Maurice Binder

Maurice Binder was born August 25, 1925 In New York City, U.S.A. Worked mostly in England 1950’s on. He continued working up until he passed away from Illness on April 4, 1991.

Binder’s early works included designing advertisements and catalogs for Macy's department store. Also during the Second World War, he worked at Universal Studios. Later he became West Coast art director for Columbia Pictures. There was a film director named Stanely Donen who hired Binder to create main titles for Indiscreet and they worked together after that on almost all his films. One of them, The Grass is Greener, got Binder noticed by James Bond producers Hary Saltzman and 'Albert Broccoli', who hired Binder for the first Bond picture, Dr. NO. The shot of James Bond through that gun barrel tells you everything you need to know about what kind of movie it was going to be. The gun barrel that frames Bond firing at the camera was a real gun barrel. Binder photographed one using a pinhole camera and subsequently, used the technique in every Bond film. The reason for the swirling design is to spin the bullet, which gives it a truer trajectory. Binder’s style was in the lighthearted adventure venue, and bond openings were pretty tongue and cheek. I think he knew what the audience was looking for. He combined the violent atmosphere with the gun barrel and the extremely sexual nature of the women silhouettes, jumping on trampolines, very subtle.

Binder helped re-define what an opening title sequence could or should be, and used many techniques to accomplish his look, live-action shots, animation, abstract shapes for example were usually integrated into all of his Bond openings. This eclectic approach to title making is relevant to our class because we are learning different techniques that could in theory build a title on their own, but could be much stronger if we learn to combine them in the right ways. It’s interesting that his Opening titles are as cherished and revered as the movies themselves. Regardless of the context (being shot at, political strife, averting wars) The bond movies were characteristically light hearted and fun, and I think Maurice Binder did really well setting us up for that journey every time. Oh and Sean Connery is the only true Bond!

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-8880568601259240090&q=Maurice+Binder&total=31&start=0&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=0

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-7118054430299870049&q=Maurice+Binder&total=31&start=0&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=1

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6762294875432787401&q=Maurice+Binder&total=31&start=0&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=4

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=1412128487776572766&q=Dr.+No+intro&total=426&start=0&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=0

I thought this was interesting also, it's the intro to a spy video game that is obviously modeled after Binders James Bond style.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=1412128487776572766&q=Dr.+No+intro&total=426&start=0&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=0