When I’m solely working on a video, I have a tendency to get tunnel vision so an outsiders perspective is really valuable.

Going from university to working in the creative industry has been a shock; I’ve been able to progress and progress because of collaborative [environments]. If I start being unhappy with an aspect of work or life, I’ll change and am not afraid to be ambitious in the future and follow the dreams I had as a kid. Teamwork is a great thing, but working alone can have benefits too, if you’ve ever heard the saying, “A camel is a horse designed by society,” that can sometimes be the case. I think I’m a better decision maker and idea generator than a designer at the moment, but I’m having fun working on the latter…I’m currently developing a feature film which I’m going to produce over the next four years.

CREDITS
The Thing (2009)
Title Designer: Krystian Morgan

The Thing (1982)
Visual Effects Designed by: Visual Concept Engineering, Peter Kuran
Miniature Supervisor: Susan K. Turner
Animators: Katherine Kean, Keith Tucker
Opticals: RGB Optical, James Hagedorn, George Lockwood

USA | 1982 | Color | 2.20:1 | English/Norwegian

The Thing From Another World (1951)

USA | 1951 | Black and White | 1.37:1 | English

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Het Klokhuis (+ Johnny Kelly interview)

Quick and affordable 3D printing technology applied to classic stop-motion opens Dutch science program “Het Klokhuis” (The Apple Core) which is Holland’s oldest youth television show, covering everything from the history of dinosaurs to how an iPhone is made. It is a hybrid of hand crafted frame-by-frame animation and cleanly rendered apples with sprouting science experiments encapsulated like the seed of an idea about to be discovered.

INTERVIEW
Project Breakdown with Johnny Kelly of Nexus Productions.

Johnny Kelly: This title sequence is unusual in that it was commissioned through an advertising agency, Kesselskramer in Amsterdam. The program “Het Klokhuis” is dearly beloved to many people in Holland; it has been running for over 20 years. The program primarily covers science but includes lots of other things like culture, history and technology, and is on every day. They wanted to refresh the show with a new logo and titles and approached Nexus to see if I would be interested in making them.

The art director at Kesselskramer, Christian Borstlap, had made a logo graphic, with the idea that we would come up the final logo design in the course of production. They had an idea of how the sequence would work, made up of a series of scientific experiments on a series of apples, but were entirely open about what exactly these scenarios would be. These were mostly based on what could animate in an interesting way, with fun results. You can see some of these initial ideas in Examples 1.1-4.

Examples 1.1-4: Early Apple suggestions (Click for Slideshow)



The problem at this point was how to do justice to Christan’s beautiful logo shape. We hadn’t decided yet how the apples would actually be made, and discussed different materials. Something like plasticine wouldn’t have the right accuracy. I had used paper before but it wasn’t very good with curvy objects like an apple. My partner Jenny is a product designer and has used 3D printing quite a bit, and this seemed like a option that could work. This technology, which is still relatively niche, creates a physical object printed up in plastic from a 3D computer file, and is most commonly used by industrial designers to create prototype models. The film Coraline used 3D printing to create facial expressions, using individual models for each mouth shape, etc. Pixar also used it to create the models for their Zoetrope.

Apple prototype model renders (Click to Watch Quicktimes)



As it was for a public television station (NPS), our budget was very low, and as it turns out, the cost of getting the models produced here in London would have been prohibitively expensive. Then I remembered having come across a website of a company called Shapeways – who offer on-demand 3D printing by mail order and were much better value. The website is a little like YouTube, people upload 3D files, other people can leave comments, rate them, and you can order any of the models in various materials. Using this company – who fortuitously ended up being based in the Netherlands too – we were able to make simple shells for the whole apples, as well as ‘core’ shapes which we would be able to fill up with each apple’s insides (Example 2).

Example 2: 3D layout in 3DS Max (Click to Enlarge)



I contacted Jethro Haynes, a model-maker/sculptor/illustrator whose work I have long been a fan of, to see if he was available and interested in collaborating on the project. Jethro worked incredibly hard in just a few weeks to build everything, with a limited budget. He has an encyclopedic knowledge of materials and is full of ideas, so it was always a pleasure to see what he came up with for the planets, fish and other elements (Example 3).

