Groundhog Day
Main Title Reimagined
I designed, storyboarded, shot, edited, and added motion effects to create this reimagining of the main title sequence
for the 1993 film Groundhog Day.
Groundhog Day. Dir. Harold Ramis. Perf. Bill Murray, Andie MacDowell. Columbia Pictures, 1993. Film.
Music: Dvorak Polka Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com),Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License, http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Original Main Title Analysis
The main title sequence doesn’t introduce the characters or plot in a highly descriptive way. The cloud imagery does far more than simply create a lighthearted backdrop, though. The use of clouds reflects the occupation of Phil Connors, the main character, who is a weatherman for a news channel. It also foreshadows the building blizzard that plays a large role in the narrative by snowing Phil and his team in during their trip to Punxsutawney. Of particular interest is the time-lapsed element of the visuals. This is not simply footage of clouds; the manipulation of time foreshadows the overarching conflict of the film: that Phil is stuck in a time loop.
Each name card appears on screen for 4 seconds
- I will maintain the order and duration of the name cards in my reimagined design, so as to conform to legal constraints placed upon the original title design
New Concept
After exploring a number of concepts that ranged from following the morning routine of the news station to an abstract “whack-a-mole (groundhog)” design, I decided to pursue the theme of calendars.
- Repetition of date (February 2nd) and of pages turning foreshadows the elements of time and repetition in the film, especially as it pertains to the more mundane aspects of life
- Flipping calendars to February sets the scene for the movie, which opens right before Groundhog Day
- Colors, treatment, and music are upbeat and indicate that the film is a comedy
- Andie MacDowell plays the love interest - her name appears on Valentines Day
Type Exploration
- A serif typeface feels more timeless and therefore more appropriate for the film's context and theme
- Gloucester MT Extra Condensed has a playful quality to the lower case "g" that lightens the tone, fitting for a comedic film
Storyboards / Style Frames
Rough Cut
Revisions
- Make better use of split screens
- Add extreme close-ups to increase visual variation
- Quicker pacing needed to keep the tone energetic and upbeat, more appropriate for a comedic film
- Vary shot angles a little more for greater visual interest
- Reshoot all the original footage with better lighting (shots are currently too dark and inconsistent)
- Create a more consistent, unifying color scheme
Color Palette
The color palette and type color are drawn from significant colors in the film
Process Photos
