7 ms·

How We Did It: SNL Title Sequence

470 points by shakes 12y ago

jarnix 12y ago
so what ? and why is it on the home page of HN ?
- joezydeco 12y ago
  What to Submit On-Topic: Anything that good hackers would find interesting. That includes more than hacking and startups. If you had to reduce it to a sentence, the answer might be: anything that gratifies one's intellectual curiosity. It's really cool to see filmmakers doing their thing, even moreso if they're using really recent tech (3D printing, pixelbars, new camera stabilizers). Is that sufficient?
  - deleted 12y ago
    [deleted]
    - joezydeco 12y ago
      Dude, the entire post is crammed with interesting technical details and tricks (like how to make a custom bokeh filter? Very nicely done). The article has nothing to do with the content of SNL itself. If you're gonna just ignore that and get back on that tired old "SNL hasn't been cool since Eddie Murphy" horse then ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
    - zck 12y ago
      The explanation of bokeh alone is worth being here.
- tizzdogg 12y ago
  Perhaps they should have written the title sequence in Haskell.
HorizonXP 12y ago
This is a fantastic blog post. I love that we can get this behind-the-scenes look behind something so iconic. The light painting and lens-whacking details were awesome to read about. I'll definitely have to give the lens whacking a try.
- wgx 12y ago
  I got one of these as a gift a while back - lets you experiment with the 'moving lens' technique without as much potential for sensor damage: http://lensbaby.com/lenses-spark http://lensbaby.com/lenses-spark
  - ygra 12y ago
    I love my Lensbaby (an older one), but the effect is a bit different. There is no light leakage behind the lens like there'd be with freelensing. You sometimes get fun and weird artifacts from light sources just outside the frame, but a subtle streak over the image where light enters the camera behind the hand-held lens ... not so much. Both interesting effects, though.
marcuskaz 12y ago
Great post, really interesting to see how they did the shots and glad to see they opted for real footage and techniques most of the time rather than just post processing everything. I used to shoot free form lenses, it was difficult to get a still from, shooting video would be a challenge. My (old) post on free lens shooting: https://mkaz.com/2005/01/08/homemade-lenses/ https://mkaz.com/2005/01/08/homemade-lenses/
function_seven 12y ago
I usually fast-forward through the title sequence. Now I feel bad for doing so. Will take the time to watch it next SNL.
- deleted 12y ago
  [deleted]
- krschultz 12y ago
  Honestly the title sequence is one of the best parts. I get nostalgic for NYC, while I'm watching it in NYC.
- punjabisingh 12y ago
  It is linked at the end of their article: http://www.alex-buono.com/portfolio/snl-opening-montage-2014/ http://www.alex-buono.com/portfolio/snl-opening-montage-2014...
RyanCooley 12y ago
As someone who enjoys both programming and video production, this is great to see on HN. In my experience, there is a lot of overlap between both skillsets. As the article makes clear, a lot of time goes into finding cool "hacks" to trick the lens into conveying a particular look via lighting, optical effects and more. Post-production is also a very technical process that takes a lot of time and effort to get right and involves exploring the particular quirks of your editing software and tricking it to get it to do what you want. There are often little moments of discovery where you do something you weren't even sure was possible. Then there are those serendipitous moments where visuals and audio come together better than you were anticipating or could have ever planned. It's a great feeling. I encourage any programmers out there who have even a modicum of interest in the subject to go out there and experiment. Video production can be a great creative outlet that uses a lot of the same talents and opens up new artistic pathways.
brokentone 12y ago
This is incredible. Normally just one or two of these techniques would represent a pretty impressive feat. This used 3d printing, freelensing, pixelstick lightwriting, and a custom bokeh cutout -- in addition to the cool, but more common helicopter shots, timelapse, tilt-shift, and steady cam work. Being willing to (or maybe having the budget to) use all these techniques AND getting a consistent result is SUPER impressive.
- fragmede 12y ago
  > cool, but more common helicopter shots, I'm glad they pointed out that a similar shot could have been done via drone. I've been told that drones have made cool aerial sequences available to directors who don't have the budget of SNL's 40th though I'd be interested in learning more.
  - mikraft 12y ago
    My company uses a drone to "scope" land before we build. My first reaction to seeing the video is that we wasted money on a helicopter ride for a 30 sec clip.
  - bennesvig 12y ago
    A DJI Phantom 2 with the Zenmuse H3-3D and a GoPro 3+ or 4 can take amazingly smooth and high quality footage (example - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lRC-8pCCCys https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lRC-8pCCCys ). There are also drones that can fly with DSLRs.
  - dlgeek 12y ago
    He mentioned this in the article: "There are a lot of ways to shoot aerial footage these days; we could fly a DJI Phantom with a GoPro, mount a Dragon to a Freefly Cinestar drone, handhold a MoVI out an open chopper door…or we could just hire the best aerial pilot in New York – Al Cerullo – which is what we did."
  - thrownaway2424 12y ago
    Photographers were using RC helicopters long before multicopter thingies that people like to call drones for some reason became trendy. These are still around and they have the lift capacity to hoist your 5D or your Red Epic on a pan/tilt rig, unlike most multicopters that can hardly lift a go pro.
