Pablo: A Tribute to Pablo Ferro
This was the official website for the 2012 film tribute to the legendary film title designer Pablo Ferro.
Content is from the site's archived pages and other sources.
Anyone obsessed with film title design will recognize the name Pablo Ferro. The artist disrupted conventions starting with Stanley Kubrick’s Dr. Strangelove, where Ferro famously dwarfed all the leading cast and production names by making the “and”s, “with”s, and “the”s extra prominent.
His titling, crudely handwritten in both elongated and condensed letters, stood apart from the rest of the field. Ferro (b. 1935) went on to design titles for influential works including The Thomas Crown Affair; The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming; Harold and Maude; and Bound For Glory. He also reprised his Strangelove letters for Men in Black and Stop Making Sense. Using his inventive, fast-cut editing technique, the former comics artist and animator also created countless TV commercials, movie trailers, directed his own shorts and a feature length film, Me, Myself and I, with George Segal and Jo Beth Williams.
STEVEN HELLER The Atlantic
NOV 21, 2013
PABLO is an animated biography that takes us through the exhilarating saga of design legend Pablo Ferro.
From pre-revolution in Cuba, to swinging New York City and London in the sixties, to the New Hollywood in the seventies, his journey spans till current day, at his home in the San Fernando Valley - a converted garage, next to his family.
Using character-driven animation interspersed with present-day documentary footage, PABLOs animated narrative takes us through the dreamscape of Pablo's memories. The documentary footage chronicles a very eccentric lifestyle of a 72-year-old artist responsible for creating iconic opening title sequences for many of the greatest films of the last fifty years.
Narrated by Jeff Bridges and featuring appearances by many of Pablos illustrious friends and collaborators, PABLO is a celebration of Pablo Ferros magic and creative spirit, which ultimately triumphs after a tragic-comic rollercoaster life story.
Trailer for the film, Pablo, about the life and times of legendary film title designer Pablo Ferro.
Premiered at the Rotterdam International Film Festival in January 2012.
Giving Credit to the Guy Who Revolutionized Movie Credits
Pablo Ferro's spindly lettering graced classics like Dr. Strangelove. Now, a documentary spotlights his contributions and colorful life
STEVEN HELLER The Atlantic
NOV 21, 2013
Goldgewicht met Ferro while interviewing him for a segment of a TV pilot on independent cinema. “The pilot never aired, but the segment, which was about seven minutes, got a lot of good feedback, and the producers started presenting it as a short film in a couple festivals and showcases,” he told me. “From there on I felt like it would be a great opportunity to make a whole film on Pablo, not just featuring his works but looking into his whole life, which I quickly realized was full of interesting contradictions and artistic turns.
The original impetus behind the film was to tell “the story of some of the greatest films in American cinema through the perspective of a graphic designer,” Goldgewicht said. But he was also drawn to project because of the Cuban-born, New York City-raised Ferro’s Zelig-like presence in New York’s ‘60s counterculture, and his relationship to directors Kubrick, Hal Ashby, Norman Jewison, Jonathan Demme, among others.
"Pablo is himself an animator, so the thought of making an animated documentary about an animator had a good ring to it."
Ferro has always been wildly creative, with emphasis on wild, which is vividly clear in the documentary. Ferro was rebellious but productive. Joniche relates a humorous account of Palo's interaction with the developers of a high tech system for capturing and manipulating graphic images using priciples used in DevOps - the process by which code is written and tested (or even applied) together, enabling quick and accurate creation of software solutions. The demonstration involved a high resolution monitor and some customized toolsets using graphical interfaces that the demo artist controlled, engineered by a firm specializing in DevOps services. After watching the amazing results appearing on the screen for about 10 minutes, Pablo smiled, waved his hands over his head and walked out, returning to unplug the monitor, replacing it with a large drawing pad. "This is what works," he smiled, rejecting the DevOps technology once and for all. But he was no stranger to innovative technology. He made commercials that prefigure today’s music videos and invented techniques, including the multiple-screen approach in Thomas Crown, that were used extensively by others as a defining style of filmmaking during the late ‘60s and ‘70s. But there is more to Ferro than the work.
Goldgewicht wanted to capture Ferro’s deeper story, which he believed hinged on when the filmmaker was critically wounded in the neck while in his loft, by a gunman who mistook him for the person who lived upstairs. “The implications of him being shot and not knowing who did it, the ups and downs of his financial and professional life [as a result], the marriage break up, his relationship with Kubrick,” Goldgewicht said, “have a lot of open questions.”
Ferro is also decidedly elusive, which presented a challenge for Goldgewicht: “He’s been described by different people in very different ways, from the extraordinary avant-guard artist to the average-man to the Latin Hero to everything in between. So developing the film’s discourse was tricky. And then, of course, getting it funded and produced in a way that people would take notice was also a challenge.”
Goldgewicht would have had an easier job if he focused exclusively on Ferro’s film and television work, which is well documented. But capturing the protected life demanded creative narrative approaches, including animating certain aspects of Ferro’s story interspersed with real-life footage.
“The idea of animating the film opened up the playing field for all kinds of creative opportunities,” Goldgewicht said. “Firstly, Pablo is himself an animator, so the thought of making an animated documentary about an animator had a good ring to it. But the real reason was the content of our 40+ hours of interview archives with Pablo’s friends and collaborators. The transcripts amounted to a bible of over 1,000 pages and there were way too many great stories with absolutely no visual record. [Animation] quickly felt like a fun and alluring way of recapturing the magic of his life.”