Example 3: Shoal of fish design (Click to Enlarge)



Making the models in 3D came with other advantages – we were able to plan the shoot quite precisely. Using 3D software we were able to work out what size plinth we needed to build, what camera lens would offer minimum distortion and how far back it would need to be. We were also shooting at two different scales, and Ben here at Nexus was were able to set it up so that the camera and background wouldn’t need to change when we swapped between these (Example 4).

Example 4: Studio layout via computer (Click to Enlarge)



One of the sequences we had difficulty building was the melting bubblegum apple. We considered plasticine but decided that it would not give the right results, not being glossy enough. In the end we decided on creating a sequence of 25 individual models, one for each stage of the melting apple. These were then painted up by Jethro (Examples 5a & 5b).

Examples 5a & 5b: Raw and painted apple models (Click to Enlarge)



The animation was shot in 10 days in August at Clapham Road Studios, a film studio in south London which specializes in stop-frame animation. We used Dragon software which allows for very precise stop frame animation. Matthew Day, the DP on the project went to great lengths to create the perfect reflection on it, building up quite an elaborate set and lighting rig to this effect. The final result is quite surreal, looking so close to how the original models looked when rendered on computer. I’m happy with the resulting aesthetic, a sort of blurring between digital and analogue (Example 6).

Example 6: Studio setup (Click to Enlarge)



The end titles show what is coming up on the following episode of Klokhuis. Christian at Kessleskramer designed some typography for this, and suggested integrating video to show a preview clip. With some episodes there would be three or four of these listed, other times just one, so we designed the animation sequences to be modular. You can also loop the ticking clockwork for as long or short as necessary. The agency supplied us with some placeholder text so we could show how it works. This Dutch text on the sample animation we made reads “Next week on Klokhuis… Farts… Submarines…. Hip Hop” – so it covers pretty much everything you need in a TV show.

Het Klokhuis End Titles (Click to Watch Quicktime)



Jethro dismantled a large clockwork machine and rebuilt it inside one of the apples, designing it in such a way that it could collapse when hit with a mallet. Amazingly, many of the machine parts were still functional, so we were able to animate these (Example 7).

Example 7: Apple clock parts (Click to Enlarge)



We had an extraordinarily heavy prop mallet that we wanted to use. The problem was that we wanted to rig it up for animation, but weren’t allowed drill holes in it or damage it in any way. Max at the studio arranged a counterweight to the mallet using a sandbag. This allowed us to animate it quite precisely without worrying too much about it falling on top of the apple (Example 8).

Example 8: The mallet (Click to Enlarge)



Ultimately it was a challenging but enjoyable job to work on. Much of it was unknown territory and each sequence posed its own unique difficulties. I had for example planned to use real smoke for the final logo reveal and film this live action, but in the end opted for the stop motion staple, cotton wool. I find it interesting to try and use these old fashioned stop frame animation techniques and blend them with the benefits of new technology. This type of experimentation doesn’t fit every job but it seemed fitting given the show’s subject matter itself, and interestingly the first rebranded episode of Het Klokhuis will be all about the making of the title sequence itself.

Netherlands | 2010 | Color | 1.78:1 | Dutch
Extras
CREDITS
Production Company: Nexus
Director: Johnny Kelly
Executive Producers: Christopher O’Reilly & Charlotte Bavasso
Producer: Luke Youngman
Production Manager: Jo Bierton
Creative Development: Beccy McCray

Client: NPS
Agency: KesselsKramer
Creative Team: Christian Borstlap
Agency Producer Pieter Leendertse

Model-maker: Jethro Haynes
3D printed model design: Ben Cowell, Matt Clark
Animators: Matthew Cooper, Tine Kluth
Runner: Xaver Böhm
Compositing: Alasdair Brotherston

Director of Photography: Matthew Day
Filmed at Clapham Road Studios

Music: Harry Bannink
Sound Design: FC Walvisch Amsterdam

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A History of Scotland (+ ISO Design interview)

A History of Scotland contact sheet
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| Click to Watch HD | iPod/iPhone | MP4

Model kits and kilts.

