Wayne Fitzgerald

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Wayne Fitzgerald
Fitzgerald in 1987
Born(1930-03-19)March 19, 1930
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
DiedSeptember 30, 2019(2019-09-30) (aged 89)
Whidbey Island, Washington, U.S.
Occupation(s)Television and motion picture title designer
Years active1956–2003

Wayne Fitzgerald (March 19, 1930 – September 30, 2019)[1] was an American film title designer. Over a career that spanned 55 years, he designed close to five hundred motion picture and television main and end title sequences for top directors such as Francis Ford Coppola, John Huston, Mike Nichols, Robert Redford, Roman Polanski, Arthur Penn, Michael Cimino, Warren Beatty, Herbert Ross, John Hughes, and Quentin Tarantino.[2]

Film title work

A native of

Pillow Talk (also 1959), The Music Man (1962), My Fair Lady (1964); or for early television shows such as Maverick (1957), Mister Ed (1961), and The Beverly Hillbillies
(1962).

In addition to providing an entertaining background for the credits, Fitzgerald's titles often set the mood. For The Music Man he directed a group of 35 technicians who built sets and painted and animated the musical instruments and marching band. He then shot and edited the sequence.[3]

In the film Max Dugan Returns (1983), the title character does not appear for half an hour. Fitzgerald's titles with Bob Kurtz animation provided a background for the character.[4] For Bonnie and Clyde (1967), Fitzgerald used old snapshots and a quick-cut style driven by sound that melded seamlessly with film editor Dede Allen's editorial style. The photos established the mood and look of the 1930s, and referenced the fact that Bonnie and Clyde were known for taking snapshots of themselves, which they sent to the press. Until the music starts to fade in, the only sound is the click of a Brownie camera.[5]

While working together on Bonnie and Clyde, Warren Beatty convinced Fitzgerald to strike out on his own. He left his job as head of the art department at Pacific Title and formed Wayne Fitzgerald FilmDesign. Chinatown (1974), Nine to Five (1980), Footloose (1984), Total Recall (1990), to name a few, followed. In addition to opening titles, Fitzgerald shot second unit and edited montage sequences for Rocky III and Tootsie (both 1982).

Fitzgerald also continued to design titles for

Emmy Award in 1987 for The Bronx Zoo
.

He also designed for the daytime soap operas

The Guiding Light (CBS
) 1991 (EMMY 1992), and again in 2002 with his son Eric, Fitzgerald, also a title designer.

In 1993, he briefly joined the digital graphic design firm, Pittard-Sullivan. It became Pittard-Sullivan-Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald's last work with the company was in 1995, after which he reformed his company, Wayne Fitzgerald FilmDesign, Inc.[6]

In 1995, Fitzgerald designed the logo for the Motion Picture Editors Guild.[7]

Personal life

Fitzgerald was a member of the

Art Center College of Design
.

Fitzgerald died September 30, 2019, aged 89.

Filmography

Select Pacific Title (1956–1968) titles

Wayne Fitzgerald/FilmDesign (1968–1993)

Pittard/Sullivan/Fitzgerald (1993–1995)

Wayne Fitzgerald/Filmdesign (1995–2003)

Awards

Fitzgerald won a

The 50th Anniversary Season of The Guiding Light.[8]

References

  1. ^ Barnes, Mike (September 30, 2019). "Wayne Fitzgerald, Prolific Main Title Designer, Dies at 89". The Hollywood Reporter. The Hollywood Reporter, LLC. Retrieved September 30, 2019.
  2. IMDb
  3. ^ "Title designer for 'Music Man' lives on San Juan". Journal of the San Juans. Retrieved December 25, 2022.
  4. ^ Forget the film, watch the titles, submarinechannel.com. Accessed December 25, 2022.
  5. ^ The importance of a singular, guiding vision: an interview with Arthur Penn, Free Online Library. Accessed December 25, 2022.
  6. ^ Whitney, Daisy A Legacy of Innovation: Pittard Sullivan Was Once Synonymous With Broadcast Design Television Week, June 20, 2005.
  7. ^ "What 60 Years Of Unity Can Accomplish". editors guild.com. Retrieved December 25, 2022.
  8. IMDb

External links


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