Saul Bass

Saul Bass was an American graphic designer who became famous for his logos. He used simple geometric shapes in his work and their symbolisms. He often hand drew his work to create a casual appearance. His main achievement however was the way in which he revolutionized the way that people view title credit sequences.  

Saul Bass` earliest and arguably his most notorious title sequence was that of the man with the Golden Arm. In this he created an arresting image of a distorted, disjointed arm. As well as being disconnected from a body, the black arm has the appearance of being petrified and transformed into something else. Saul stated that, “The intent of this opening was to create a mood spare, gaunt, with a driving intensity… [that conveyed] the distortion and jaggedness, the disconnectedness and disjointedness of the addict’s life the subject of the film.” The soundtrack for this opening was a jazz-like score, and set against a black background, white bars appear, disappear and form abstract patterns before finally coalescing into the film’s symbol. The contrasts between the black and white heighten the loud and harsh intensity, and the separation encapsulate the mood of the main character, a downbeat drummer with a penchant for gambling and drugs. 

Link to the opening of The Man With The Golden Arm-http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sS76whmt5Yc