ISO Design’s opening title sequence to “A History of Scotland” offers a gathering sense of self and of a scaled Scotland. Using a tilt-shift effect that simulates miniature scale model photography where a shallow depth of field is created by blurring areas of the composition either optically or in post, the title technique nicely captures the spirit of the pioneering Picts.

INTERVIEW
A Q&A with ISO Design’s Damien Smith.

Art of the Title: Tell us a little bit about ISO Design.

Damien Smith: 10 years young Glasgow-based digital design studio. Started out concentrating on personal motion graphics projects for commissioners like OneDotZero and moved into TV in the late 90’s working with the BBC, MTV and Channel 4 in the UK.

We still do a lot of broadcast graphics and have expanded the studio to work on large scale interactive installations for clients like Mercedes Benz and multiplatform projects like the new Sony XMB and the BBC iPlayer.

ATS: How did you become involved with the project?

DS: We’ve worked closely with the BBC team responsible for History of Scotland over many years. This was the largest production ever undertaken by the BBC in this country and we worked closely on early concepts for reconstructions, in programme graphics and the titles.

ATS: Take us through the design process, how did you develop the concept for the piece?

DS: The design brief was simple – ” illustrate over 1000 years of Scottish history in a contemporary style”.

After early discussions with the producer and director, we kept coming back to one core idea . . Scotland’s history and it’s people is defined by it’s landscape; from the natural barrier the Highlands form to the rugged west coast and islands down through the central lowlands, this unique land form defined our history.

As with most projects three or four ideas were kicked around with the strongest developed into a storyboard. We all liked the idea of historical dates and type tagged or pinned into the landscape then blowing away in the wind, referencing the elemental nature of Scotland and the passing of time. We then gathered specially shot helicopter footage and added shallow focal planes into shot, that helped to build in a sense of scale and also caused attention to focus in on the type elements.

ATS: Describe the development process of the sequence.

DS: After the BBC approved the treatment we created an animatic showing text blowing away over a moving aerial shot with a shift tilt effect on the background footage. This very quickly showed we could not manually key frame the type elements, as there were far to many characters and this also lacked a random natural feel. We then started scripting in After Effects to animate the type from a resting position to a new position off screen. We also split type blocks into words or letters and the scripts randomised the position and rotation parameters as the type as it left screen. The whole thing gave much more of a natural organic feel. Travelling mattes for were then created for all the helicopter shots and the shift tilt effects produced using Mocha, and tracking moving shots in SynthEyes.

ATS: What was the most difficult aspect of this piece?

DS: Trying to squeeze it out of a BBC budget!

ATS: What recent work has taken you by surprise?

DS: The Radiohead graduation film of Glasgow School of Art student James Houston – Big Ideas (don’t get any). Pleased to say James regularly works out of our studio as a freelance director!

ATS: So what’s next for you?

DS: We have recently launched a creative social media platform in partnership with Channel 4, we are completing the titles for Peter Mullans new film NEDS and we are consulting on interactive installations for a new Zaha Hadid Museum.

UK | 2009 | Color | 1.78:1 | English
EXTRAS

Image Extra iconPic(t)s of Up Helly Aa, a fire festival celebrated for over 130 years in Scotland’s Shetland islands
from Alan Taylor/Boston.com’s consistently brilliant “The Big Picture”

CREDITS

Title Design: ISO Design

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Sherlock Holmes (+ Danny Yount interview)

Sherlock Holmes contact sheet

Watery cobblestone logos and longitudinal linotype layer, lace and lash Prologue Films’ opening and end credit work for Guy Ritchie’s “Sherlock Holmes.”

The sequence creative director Danny Yount, a self-taught Emmy-winning designer/director produced main titles for Six Feet Under and The Grid while at Digital Kitchen. He currently resides at Prologue Films and has created titles for Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, Iron Man and RockNRolla.

INTERVIEW
A Q&A with Danny Yount of Prologue Films.

Art of the Title: Take us through your artistic process – how do you begin a project like Sherlock Holmes? What was your approach to the logos and the beginning and end titles?

Danny Yount: I got a call from director Guy Ritchie while he was in the middle stages of principal photography. He liked what we made for RockNRolla and asked us to consider something good for Sherlock Holmes. We were sent a script and got very excited about it after realizing the more edgy and fun interpretation of the classic character of Holmes. So Ilya Abulhanov and myself made a couple of ideas (examples 1a & 1b).

