---
name: "Saul Bass Cinematic Titles"
version: "1.0"
tags:
  - iconic design
  - cinematic
author: "Visual Style Gallery"
created: "2026-03-12"

style_prompt_short: >
  Bold graphic cinema. Stark silhouettes, torn paper edges,
  dramatic contrast. Hitchcock-era title sequences brought to life.

style_prompt_full: >
  Saul Bass cinematic title sequence style. Bold, graphic, dramatic.
  High contrast black and white with single accent color (orange-red
  #FF4500 or yellow #FFD700). Stark silhouettes and bold shapes.
  Torn paper edges and cut-out aesthetics. Hand-made feeling despite
  geometric precision. Dramatic reveals and transformations. Type
  integrated with image, not floating above it. Vertigo spirals,
  Anatomy of a Murder paper cut-outs, The Man with the Golden Arm
  typography. Strong diagonals. Motion is theatrical — elements
  reveal, rotate, transform. Jazz-influenced rhythm. No photorealism,
  no soft edges, no gradients.

colors:
  primary:
    - name: "Deep Black"
      hex: "#000000"
      role: "silhouettes, dramatic ground"
    - name: "Stark White"
      hex: "#FFFFFF"
      role: "negative space, contrast"
  accent:
    - name: "Saul Bass Orange"
      hex: "#FF4500"
      role: "single dramatic accent"
    - name: "Golden Yellow"
      hex: "#FFD700"
      role: "alternate accent (choose one per project)"
  neutral:
    - name: "Warm Gray"
      hex: "#8B8680"
      role: "subtle texture, aged paper feel"

typography:
  display:
    family: "Bold geometric sans-serif or hand-drawn"
    weight: "black"
    style: "often custom, integrated with imagery"
  body:
    family: "Simple sans-serif"
    weight: "medium"
    style: "supporting credits only"
  caption:
    family: "Same as display"
    weight: "bold"
    style: "integrated into composition"
  rules:
    - "Type is part of the image, not separate"
    - "Custom or modified letterforms encouraged"
    - "Strong weight contrast"
    - "Type can be fragmented, torn, or transformed"

layout:
  grid: "Compositional, not strict columns"
  alignment: "Centered or dramatically diagonal"
  aspect_ratio: "2.39:1 (cinematic) or 16:9"
  notes:
    - "Full-bleed compositions"
    - "Silhouettes as primary visual element"
    - "Torn paper edges, cut-out aesthetics"
    - "Strong diagonals create tension"

motion:
  transitions:
    - "dramatic reveals"
    - "rotating spirals (Vertigo)"
    - "paper cut-out animations"
    - "silhouette transformations"
  animation_style: >
    Theatrical reveals. Elements transform and rotate with purpose.
    Paper cut-out aesthetic — things assemble and disassemble.
    Jazz-influenced timing: syncopated, surprising, rhythmic.
  pacing: "Dramatic, building tension, punctuated moments"
  audio_cues:
    - "jazz scores"
    - "orchestral tension"
    - "Bernard Herrmann influence"

mood:
  keywords:
    - "dramatic"
    - "bold"
    - "cinematic"
    - "graphic"
    - "timeless"
    - "mysterious"
  era: "1950s–1960s Hollywood (timeless)"
  cultural_reference: "Saul Bass, Vertigo, Anatomy of a Murder, The Man with the Golden Arm, Psycho"
  avoid:
    - "photorealistic imagery"
    - "soft gradients"
    - "multiple accent colors"
    - "generic stock footage"
    - "3D effects"
    - "lens flares"
    - "modern UI patterns"

assets:
  reference_images: []
  gsep_elements: []
  html_snippets: []
  color_palette_image:
    url: ""

x_heygen:
  video_id: "<example_video_id>"
  orientation: "landscape"
---

## Design Principles

The title sequence is cinema itself, not a preamble.
Every frame could be a poster.
Silhouette reveals character without showing it.
Geometry creates emotion.

## Connectors

### HeyGen Video Agent
Use `style_prompt_full` verbatim. Emphasize: silhouettes, bold shapes,
dramatic reveals. Paper cut-out aesthetic. Jazz-influenced timing.
No avatars — pure graphic cinema.

### HTML Slides
Black backgrounds with stark white and single accent. Full-bleed silhouettes.
Dramatic type that integrates with imagery. Strong diagonal compositions.

### paper.design
Bold shapes over photorealism. Silhouettes as primary elements.
Type and image as unified composition. Torn paper edge effects.

### Figma
Color styles: `brand/deep-black`, `brand/stark-white`, `accent/bass-orange`.
Create silhouette shapes as reusable components.
Custom type treatments over standard text styles.
