"The Look of Saul Bass: Title Designer"

Saul Bass is a major influence on the rise of title sequences for feature films. As a graphic designer and a filmmaker heis best known for his title sequences, film posters and corporate logos. He made title sequences for Alfred Hitchcock, Otto Preminger, Billy Wilder, Stanley Kubrick and Martin Scorsese. His sequences started a trend and moved title sequences in a new direction.

"He did something very simple very graphic very modern. And he did that with very economical means."

"To set up a context. To take you from the time when you're getting your popcorn to to bring you to the place where you need to be to follow this story to put you in that context."

"People kind of woke up and said, hey the main title sequence can be a vehicle by which he artist may express himself...he did something that was graphically innovative."

His simplicity, but very telling and purposeful titles re invented another aspect to the entire art of storytelling.

Hillman Curtis

After searching for a different topic -- not green screen and not time-specific animation stuff -- I found this designer, who recently passed away; Hillman Curtis.

Although Curtis was not so much a digital animator, he created various types of graphic and moving design images: web, Flash, art for short films, and other non-animation design. He won a few design awards from various national and international organizations for his work. He has worked for big name companies as a web designer: Yahoo, Adobe, Paramount, Fox Searchlight Pictures, and others; as a filmmaker and motion design producer, he created material for Adobe, Spring, Rolling Stone, Blackberry, BMW, and more.

I first found the article about his work, through a posting on his death from this website:
http://motionographer.com/2012/04/20/rest-in-peace-hillman-curtis/

The interview shown in that post explores his concept on design and reasoning for the style of his work. He wanted to keep his work short, simple, and to the point -- and always online, to allow immediate and cheap exposure. For the one

This link is an example of his art design for the moving camera. Designing and painting and positioning artwork, in this example, on the body to look good for the camera:
http://hillmancurtis.com/commercials/abrams-books-james-victore/

To see more of his work and read about him, as a person and designer; this is his website

"Be prepared to re-invent yourself and be prepared to go out on a limb and be prepared to do the things that you feel strongly about"-- Hillman Curtis


RIP David Hillman Curtis 1961-2012