Best movie title graphics

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Posted:
in General Discussion edited January 2014
Recently read the article on Kyle Cooper in Wired magazine about his work.

http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/12.06/cooper.html

I've always watched the opening credits in all movies and was wondering if there was a website dedicated to this art form.



Also, love to hear other good movie title graphics.

Just a few spring to my mind right now.



Batman: Not so much the typopgraphy but the tight camera shot of going through a cave/tunnel and finally pulling back to reveal as the Batman crest.



Cape Fear: type in a water-like effect



The Abyss: the letter *y* extends down into the deep water and then fills full screen.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 19
    a10t2a10t2 Posts: 191member
    It isn't a title sequence per se but as far as text effects go the new iTunes commercial rocks my world.
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  • Reply 2 of 19
    placeboplacebo Posts: 5,767member
    I love the Napoleon Dynamite intro credits, with the producer's and actor's names written on various dishes of food or mundane objects. Truly weird.
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  • Reply 3 of 19
    pfflampfflam Posts: 5,053member
    O movie that I thought was terrible for its manipulative violence and sensationalism but did have a great title sequence was the movie 'Seven'.
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  • Reply 4 of 19
    satchmosatchmo Posts: 2,699member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by pfflam

    O movie that I thought was terrible for its manipulative violence and sensationalism but did have a great title sequence was the movie 'Seven'.



    Yup, that was Kyle Cooper as mentioned in the article. He also did the first and second Spiderman movies.
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  • Reply 5 of 19
    wrong robotwrong robot Posts: 3,907member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Placebo

    I love the Napoleon Dynamite intro credits, with the producer's and actor's names written on various dishes of food or mundane objects. Truly weird.



    I was thinking the same thing
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  • Reply 6 of 19
    i liked the first alien. opening title sequence match the feeling and pace of the movie.



    but those mod 60's credits, with animations bumping the credits here and there are my favorite. peter sellers movies seemed to have them all the time, and not just his movies with blake edwards.



    ghostbusters was pretty groundbreaking (there weren't any!) they even had to pay the directors guild a fine because of the placement of the director's credit.
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  • Reply 7 of 19
    the best title sequence i've seen in a while is on HBO's six feet under. yeah, i know, not exactly a movie, but very tight none the less. you can view it below. the version on their site differs slightly from the one on the actual show; it has some nice subtle touches added that i wish HBO would have kept in.





    digital kitchen
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  • Reply 8 of 19
    andersanders Posts: 6,523member
    Monthy Phythons Flying Circus
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  • Reply 9 of 19
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Anders

    Monthy Phythons Flying Circus



    I'll second that one!
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  • Reply 10 of 19
    cooopcooop Posts: 390member
    X2 has a great opening sequence. And who can forget the cranial fly-through at the beginning of Fight Club? Good stuff.
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  • Reply 11 of 19
    existenceexistence Posts: 991member
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  • Reply 12 of 19
    ijerryijerry Posts: 615member
    I truly enjoyed catch me if you can's opening sequence...



    MI was okay, but noteworthy.



    Austin Powers, just for fun!
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  • Reply 13 of 19
    curiousuburbcuriousuburb Posts: 3,325member
    Nobody's mentioned 007's characteristic chase followed by silhouetted or body painted nekkid chicks.



    Python rules, but I'd probably call Meaning of Life as one of the best openings... Crimson Permanent Insurance building with scaffolding that then starts sailing off as accounting pirates. Classic.



    Animation during the titles can also be nice... the old Pink Panther films were great for this. Reckless People was strangely stylish. Matrix wasn't bad in this regard.



    I'd also suggest that for end titles, one of the most interesting that leaps to mind are the Mummy, and to a degree, Mummy Returns. Both feature mock heiroglyphics that morph into names, and the river between text columns is always flowing and subtly detailed instead of stock. A visual and typographical treat.



    Python, Airplane and some Mel Brooks films are reknowned for inventing fictional credits ( "Worst Boy: Adolf Hitler", etc ). Jackie Chan movies are always worth watching the credits for because of the inclusion of stunt bloopers.



    Most imitated? Perhaps Star Wars scrolling plane of receding text.



    IIRC there's a book about opening titles in film that seems to cite Lalo Schifrin as the dude to work with in this area... maybe he's done lots of scores, or the book was mainly about his titles... not sure.
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  • Reply 14 of 19
    tmptmp Posts: 601member
    I always thought "The Shining" had a great opening credit sequence (and one of the first big movies to use the stedicam to great effect)
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  • Reply 15 of 19
    Saul Bass was the man

    Strange that no-one's mentioned him as really made the opening of a film something worthy in it's own right. I'll be going to the exhibition.
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  • Reply 16 of 19
    I always did like the opening credits to Se7en, very well done. But anyone remember how they did "Panic Room"? How the letters seemed to reflect the color of the buildings and how the were floating in the middle of the streets? I liked that, sort of the same effect Thirteen Ghosts.
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  • Reply 17 of 19
    Quote:

    Originally posted by curiousuburb



    Crimson Permanent Insurance building with scaffolding that then starts sailing off as accounting pirates. Classic.



    Animation during the titles can also be nice... the old Pink Panther films were great for this. Reckless People was strangely stylish. Matrix wasn't bad in this regard.



    Python, Airplane and some Mel Brooks films are reknowned for inventing fictional credits ( "Worst Boy: Adolf Hitler", etc ). Jackie Chan movies are always worth watching the credits for because of the inclusion of stunt bloopers.











    i remember almost going out to the lobby during "meaning of life" to tell them they had the wrong film on the spool, then i caught a glimpse of eric idle and realized what was going on.



    my problem with the out-take end credits is i never notice the credits (this happened with the opening credits of anchorman too)



    which leads me to my two favorite credit directors.

    woody allen - simple b&w over jazz music

    clint eastwood - credits over (usually) an ariel or chopper shot of whatever city the movie takes place in.



    i mean i always smile when i see them. like it's their little trademark or something.
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  • Reply 18 of 19
    scottibscottib Posts: 381member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by His Dudeness

    But anyone remember how they did "Panic Room"? How the letters seemed to reflect the color of the buildings and how the were floating in the middle of the streets?



    I really liked Panic Room's. Particularily after being bombarded with Kyle Cooper/IF/Ritalin Nation wannabes that are/were around.
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  • Reply 19 of 19
    spcmsspcms Posts: 407member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by His Dudeness

    I always did like the opening credits to Se7en, very well done.



    My first thought also!
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