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The Film Junkyard: Designing film titles

08 Jul 2021

By Kavishna Wijesinghe   Dan Perri is a well-known film and television title sequence designer, and his work in major films including The Exorcist (1973), Taxi Driver (1976), the original Star Wars (1977), Raging Bull (1980), and Suspiria (2018) have made him extremely in demand in the industry. This New York-born maestro spoke to Junkyard Theory about his interesting journey through the years as a title sequence designer.    [caption id="attachment_148453" align="alignright" width="267"] Dan Perri speaking to Akash Sunethkumara[/caption] Origins Dan revealed that the love he had for letters and the influence he got from his mother, who is a painter herself, exposed him to art at a young age. After several years of studying, Dan began a sign painting business on Long Island.  Thereafter, he tried his hand at graphic design and served a short apprenticeship at Hixson & Jorgensen on Wilshire Boulevard, before discovering film title making. He immediately realised that was what he wanted to pursue.  Dan sought an acquaintance who did titles for major studios back then and, through him, got the chance to work on a number of films. Dan’s big break came when Billy Friedkin, the director of The Exorcist, contacted him and commissioned him to produce the main titles.  The film went on to become a blockbuster, and Dan expressed that when you have a successful film under your belt, superstitious Hollywood comes after you with work so that others could replicate the same success.   The titling process Dan’s sensibility with graphic and design helps him to read a script with the intention to design the title sequence. The emotions he experiences while reading the script provide him with the creative inspiration to come up with a variety of designs. He added that he then presents his designs to the director, and once his work is approved, he’ll begin polishing it up. Dan’s title design is also connected to the character work in the story.  He also stated that it does not concern him about the knowledge or lack thereof that people have about titles and their importance. Generally, filmmaking and entertainment is done commercially and there are contracts that govern many aspects of a film.  His belief is that titles are not everything when it comes to a movie and they do not stand out individually. It has to be recognised and appreciated but not separately.    [caption id="attachment_148454" align="alignleft" width="336"] Dan Perri at the premiere of Suspiria[/caption] Aesthetic aspect and legibility When questioned about the balance between aesthetics and legibility, Dan immediately stated: “It’s always legibility that drives it.” Also, overly detailing titles could cause it to lose its effect and the readability would be harmed. Dan believes that a type style should be readable and not so decorative to bring out the effect.  When he designed the Star Wars opening crawl, Dan reveals that he didn’t design it to gain recognition, and they were meant to be integrated in the film. “However, the audience loved it since the crawl made a promise to the audience and that film followed it, and kept its promise. It was emotional, special, exciting, dynamic, clever, and brilliant, which affected people immensely.”  It is a result of the promise that was kept, which catapulted the film to a blockbuster and Dan’s opening crawl to legendary status. To date, the crawl is one of the most iconic and easily identifiable film titles in history.   Research On conducting research before designing, Dan said that he created 40 different concepts of titles for the movie Suspiria and shared them with the director, Luca. He stated that Luca was very collaborative when it came to the design process and therefore it was easier to arrive at a final concept which they then presented to the studio.  Dan’s approach to designing has led him to take on more responsibility such as taking over all aspects of marketing design for movies such as Spielberg’s Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977). Dan welcomed the advent of technology, as it was very exciting and easy to work with than doing artwork with ink and paper. “With computers, a designer could easily manipulate and scratch it how they want. They could use the software to make things better.”    Advice for young enthusiasts Dan encourages young enthusiasts to be passionate as he was. “Just doing it for the sake of doing something will not get you anywhere. But if you have the determination and persistence, that is what it takes to be successful. Keep trying and never give up! Believe in yourself even though it is hard.”   The full interview with Dan Perri is available on the Junkyard Theory YouTube channel and Dan’s book about all his work related to film titles can be purchased through his website www.danperri.com.   Junkyard Theory is Sri Lanka’s first and only film education platform that brings on veteran filmmakers from Hollywood as guest speakers. Their webinars, hosted by Akash Sunethkumara, have been recognised on industry sites such as “No Film School”, and the team now runs film courses for upcoming filmmakers in the country.

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Discover Kapruka, the leading online shopping platform in Sri Lanka, where you can conveniently send Gifts and Flowers to your loved ones for any event. Explore a wide range of popular Shopping Categories on Kapruka, including Toys, Groceries, Electronics, Birthday Cakes, Fruits, Chocolates, Automobile, Mother and Baby Products, Clothing, and Fashion. Additionally, Kapruka offers unique online services like Money Remittance, Astrology, Medicine Delivery, and access to over 700 Top Brands. Also If you’re interested in selling with Kapruka, Partner Central by Kapruka is the best solution to start with. Moreover, through Kapruka Global Shop, you can also enjoy the convenience of purchasing products from renowned platforms like Amazon and eBay and have them delivered to Sri Lanka.Send love straight to their heart this Valentine's with our thoughtful gifts!


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