One is pressed to cite an example of an active, self contained, and the characteristic credits sequence in film prior to the work of Saul Bass. Undoubtedly, there are examples that presage Bass' pioneering work; namely, the famous final credits of Citizen Kane reprise excerpts from the film, underscoring the footage with actors names. Likewise, overtures frequently preceded films of the 30s and 40s. Many of these are visually complimented by static credits, and in some cases a montage. And despite these examples, in regard to innovation, renown, and influence, Bass impact in credits design remains virtually unparalleled, even to this day.
Bass expertise in design exhibits a range (his corporate identites and posters are also durable graphic statements), yet his distinguishing aesthetic is one of economy and simplicity. It is in this regard that his work in credits design is of particular significance-his the overture. Elsewhere (and numerously), he employs hand drawn type and cutout construction paper shapes.
In 1964, after sixteen years as a collaborator, Bass began directing his own films including The Searching Eye (1964), From Here to There (1964) and Why Man Creates (1968). His latter effort resulted in an Academy Award-an appropiate gesture of recognition, as Bass may be credited for enhancing the visual strategy of cinema, assigning it another dimension.
Bass techniques are various and decidedly inconsistent: cutout animation, montage, live action, and type design to name only his more prominent excercises. Secondly, Bass exhibits an exemplary use of colour and movement. Often sequences begin with a sold, empty frame of colour (as with Exodus blue or North by Northwest's green). His design tactic in this context, although charecterisitic, possesses subtly and variety.
In the title sequence for ‘Zombieland’, it starts with a young women getting hit by a car whilst in hers, she goes through the front window and lands on the ground dead with a bleeding neck. There is a bird eye camera angle of the women, with the text ‘Rule hash key 4’ and ‘Seatbelts’. The Rule 4 is in the colour of red this could come across the meaning of blood and danger, and the beginning of many other rules in the film that may need to be followed to be able to survive. The word Seatbelt is in the colour white, both texts look like they have been made to be written on the road this could try and tell people who are driving something such as always wear a seatbelt when driving. As well in the screen shot above on the left it says 'fasten your seatbelts...it's going to be a bumpy ride', in this case the meaning of the word seatbelt could mean wear your seatbelt at all times due to it being a bumpy ride for us, the people acting in it and the women who got hit by the car. I think the writing could look like it has been printed on the road for those driving to see the word and make them think.
By the name of the film 'Zombieland' you automatically think the film is about zombies. In the title sequence in each shot a zombie is appeared chasing a human, this obviously means they are wanting to bite them as well as turn them into zombies. The music used for it has that rocky vibe to it and i think suits well with it it it goes with the slow motion of running, because deaths will be involved in the film the song can come across aggressive. Each shot includes a movement, the action involved is when the human is running away from the zombie and hits the typography as if it looks like it is going with them. Examples of this are images below. As you can see the first image is someone jumping off the building to get away from the zombie, if you look closely at the screen shot you can see the mans hand hitting the typography. The point i am trying to make is what i said earlier the movement in the shot goes with the action of the text going with them.
Carrying on from what i have said above, this screen shot is showing the name of the film 'ZombieLand' being smashed feeling as the typography is the glass the human is smashing. Also in the background the shot shows a zombie chasing the man, as i have mentioned before in each shot of the title sequence there is a zombie involved this could help not forget what the film is about.
The two screen shots above i think could bring comedy to the title sequence. The first one is a man running away from the zombie stripper whilst having money in his hand, this could mean the man spends his money to go into strip clubs but this strip club had been attacked by zombies hence the reason of a girl zombie chasing the man with money because that is the way she earns money. Some people could find this funny because it is usually men chasing after women, in this case it is a naked zombie chasing what could be called her customer and him looking scared. The second shot i thought was funny is because it reminded me of a James Bond film, here they could be spoofing the film with the man wearing a smart outfit as well as holding a gun and firing the bullets.
