Psycho Title Sequence
Motion Graphics
Overview
I chose to recreate Saul Bass’s iconic opening title sequence for the film Psycho directed by Alfred Hitchcock. My goal was to modernize the sequence to make it more appealing to a modern audience. Throughout the project I learned the importance of experimentation, storyboarding, and typographic composition.
Process
My concept for the project was to modernize the Psycho opening and give it a fresh look. To do so I wanted to focus on the typography while adding some newer transitional elements. I studied Saul Bass’s opening sequence for Psycho as well as his other title sequences for inspiration. I broke down each of the main effects and transitions into thumbnails and then a storyboard.
I then jumped into Adobe After Effects and started putting together the main visual elements of the lines and type. Most of the scenes are taken directly from the original sequence. In addition I threw in some new transitions such as the repeated pattern of the word PSYCHO while it cascades down. To give it a more dramatic effect, I utilized glitch effects throughout the sequence to visually amplify the type appearing. I used a grayscale color palette for the main elements which helped the color distortion from the glitch effects stand out.
Outcome
I enjoyed studying the work of Saul Bass and using today’s design tools to recreate his Psycho sequence. Using a storyboard was a major component that contributed to the success of the final video. By plotting out the flow of each scene and how one transitions to the next was a great learning experience. I will continue to follow this process in future projects as it was very beneficial to my workflow.