robertfw 12y ago
Was looking forward to watching the final product, but restricted due to being in Canada =/
- sp332 12y ago
  That's a dumb rule :( Here, download this https://www.dropbox.com/s/qtwv5cdh2dajt0g/new_snl.mp4?dl=0 https://www.dropbox.com/s/qtwv5cdh2dajt0g/new_snl.mp4?dl=0
Pfiffer 12y ago
Seems down, archive link still works: http://web.archive.org/web/20141021121813/http://www.alex-buono.com/how-we-did-it-snl-titles-sequence/ http://web.archive.org/web/20141021121813/http://www.alex-bu...
Volscio 12y ago
Uh oh, Wordpress problems. Cached: http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:2Z0Puiwia-4J:www.alex-buono.com/how-we-did-it-snl-titles-sequence/+&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:2Z0Puiw...
jianshen 12y ago
I'm really happy to see a post like this on HN. Pulling off creative in-camera shots like these are a million times more rewarding for some reason than creating/editing them in post. There's something visceral about getting the shot right in the moment.
chm 12y ago
I get redirected to "http://www.alex-buono.com/how-we-did-it-snl-titles-sequence/wp-admin/install.php" http://www.alex-buono.com/how-we-did-it-snl-titles-sequence/....
- Lifescape 12y ago
  Yeah looks like their Wordpress box is having a tough time with the amount of requests HN is sending their way.
ejdyksen 12y ago
If you think this is interesting, there's an entire site dedicated to title sequences in film and television: http://www.artofthetitle.com/titles/ http://www.artofthetitle.com/titles/
- incision 12y ago
  Thanks for this. Lots of great sequences from the 80s presented there along with on my of my all-time favorite openings - Ghost in the Shell [0]. I've always felt failing to put together a compelling opening is a missed opportunity, particularly for a series. It's a hook, a primer to put the audience in mind of the best eras and episodes every time. 0: http://www.artofthetitle.com/title/ghost-in-the-shell/ http://www.artofthetitle.com/title/ghost-in-the-shell/
- jstclair 12y ago
  Awesome! Gonna spend a weekend on this. And an easy way to share my personal all-time favorite title sequence, Delicatessen: http://www.artofthetitle.com/title/delicatessen/ http://www.artofthetitle.com/title/delicatessen/
  - Fuzzwah 12y ago
    I have to link to North by Northwest. Just incredible when you consider it was done in 1959. http://www.artofthetitle.com/title/north-by-northwest/ http://www.artofthetitle.com/title/north-by-northwest/
diggum 12y ago
This summer I attended one of the editing workshops put on by Adam Epstein who edits all of the film unit productions. It's incredible how fast they write, produce, edit, and turn around these projects. They are literally working from Thursday afternoon until Saturday evening to build these from scratch.
npinguy 12y ago
Is it just me or is stuff like this way harder to appreciate these days (with the ubiquity of CGI), unless you work in the industry, or see a behind-the-scenes look like this? This is simply incredible, and yet I don't normally pay the title sequence any attention at all...
- joezydeco 12y ago
  How many shows have opening credits this long anymore? You have some shows, like The Good Wife, that use a five-second title card. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1rOhzdWZS7E https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1rOhzdWZS7E Some have more elaborate titles, but still only go 15 seconds (e.g. The Mindy Project) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HarfyFwRfhA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HarfyFwRfhA Compare with an 80's show like Dallas, where the credits went a whole 1:10! That's like lost real estate for two or three commercials! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1iYjgMygIag https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1iYjgMygIag And Twin Peaks, which went 2:36: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2lkvrMa27c https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2lkvrMa27c
  - woobar 12y ago
    Cable shows still have long title sequences. For instance, most of HBO shows.
    - joezydeco 12y ago
      Which confirms why broadcast shows scrapped longer titles in favor of cramming in another commercial or two, I suppose.
  - johnlbevan2 12y ago
    ...then there's Too Many Cooks: https://www.youtube.com/embed/QrGrOK8oZG8 https://www.youtube.com/embed/QrGrOK8oZG8 ;)
    - iLoch 12y ago
      The perfect setup.
notastartup 12y ago
this was a really cool effect...but I never found SNL to be funny. I've never even laughed at it once. I don't understand why people laugh...that and jimmy fallon/kimmel
- marincounty 12y ago
  It used to be hilarious. I'm talking Bill Murry era. Maybe I was young and usually stoned, but if the Saturday night was unfruitful(meaning no women); I'd rush home and watch SNL and really got a kick out of it. Just thinking about that "Miss Loupner" thing has me smiling.
  - joezydeco 12y ago
    As a viewer since season 1, SNL has always been funny but inconsistent. If you go back now and watch those early shows yes, there were some awesome sketches, but they were surrounded by a lot of duds as well. I respect the show just for what it is. These people write and build an entire 90 minute show going from zero to rehearsals in 5 days. No other show has done this for decades and lived to tell about it.
dwynings 12y ago
Now I feel bad for always fast-forwarding through this part of SNL.
jarnix 12y ago
Wow that's incredible how they combine so many techniques. The use of lenses is really innovative, I mean, people would think it's made only with special effects and it's 3D printed or done entirely manually ! Congrats.

