Graphic designer Saul Bass was born on this day 100 years ago. To celebrate, here are a lot of things I've collected over the years about/from him, his work, his process, and the business of film posters. #SaulBass100

First up, an interview from the 90s by designer Archie Boston with Saul Bass where he discusses making money versus quality work

From Jan-Christopher Horak’s book “Saul Bass: Anatomy of Film Design”, a summary of budgets (not adjusted for inflation) for film titles designed by Bass and his office over the years (excluding his $10,000 - 15,000 print advertising campaign design fee)

By the 60s, producers began bidding projects out in an attempt to commission work from the lowest bidder. Bass refused to do it, which, among other things, hit the studio as the years went on. This lead to a shift in the types of projects that came in

One of the last film posters Bass and his team worked on was for Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining. They were hired by Kubrick, but replaced by artist Bob Gusti in early 1978. Gusti didn't work out, so Bass and co were brought back in by mid-78 to see the rest of the project through.

231 logo sketches were done, with another 100+ including title treatment options. Below is an exchange between Bass and Kubrick that gives a sense of what the process was like.

Like Kubrick, Bass worked directly with director Otto Preminger on the advertising for many of his films during the 50s and into the 60s. Art Goodman (designer and illustrator extraordinaire who worked closely with Bass) had this to say about their designer/client relationship

While their relationship was contentious at times, Preminger recognized the quality of work coming from the Bass studio, and fought to not have floating heads added in by outside forces. A particular example from “Saul Bass: A Life in Film and Design”

(tldr; they lost)

We tend to see the posters that Bass and his colleagues produced as pieces of a golden age in film advertising, but it never existed. Much of what bears Bass’ signature was muddled with. From Pat Kirkham https://www.west86th.bgc.bard.edu/articles/reassessing-the-saul-bass-and-alfred-hitchcock-collaboration/

(tldr)

And here’s Bass himself, in 1953, on the state of film posters at the time.

All of this is scattered, but these bits and pieces have helped illuminate a lot for me over the years. Bass had this to say about students, and really, about anyone that admires work from afar

/fin

Just one more thing.