Creative Motion Graphic Titling

Creative Motion Graphic Titling

by Bill Byrne, Yael Braha
Released October 2012
Publisher(s): Routledge
ISBN: 9781136132131

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Book description

The book features genre-based tutorial sections, with step by step instructions for creating effective horror, comedy, drama, and suspense titling sequences. Tutorials for creating some of the most popular title sequences in blockbuster movies are included (Se7en, The Sopranos, 24, The Matrix). Other tutorials teach you how to effectively use sound and VFX in your titles, and also included is instruction on editing your title sequence. These techniques, as well as chapters on the essentials of typography allow you to apply these lessons to your title sequence regardless of whether it's for TV, the web, or digital signage.

Also included is a DVD with sample clips, as well as project files that allow you to refine the techniques you learned in the book. As an added bonus we've included 3 titling chapters from other Focal books, with specific instructions on titling within certain software applications.

Cover images provided by MK12, from The Alphabet Conspiracy. Learn more at www.MK12.com

 

Table of contents

  1. Cover
  2. Halftitle
  3. Title
  4. Copyright
  5. Dedication
  6. Contents
  7. Acknowledgments
  8. Chapter 1. Title Sequences: Function with Form
    1. The Purpose and Functions of a Title Sequence
    2. Creative Process Overview
    3. Typical Workflow Overview
    4. Title Sequence Positioning
    5. Title Sequence Style, Integration, and Transitions
    6. Match Frame
    7. Titles Over Picture
    8. Alternating Title Cards and Footage
    9. Video-Based Title Sequence
    10. Animation-Based Title Sequence
    11. Text as Character
    12. Combining Footage and Motion Graphics
    13. Escamotage: Alternative Transitions
    14. A Story Within a Story
    15. Pulling the Threads
    16. Conclusion
    17. Opening and Closing Titles
    18. The Video and Film Workflow
    19. Film Process and Transfer: The Digital Intermediate Process
  9. Chapter 2. A Brief History of Title Sequences
    1. Early Titles
    2. Saul Bass: North by Northwest and Psycho
    3. Dr. Strangelove and Delicatessen
    4. Se7en, Kyle Cooper, and the Modern Title Sequence
  10. Chapter 3. The Essentials of Typography and Time
    1. Writing Systems and the Roman Capital
    2. Types of Type: The Anatomy of a Typeface
    3. Kerning, Tracking, and Leading
    4. Design Blocks: Choosing a Layout
    5. Using a Grid System
    6. Establishing and Occupying Your Grid
    7. Breaking the Grid
    8. Readability: Titles at the Movies, Online, and on Your Cell Phone
    9. Cone of Vision and Screen Dimension
    10. Font Size and Distance
    11. Titles Online and On Your Cell Phone
    12. Tutorial: Modifying Text with Adobe Illustrator
    13. Creating Your Own Font
    14. Tutorial: Creating a Custom Typeface with Fontlab
    15. Moving Type for the Web with Adobe Flash
    16. Considerations for Web Viewing and Mobile Devices
    17. The Differences Between After Effects and Flash
    18. Choosing Between the Two
    19. Tutorial: Basic Type Animation in Adobe Flash
    20. Tutorial: Moving a Type Animation from After Effects to Flash with the XFL Format
  11. Chapter 4. Lights, Color, and Clarity: Preparing Your Titles
    1. Understanding Color
    2. A Bit of History
    3. Symbolism and the Psychology of Color
    4. Color Systems
    5. Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary; Hue, Brightness, and Saturation
    6. Color Harmonies
    7. Color Deficiency
    8. Color Contrasts: Color and Type Combinations That Work
    9. Understanding Light
    10. Color Temperature
    11. Color-Balancing Film and Video Cameras
    12. Qualities of Light: Size, Distance, Angle, and Color
    13. Functions of Lights
    14. Emotive Lighting
    15. Computer-Generated Lighting
    16. Using Photoshop Layer Styles with Type
    17. Adding and Adjusting Layer Styles
    18. The Layer Styles
    19. Using Global Light
    20. Contour
    21. Drop Shadow
    22. Inner Shadow
    23. Outer Glow
    24. Inner Glow
    25. Bevel and Emboss
    26. Satin
    27. Color Overlay
    28. Gradient Overlay
    29. Pattern Overlay
    30. Stroke
    31. Choosing Between Raster and Vector for Motion Titles
    32. What Is a Raster Image?
    33. What Is a Vector Image?
    34. Tutorial: Using Stencil Alpha to Cut Out a Texture
    35. The Main Title Card Becomes the Movie Logo
    36. Tutorial: Animating Layer Styles with After Effects
    37. Tutorial: Adding Animated Illustrative Elements to a Main Title Card
    38. Title Sequence Workflows
    39. Project Management
    40. Working with the Graphic Design Department
    41. 300 dpi Becomes 72 ppi
    42. Setting Up in After Effects