Example 1a: Early concept from Danny Yount (Click to Enlarge)


Example 1b: Early concept from IIya Abulhanov (Click to Enlarge)


I was invited to fly out to present them at one of the sets in London and see some of the film, so I had a very strong sense after that of where they wanted to go visually. The brief I was given was to do a live action shoot that involved a lot of newspaper headlines from the late 1800’s, which would give a little history to the early beginnings of Holmes and Watson and lead into the first scene of the film following the last headline on top of a stack of newspapers laid at the doorstep. We also wanted to show part of the printing process of that time period using the linotype machine and wood block type headline compositions.

After going back and forth a bit we concluded that it be a macro shoot that was very graphic, so we rented some time at a printing museum and set up several still shoots to get all the material we needed for storyboards (example 2a, 2b & 2c). I also shot some test footage with the Canon 5D to do a style test (example 3a & 3b). They liked the presentation and told us they would get back to us.

Example 2a: Printing press concepts (Click to Enlarge)


Example 2b: Printing press concepts (Click to Enlarge)


Example 2c: Printing press concepts (Click to Enlarge)


Several months went by and the film had taken shape more so they decided to lose the headlines sequence. So they went from wanting a full main title to having a short main title and an end credit sequence. They also wanted the end credits to be an anthem to the film – using highlights from the movie. Designers Henry Hobson, Simon Clowes and Lisa Bolan teamed up and made the storyboards (example 4). I decided to go into a different direction with mine (example 5). In retrospect I think they were a little dark though (ha).

Once they approved of the look we had about 4 weeks from start to finish, and we were also given a special effect sequence. It was a lot of work, even for a company our size. But we have a great group of talented and dedicated people who did what it took to get it done.

Example 3a: Printing press motion test (Click to Watch Quicktime)


Example 3b: Printing press motion test (Click to Watch Quicktime)


ATS: How large was the production team, and how closely do you work with them?

DY: We broke up into a 3 separate teams – with a total of about 14 people working around the clock. The end credit sequence required the most people by far, as there was so much detail in the illustration and transition work. The illustration took a long time to make. I’m not sure if Jorge slept very much. The main title and Hallucination VFX team was myself and Brett. The opening logos Jose and Todd.

Example 4: End credit storyboard – Hobson, Clowes and Bolan (Click to Enlarge)


I work very closely with everyone and I am always part of the process. I owe that to the client and I especially owe that to the younger designers who are building their own body of work and careers. I also learn a lot from them – they always bring in new ways of doing things. And they learn from me as I help them to avoid the same mistakes I made when I was their age.

Example 5: End credit storyboard by Danny Yount (Click to Enlarge)


ATS: In the opening logos, is there any part of the cobblestones that are real?

DY: Nope – just well crafted 3D. Jose and Todd are masters. The client originally wanted the logos formed out of pools of water but Chris Sanchez came up with the idea of making them out of the cobblestones, which they loved. Jose made an excellent shading system that nailed the look of the wet gritty surfaces and the weathered stones, which took a lot of love to shape into very uneven bricks.

That’s the trick with making good CG – you have to spend a lot of time modeling the imperfections or it will miss the mark. It will look stiff and look like a video game. Same with the camera work – you have to make cameras that feel heavy and are hard to throw around. The more of a human touch you can bring into CG the better it looks and feels.

They also wanted to have a carriage break frame and cut to the opening shot but I thought it would be more interesting to just wip the camera up to the first shot. Todd used camera projection techniques for it to marry properly. I also wanted leaves to blow across the surface but we just ran out of time.

Opening Studio Logos (Click to Watch Quicktime)


ATS: The Illustrated Paper + Illustrated Times motif that permeates both the opening and closing title sequences – period sketches speckled with patterns in the clues and fine detail in the patterns. What tools did you use to accomplish this?

DY: A lot of human hands, a photocopier, ink footage and a few photoshop filters.

ATS: What is it to push for something more than the audience is used to? Do you wrestle with taking creative risks? How do you balance and/or meld doing something because it strikes you vs. doing something overtly reflective of the body of the film? When do you hold to a vision and when do your experiment?