470 points by shakes 12y ago

jarnix 12y ago

so what ? and why is it on the home page of HN ?

joezydeco 12y ago
What to Submit On-Topic: Anything that good hackers would find interesting. That includes more than hacking and startups. If you had to reduce it to a sentence, the answer might be: anything that gratifies one's intellectual curiosity. It's really cool to see filmmakers doing their thing, even moreso if they're using really recent tech (3D printing, pixelbars, new camera stabilizers). Is that sufficient?
- deleted 12y ago
  [deleted]
  - joezydeco 12y ago
    Dude, the entire post is crammed with interesting technical details and tricks (like how to make a custom bokeh filter? Very nicely done). The article has nothing to do with the content of SNL itself. If you're gonna just ignore that and get back on that tired old "SNL hasn't been cool since Eddie Murphy" horse then ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
  - zck 12y ago
    The explanation of bokeh alone is worth being here.
tizzdogg 12y ago
Perhaps they should have written the title sequence in Haskell.

HorizonXP 12y ago

This is a fantastic blog post. I love that we can get this behind-the-scenes look behind something so iconic. The light painting and lens-whacking details were awesome to read about. I'll definitely have to give the lens whacking a try.

wgx 12y ago
I got one of these as a gift a while back - lets you experiment with the 'moving lens' technique without as much potential for sensor damage: http://lensbaby.com/lenses-spark http://lensbaby.com/lenses-spark
- ygra 12y ago
  I love my Lensbaby (an older one), but the effect is a bit different. There is no light leakage behind the lens like there'd be with freelensing. You sometimes get fun and weird artifacts from light sources just outside the frame, but a subtle streak over the image where light enters the camera behind the hand-held lens ... not so much. Both interesting effects, though.

marcuskaz 12y ago

Great post, really interesting to see how they did the shots and glad to see they opted for real footage and techniques most of the time rather than just post processing everything. I used to shoot free form lenses, it was difficult to get a still from, shooting video would be a challenge. My (old) post on free lens shooting: https://mkaz.com/2005/01/08/homemade-lenses/ https://mkaz.com/2005/01/08/homemade-lenses/

function_seven 12y ago

I usually fast-forward through the title sequence. Now I feel bad for doing so. Will take the time to watch it next SNL.

