I was trolling around the internets and stumbled upon this article about the demise of the title sequence in film. A great title sequence can jumpstart a film or provide a subtle look into what the film is about before it even gets going. I found the following which I found to be pretty entertaining:
Anyway, I got to thinking about how few films have title sequences anymore. As a composer, I'm highly interested in the title sequence for several reasons, not the least of which is that if the filmmaker has an original score this is an excellent opportunity for the composer and director to set the tone of the film. It also got me thinking about the Grand Master of film title designers, Saul Bass and some of the incredible title sequences he designed.
One of my favorites, North by Northwest:
While the title sequence seems to have gone the way of the dodo, there are some recent entries that are nice:
But the title sequence that really stands out in recent memory as capturing that sense of Saul Bass's animation style and setting the tone is Steven Spielberg's Catch Me If You Can:
So my question to you, dear reader(s), what's your favorite title sequence, new or old?