DY: I always experiment and I always push. That is what client wants and it is what I am being paid to do. But if I ignore the brief then anything I do becomes worthless to them. Or if I design something that is too abstract and self-inflated then it becomes meaningless no matter how beautiful it is. It has to communicate and it has to be interesting and stimulating – in that order. It is funny though that we call these “creative risks” – I think the only risk you take is when you ignore the client. And if you are going to do that then you better also have their version or you may get fired from the assignment. It’s a matter of trust – that’s all. And once that is established most smart clients will give you freedom.

Hallucination VFX (Click to Watch Quicktime)


ATS: What are some of the lessons in title design that you’ve used in your process? Did you learn anything new on Sherlock Holmes?

DY: It has to work perfectly with the film. I’m a guitarist so I like to look at it like a solo break – I get my short time in the spotlight but I have to use it to make the song better. If I play sloppy it makes it worse. If I play too fast and show off it might get interesting but it is inappropriate.

ATS: What gets you thinking differently? What new technologies are you embracing?

DY: Travel and people and nature. I’m interested in some of the newer apps like Houdini and Nuke. I would also like to buy myself a Canon 7d sometime soon.

ATS: What brings you the most satisfaction? Seeing the final piece onscreen? Or is it the process that brings you joy?

DY: Both. I love the process – I get to learn so many things and get to sharpen my skills, but I also get very “locked in” to what I’m doing. There’s a level of commitment to the process that makes you go very deep and explore every aspect – it becomes apparent to you that you are created for that very thing. And when you realize that you pour yourself into every part of the process of exploration. It is only something that those who have been there can understand. We are created to create. When we realize what we are good at and pursue it with all we have it becomes very rewarding intellectually as well as spiritually.

Sherlock Holmes Main Titles (Click to Watch Quicktime)


As far as seeing it on the screen – you forget all the pain you have been through. It is a cliché I know but it is like giving birth. You forget the hardship and long hours and stressed relationships and you walk away with a satisfaction that you did your best. And everyone you worked with is better as a result if you handled the job well.

ATS: Following on from that, how does that satisfaction manifest itself to you?

DY: It makes me grow as an individual by learning from mistakes as well as successes. It is very humbling to be able to do for a living what I love.

ATS: So what excites you outside of the design field?

DY: My family and riding my dirt bike and photography. I also love speaking at conferences – I meet so many cool people and get to see new places.

ATS: What’s next for you?

DY: I’m working on Iron Man 2 and things are looking good so far.

USA | 2009 | Color | 1.85:1 | English

CREDITS
Design Company: Prologue Films
Creative Director: Danny Yount
Design Direction: Simon Clowes, Henry Hobson, Lisa Bolan
Illustration: Jorge Almeida, Chris Sanchez
Calligraphy: Bonnie Ebbs
VFX: Jose Ortiz, Todd Sheridan Perry
Animation: Joey Park, Alasdair Wilson
Compositing: Brett Reyenger, Miles Lauridsen
Editorial: Gabriel Diaz
Producer: Unjoo Byars
Executive Producer: Kyle Cooper
Coordinator: David Kennedy
LINKS

Web Extra iconDanny Yount

Web Extra iconPrologue Films

Web Extra iconDanny Yount at Watch The Titles

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Single Take Titles, Part 4: The POV Shot

Strange Days contact sheet
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| Click to Watch HD | iPod/iPhone

With this Strange Days post, 10 years on and to the minute, we begin closing the curtains on our Single Take Titles series. If one of your favorites wasn’t featured, please let us know what we missed.

In the comments readers have mentioned Goodfellas and Russian Ark. For the purposes of this series the latter film qualifies as its opening is uncut, though its actual titles fall on black before the shot begins. However, this beginning is quickly overshadowed by the incredible achievement of the entire film being shot as a single 96-minute Steadicam take.

There is something about the power of single take shots, Steadicam or otherwise, wherever they fall in a movie’s timeline. In fact, we do intend to feature the single take scene that inspired this feature and it is not an opening sequence (but it is connected with one Martin Scorsese).