    43. Tutorial: Making a Preset
    44. Open in Editor
  12. Chapter 5. Importing Text and Other Files into After Effects
    1. Workflow Considerations
    2. Importing Files into After Effects
    3. Footage
    4. Composition
    5. Composition Cropped Layers
    6. Project
    7. Special Considerations for Text Layers
    8. Tutorial: Editing Type from an Illustrator Document
    9. Creating Title Cards
    10. Tutorial: Animated Title Cards
    11. Tutorial: Title Card-Based Title Sequence
    12. Tutorial: Creating a Lower Third Title
    13. Tutorial: Working with Large Blocks of Type
    14. Tutorial: Creating a Ticker, TV News-Type Crawl
  13. Chapter 6. Title Sequences in Production: The Camera and the Edit
    1. Real-World Cameras vs. CG Cameras
    2. Formats and Aspect Ratios
    3. Speed and Frames Per Second
    4. Lenses
    5. Depth of Field
    6. Shutter Speed and Angle
    7. Composing a Shot: Camera Framing and Movement
    8. Camera Framing
    9. Camera Movement
    10. Understanding Green-Screen Production
    11. Editing Footage for a Title Sequence
    12. Three Kinds of Edits
    13. The Rules and Art of the Edit
    14. Three Kinds of Edits for Title Designers
    15. How to Edit Footage for a Title Sequence
    16. Software Setup
    17. Music
    18. Tutorial: Editing Footage for a Title Sequence
    19. Tutorial: Creating a Title Sequence with a Virtual Camera
  14. Chapter 7. Sound in Movie Titles
    1. Characteristics of Sound
    2. Pitch
    3. Tone
    4. Amplitude
    5. Reflection, Absorption, Refraction, and Propagation
    6. Walter Murch’s Synesthesia
    7. Sound in Postproduction
    8. The Sound Edit
    9. The Score
    10. The Mix
    11. Audio Integration with After Effects
    12. Adding Sound Effects and Music to Your Title Sequence
    13. Tutorial: Introduction to Sound Design: Making a “Whoosh”
    14. Tutorial: Adding Music and Sound Effects in After Effects
    15. Synching Sound with Type Using After Effects Expressions
    16. Tutorial: Synching Sound with Type
  15. Chapter 8. Essential Techniques
    1. Timing
    2. Fade Up and Fade Down
    3. Tutorial: The Basic Move
    4. Fade Up and Down by Character
    5. Tutorial: Fading Up and Down by Character
    6. Tutorial: Shaped Fade Up and Fade Down
    7. Tracking
    8. Tutorial: Tracks
    9. Spotlight Reveal
    10. Tutorial: Creating a Spotlight Reveal
    11. Text Bounce
    12. Tutorial: Make Your Text Bounce
    13. Title Wipes
    14. Tutorial: Wiping Your Title
    15. In-Scene Wipes
    16. Tutorial: Creating In-Scene Wipes
    17. Extreme Zoom-In Effect
    18. Tutorial: Creating a Zoom-In Effect
    19. Falling into Place
    20. Tutorial: Falling into Place
    21. Exploding Type
    22. Tutorial: Exploding Type
    23. Stop-Motion Titles
    24. Tutorial: Classic Stop Motion with Modern Equipment
    25. Fine-Art Techniques
    26. Tutorial: Painting or Writing Text on Screen
    27. Tutorial: Write-On Effect with a Font
    28. Tutorial: Painterly Effects
    29. End Scroll
    30. Why Are End Scrolls Harder with Video?
    31. Typefaces
    32. Effects
    33. Processing and Setting
    34. Tutorial: Animating an End Scroll
  16. Chapter 9. Famous Movie Title Techniques
    1. The Sopranos-Style Wipe
    2. Tutorial: Creating the Sopranos-Style Wipe
    3. The Suspense-Style Glowing Back Light
    4. Tutorial: Creating the Suspense-Style Glowing Back Light
    5. The Star Wars Backward Crawl
    6. Tutorial: Creating the Star Wars Backward Crawl
    7. The Horror-Jittery Type in the Style of Se7en and Saw
    8. Tutorial: Creating the Horror-Jittery Type in the Style of Se7en and Saw
    9. The Superman-Style Explosive Type
    10. Tutorial: Creating the Superman-Style Explosive Type
    11. The Matrix Raining Characters
    12. Tutorial: The Matrix Raining Characters
    13. The Dawn of the Dead Blood-Splatter Type
    14. Tutorial: Creating the Dawn of the Dead Blood-Splatter Type
    15. The Lost-Style Basic 3D Title
    16. Tutorial: Creating the Lost-Style Basic 3D Title
    17. The Spider-Man-Style Full-3D Text Animation
    18. Tutorial: Creating the Spider-Man-Style Full-3D Text Animation
  17. Chapter 10. Completing the Creative Process
    1. Studios/Designers Clients: How Does It All Work?
    2. Planning a Movie Title Sequence
    3. Project Element Preparation
    4. Typical Order of Credits in an Opening Title Sequence
    5. Timing/Deliverables
    6. Workflow for Building and Creating a Movie Title Sequence
    7. Tutorial: Building and Creating a Movie Title Sequence
    8. Rendering Your Title Sequence
  18. Resources
  19. Bibliography
  20. Index

Product information

  • Title: Creative Motion Graphic Titling
  • Author(s): Bill Byrne, Yael Braha
  • Release date: October 2012
  • Publisher(s): Routledge
  • ISBN: 9781136132131