Title Sequences: Saul Bass

North By Northwest | Psycho | Ocean’s Eleven

How does Saul Bass work with type, image/graphics and music in these three title openings to set the tone for the coming film? 
          He uses a lot of shapes and lines to create movement and help sweep the credits across the screen in an interesting and unified way. In North By Northwest he sets up a grid system based on a skyscraper building (the lines created by the window frames) and aligns all the moving type on that grid. The grid fades to the photo and the type then follows the actions of the people and objects around the city (I, however, have never seen this movie). The graphics plus the music give the impression that the movie will be set in the bustling city. In Psycho he used sets of straight gray lines to build rhythm. They moved with the eerie music and brought the typography in and out of  the page. The music was somewhat creepy and fit with the title of the movie ("psycho"). The title sequence alludes to a dramatic, somewhat mysterious film (though I have never seen this one either). In Ocean's Eleven Saul Bass plays with bright colors and dots that create number forms and casino imagery. The dots form patterns around the credits and even occasionally make up the typography itself. The music and imagery would suggest that the film takes place in a place like Las Vegas (with the bright flashing lights and casino games).

Are they reflecting the coming content of the film expressively and kinetically? How do they play off of one another? 
          I would say yes. The title sequences shows the content (or idea) of the film in an abstract or simplified form. The motion created by the moving lines or dot patterns creates a kinetic movement for the typography to follow and/or mirror.

What is the mood you feel watching them? 
          North by Northwest: Caught up in something complex/ busy, overwhelming
          Psycho: Scary, eerie, unnerving
          Ocean's Eleven: Mysterious, classy, old style film (like The Pink Panther)

How are they similar and different?
          They are all relatively simple (using the idea of less is more in terms of design) -- the typography mirrors lines or fits within predetermined spaces created by a film segment of the city (North by Northwest) or dot patterns and images (Ocean's Eleven). They differ in their use of color, Psycho had a gray-scale approach while Ocean's Eleven used numerous bright colors and North by Northwest started with a 2-color scheme and finished with real life video segments of the city life. They also varied in lengths but were overall shorter sequences that would lead directly into the movie.