deleted 12y ago
[deleted]
krschultz 12y ago
Honestly the title sequence is one of the best parts. I get nostalgic for NYC, while I'm watching it in NYC.
punjabisingh 12y ago
It is linked at the end of their article: http://www.alex-buono.com/portfolio/snl-opening-montage-2014/ http://www.alex-buono.com/portfolio/snl-opening-montage-2014...

RyanCooley 12y ago

As someone who enjoys both programming and video production, this is great to see on HN. In my experience, there is a lot of overlap between both skillsets. As the article makes clear, a lot of time goes into finding cool "hacks" to trick the lens into conveying a particular look via lighting, optical effects and more. Post-production is also a very technical process that takes a lot of time and effort to get right and involves exploring the particular quirks of your editing software and tricking it to get it to do what you want. There are often little moments of discovery where you do something you weren't even sure was possible. Then there are those serendipitous moments where visuals and audio come together better than you were anticipating or could have ever planned. It's a great feeling. I encourage any programmers out there who have even a modicum of interest in the subject to go out there and experiment. Video production can be a great creative outlet that uses a lot of the same talents and opens up new artistic pathways.

brokentone 12y ago

This is incredible. Normally just one or two of these techniques would represent a pretty impressive feat. This used 3d printing, freelensing, pixelstick lightwriting, and a custom bokeh cutout -- in addition to the cool, but more common helicopter shots, timelapse, tilt-shift, and steady cam work. Being willing to (or maybe having the budget to) use all these techniques AND getting a consistent result is SUPER impressive.

fragmede 12y ago
> cool, but more common helicopter shots, I'm glad they pointed out that a similar shot could have been done via drone. I've been told that drones have made cool aerial sequences available to directors who don't have the budget of SNL's 40th though I'd be interested in learning more.
- mikraft 12y ago
  My company uses a drone to "scope" land before we build. My first reaction to seeing the video is that we wasted money on a helicopter ride for a 30 sec clip.
- bennesvig 12y ago
  A DJI Phantom 2 with the Zenmuse H3-3D and a GoPro 3+ or 4 can take amazingly smooth and high quality footage (example - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lRC-8pCCCys https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lRC-8pCCCys ). There are also drones that can fly with DSLRs.
- dlgeek 12y ago
  He mentioned this in the article: "There are a lot of ways to shoot aerial footage these days; we could fly a DJI Phantom with a GoPro, mount a Dragon to a Freefly Cinestar drone, handhold a MoVI out an open chopper door…or we could just hire the best aerial pilot in New York – Al Cerullo – which is what we did."
- thrownaway2424 12y ago
  Photographers were using RC helicopters long before multicopter thingies that people like to call drones for some reason became trendy. These are still around and they have the lift capacity to hoist your 5D or your Red Epic on a pan/tilt rig, unlike most multicopters that can hardly lift a go pro.

robertfw 12y ago

Was looking forward to watching the final product, but restricted due to being in Canada =/

sp332 12y ago
That's a dumb rule :( Here, download this https://www.dropbox.com/s/qtwv5cdh2dajt0g/new_snl.mp4?dl=0 https://www.dropbox.com/s/qtwv5cdh2dajt0g/new_snl.mp4?dl=0

Pfiffer 12y ago

Seems down, archive link still works: http://web.archive.org/web/20141021121813/http://www.alex-buono.com/how-we-did-it-snl-titles-sequence/ http://web.archive.org/web/20141021121813/http://www.alex-bu...

Volscio 12y ago

Uh oh, Wordpress problems. Cached: http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:2Z0Puiwia-4J:www.alex-buono.com/how-we-did-it-snl-titles-sequence/+&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:2Z0Puiw...

jianshen 12y ago

I'm really happy to see a post like this on HN. Pulling off creative in-camera shots like these are a million times more rewarding for some reason than creating/editing them in post. There's something visceral about getting the shot right in the moment.

chm 12y ago

I get redirected to "http://www.alex-buono.com/how-we-did-it-snl-titles-sequence/wp-admin/install.php" http://www.alex-buono.com/how-we-did-it-snl-titles-sequence/....

