Case Study - Saul Bass

• Born in Bronx district New York
• Was Born in 1920 and died in 1996 (75 years old)
• Art student league - Graphic DesignerWorked as commercial artist
• Bass mostly worked in advertisement
• In 1964 Bass began directing his own films ; including, The Searching Eye (1964), From Here to There (1964) and Why Man Creates (1968)
• In 1950 he went on to opening he's own studio to work in advertising.

These are some of saul Basses Work...

This is one of the designs that 
Saul Bass designed for the movie, "Carmen Jones"
Because of this brilliance of a advertising poster, Preminger asked Bass to create the film title sequence too.















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.