Concept and creative process
A title sequence for a 22-part drama series which focused on the sad cases of three different women, Constance Kent, Mary Blandy and Adelaide Bartlett. The title music was created by Ron Grainer who composed the original music for ‘Doctor Who’. The title sequence for this lengthy period costume drama series needed to reflect three different women, so an approach using cameo style silhouettes was chosen. The cameo was widely used in jewellery and artefacts throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, so was an appropriate device for this sequence. A different silhouette was created for each woman and was dropped into the sequence to create three versions. The silhouette was made into a reversed out Kodalith (a photographic process creating a clear image on a dense black background), allowing the silhouette to be shot back-lit on a 35mm film rostrum camera. A sheet of ripple glass (the type used for bathroom windows at the time and bought from a glazier) was placed high over the image and slowly lowered until flat on top of the image in order to create a natural wavy effect. This was done to 'animate' on the image and give the impression of it being within the flame of a candle. A wallpaper background with a small picture frame was also filmed top-lit to be used later. The third component shot was an antique candle holder with 5 candles of graduated sizes, which, when combined later, would look like the candle burning down in time-lapse, which reflected the sad demise of the women. The sequence was combined as a 35mm film optical at a film laboratory, as this was created in the pre-digital era.
Designer, Director and Creative Direction - Liz Friedman.