Saul Bass

SAUL BASS

Saul Bass is a name I had never heard of, but as I began look through his works it I found it fascinating just how familiar I was with his work. His designs include some of the most recognizable opening title sequences for movies, film posters and commercial logos. His professional career, which began in the 1950’s, spanned an amazing 40 years.

During his career he worked with some of the biggest name in Hollywood, which includes Alfred Hitchcock, Stanley Kubrick and Martin Scorsese. Bass first came to prominence after designing the title sequence for Otto Preminger's The Man with the Golden Arm in 1955. While working with Alfred Hitchcock, Bass made a significant impact on the movie industry by creating moving text, known as kinetic typography, to enhance the title sequences of file like Psycho. Prior to Bass employing kinetic typography, title sequences were stationary. Bass also created the movie poster for Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining. Later in his career, Bass created opening title sequences for two of my favorite movies, Martin Scorsese’s Goodfellas and Casino.

While most notable for his work in the motion picture industry, Saul Bass is probable more recognized for his design work in creating logos for some of the most well-known commercial brands and organizations. Some of his most recognized logos include designs  for AT&T, Dixie, United Way and Girl Scouts of America just to name a few. According to the Wikipedia bio, Bass designed logos have an unusual longevity, 34 year, as compared to the designs of others.  

Bass’s designs have been used in a seeming vast number of mediums, from his numerous opening title sequences to his impressive portfolio of logos. However, his impact extends even beyond this. He was an innovator who shaped the way movies are made in his own subtle way. Bass was quoted as saying "My initial thoughts about what a title can do was to set mood and the prime underlying core of the film's story, to express the story in some metaphorical way. I saw the title as a way of conditioning the audience, so that when the film actually began, viewers would already have an emotional resonance with it.” Bass passed away in 1996, but his style and influence can still be seen in today’s feature films and designs.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saul_Bass