STRANGE DAYS

Contextually, from a November 1995 issue of American Cinematographer, “…richly textured and technologically groundbreaking…Strange Days [is] a noirish thriller that unfurls almost exclusively in the post-meridian hours…set on the eve of the millennium…tracks the dubious activities of a gang of fringe operators who dabble in a new kind of narcotic: ’sensory recordings’ (SR).” Executive producer/screenwriter James Cameron says he imagines SR as a futuristic offshoot of law enforcement technology, a “next-generation wire-tap.”

Further excerpts from the American Cinematographer article “Long Nights and Strange Days” by Paula Parisi:

“‘This is society’s underbelly, the bottom feeders,’ director Kathryn Bigelow sums up. ‘It’s a world of hustlers, of night crawlers…this is about people who have dark needs that have to be satisfied. They’re living at an intensity that the world of the day does not promise or hold.’ To portray [that] world, Bigelow decided early on that “the photography had to be the looking-glass through which you want to enter…there’s an excitement that the darkness holds.’”

“Strange Days expands the cinematic vocabulary with an abundance of unusual POV shots used to suggest sensory recording and playback. ‘The camera became the eyes of whomever’s experience we were recording,” Director of Photography Matt Leonetti, ASC notes.”

“‘A variety of camera systems of camera systems where used to achieve the look,’ says James Muro, who in addition to operating the Steadicam did a lot of hand-held work using an Aaton and a tiny Robings SL, a 35mm camera that weighs about six pounds with film. Reserving the Steadicam for the more conventional shots…Muro relied on the Robings for the more fluid POVs. Coupling it with the Helmet Integrated Display unit developed by Lightstorm Technologies…Muro was able to hold the camera anywhere while maintaining a viewfinder image in his helmet device. This enabled him ‘to literally put the camera where the actor’s head would be.’”

USA | 1995 | Color | 2.35:1 | English | DVD

Extras

Image Extra icon55 minute “Opening POV Sequence” scene analysis lecture with Director Kathryn Bigelow.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

(From the 2002 DVD)

Video Extra icon“Have You Seen My Hair” – A film by the Future Machine.

A mightily charged short POV film that reminds us of the Strange Days opening.

Have You Seen My Hair contact sheet
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| Click to Watch HD | Vimeo | iPod/iPhone

Links

Weblink Extra iconCinnamon Chasers – Luv Deluxe music video

More POV goodness shot entirely on a Canon 5D Mark II DSLR with a custom rig.

SHOT DETAILS

Operator: James Muro
Length of Shot: 03:16
Equipment Used: Custom built 35mm camera + lightweight, modified Steadicam
Shot Elements: POV, First-person hands, feet and action

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Single Take Titles, Part 3: Steadicam’s Long Take

“The Steadicam is a combination of several large pieces of equipment, worn on the operator’s body that support the camera. The design of the equipment allows for the operator to walk and move about, without translating his or her footsteps or other vibrations into the lens, and subsequently the shot.” – Steadishots.org

A jitter-free alternative to expensive and laborious tracking platforms, the Steadicam “revolutionizes the ways films are shot” (Stanley Kubrick). The apparatus’ XYZ axis of motion is an easily rotated flotation device for the director’s vision. It is reliant upon the camera operator’s athletic grace and sense of composition. It is a visual language.

Our thanks to Afton Grant, a Steadicam owner and operator from New York, who’s excellent Steadishots website was an invaluable resource in the creation of Single Take Titles, Part 3, and who’s commentary highlights each film here.

After Hours contact sheet
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AFTER HOURS

A synthy clarion bell beckons a plaster-dusted (but alive) Griffin Dunne’s “Paul Hackett” in Martin Scorsese’s “After Hours.” Note Hackett’s elevator door-reveal of an expression that Robert Downey Jr. has come to own over the years. With Mozart elevating the sequence the camera’s movement casts a damning eye upon the worker hive. The film is a Kafkaesque (thank you kindly, Mr. Roger Ebert) salve; Paramount had just canceled Scorsese’s The Last Temptation of Christ.

S p o i l e r : Back at the office but ultimately missing from his desk Dunne’s “Paul Hackett” goes missing in a familiar place. Again.

Afton Grant from Steadishots:

“This is a very fun little shot, though not simple in any way. Done in low mode, at a relatively quick pace, this shot displays the great importance of good dynamic balance. With the fast paced pans and turns around the set, if the sled had not been balanced properly, it would have rolled very dramatically with each turn.”

