film & tv titling
From the iconic, memorable and technically impressive to the downright scary, well-designed titling can frame a production, set the tone and create an unforgettable brand for your production.
Check out our titling reel below!
From a technical point of view, title sequences can use any number of techniques – we’ve highlighted a few, with some examples of our favourites below:
Typography based
These sequences usually focus on the reveal of the main title and work well with productions which have a distinctive typographic branding – as Ridley Scott’s classic Alien or of course, a studio favourite here, Stranger Things.
Motion Graphics
Motion Graphics focus mostly on flat shape and pattern to tell their story. Some of our favourite examples range from titling master Saul Bass, who created some iconic sequences, and inspired others like Spielberg’s ‘Catch Me If You Can‘, to more abstract or pattern based titling like Netflix show Mozart in the Jungle.
Illustrative
Title sequences can be an opportunity to explore a different visual style of storytelling to that of the production – for example, The Incredibles 2 explored a 2D animated style, to continue the story, despite the production being a 3D animation. Other productions such as the Series Of Unfortunate Events film from 2004, or Netflix series Marco Polo use intricate and beautifully designed illustrations to re-enforce the tone and setting, using a different medium.
3D
In recent years, we have seen a trend towards the use of 3D to create beautiful, and often realistic objects, with which the camera can interact, in an intimate and interesting way. Of course, one of the most well-loved examples of this has to be the now iconic Game of Throne sequence. We love this trend, and how it has been employed in different ways, in productions such as Black Sails, The Crown and Black Panther (which uses a particularly impressive particle effect).
Film/Photography
Finally, title sequences can be very effective simply using elements from the production, be it footage or stills, just put together in interesting ways. One of our favourite examples of this is The Walking Dead (Season 9) sequence, which uses photographs and footage, but is stitched together so seamlessly that it feels fluid and dynamic. Finally, to end with another studio favourite, the titling for Anne is captivating and blends static photographs with footage, 3D and illustrations, resulting in a truly stunning sequence.
If you enjoyed that run down of title sequence styles, there are many more to explore at Art of the Title – one of our favourite places for inspiration.
Salamandra.uk can design and produce animated title sequences for any genre or style of production – get in touch to find out how we can work together.