Concept and creative process
Opening titles for ‘The Money Programme’, a finance and business affairs series offering the latest stories from the world of business and work which ran from 1966 to 2010. The title sequence focused on revealing a number of familiar scenes representing the broad span of finance and business activity. The existing title music, taken from the movie ‘Carpet Baggers’, helped to drive the journey of a graph line activated on an office computer. We then see several overlapping scenes representing the graphic ups and downs of the financial world. The graph line concludes its journey back at the office from which it emanated and finally we see the same businessman activate the ‘M’ of ‘The Money Programme’ logo.
Designer/Director Bob English explains "This project was very complicated. It required a lot of planning. Each scene was shot individually and then layered in post-production. I cannot remember whether we shot each scene using a computer-enabled camera pan or created this in post-production. The former way would have required each scene to be shot at a different speed, depending on whether it was foreground, middle ground or background. The latter way would have been to shoot each scene locked off and shot at a much wider angle thus enabling a panning motion. However, this would have meant a reduction in quality. I would like to think it was shot the first way! Whichever way, the post-production company did a brilliant job layering each scene together, lots of masking and blending, especially welding effects for the giant industrial ‘M’. I would also say the model making company and lighting cameraman did an equally good job on every scene. This was not an inexpensive title sequence! The one thing I do love to see is my wife and 3 children on the mall elevator (for free)”.