Contextual Essay
Introduction
For my final major project I have decided on creating a title sequence in adobe after effects. This is a contextual report intended to help me in this goal, allowing me to develop an awareness and understanding of the context of title sequences and motion graphics.
I am considering creating a title sequence for a videogame, since it is the medium of storytelling I am most interested in personally, but I will still base a lot of this essay on the work done by movie and TV sequence creators as there is a lot already made in that area to learn from.
In this essay I will discuss: the history of my chosen field, practitioners of my chosen field, examples of title sequences from said practitioners (looking closely at their title sequences done for videogames), and also their purpose and what makes them effective when used in a piece of media.
What is a Title Sequence?
The most basic purpose of a title sequence is to display credits and copyright information, which was the only purpose of very early title sequences. Nowadays title sequences are a lot more advanced, showcasing flashy effects and visuals, and now mainly serve the purpose of allowing the audience to get comfortably into universe of the next few hours. They can be utilised to set things like: theme, plot, tone, style, etc.
History
Title sequences originally started as very basic, only existing to indicate the start and end of a film, and to display copyright information of the company behind it. They started to show up around the late 1890’s.
Early title sequences for movies were rather uninteresting and bland, but this all changed in the mid twentieth century with Saul Bass. Saul Bass revolutionised the idea of the title sequence, paving the way for the entertaining and creative sequences we see in our more modern movies. His first sequence was for the 1954 movie musical Carmen Jones, and his subsequent work on famous Hitchcock films helped moved his style of more engaging title sequences into popularity with filmmakers.
Title sequences for TV shows were popularised with Twin Peaks, and the idea of an opening sequence introducing the feel of the show started to take off. Shows in the 90’s started to utilise intricate title sequences, with later iconic intros such as The Sopranos setting a Hollywood level standard for modern TV title sequences to come.
Videogames have a much more limited history with title sequences, due to being a newer and less documented medium, but with the rising interest in the medium and improved technology some game directors now choose to add them to achieve the same purpose of a movie’s title sequence. The precursor to the title sequence in videogames would probably be the attract mode/title screen used in old arcade games to attract people to the machine, and somewhat carried over into classic home-console titles.
Basing my title sequence on a videogame is something I’m very much considering doing, but it is also necessary to look at the work done in other mediums. Looking into practitioners for movie title sequences is still important, as they practically invented the idea, and a lot of the ideas created for movies/TV have carried over into videogames.
Where are they now?
Nowadays title sequences are present throughout all sorts of mediums, most recently even entering the space of videogames. Modern title sequences mainly focus on setting the scene of the media, allowing the audience to easily get the idea of it all in the first few minutes.
They are seen as a much more exciting and interesting thing that an artist can play around with now, to add to and summarise the overall experience of the media.
Lots of studios, in movie TV and videogames, have decided to use them, and they have become almost expected at the beginning of any good film.
A modern example of a title sequence is Se7en (1995), which arguably started the trend of these more interesting sequences.
Practitioners
One of the most prominent title sequence creators currently working today is Kyle Cooper, building his career almost entirely on them. He studied graphic design at the Yale School of Art, co-founded Imaginary Forces in 1996, and founded Prologue Films in 2003.
His time in the industry started in 1988 with a title sequence for The Laser Man, but it was really his incredible work on the eye-catching Se7en title sequence that turned his sequences into a staple of Hollywood since. He has even occasionally dipped his toes into television and videogames, with titles such as: American Horror Story, the Metal Gear series, Scarface: The World Is Yours, and more.
When creating a title sequence, Kyle Cooper looks deeply at the movie itself to understand the story and its themes, as well as the feel and aesthetic of the film’s visuals and tone. He uses this knowledge of the film to perfectly capture the feel all in one small opening segment, helping prepare the audience for what is to come. You can really see this come across in title sequence for the previously mentioned film, Se7en.
