Saul Bass created many well-known title sequences for films within the 50’s and 60’s, all the way in which up to some within the 90’s. His model is typically known as “jazz visualized”, because of the usage of distinctive shapes, daring colours, and punchy-linear animation actions.
For our title animation, we’re going to create a title sequence just like Anatomy of a Homicide. This title sequence was created by Saul Bass in 1959.
Now let’s break down the totally different components we might want to recreate as a way to make an analogous title sequence!
Music
Earlier than we are able to begin creating our titles, we’ll want some music to drive the animation on display. Saul Bass’ title animations are sometimes “reacting” to the varied rhythms and tonal adjustments within the accompanying music. Conserving with the 50’s and 60’s theme, I might advocate daring and brassy jazz music tracks.
A lot of Saul Bass’ titles featured a barely offbeat or noir-ish vibe, typical of 1950’s crime dramas. Fortunately, you will discover many jazz music tracks which can be excellent for this on Envato Components. Two music tracks I discovered that I actually like are Sax Jazz Noir and Cool Thriller Jazz. Be at liberty to pick a music observe that works finest on your personal challenge’s theme.
Creating shapes
Now that our composition is about up and prepared, we are able to begin making some Saul Bass impressed shapes for our animation. You are able to do this by making a Strong layer or a Form layer in After Results. Navigate to Layer>New>Strong (or Form). For simplicity, I’m going to make use of Strong layers on this tutorial. Strong layers shall be simpler for us to “minimize out” our shapes utilizing masks and can emulate the paper-style cutouts seen in a few of Saul Bass’ title sequences.
Create a Strong layer of any shade you want. With the strong layer chosen, we then want to pick the Pen Device. If you do, make it possible for the RotoBezier setting shouldn’t be enabled. This may spherical off our shapes’ edges, and we don’t need that for these shapes. We would like them to look just like the shapes within the Anatomy of a Homicide title.
Now simply click on on the Strong layer and start masking out your form. When you end, you may manually modify level positions on the masks if you have to refine it. You may see right here that I created a form just like one of many arms featured within the Anatomy of a Homicide title.
From right here you may proceed to make as many “minimize out” shapes as you prefer to. Simply be sure to create each on a distinct Strong layer, if you happen to plan on animating them individually later. (In any other case, if two masks are on the identical form layer, they’ll each transfer collectively.)
You may even make many various shapes in separate compositions, for various scenes in your titles, if you happen to choose. This will make it simpler to remain organized. Right here you may see the place I created masks on a number of shapes to recreate the physique form from the unique Saul Bass titles.
Textures and particulars
From right here we are able to add some texture and particulars to our shapes, to raised recreate the look of the unique titles. First, as a way to make our masked shapes look as if they’re paper cutouts, we are able to apply the Bevel Alpha impact. Impact>Perspective>Bevel Alpha. This provides a beveled edge to our strong layer form, making it seem as if it has a little bit thickness to it, like a bit of building paper. Be at liberty to refine the look of the impact as wanted.
Then, if you want so as to add some texture to the form, you could have a number of totally different choices. You might apply an impact like Noise or Fractal Noise, and decrease the opacity of the impact. This may make it extra delicate and look extra as whether it is texture on paper. (You might must set the impact to a distinct mixing mode, reminiscent of Multiply.)
For a good higher look, you may import an image of an actual paper texture overlay, reminiscent of this Craft Paper Texture or this Handmade Paper Textures from Envato Components.
Title fonts
Saul Bass had a definite strategy to typography that completely matched the expressive vitality of his animations. The fonts he selected had been a part of his storytelling. I like to recommend utilizing fonts which have a daring and retro really feel to them. The typography in his title sequences usually appeared hand-cut, hand-drawn, or stamped. This created a human contact and tactile high quality to their look. Some fonts on Envato Components that I might advocate can be:
It would be best to keep away from trendy and easy geometric model fonts. Be at liberty to animate on the letters of your titles at totally different occasions, or add jittery shakes, and so forth.
Retro compositing ideas
Now let’s check out a couple of retro-themed compositing ideas we are able to use in After Results to provide our titles extra of a classic really feel. First, I might advocate including a delicate blur impact over all the pieces, to take away any trendy edge from the titles. Since our titles are being created on a pc, including a slight blur imperfection will make them really feel a little bit extra “actual”.
Create an Adjustment layer above all the pieces in your composition and apply Gaussian Blur. Impact>Blur & Sharpen>Gaussian Blur. Set the Blurriness setting to 4.
Subsequent, I like to recommend overlaying some movie grain. You are able to do this with an actual movie grain overlay, or utilizing the Noise impact. Impact>Noise & Grain> Noise. Set the Quantity of Noise to 16% and switch off Use Colour Noise.
Alternatively, you may also use the Add Grain impact, which can yield higher trying outcomes, however render fairly a bit slower. You may additionally need to add in a Strong layer for a background, which can permit the grain to be extra seen.
Subsequent, strive overlaying some movie mud or movie harm textures. You’ll find many of those on Envato. I actually like this one known as Previous Broken Movie Floor. Merely import the overlay footage into your composition, place it above all the pieces and set the Mixing Mode to Display.
Lastly, if you want to experiment with decrease framerates in your footage, you should utilize the Posterize Time impact. Add an Adjustment layer above all the pieces in your composition and apply the Posterize Time impact. Impact>Time>Posterize Time. You may set the Body Charge setting to values like 12 or 8 for extra retro and jittery trying animations. I additionally advocate leaving Movement Blur off for all your layers. This offers extra of a retro stop-motion look to all the pieces.
Conclusion
Hopefully this tutorial gave you some ideas for recreating the enduring Saul Bass model in your individual title animations. Lean into these hand-made imperfections, reminiscent of: tough edges, daring shapes, jittery timing. Keep away from something that feels too easy, clear, or trendy. Saul Bass’ work was daring, energetic, and filled with character. So don’t be afraid to get a little bit messy!
Extra Saul Bass-inspired tutorials
We’ve revealed a number of different design tutorials specializing in the work of Saul Bass—dig in and revel in!
