Archive: Winter 2005

For Openers: The Art of Film Titles

Special Guest: Director David Peters to appear

For many, the real pleasure of cinema begins in those opening moments when the titles first appear onscreen. What was once a simple gesture has emerged as an art of dizzying graphic design and dramatic condensation. David Peters has studied the history of title design in depth and amassed an outrageous collection of opening sequences. He will lead us from the early fifties and the emergence of pioneer Saul Bass (Man with the Golden Arm, Psycho), to the latest generation of visual prologuists like Kyle Cooper (Seven, Island of Dr. Moreau) and Randy Balsmeyer (Malcolm X, Jungle Fever).

Based in San Francisco since 1996, David Peters is a principal at EXBROOK, where he leads organizations in the strategic use of editorial processes and visual design to communicate ideas and contribute to positive social change.

2000, US • 100 minutes • Beta SP • Directed by David Peters