Saul Bass

Saul Bass

Born: 8th May 1920, in New York City, USA.
Died: 25th April 1996 (aged 75) in Los Angeles, California, USA.

Bass was a widely praised graphic designer whose career spanned over forty years. He is best known for his work on some classic films, such as The Man with the golden arm (1955),  North by Northwest (1959), and Psycho (1960). Saul has 106 credits from jobs as part of the miscellaneous crew, Art department, producer, director e.t.c. Saul Bass has notably worked some big names in the industry at the time, for example, Paul Rand, Milton Glaser, Otto Preminger and the biggest name of them all, Alfred Hitchcock. Alfred Hitchcock being nicknamed "The Master Of Suspense" having used methods in the psychological thriller genres. He is also famous for bringing graphic design into the media world through designing many famous and iconic American branding logos. For example he designed AT&T, Kleenex, abc, Taco Bell and Ford.

Oceans Eleven and Saul Bass

 Saul Bass's work on Oceans Eleven was to complete an opening title to the 1960 film. It features flashing neon type writing and each time Bass wants a new name to appear, the lights shift and move to form a transition from one area to another. It is also appropriate as it sets the scene for a gambling environment with a Vegas type feel to it. This is influential to the rest of the film even today as the Ocean film's have become iconic and well known for its Casino and gambling aspects.

Here you can view the opening title sequence to Ocean's Eleven (1960) created by Saul Bass. The film stars Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis. Jr, Angie Dickinson and Dean Martin who were are remain to be well known actor's/actress.