Remember when we launched various projectiles through glass at a camera for the Final Destination 5 opening title sequence? That was pretty great. Here’s how we shot it all practically in 2011:
Shot in stereo using the Phantom camera, under the creative direction of Kyle Cooper, Prologue filmed the live-action sequence in Mabel’s Basement at the historic Mack Sennett Studios. In the first four films of the franchise, projectiles caused nearly all the deaths. Drawing from this recurring theme, our goal for this title sequence was to have projectiles “shooting” toward the audience.
We utilized an on-location trap door and rigged the camera under the floor, looking up. A plexiglass panel protected the camera, while layers of glass were placed above it, allowing us to throw objects through the glass towards the lens. This created the shattering effect seen in the opening of Final Destination 5. Some of the projectiles included logs, the hooked ball and chain from FD4, microwaves, a knife block, a tea kettle, metal piping, fan blades, and of course, plenty of skulls.
These objects crashed through panes of glass with the title cards laid out by hand in a clear Helvetica typeface.
We’re sharing our favorite horror projects throughout October—stay tuned for more from our haunted history.
#halloween #horror #finaldestination #finaldestination5 #titlesequence #threedecadesofhorror
Have you ever wanted to see all the American Horror Story title sequences in one place? Well today is your lucky day, this reel includes all twelve AHS opening title sequences designed at Prologue:
Murder House
Asylum
Coven
Freakshow
Hotel
Cult
Apocalypse
1984
Red Tide
Death Valley
NYC
Delicate
Which one is your favorite?
Kyle unpacked each title sequence in an interview for @phantasmag__ with Lana Thorn earlier this year. If you’re interested in a detailed analysis of each title sequence, check out the link in our story or head to Phantasmag.com!
#AHS #americanhorrorstory #ahsfx #ryanmurphy #horror #halloween #titlesequence #threedecadesofhorror
After having worked on countless horror films and TV shows, we are reminiscing on some of the best to get into the Halloween spirit. Three Decades of Horror celebrates work from 1993-2023. Today we bring you NOS4A2 (pronounced “Nosferatu”), a supernatural horror TV series that aired from 2019 to 2020 on AMC. It is based on Joe Hill’s 2013 novel NOS4A2, which follows a young woman named Vic McQueen who discovers she has the supernatural ability to track the immortal, sinister man named Charlie Manx. Manx feeds on the souls of children, leaving what’s left of them in a nightmarish place called “Christmasland,” where it is always Christmas, and unhappiness is against the law.
Prologue had the pleasure of creating the opening title sequence for NOS4A2 which is quite distinctive and reflects the eerie and unsettling tone of the show. Jumbled letterforms on scrabble-like squares find their placement to reveal the credits. A prominent visual motif in the title sequence is the use of license plates, which symbolize the supernatural cars in the show, particularly Charlie Manx’s 1938 Rolls-Royce. The plates often carry hidden messages, like the plate “NOS4A2” (a nod to the classic vampire name “Nosferatu”), emphasizing Manx’s vampire nature of feeling on children’s souls.
#threedecadesofhorror #nos4a2_amc
#horror #nosferatu
On April 26th at the Yale School of Art, Kyle Cooper, the Creative Director and founder of Prologue Films, had the privilege of commemorating his esteemed professors, Armin and Dorothea Hofmann; under whom he studied and received his master’s degree in graphic design in 1988. Renowned for their profound contributions to the graphic design industry, their legacy resonates deeply within the creative community.
From the first time he came from Switzerland to teach at Yale in 1957 to their last time as visiting faculty in 1991, Dorothea and Armin influenced and enriched a generation of students and brought international prestige to the graphic design program at the Yale School of Art. Armin also directed the five-week Yale Summer Program in Graphic Design, held from 1982 to 1996 in Brissago, Switzerland. Dorothea assisted the organization in Brissago and taught drawing. Through their teaching, writing and work, both touched countless students of design around the world. An array of alumni and colleagues gathered to remember and be inspired by Dorothea and Armin’s quest for quality and thoughtfulness in work and life.
