by Oliver Spicer.

Unlike a novel where the title on the cover is the first thing a reader sees, a film may wait several scenes before revealing its name to the audience. However, when this moment does come it is treated with a sense of dramatic importance. The score will rise to a crescendo or halt for a breath, and the title will appear in the centre of the frame. It is sometimes the only pause in the diegesis of the film (the world being represented as a reality) – allowing the audience to reflect on the opening sequence and anticipate the coming plot.

Although the content of the title is important, with a good title signalling the plot of a film to the audience whilst being inciting, the font utilised is even more significant. To illustrate this point imagine a film with an ambiguous title like ‘seashells’. If the typeface is bubbly and playful the name absorbs its connotations with childhood and summer leading to the assumption that the film is a coming of age drama set by the sea, if in a scratchy and visually malicious design is used then a horror genre is thought of - where the protagonists may hear whispers of murdered ghosts through seashells. If bold and blocky lettering is used then the film may have many action scenes – possibly a war film that sees the invasion of a beach and uses the militaristic connotations of the ‘shell’ part of the word.

Soda Land, Regular.

Horroroid, Regular.

Gobold, Extra, Regular.

The typeface of the title can thus become another aspect of a film that can be analysed, inciting a mood in the audience like a certain edit or camera shot. Just like the title itself, it holds a summary of the entire film for the audience – offering a clue of the scenes to come for fresh watchers or a reminder for rewatches. To understand how type can be analysed, three of the most recognisable and visually interesting typefaces can be dissected:

Jurrasic Park Logo, Universal.

Recognisability is a key trait for a good title typeface, with the text of the Jurassic Park logo becoming a cultural icon in its own right due to constant repetition on t-shirts, hats, posters, and any other merchandise possible (an outcome which is even predicted in the first film through a scene depicting the colossal giftshop of the park)

The design’s main quality is the use of an inline, where the thicker exterior strokes form a thinner inner text. Inclines are a property associated with using a chisel to carve letters into wood or stone, with the tool requiring to be used at two opposite angles that leaves a shadow in the centre. Therefore, through its connections to ancient methods of writing an association of pre-history is created that links with the narrative of bringing back the extinct dinosaurs from an earlier stage of the world. To be even more speculative, the outer section of the typeface that hides an inner section can be seen as emblematic of the wonder and economic incentives of the park obscuring the horror and unethical nature of mixing dinosaurs and humans – an ominous blood red inside the clean white that creates a foreboding tone.

A rustic aesthetic is also created through the jagged curves of the chosen typeface, leading to the text having a sense of physicality as if carved from a natural material. This physicality not only references the fact the text comes from a physical wooden sign in the film, but also links to a motif of physical texture throughout the film – with scenes featuring the dinosaurs focusing on their material quality through large scales, gelatinous black poison flung by a Dilophosaurus, and even ‘one big pile of shit’ that mirrors the fascination with physically bringing back the dead species. The fact the typeface references the physical sign is also significant as it shows how the film is not actually centred around characters or motivations, but rather the overall legendary location of a park that inhabits the exotic animals of the past – reinforced by the initial poster for the film that simply has the park’s logo on a plain black background.

It could be argued that these interpretations are irrelevant due to the font not being originally designed for Spielberg’s popcorn masterpiece, instead originating in 1923 by German designer Rudolf Koch under the name ‘FFD Neuland Inline’. However, the typeface must have been purposefully selected for the film – and early in the production process due to its physical presence in the film. The original date of the typeface’s creation can also be viewed as significant due to Jurassic Park embodying the role of cinema as pure entertainment in the early silent period, and the inclusion of one of the first on-screen depictions of dinosaurs in Three Ages (Buster Keaton, 1923).

Star Wars Logo, Lucas Arts.

The Star Wars logo is one that you can hear, with John William's symphonic score embedded into its curves and lines like the grooves of a record. Text is especially important in the Star Wars francise due to the setting being delivered through the line 'A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away...' in a light blue that seperates it from the deep space background, and the 'text-crawl' at the beggining that delivers the initial exposition to the audience.

A geometric design clearly evokes a sense of futurism in the typeface, which is furthered by the collisions of the letters into one (such as the 'S' and 'T') that creates the sleekness and efficiency that is expected of hyper-developed civilisations. The harsh lines contrasting with smooth curves links with Ralph Angus McQuarrie’s concept art for the sets and ships of the fantastical universe, causing the title to fit in with the universe although not physically present in it.

Utilising an outline for the typeface is also signifant - with the text resembling neon-lights, which are used for venues of entertainment and furthers the vibrant futuristic feel. The yellow lines also parallel with the imaginative technology of the francise (lightsabers, laser-guns, and holograms of princesses) - highlighting one of the main selling points of Star Wars being the special effects.

The lack of kerning [space between letters] mixed with the use of uppercase gives the font a certain impact, boldly presenting it's title to the audience without sutlulty. George Lucas even requested the title to look more 'facist', possibly linking with the authoritarian regime of the Galactic Empire.

Harry Potter Logo, Warner Brothers.

Uniqueness is another quality that contributes to a good title typeface, with the accents of the design for the Harry Potter title making it specific to the franchise. Its design is also significant as unlike many other films it is the first image shown onscreen, just after the Warner Brothers Logo, making it especially important in introducing the tone and motifs of the films.

The typeface’s most interesting feature is the lightning bold added to the descender [line at the bottom] of the P, which can be seen as central to the narrative as the lightning bolt scar on the protagonist Harry’s forehead separates him as the mythical hero. Furthermore, lightning is classic iconography of magic – further shown in the film through the special effects of magic, which is depicted as lines of pure energy emitted by the character’s wands. Another stylistic accent of the letters are the crooked curls on the tails of the Y and second T – resembling the classic appearance of the top of a wizard’s hard to incorporate more previous symbols of magic into the logo

An overall gothic style is used for the lettering due to the sharp angles instead of curves, handwritten look, and uniform weight [thickness of the strokes]. This highlights the links to the gothic period shown in the film, such as the cathedral-like design of Hogwarts Castle, and links to a time where magic was believed in by the masses but at opposed by the scientific views of the Enlightenment. Opposition is further reinforced through the varying sizes of the letters, which creates a modern look that contrasts with the antique appearance of the gothic design – linking to the conflict between 21st century technology and the ancient forms of magic in the film, as well as a sense of asymmetry paralleling the lack of order in the fantasy world.

A Similar History, A Similar Goal.

Overall, film and typography can be seen as having coherent histories. Stemming from earlier forms of ink-based calligraphy and fine art, the two practices then became mechanised by printing presses and precisely engineered film camera, then they became digitalised through the use of text editors on personal computers and digital cameras that made filmmaking more accessible to the masses. Although the two mediums have evolved, allowing the masses to enjoy the benefits of their expression, they still cling onto the past – with much of the vernacular of typography coming from printing presses (such as UPPPERCASE and lowercase originating from storing capitals in a box above regular letters) and film constantly referencing its past, both through lingo such as ‘cut’ and ‘print’ and by intertextual references.

Typography and film do not only share this developmental history, but also have a similar desire to convey information visually to a spectator. A film that pays attention to its typography displays its want for visual communication by every possible means, even if just in the text for the title sequence, explaining why great films utilise great typography.

by Oliver Spicer, May 2022

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