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Biography of Saul Bass • Born in 1920 to Eastern European Jewish immigrant parents in the Bronx, NYC • He was a graphic designer and film maker and what he was best know for his film posters and innovative opening sequences • His career spanned over 40 years and during that time managed to work with some of the most talented filmmakers in Hollywood like Martin Scorsese and many more • His big break in the industry came after working for Otto Preminger in the movie “The Man with the Golden Arm” by making the opening sequence • He then went on to work for Alfred Hitchcock where Saul created an iconic and most notable opening sequence by using his new innovation of kinetic typography for Psycho and Vertigo • As well as making some of the most prominent opening sequences he also aided in the graphic design for some of the biggest companies like the bell/globe for AT&T. He also worked with Airlines and continental and created the logos for them.
Biography of Elaine Bass • She is an American title designer and filmmaker • Born in 1927, her parent were Hungarian immigrants and lived in New York • She was Saul Bass’ partner for over 4 decades • During the 1960s she helped create the opening sequences for over 18 movies including West Side Story, Spartacus, Something Wild and many more • She spent the early years of her childhood signing and drawing and then from the ages of 12-18 elaine and her sisters sang as the Belmont Sisters. • After her signing career worked in New York in the ready to wear fashion industry • Until 1947 when she left for Los Angeles and got offered a job at Capitol Records doing design where she met Saul
1955 was when Elaine because Saul's assistant Elaine worked solo for the first time in 1960 and directed the opening sequence for Spartacus. Then most of Saul's work was collaborated with Elaine e.g. West side story, Walk on the West Side, Seconds and many more In 1961 they got married and had their first child Jennifer in 1964 and followed by their second child in 1967 Jeffery After starting a family they decided to step back from opening sequences to focus on their family However during this time they work on a Short film together “Why Man Creates” in 1968 which went on to win a Oscar Later into the 1980s they went back to creating/designing sequences again The last sequence they did together was Casino Saul sadly passed away in 1996 The influence they have on filmmakers today is present in the films produced to date Their life together…
Analysis of Title Sequence The opening sequence starts with a black, thin vertical lines which are on top of a series of colourful background, hues of red, blue, yellow, orange and many more bright colours. It is clear the lines are mimicking a Ney York Skyline as due to previous knowledge I know it is set in New York For the first 5 minutes of the opening sequence it is the same blackline on the backgrounds that keep switching colours As it is the same image we can focus on other aspects of the opening sequence like the non diegetic notice like the whistling that fades into the music which is a mashup of the different songs that you will see without the movie foreshadowing the rest of the movie As well the whistling is important symbolism to the Jets a gang in New York as it was a signal they used as a warning or if there friends were around
Analysis of Title Sequence • As the music crescendos the title West Side Story appears and underneath the design of the west side story it changes to white • Then flowing this is a aerial/ birds eye view shot filmed on a drone of Manhattan and the buildings mimicking the black lines. • The whistle noise is heard again as the camera shows a montage of Ney York in birds eye view. The whistle becomes ominous and a less energetic than the beginning mimicking the dangers of gangs in New York and the dangers of night time there. • The colours on the screen become desaturated into black and white creating a dark ambience which set the opening. It could connote the darkness of the story and gangs
