Setting the Tone
An opening credit sequence, or title sequence, is far more than a simple list of names; it is a crucial cinematic overture. At its best, it functions as a short film in its own right, a carefully crafted piece of audiovisual art that establishes the mood, introduces key themes, and defines the visual language of the movie to come. A great title sequence immerses the audience in the world of the story before the first scene has even begun. Through its choice of typography, imagery, and music, it can create a sense of mystery, dread, romance, or adventure. For decades, it was an indispensable part of the cinematic experience, and its design was considered a specialized art form.
In the early days of cinema, credits were often simple, static title cards. However, as the medium evolved, so did the ambition of the opening sequence, transforming from a legal necessity into a powerful storytelling tool.
The Saul Bass Revolution
No single individual had a greater impact on the art of the title sequence than graphic designer Saul Bass. In the 1950s and 60s, Bass revolutionized the field by creating sequences that were not just decorative but deeply metaphorical and integrated with the film’s narrative. His work established the modern title sequence as a high art.
- The Man with the Golden Arm (1955): Bass’s first major title sequence featured a jagged, animated paper cut-out of a heroin addict’s arm. Its stark, modernist style and unsettling symbolism perfectly captured the film’s difficult subject matter.
- Vertigo (1958): For Hitchcock’s psychological thriller, Bass used spiraling geometric patterns (Lissajous figures) emerging from a woman’s eye, visually representing the film’s themes of obsession, dizziness, and psychological distress.
- Psycho (1960): A series of grey horizontal and vertical bars slide across the screen, fragmenting and splitting the names of the cast and crew, creating a jarring, schizophrenic effect that foreshadows the fractured psyche of Norman Bates.
Bass’s philosophy was that the sequence should create a “climate” for the film, and his work with directors like Alfred Hitchcock, Otto Preminger, and Stanley Kubrick set a new standard.
Other Masters and Modern Trends
Following in Bass’s footsteps, Maurice Binder defined the kinetic, sensual style of the James Bond franchise with his iconic gun barrel opening and silhouetted title sequences. In the 1990s, Kyle Cooper’s title sequence for David Fincher’s Se7en—a scratched, jittery, and disturbing montage of the killer’s notebooks—redefined the art form for a new generation.
In contemporary cinema, the traditional, lengthy opening credit sequence has become less common in major blockbusters. Many films now opt for a simple title card after a “cold open,” moving all other credits to the end of the film. This is done to get the audience into the action as quickly as possible. However, the art form is still very much alive, particularly in television, where series like Game of Thrones, True Detective, and Severance have used their opening sequences to create iconic and thematically rich introductions to their complex worlds.