DESIGN HEROES: Saul Bass
Saul Bass, Anatomy of a Murder, 1959. source: Letterform Archive
Saul Bass is a name that has become synonymous with movie title design. He is perhaps best known for his iconic opening sequences for films such as Vertigo, The Man with the Golden Arm, and North by Northwest, to name just a few. But Saul Bass was much more than just a designer of film titles. He was a graphic designer, filmmaker, and artist who had a profound impact on the way we think about design and visual communication.
Bass was born in the Bronx, New York, in 1920. He studied at the Art Students League in Manhattan before attending Brooklyn College, where he studied under the influential designer Gyorgy Kepes. After serving in World War II, Bass started working as a freelance designer in Hollywood, creating print advertisements for films. It was during this time that he began to develop his distinctive style, characterized by bold typography, minimalism, and a sense of motion and energy.
Bass's breakthrough came in 1955 when he was asked to design the opening titles for Otto Preminger's film The Man with the Golden Arm. Bass's design, which featured an animated arm moving to a jazzy score, was unlike anything that had been seen before. It was a revelation, and it established Bass as a leading figure in the world of film design.
Over the next few years, Bass created title sequences for a string of classic films, including Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo, North by Northwest, and Psycho. His designs were innovative, using typography and animation in ways that had never been seen before. He was also an early adopter of kinetic typography, using moving text to create a sense of drama and excitement.
Bass's impact went beyond film design, however. He was also a prolific designer of corporate logos, creating iconic identities for companies such as AT&T, United Airlines, and Quaker Oats. His designs were characterized by their simplicity and elegance, using minimalism to create maximum impact.
Bass was also an accomplished filmmaker in his own right. He directed a number of short films, including the Academy Award-winning Why Man Creates, which explored the creative process. His films were characterized by their visual flair and their use of experimental techniques.
Saul Bass's influence on design and visual communication is hard to overstate. His bold, minimalist style has influenced countless designers, and his innovative use of animation and typography has become a standard feature of film and television title sequences. He was a true pioneer, pushing the boundaries of what was possible in design and communication. Today, his legacy lives on, inspiring a new generation of designers to create work that is innovative, impactful, and beautiful.