Lifescape 12y ago
Yeah looks like their Wordpress box is having a tough time with the amount of requests HN is sending their way.

ejdyksen 12y ago

If you think this is interesting, there's an entire site dedicated to title sequences in film and television: http://www.artofthetitle.com/titles/ http://www.artofthetitle.com/titles/

incision 12y ago
Thanks for this. Lots of great sequences from the 80s presented there along with on my of my all-time favorite openings - Ghost in the Shell [0]. I've always felt failing to put together a compelling opening is a missed opportunity, particularly for a series. It's a hook, a primer to put the audience in mind of the best eras and episodes every time. 0: http://www.artofthetitle.com/title/ghost-in-the-shell/ http://www.artofthetitle.com/title/ghost-in-the-shell/
jstclair 12y ago
Awesome! Gonna spend a weekend on this. And an easy way to share my personal all-time favorite title sequence, Delicatessen: http://www.artofthetitle.com/title/delicatessen/ http://www.artofthetitle.com/title/delicatessen/
- Fuzzwah 12y ago
  I have to link to North by Northwest. Just incredible when you consider it was done in 1959. http://www.artofthetitle.com/title/north-by-northwest/ http://www.artofthetitle.com/title/north-by-northwest/

diggum 12y ago

This summer I attended one of the editing workshops put on by Adam Epstein who edits all of the film unit productions. It's incredible how fast they write, produce, edit, and turn around these projects. They are literally working from Thursday afternoon until Saturday evening to build these from scratch.

npinguy 12y ago

Is it just me or is stuff like this way harder to appreciate these days (with the ubiquity of CGI), unless you work in the industry, or see a behind-the-scenes look like this? This is simply incredible, and yet I don't normally pay the title sequence any attention at all...

joezydeco 12y ago
How many shows have opening credits this long anymore? You have some shows, like The Good Wife, that use a five-second title card. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1rOhzdWZS7E https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1rOhzdWZS7E Some have more elaborate titles, but still only go 15 seconds (e.g. The Mindy Project) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HarfyFwRfhA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HarfyFwRfhA Compare with an 80's show like Dallas, where the credits went a whole 1:10! That's like lost real estate for two or three commercials! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1iYjgMygIag https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1iYjgMygIag And Twin Peaks, which went 2:36: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2lkvrMa27c https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2lkvrMa27c
- woobar 12y ago
  Cable shows still have long title sequences. For instance, most of HBO shows.
  - joezydeco 12y ago
    Which confirms why broadcast shows scrapped longer titles in favor of cramming in another commercial or two, I suppose.
- johnlbevan2 12y ago
  ...then there's Too Many Cooks: https://www.youtube.com/embed/QrGrOK8oZG8 https://www.youtube.com/embed/QrGrOK8oZG8 ;)
  - iLoch 12y ago
    The perfect setup.

notastartup 12y ago

this was a really cool effect...but I never found SNL to be funny. I've never even laughed at it once. I don't understand why people laugh...that and jimmy fallon/kimmel

marincounty 12y ago
It used to be hilarious. I'm talking Bill Murry era. Maybe I was young and usually stoned, but if the Saturday night was unfruitful(meaning no women); I'd rush home and watch SNL and really got a kick out of it. Just thinking about that "Miss Loupner" thing has me smiling.
- joezydeco 12y ago
  As a viewer since season 1, SNL has always been funny but inconsistent. If you go back now and watch those early shows yes, there were some awesome sketches, but they were surrounded by a lot of duds as well. I respect the show just for what it is. These people write and build an entire 90 minute show going from zero to rehearsals in 5 days. No other show has done this for decades and lived to tell about it.

dwynings 12y ago

Now I feel bad for always fast-forwarding through this part of SNL.

jarnix 12y ago

Wow that's incredible how they combine so many techniques. The use of lenses is really innovative, I mean, people would think it's made only with special effects and it's 3D printed or done entirely manually ! Congrats.