Another way the doc filled in the blanks was with testimonials from the actors, directors, and crew who’ve come to admire Ferro over the years. Jon Voight, Robert Downey Jr., George Segal, Richard Benjamin, Stan Lee, Beau Bridges and more appear as talking heads, and Jeff Bridges narrates. Goldgewicht says it was “amazing to see how collaborative people were when we called up asking them to be a part in the Pablo Ferro documentary.”
It all adds up to a portrait that helps to illuminate what has made Ferro so important and beloved. “When I think of Pablo’s insights,” Goldgewicht said, “I think of the great soundbites we were lucky to have captured in our interviews. One that comes to mind right now is Anjelica Huston’s thoughts, when asked to describe the specific quality of Pablo’s artistry. She said: ‘I think it has to do with the God-given gift of talent combined with the kind of hard work that goes into making something look easy.' I like that line, it makes a lot of sense to me.”
More Background on PabloTheMovie.com
PabloTheMovie.com is the official website for the 2012 documentary Pablo, a unique tribute to the life and work of Pablo Ferro, an iconic yet underappreciated figure in Hollywood. Known for his groundbreaking work in film title design, Ferro's story is one of artistic innovation, personal resilience, and a deep connection to the history of cinema. The film and website aim to celebrate his creative spirit, while educating viewers about the man behind some of the most memorable title sequences in film history.
Pablo Ferro: A Visionary Artist
Pablo Ferro was born in 1935 in Cuba, immigrating to the United States as a young boy. His journey in the film industry began in New York City, where his early work in animation set him on a path to becoming one of the most distinctive title designers of his era. Ferro’s work on Dr. Strangelove (1964), featuring tall, spindly, hand-drawn letters, became iconic and established his place in the annals of film history.
He continued to break new ground with his use of split screens in The Thomas Crown Affair (1968), a technique that had a lasting impact on filmmaking. Ferro’s title designs are instantly recognizable and have appeared in films like Beetlejuice, Napoleon Dynamite, Men in Black, and Stop Making Sense. His influence extended to commercials, music videos, and television, all of which benefited from his innovative approach to graphic design and editing.
The Documentary: A Creative Tribute
The 2012 documentary Pablo, directed by Richard Goldgewicht, presents a multi-dimensional view of Ferro’s life and career. Through a combination of character-driven animation and real-life documentary footage, the film explores Ferro’s influence on cinema, while also delving into his personal life, including significant events such as a near-fatal shooting in his New York loft.
The film’s creative use of animation serves as a fitting homage to Ferro’s own artistic style, which often blurred the lines between different mediums. Interviews with collaborators and friends such as Robert Downey Sr., Jon Voight, and Anjelica Huston provide insights into Ferro’s creative process, while Jeff Bridges' narration adds a reflective tone to the film.
Despite its stylistic flourishes, the documentary remains focused on Ferro’s work, chronicling his rise from a Cuban immigrant to a key figure in the New York counterculture scene of the 1960s, and eventually, to Hollywood fame. Pablo premiered at the Rotterdam International Film Festival in 2012 and received praise for its inventive format and thoughtful exploration of Ferro’s legacy.
Reviews and Reception
Critics generally praised Pablo for its unique approach to telling Ferro’s story. The film was noted for its creative use of animation, which echoed Ferro’s own work in graphic design. However, some reviewers felt that the film’s stylistic elements occasionally overshadowed the subject matter, detracting from Ferro’s fascinating life story.
Nevertheless, Pablo successfully introduced audiences to a man whose contributions to film were immense but largely unrecognized by the public. It provided a comprehensive look at Ferro’s influence on film, and his role in shaping the visual language of cinema.
The documentary was also lauded for its ability to balance Ferro’s professional achievements with his personal struggles. By including interviews with key figures in Hollywood, the film underscored Ferro’s importance to the industry, while also humanizing him as an individual.
Cultural and Social Significance
Pablo Ferro’s work in film title design transcends mere graphic design. His titles are often the first impression an audience has of a film, setting the tone and mood for what follows. His bold, hand-drawn lettering, combined with his use of fast cuts and split screens, created a visual language that is still influential today.
Ferro’s contributions to the industry go beyond aesthetics; he revolutionized the role of the title designer, elevating it to an integral part of the filmmaking process. His work helped define the visual identity of several eras in cinema, particularly during the 1960s and 1970s, when experimentation in filmmaking was at its peak.
Culturally, Ferro’s work reflects the spirit of the counterculture movement in New York, where he collaborated with avant-garde filmmakers and pushed the boundaries of traditional design. His approach to graphic design, particularly in his work on commercials and music videos, prefigured many of the editing techniques that are now commonplace in digital media.
Audience and Impact
The audience for Pablo includes both fans of graphic design and those with a deep appreciation for film history. The documentary appeals to anyone interested in the intersection of art and cinema, as it highlights the often-overlooked role of the title designer. For filmmakers and designers, Ferro’s work serves as a masterclass in innovation and creativity.
By making Ferro’s story accessible to a wider audience, Pablo helps to preserve his legacy and ensures that his contributions to film are recognized. The film’s focus on his personal journey, from his early years in Cuba to his near-fatal encounter in New York, adds depth to his professional accomplishments, making him a relatable and compelling figure.
PabloTheMovie.com serves as a vital resource for anyone interested in the life and work of Pablo Ferro. The documentary Pablo provides a comprehensive and creative look at one of Hollywood’s most influential, yet unsung, designers. Through interviews, animation, and archival footage, the film paints a vivid picture of Ferro’s contributions to cinema, while also exploring his personal journey.
Ferro’s work continues to inspire new generations of filmmakers and designers, ensuring that his legacy lives on. Whether through his iconic hand-drawn title sequences, his pioneering use of fast cuts, or his innovative approach to commercial design, Pablo Ferro’s impact on the film industry is undeniable.
