In his Emmy Award For Outstanding Main Title Design, it still is overlooked at most other award shows for the film industry. Fortunately Ian Albinson, founder and editor-in-chief of the influential Art of the Title website, and a principal of the motion design studio Albinson Design, is again hosting the unofficial Oscars for Film Title Design next week, on March 11 at SXSW 2013.
Now entering its 4th year, the SXSW Film Design Awards recognise Excellence in Poster Design and in Title Design. I had the pleasure to attend last year's screening of the finalists and highly recommend it even if you only have a passing interest in film title design. This year's presentation of the best title sequences of 2012 will open with an informative conversation between award-winning main titles designer and broadcast editor Jay Bond and host Ian Albinson. Bond is co-founder of Oily Film Company Inc. who were responsible for 2012 Film Design Award-winner Les Bleus de Ramville. And if you can't make it to SXSW, you can watch all the finalists in the gallery on Vimeo by clicking the images in the list below.
As this video doesn't allow embedding, click the image to see it on Vimeo.
21 Jump Street
Director | Phil Lord, Chris Miller
Designer/Agency | Brian Mah, Kris Fortin, Juan Monasterio, John Kim, Dan Meehan, Will Goodan & Greg Herman, Imaginary Forces
As this video doesn't allow embedding, click the image to see it on Vimeo.
The Avengers
Director | Joss Whedon
Designer/Agency | Steve Viola, Method Design
Main typeface | Bank Gothic
"Chasing Shakespeare" Opening Titles from Lucky Post on Vimeo.
Chasing Shakespeare
Director | Norry Niven
Designer/Agency | Sai Selvarajan & Marc Chartrand, Lucky-Post
Main typeface | Baskerville
As this video doesn't allow embedding, click the image to see it on Vimeo.
Crave
Director | Charles de Lauzirika
Designer/Agency | Raleigh Stewart
Main typeface | FF DIN Condensed
Elementary from Simon Clowes on Vimeo.
Elementary
Director | Various
Designer/Agency | Simon Clowes, Prologue Films
Main typeface | Square Slabserif 711
Hard Rock Medical – Main Titles Sequence from Jay Bond on Vimeo.
Hard Rock Medical
Director | Derek Diorio
Designer/Agency | Jay Bond, Oily Film Company
Main typeface | Alternate Gothic
Editorial Bruguera Documentary Opening Title Sequence. from No-Domain on Vimeo.
Histories de Bruguera
Director | Carles Prats
Designer/Agency | No-Domain
Main typefaces | Acropolis (The Proteus Project), Letter Gothic
Joven & Alocada / End Credits from SMOG.tv on Vimeo.
WARNING | Contains brief flashes of stylised sexually explicit imagery
Joven & Alocada
Director | Marialy Rivas
Designer/Agency | Pablo Gonzalez, SMOG
Main typefaces | Courier, Didot
The Late Men – title sequence from The Executive Branch on Vimeo.
The Late Men
Director | Van Poynton
Designer/Agency | Van Poynton, The Executive Branch
Main typeface | Alternate Gothic
As this video doesn't allow embedding, click the image to see it on Vimeo.
Man on a Ledge
Director | Asger Leth
Designer/Agency | PIC
Main typeface | distressed
"The Man Who Shook the Hand of Vicente Fernández" Opening Titles from Darren Brandl on Vimeo.
The Man Who Shook The Hand of Vicente Fernandez
Director | Elia Petridis
Designer/Agency | Craig Denham, Curiosity Shoppe
Typefaces | URW Giorgio, Abilene, Thunderbird, Latin, De Louisville, PL Davison Americana, and several other Wild West-inspired designs
Supporting typeface | Boton
As this video doesn't allow embedding, click the image to see it on Vimeo.
Paranorman
Director | Chris Butler, Sam Fell
Designer/Agency | Aaron Sorenson, LAIKA/house, LAIKA/house
Typefaces | Block, and other monster movie-inspired designs similar to Agent of the Uncanny, Destination Unknown, Monster Mash etc.
As this video doesn't allow embedding, click the image to see it on Vimeo.
Red Lights
Director | Rodrigo Cortes
Designer/Agency | Jorge Calvo, Chelsea22
Main typeface | Futura
Sasquatch Line-up Video from WINTR on Vimeo.
Sasquatch! Festival 2012
Designer/Agency | WINTR
Main typeface | Heroic Condensed
SILENT HILL 2 – END TITLE from ChezEddy on Vimeo.
Silent Hill: Revelation 3D
Director | Michael J. Bassett
Designer/Agency | Kook Ewo, The French Title
Main typeface | FF DIN Condensed
Sinister / Main Titles / Becker Design from Aaron Becker on Vimeo.
Sinister
Director | Scott Derrickson
Designer/Agency | Aaron Becker, Becker Design
Main typeface | hand lettering
James Bond 007: Skyfall
Director | Sam Mendes
Designer/Agency | Daniel Kleinman, Rattling Stick, Framestore
Main typeface | Century Gothic
As this video doesn't allow embedding, click the image to see it on Vimeo.
Smashing Titles from No-Domain on Vimeo.
Smashing Conference
Designer/Agency | No-Domain
Typefaces | Helvetica, Bryant 2, Century Gothic, FF Flightcase, Garamond, ITC Avant Garde Gothic, and others
Weeds Show Opener from IdeaRocket on Vimeo.
Weeds
Various directors
Designer/Agency | Robert Kopecky, IdeaRocket
Main typeface | comic book lettering
