- Discuss the above sequences within the context of motion literacy fundamentals – how do the sequences above make use of primary (object) motion, secondary (camera) motion and temporal considerations (timing) in order to effectively communicate the tone and content of the movie or show?
“The aim of expressive kinetic typography is to visually reflect a concept. It can express an intended emotion through its specific graphic impact and movement in space, rather than being literal. In certain instances, it is interpreted as physical shapes that generate complex semiotic experiences through metaphor and motion rather than text.” Krasner, Jon. Motion Graphic Design : Applied History and Aesthetics, Routledge, 2013 (p.238)
Among these series, the object is always the title’s typography, which is fragmented and abstracted at first. The text is gradually re-configured from abstracted shapes into a readable form in the motion. The slow, steady recombination of the letters, which runs alongside the audio tracks, is the temporal component of these sequences.
Stranger Things (2016), Altered States (1980), and Dead Zone (1983) all have text-based illustrative motifs in their title sequences. Both Altered States and Dead Zone, created by Richard Greenberg in the 1980s, use videography in their sequences, as well as type-based motion (The Dead Zone is “a disjointed version of Helvetica Black” and Altered States is “a slightly tweaked ITC Avant Garde Gothic”). The lines and basic angles/forms of the typeface are used in all three titles to produce a fractured effect throughout the series. The textual type fractures the video images in both the Dead Zone and Altered States, combined with discordant melodies in the audio to create an unease in the audience.
In Stranger Things, the sequence is scaled back even further, with the omission of videography emphasising the red-coloured basic line of the font ( Benguiat ). Due to the lack of video imagery, the sequence relies heavily on sound, colour, and line to interact with the audience. Designer Michelle Dougherty achieves this by using cultural semiotics such as the colour red, which denotes danger and bad, and a film grain effect combined with synth audio, which conveys an 80s feeling.
“Knowing how colour can elicit various emotional responses can help us make better colour choices. Light red, for example, is universally associated with happiness; however, bright or dark red can cause anxiety.”
Krasner, Jon. Motion Graphic Design : Applied History and Aesthetics, Routledge, 2013 (p.214)
- How do the contemporary examples draw on the aesthetics of the earlier pieces?
Stranger Things, a contemporary example, heavily and clearly draws from Greenberg’s sequences. Dougerty’s use of kinetic form and the way the individual letters pan around the screen are reminiscent of Greenberg’s work. “The disjointed kind, coupled with the music, infuses it with a real sense of unease, which I believe they appreciated.” Dougherty publicly acknowledges Greenberg as a source of inspiration for the title sequence, and the Stranger Things title was made by a Greenberg corporation.
- Consider optical versus digital – how does the legacy of optically created motion design inform the contemporary versions?
“The influence of film titles helped kinetic typography become mainstream in the public eye during the 1980s and 1990s.” Krasner, Jon. Motion Graphic Design : Applied History and Aesthetics, Routledge, 2013 (p.237)
According to Dougherty, during the Stranger Things sequence’s design process, they discovered that the optical transitions of the 1980s kinetic style titles were of higher quality than intended, necessitating the use of a high-quality transition with natural imperfections.
Greenberg took influence from avant-garde contemporaries such as Len Lye and Pablo Ferro, much as Dougherty’s sequence echoed the art of Greenberg’s sequences. The format used, which combines abstract forms with motion and sound, is inspired by avant-garde experimental films made at the same time as the film industry.
- Any other observations or thoughts?
The examples presented here are kinetic typographic abstractions. Another idea for this article was to compare Night of the Demons (1988) and Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (2018). I wanted to quickly go over the techniques used in this example – they’re far more illustrative and comic-like, and they tend to follow the principles of more conventional animation at first glance. However, upon closer inspection, many of the same guidelines apply – the pacing is synced with the audio, the object moves and the camera pans, and the scenes, whether illustrative or typographical, follow general design concepts.
References:
Krasner, Jon. Motion Graphic Design : Applied History and Aesthetics, Taylor & Francis Group, 2013. ProQuest Ebook Central, http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/uow/detail.action?docID=1207565.
Created from uow on 2021-03-05 16:55:54.
https://www.artofthetitle.com/title/stranger-things/
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