USA | 1985 | Color | 1.85:1 | English | DVD

Extras

Image Extra iconThe pulsating, exploratory music that plays over Hackett reminds us of the Chemical Brother’s track “Flashback” which, in turn, reminds us of the opening sequence to Doctor Who.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

SHOT DETAILS

Operator: Larry McConkey
Length of Shot: 01:03
Shot Elements: Low-mode

Bonfire of the Vanities contact sheet
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THE BONFIRE OF THE VANITIES

After a time lapse shot for the ages an air of inebriated whimsy ushers us along with the Bruce Willis character.

Afton Grant from Steadishots:

“This would be one of the more famous opening sequences in the world of Steadicam. An almost 5 minute take, executed to near perfection. McConkey’s skill can really be seen in the final few seconds of the shot where the motion slows way down and ends in a lock-off with perfect headroom, horizon, and no wiggle.”

Commentary with Steadicam Operator Larry McConkey:

“I fell on the very first take, due to the introduction of an ice sculpture that extras were wheeling in front of the camera for the first time on the take. Up until then they had rehearsed with an empty cart to save the ice from melting. The extra weight slowed them up considerably. I was following the actors into the underground garage and I had choreographed the ice sculpture to wipe through frame between the actors and me before after which I planned to race in front of the group in time to back through a narrow doorway.

Unfortunately there was an army of people trailing me who had to then race around and precede me through that doorway (Brian, Vilmos, AD’s, sound, my assistant, etc.) and there really wasn’t enough time. Someone tripped my AC, Larry Huston, who graciously offered his body for me to fall on top of. I was completely unharmed, as was the rig, but Larry H. had a nasty gash in his head. He refused a ride to the hospital so we could continue to work, and the nurse reopened his wound after every take to keep it from healing improperly until he could get stitches. What a trooper!!

Brian, who is a master tactician and strategist just hadn’t considered this possibility: he stood over me, and after seeing I was OK said “I didn’t think you could fall!” He had anticipated every potential disaster but this one. We did another 11 takes until dawn when Vilmos informed me that this last take “must be the one!!! The light at the beginning and end were perfect, and that WAS the one.

Each take was a full 500′ and the shot was over when the end of the film flapped through the gate.

I wanted a device to let Bruce pass by me a little too close to the camera for focus in the elevator, and he came up with the idea of scooping up some salmon mousse, and twirling a little drunkenly past me. This also delayed the action enough for the rest of the crew (same group as before except for Larry H. and the boom woman with a wireless boom mike who rode with me) to exit the elevator next to us. They were timing their elevator to synchronize with ours on the way up to maintain a good RF link to the mixer. If the elevators rose side by side it worked fine, otherwise complete dropout.

After exiting, I wanted to get back in front of Bruce so he came up with the Mousse Toss onto the wall thereby backing away from the camera enough to allow me to make a clean exit. There were many other devices like this throughout that I came up with to make the shot flow… I figure the more work everyone else does, and the less work I have to do, the better it will look…

USA | 1990 | Color | 1.85:1 | English | DVD

SHOT DETAILS

Operator: Larry McConkey
Length of Shot: 04:58
Shot Elements: Long Shot

Snake Eyes contact sheet
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| iPod/iPhone

SNAKE EYES

Here comes the pain.

Feeding off Nic Cage’s dickish-but-funny vapors the opening sequence to Brian De Palma’s Snake Eyes impresses as bits of narrative register and bullets fly. The sequence plays continuous but reportedly has eight cuts. Where are they?

Afton Grant from Steadishots:

“The full opening sequence continues for almost 13 minutes but the first 7 minutes contain the best examples of the Steadicam work by McConkey. Within the full 13 minutes, there are 8 well hidden cuts, mostly in either whip pans or something crossing full frame.

This shot, and the sequence as a whole, are excellent examples of a director’s vision, and understanding of the tool. Add to that vision, a great amount of trust and collaborative respect for an operator, and you get a shot that people talk about for years to come.”

