4B - Thursday, September 25, 2008

The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com

4B - Thursday, September 25, 2008 The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom

Setting the standard
for cinematic graphics

By BLAKE GOBLE
Daily Film Editor

"Aww, I missed the auditions for 'Hook 2?''

Perhaps the best video I've
seen on YouTube ina long time is
the "Kyle Cboper Demo Reel."An
art-school find, the video is both
striking and arresting. Set totrip-
hop, this highlight reel has some
legitimately thrilling imagery.
The opening credits to
"Spider-Man 2" are slammed
together with Apple ads quickly
followed by MTV clips of Kanye
West; TNT iconography blends
perfectly with American Express
ads of Robert DeNiro and video
game credits: It's like Girl Talk
for creative editing. And if this
all sounds like a big, aggressive
advertisement or a weird fan
video, then hang on a second.
This perfectly cut, rapid-
fire blend of advertising, movie
titles, entertainment branding
and ESPN interludes begs the
question: What exactly are we
watching? Is this film? Fine art?
A mish-mash of music and tele-
vision? Or is it just over-edited
fluff? The answer would be a
resounding yes, on all accounts.
The "Demo Reel" is actually
the 2007 montage reel for Pro-
logue Live Action and Graphic
Design, a California-based
group that specializes in movie
title sequences, along with spe-
cialty branding and montages.
Kyle Cooper, who just happens
to be the co-founder of Pro-
logue, worked on this, but it's
actually the brain trust of sev-
eral artists. Odds are, if you've
engaged in some form of media
in the last several months - and
we all have - you've seen the
work of Prologue designers.
The firm has a long, weird
resume. The concept of Pro-
logue's work may seem esoteric
and obscure, but their "prod-
uct" is certainly not. These guys
are the undeniable cherry-on-
top of countless works. Cooper
can single-handedly be credited
for revitalizing the importance
of text and image in popular
media over the last 15 years.


Often ignored because of ano- So why bother to think twice
nymity and rare accreditation about the group? Because they're
space in their work, Prologue re-popularizing graphic design.
deserves more attention. Cooper alone has arguably been
Cooper created credits for the re-inventor of the opening
films such as "Across the Uni- title sequence with his work on
verse," "Superman Returns" "Se7en," initiating a slow-grow-
and the brilliant title sequence ing rebirth of fine art and pop
for 2004's "Dawn of the Dead." culture. With Prologue, design
But Cooper isn't the only art- takes exciting new directions,
ist at Prologue creating iconic without limiting itself to simple
work. Danny Yount made the monikers.
"Tron"-like end-credits for Through the inundation of
"Iron Man." And Seth Klein- countless image after ad after
berg and Troy James Miller preview, consumer culture works
have helped produce gorgeous its ass off to brand us with their
motifs for the Academy Awards, products. It can be numbing.
the VMAs and even the "Scar- Whocares abouthowmuchPepsi
face" video game. we should drink? Ads and brand-
The ironic titles at the end ing should at least make an effort
of "Tropic Thunder"? Prologue to entice as well an engage.
made them. The commer- Prologue is changing stan-
cials for ESPN with a baseball dards in fine art and media.
scorching through millions of Graphic design doesn't have to be
player cards? Prologue made it. relegated to lowly interns toiling
The shifting photo-perspective away over what font to use in a
ads from HP, the new iMac ads party booklet. It can be fun, fast,
and the opening sequence on flashy and multi-functioning.
It can be compelling and even
electrifying. To truly understand
Prologue puts their work though, just go to Pro-
logue.com. There you'll find a
the spotlight bevy of titles, logos, ads and even
the "Kyle Cooper Demo Reel."
on a maligned They do their job well, and
maybe that's why we don't notice
artform. them enough. They so perfectly
integrate their graphics into an
overall project that one might
assume it was the immediate
TV's "Pushing Daisies?" Yep, vision of a filmmaker or comput-
they made those too. er provider. Prologue disproves
As described by its portfolio that, showcasing seamless inte-
website, Prologue is a collective gration.
of artists, designers and film- Saul Bass, the great title
makers that push each other to designer and visual consultantof
creative ends by complimenting such films as "Walk on the Wild
and enhancing other people's Side," "North by Northwest" and
art. Even when a product is "Grand Prix," said something
lousy, Prologue works to make to the effect that titles are very
something interesting happen. much a part of a film, so why not
"Kiss Kiss Bang Bang" may integrate them appropriately?
have left audiences cold, but the This couldn't be truer, especially
opening credits were arguably whenthebigmovie climate tends
the best part of that film. Same to push simple, black-and-white
with "Speed Racer" and "Wim- titles to the bitter end of a two-
bledon." They were middling and-a-half hour ordeal. It's easy
movies that had masterful text to find lavish effects, but truly
and images. hard to find creative art.

6

A sftycharacter

Hollywood star talks
'Choke,' Generation X
and his penchant for
deranged roles

Assassination of Jesse James by the
Coward Robert Ford," he was a jerk
that wound up screwing over the
lead characters. Rockwell is good
at being shifty. Yet we like him.
The same goes for his new film
"Choke."

In a recent phone interview,
By BLAKE GOBLE Rockwell discussed his attraction
DailyFilm Editor to the movie's lead character.
"I just feel like, um, I'm drawn
Sam Rockwell has built a career to the darker characters," Rockwell
on playing unsavory individuals. explained. "Yeah, it's a weird role."
He was a sex-addled, gun-toting That role is Victor Mancini,
game show host in "Confessions the notorious main character of
of a Dangerous Mind." In "Wel- author Chuck Palahniuk's cult epic
come to Collinwood," he was the "Choke." For the few collegians
world's crappiest safecracker. And who haven't actually read the book
in "Matchstick Men," "Charlie's on which the film is based, "Choke"
Angels," "Heist" and even "The is the tale of a med-school dropout

and sex junkie that later works as
a colonial re-enactor. Oh, and he
fakes choking at posh restaurants in
hopes of supplementing his income
via well-off rescuers.
"There's a reason we had the
best ensemble at Sundance," Rock-
well said. "I got into it because of
Clark (Gregg, the film's writer and
director), and I love the script and
_ Anjelica Huston signed on and that
was it."
Rockwell, in fact, had a lot in
common with the author's bizarre
mentality.
"I guess I'm a Generation X per-
son ... I don't even know what Gen-
eration X means!" he said.
Palahniuk's novels are clear
See CHOKE, Page 6B

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