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Science Fiction and Fantasy Films
Lot 131

A Group of Title Designs by Dan Perri for Close Encounters of the Third Kind

4 – 14 June 2024, 12:00 PDT
Online, Los Angeles

Sold for US$243.20 inc. premium

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A Group of Title Designs by Dan Perri for Close Encounters of the Third Kind

Columbia Pictures, 1977. 4 color negatives, each 10 x 8 in.; one transparency featuring the title lettering, signed by Dan Perri; one photograph print of the title credit, signed by Dan Perri. Some fading to color negatives.

Title Designer Dan Perri had some very successful title designs on his resume such as Love Story (1973), The Exorcist (1973), and Nashville (1975), among others, when he was approached by director Steven Spielberg with the monumental challenge of creating a title design for Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Spielberg wanted the design to be "a beacon for the film", which was no small task coming from the premiere director of modern times. Perri created a logo with a "mysterious, unknown feeling" that he felt matched the scientific nature of the film. A logo such as this doesn't just introduce the film on screen; it was recreated for everything from T-shirts to studio stationery to production cargo boxes. Spielberg was so elated with Perri's work that he rejected the normal route of advertising agencies promoting the film and put Perri in charge of the whole promotional campaign, with his key art becoming known as "The Road and the Glow." Decades later, the logo is still instantly recognizable. Perri eventually designed titles for every major director in the biz, and as of this writing, he continues to design.
Largest: 8 x 20 in.

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