Concept and creative process
Titles for the series ‘Steam Days’ about journeys by steam train. The era of steam is invoked in this sequence by simple means. Parts of the steam locomotive and other railway related images with a circular motif - a clock, the GWR logo, boiler, wheel, pressure gauge - were photographed and combined in post-production on a Quantel non-linear editor at a constant zoom speed, cutting from one to the next. The name plates of famous steam engines such as ‘Cock of the North’, ‘Mallard’ and ‘Duchess of Hamilton’ were superimposed, moving diagonally in perspective through the shot. Live action footage of a cloud of steam envelopes the beginning and end of the montage and smooths the transition to the specially designed ‘Steam Days’ programme logo, in the style of a train name plate.