The man who pretty much invented the modern title sequence is Saul Bass, of course a very important practitioner in this field. He had a 40-year career lasting throughout the second half of the 20th century, working with some of Hollywood’s most famous filmmakers like Scorsese and Hitchcock. Aside from his work on movie title sequences, he also worked as a graphic designer on movie posters, and designed logos for lots of famous companies such as AT&T.
His first title sequence was for the 1954 movie Carmen Jones, directed by Otto Preminger, but the sequence that really thrust him into the limelight was for one of Preminger’s later films, The Man with the Golden Arm from 1955. Bass’ work and the work of Alfred Hitchcock are quite inseparable, with Saul Bass creating both the title sequences and film posters for a lot of his movies.
Saul Bass’ title sequences, compared to Kyle Cooper’s, can seem rather primitive. Technology in film had greatly improved by the time Cooper started, allowing him to create his flashy and engaging sequences, but before then title sequence creators like Saul Bass made the best they could with what they had. One could argue, however, that Saul’s style leans better into some of the films he worked on.
Examples
​Looking into the works of these practitioners, there are many decades worth of excellent examples of title sequences from throughout their career. Since I’m considering videogames, It would be best to analyse Kyle Cooper’s small selection of videogame title sequences, alongside Saul Bass sequences from movies for additional inspiration.
Saul Bass - Ocean's Eleven
This is an intro by Saul Bass that demonstrates a creative use of a title sequence playing on the title of the film. The sequence begins with numbers comprised of dots, animated in and out, slowly counting up to eleven; The dots give off the idea of neon signs. Later in the sequence is a demonstration of how a title sequence ties into the movie’s plot or setting itself, with imagery of slot machines, dice, and other gambling iconography tying into the film’s plot of a Las Vegas heist.
This title is effective because it allows the audience to get lost in the glamour and vice of the city of Las Vegas, and displays the mood and tone of the movie to come. The purpose of the sequence is to introduce where the movie is set.
Saul Bass - North by Northwest
Another Saul Bass sequence, displaying how the imagery of the title sequence can cleanly blend into the movie itself. The sequence begins with a jumble of seemingly random lines drifting into the empty frame, staying in place, and then the credited names flying in and out atop; The frame eventually fades away into live-action footage, revealing that the lines were the outline of a building the whole time. This is a good example of how the sequence doesn’t necessarily have to just match the imagery of the story or setting but can also reflect the visuals and footage themselves.
The purpose of this sequence is to display that the movie is about a businessman, with the imagery of office buildings and people in suits walking.
Kyle Cooper - Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
A title sequence created by Kyle Cooper; one of the 3 he has made for videogames. This sequence demonstrates how videogame title sequences can differ from movies, namely in the addition of footage recorded from the game, as opposed to live-action footage recorded on a camera for the movie. The beginning of the sequence demonstrates that motion graphics can be utilised in a title sequence for storytelling and world building purposes, and brilliantly gets across in just a few seconds with it’s imagery that the game is set in the 60’s and is going to be about the cold war. This was one of the stand out parts of the sequence to me, as it showcases interesting motion graphics that could probably be pulled off in after effects.
This title sequence is very effective, as it sets the scene of a slick 007 inspired spy thriller with cold war and military iconography. The running motif of a snake not so subtly tying into the game’s subtitle, Snake Eater.
The purpose of this sequence was to achieve the feel of a classic 007 spy flick, that game director Hideo Kojima wanted to capture in the game as a whole.
Kyle Cooper - Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty
This was the first title sequence Kyle Cooper created for a videogame in 2001, six years after his 1995 title sequence for Se7en put his name on the map. The sequence demonstrates how the typical movie style of opening title easily translates into the medium of videogames, with Kyle Cooper’s Hollywood style still working even when accompanied by videogame footage.
The purpose of this title sequence is to bring a Hollywood quality and style to the game, which is why a famous movie title sequence creator was hired for the job.