Pot Black (1979)

Concept and creative process

Opening titles for a series of annual snooker tournaments held in the UK between 1969 and 1986. The typographic animation was shot on a rostrum camera using a back-lit clear on black Kodalith. The typography was uncovered one row at a time followed by the addition of strips of coloured gel, and then covered up again to leave only the programme title centre screen. The following sequence was comprised of coloured photographs of a close-up hand taking a shot at snooker balls and actual balls in play, hand animated under the rostrum camera. This was intercut with a reprise of the typographic animation to create the remainder of the sequence with in-camera flare effects and a final reveal of the year date before mixing through to the live studio set-up.