Concept and creative process
The titles for 'Year of the French', a calendar of French life in 12 portraits of individual French citizens told through their stories. The calendar block was specially cut and printed with portraits of the featured characters and the fleur-de-lys pattern. A rig was designed to peel away the calendar sheets which, on the final title shot, had landed and formed a schematic map of France. After the title caption the camera zoomed in on the relevant sheet containing the portrait of the subject for that particular week's episode. This meant repeating the final shot 12 times, each with a different end point, and cutting them on to the end of the main title at the start of each episode.