Analysis and practice in context

AS1 Task 2
Communication – the design and presentation of visual information to
convey ideas and concepts

Saul Bass
Designer of cinema title sequences, movie posters, logos etc
• A genius in the world of graphic design, Saul Bass was a master of
every element of the art form. He produced iconic work in the fields
of logo designs, posters, movie title sequences and even movies
themselves. Today, many of his logos are still being utilized and his
style is widely imitated
The average lifespan of a Saul Bass logo is a whopping 34 years. Some of
his work have yet to be replaced, like the absolutely brilliant designs for Kosé
Cosmetics (1959), Kibun (1964), Warner Communications (1972), Girl
Scouts (1978, with a slight modification made in 2010) and Geffen Records
(1980). With designs as solid, thoughtful and timeless as these, they might
never have to be.
• Logo design is not all Bass is known for. In fact, logos form
the lesserpart of Bass’ artistic legacy. Bass was born in 1920 in New
York City, to Jewish immigrants. A creative child, he drew constantly.
For college, he attended night classes at the Art Students League
where he had the fortune of studying under György Kepes, a master
of the functional Bauhaus aesthetic.
• Bauhaus theory focuses on a functional minimalism and recognizes
the value and significance of symbolism, and as such, the influence
on Bass’ work is obvious.
The logos created by Bass are
characteristic in their
simplicity and clarity. Each
logo is easily connected to the
company it represents and is
strong, precise and minimal in
composition. Bass favored
bold colors and easily utilized
flowing lines to infer
movement while making use
of negative space to great
effect. Bass believed that,
“The ideal trademark is one
that is pushed to its utmost
limits in terms of abstraction
and ambiguity, yet is still
readable. Trademarks are
usually metaphors of one kind
or another. And are, in a
certain sense, thinking made
visible.”
So what is Bauhaus?
So was the Bauhaus style a pocket of the
bigger idea of Modernism?
• In the 1940s, Bass left New York for California. He worked mostly for
advertising until his first major break: a poster for the 1954 film,
Carmen Jones.
• The filmmakers were so impressed by his poster work, they invited
him to design the title credits as well. This turned out to be a game
changing decision. In a sense, all modern opening title sequences that
introduce the mood or theme of a film are a legacy of the Basses’
work.
• Bass went on to create dozens of iconic film posters and title credits.
His final projects before his death in 1996 were credits for four Martin
Scorsese films: Goodfellas (1990), Cape Fear (1991), The Age of
Innocence (1993) and Casino (1995).

• As the book Saul Bass: a Life in Film & Design states, “His designs
shaped complex ideas into radically simple forms that offered
audiences a set of clues, a sort of hermeneutic key to deeper
meanings under the surface of the movie.”
• Bass went on to create numerous other
title sequences for popular films and was
often asked to produce the
accompanying promotional material as
well.
• By utilizing symbols as representations of
each film’s key elements and
reproducing them in all aspects of the
film’s advertisements, Bass created a
method of branding a film with a
recognizable identity, just as companies
are typically branded today.
Saul Bass Movie Posters
Anatomy of Saul Bass Posters
• Read about more of Saul Bass movie posters here
So a bit more about Saul Bass
Homage creates a time and place of the 1950s
• Saint Joan by Otto Preminger (1957)
• The symbol for this film is the broken
body of a woman who in life battled
conventional ideas of femininity (wearing
armor and leading men), as well as the
institutions of Church and State. It is one
of Saul’s most deeply ambiguous images
for a film that explores many
dichotomies, including those between
the modern and pre-modern worlds. In
the one-sheet poster [left] and album
cover, Saul set the symbol against a
joyously colored mosaic reminiscent of
the stained-glass windows of medieval
cathedrals, and suggesting the
sanctification to come.
• Saint Joan chronicles the life of Joan of Arc, a
young woman who led French troops against the
English during the Hundred Years War. Coming up
against the might of both a foreign state and the
Roman Catholic Church, she was burned at the
stake in 1431 after charges of heresy and wearing
soldier’s clothes. Bass’ symbol for the film, a
fragment of a black, charred body in armor,
conveys her strength, while at the same time,
forces us to acknowledge how she died. Bass’
Joan, like the main character in the film, is broken
but not defeated. In his powerful design, the part
of the sword that she still holds in her hand
forms the shape of the Christian cross, thus
foreshadowing her martyrdom, while the
colourful background mosaic, reminiscent of the
stained-glass windows found in medieval
cathedrals, hints at her later sainthood.
Saint Joan
Helpful references
• http://zc.com.sa/wp2/saul-bass-symbolize-summarize/

• And a tip to young designers from Saul Bass