USA | 1998 | Color | 2.35:1 | English | DVD

SHOT DETAILS

Operator: Larry McConkey
Length of Shot: 13:00
Shot Elements: Long shot, Stairs, Escalators, Dutch Roll, Whip Pans

Boogie Nights contact sheet
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| Click to Watch HD | iPod/iPhone

BOOGIE NIGHTS

After what can be described as an Balkan sounding prelude over black pops practical bubble gum type. “Doesn’t take much to make me happy.” The camera swoops like Burt Reynolds eyebrows and rolls like Heather Graham bringing us into the club making introductions.

Afton Grant from Steadishots:

“An amazing opening sequence. Starting on a crane, moving through a couple dutch rolls and tilts down to the ground, entering the club, and tracking the action for nearly 3 minutes.”

USA | 1997 | Color | 2.35:1 | English | DVD

SHOT DETAILS

Operator: Andy Shuttleworth
Length of Shot: 02:56
Shot Elements: Crane step-off, Dutch rolls, long shot

Outbreak contact sheet
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| Click to Watch HD | iPod/iPhone

OUTBREAK

As we skirt a declared national emergency in H1N1 let us consider Wolfgang Petersen’s employment of the long take title sequence in Outbreak; touring the military’s Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, specifically the various “biosaftey levels” of the Virology Section (from Salmonella to Hanta to the reassuringly-described “unknown”) in a single take grounds us in discomfort.

Afton Grant from Steadishots:

“This is an excellent opening POV sequence. Such a long opener requires an incredible amount of coordination. Take note of the many cues and actions that move the camera in and out of the rooms and hallways.”

USA | 1995 | Color | 1.85:1 | English/Korean | DVD/Blu-ray

SHOT DETAILS

Operator: Mark Emery Moore
Length of Shot: 02:59
Shot Elements: Long Shot, Oner, Stairs

Serenity contact sheet
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| Click to Watch HD | iPod/iPhone

SERENITY

The continuous appeal of Joss Whedon’s characters on the raggedy edge is on parade to begin the title sequence of Serenity, his film based on his Firefly franchise.

Afton Grant from Steadishots:

“An excellent single shot in a movie that, unfortunately did not get a lot of attention. This opening sequence is fantastic. The set is a large part of a spacecraft and the camera goes all through it – upstairs, down corridors, through doorways and more.

If you watch closely, slight zooms are used to close and retreat larger distances without forcing the camera operator to break into a run, or crowd the actors, or backpedal quickly.”

USA | 2005 | Color | 2.35:1 | English/Mandarin | DVD/Blu-ray

SHOT DETAILS

Operator: Mark Emery Moore
Length of Shot: 02:59
Shot Elements: Long Shot, Oner, Stairs

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DURVAL DISCOS

When Art of the Title watches a fluid steadicam composition what takes place is a kind of sustenance.

Filmed at Rua Teodoro Sampaio, famous in São Paulo (Brazil) for its concentration of shops selling musical instruments, the opening sequence to Anna Muylaert’s film “Durval Discos” is organic in its ease as DP Jacob Solitrenick treats us to the relaxed pathology of the street.

At once you figure the arrangement and mute any notion of it, allowing the credits to simply come when they come. We are somehow reminded of a certain conversation Robert Duvall had with Sean Penn in “Colors.” Duvall Discos!

Full Post: Durval Discos

Brazil | 2002 | Color | 2.35:1 | Portuguese | DVD

SHOT DETAILS

Operator: Marco Túlio Guglielmone
Length of Shot: 03:33
Shot Elements: Crane step-off, Long Shot

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SXSW Title Sequence Design Competition

Just a reminder that the SXSW Title Sequence Design Competition is still accepting submissions until FRIDAY, DECEMBER 11th.

Click here to submit your title sequences.

Eligibility is open internationally to all title sequences that exist as part of a completed film finished in 2009 or later.
As an added bonus, SXSW will showcase the finalists at a dedicated screening during the event. If you need more incentive to submit just take a look at who’s on the jury:

Title Sequence Submission Info

• Title sequence submissions are $10.
• The deadline to submit your title sequence is Friday, December 11, 2009.
• All title sequence submissions must be hosted online. (e.g YouTube HD, Vimeo or Your Personal Website)
• Finalists will be notified upon acceptance and need to send a broadcast quality version of the sequence by February 13th, 2010.

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