Saul Bass - On Titles

We were advised by our Media Studies teacher to watch a documentary on titles by Saul Bass to give us assistance on formulating our credits effectively as this will be another aspect that we will be graded on. Although the video was extremely outdated, Saul Bass still managed to enlighten us to the much thought that must go into the credit process referring to font and symbols.

Saul Bass informed us that we must break away from the traditional unattractive titles used for 'popcorn time'. Audiences must be attracted to the film from the very first frame of the film in order to create the necessary climate for the film. As our film is an urban drama, it is also advised that we use a symbol within our credits that can be associated with our film. Handcuffs would be a reasonable symbol as it is assumed that someone may be arrested in our film and Saul Bass repeats that the content of the film still remains a big issue in the credits.

Saul Bass mentions that metaphors can also be used in the credits to set a scene for what is to come. The metaphors must be simple and direct eye catchers such as a baby in a prisoners uniform to symbolise the possible consequences of Alicia's aggressive behaviour. She may have her baby in prison.

Titles should be long enough to catch the viewers eye and accomodate the film. The font used should also be appropriate to the film, a typewriter font or a cell broken font will be ideal to symbolise the prison aspect of Love Lockdown. This title Love Lockdown will as Saul Bass advises help to establish a prologue for the motion of the film which is the prison sentence for Jermaine which he takes due to his love for Alicia.

Finally, Saul Bass advises to use ordinary objects and take them out of the ordinary in order to achieve another understanding of them. For example a baby crawling around in a prisoners overalls in a cell will put an ordinary baby in a strange environment (prison cell) allowing the audience to later understans why this metaphor was in fact used.

Saul Bass' documentary allowed us to understand that there is more thought put into the process of Titles that one may think. We must use an appropriate font to connote our film and if required, a reasonable metaphor that establishes the mood and attitude of Love Lockdown.