Grand Budapest Hotel - Title Sequence
Personal Project
Wes Anderson’s Grand Budapest Hotel will always hold a special place in my heart, it’s one of the film that really pushed me to study film. After graduating from the film production program at York University, I became heavily drawn to the art of title sequences and saw myself eager to complete my editing tasks just to have more time spent on title sequences. So, I pressed on that passion and created my own title sequence, I saw this as no better opportunity than to pour my love onto Grand Budapest Hotel even more.
Referencing the Grand Hotel (1932) Title Sequence
The Concept - 1930’s Title Sequences
My goal for this title sequence was to create a title sequence that made the Grand Budapest Hotel film feel as if it actually came out to the year the movie takes place in, the 1930’s.
So, I took reference from many old film title sequences. I found a YouTube channel that held a collection of title sequences and fell down a rabbit hole of endless title searches.
I decided to mainly reference the films, Footlight Paradise and the Grand Hotel (partially because it had the words grand and hotel in it…) I though it would be interesting trying to recreate the effects used in these titles in After Effects.
The Three Main Frames.
Illustration Style
I decided to go for a hand drawn style push an “organic” feeling that I thought would combine well with the type of effects/transitions I will be referencing from 1920’s title sequences.
The Frames.
I have three main frames drawn from the film, the landscape painting that hangs in the dinning hall of the hotel, the hallway, and the famous exterior of the lavishing hotel.
Transitions
The cute love story of Zero and Agatha serves as one my transitions for this sequence. These are the final illustrations for the signature lobby boy hat and Mendl’s bakery box.
Animation Process
This project is currently in the animation phase, such an exciting process seeing everything come to life. Here’s a preview of the first frame.