How to Build an Artistic Title Sequence With Dave McKean

If you’re familiar with original Caligula (1979)—the much maligned, notably pornagraphiic passion project written by Gore Vidal and directed by Tinto Brass—you might be wondering… why redux ultimate cut? Why now? Sure, the film has become something of a cult icon, but enough to try and salvage a new cut?

Well, in a truly crazy turn of events, pretty much the entire production sits as reels in Burbank, CA. Even crazier, very much of it wasn’t used in the original cut. In fact? Not a single negative from the original film is in Caligula: The Ultimate Cut, pieced together by Thomas Negovan. The story is pretty nuts, withholding lots of lessons into the importance of artistic integrity and intention in filmmaking.

History aside, we have something cooler for you today, folks: an interview with the artist behind Caligula: The Ultimate Cut‘s title sequence, Dave McKean.

McKean is most notably known as a painter and comic book artist for projects like Grant Morrison’s Arkham Asylum and Neil Gaiman’s Sandman Overture. His work in the comic book space is distinct and incredible, but he’s also worked on everything from album covers to his very own films.

Below, we chat his involvement with Caligula: The Ultimate Cut, as well as his experience breaking into film from a painting and design background.

Editor’s Note: The following interview is edited for length and clarity.

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Dave McKean on Breaking into Film as a Painter 

“I’ve made films before. I’ve made three feature films and a bunch of short films and music films. So I’m used to working with motion pictures, and working with animation myself to a degree and also with other animators and CG animators.

So I’m fine doing that. Really, the nature of the problem is basically the same. I have an idea or an atmosphere or narrative to express, and I just have to find the right sort of tone of voice and visual style to put that across.

The three featured films are Mirrormask, which was made for the Jim Henson company, and Sony Pictures’ Luna, which is my favorite of the three, but barely anybody’s seen it. It played at a lot of festivals, but not many other venues. It was released on DVD and I wrote that as well as directed it. And another film called The Gospel of Us, which was a strange project with the actor Michael Sheen in Wales. That was a three day live theatrical passion play that I turned into a feature film. All of those films have animated sequences in them.

Mirrormask has a huge amount of animation, and also animated title sequences. I’m very fond of films that have a title sequence that give you a gateway into that world, especially if it’s a world that involves changing the way you think a little bit—a dreamlike world, not just our everyday world. I like films that bring you into the film through the gateway of an interesting title sequence.

I think it’s a shame that TV has stopped doing that. I always used to [appreciate] television title sequences, even though they were only 45 seconds long, or something like that. As soon as that music comes up, whatever it is, and those images, you’re in that place again.”

How to Apply Artistic Tendencies to a Title Sequence 

“Well, I mean, animation could be made with any media—from drawing and paint, to CG and photography and collage. All the stuff that I use. It’s more labor intensive, and it involves developing narrative flow, which is there to a degree in comics, but is not as crucial as it is in animation. You really have to think about how one image flows or cuts to the next.

So my process is, as you’d expect, I read the script and get to know the work and decide on what sort of tone of voice it should have—whether it should be atmospheric or abstract, or close in on details, or try and find an iconic image to sum up the whole thing. And then do storyboards, little thumbnails just to work out roughly what the flow will be. Then I try and do a more finished animatic to give me, mostly, but also everyone involved a clear idea of where we’re going and what it might feel like.

I always try and find some music to go with it, even though it probably isn’t going to be the final music—but music. The sound carries so much emotional weight. I always try and find something. It really helps it be understood if it has that soundtrack going along with it.

I did the same for Caligula. I did the same, I did a rough animatic for Thomas [Negovan] (Tom) who was the producer, and I ended up sort of clunking some bits of classical music and a few bits of cello music that I had by a friend of mine put together. And Tom really loved it. So I didn’t only do the titles, but I wrote the music for it as well, so I could get my cellist mate to come and play on that.

And then for the final thing, I thought it should move. I thought it should actually physically move because it involves the dance. It involves the young Caligula at the beginning, dancing. And I think to really understand that and the link to Malcolm McDowell—in the film dancing—we needed to see him move. I did lots of different tests for that.

I think Tom felt it looked a bit like an outtake or a sort of pickup shoot or something, not integrally part of the film that was made 40 years ago. And I kind of agreed. So I just kept a bit at the beginning and I animated it in an animatic style that was common in the seventies and eighties—pre-digital.

The idea for the sequence was to make something that fit in with the nature of the film made in 1979, and didn’t look like a digital thing clumped onto the beginning.”

So… What Went Wrong With the Original ‘Caligula’? 

(Clip of prologue from the Ultimate Cut above)

“I saw the cinematic release, which was, I mean, there’ve been so many versions of it. I saw a couple of them, and I mean, I think it is dreadful. It was one of the worst films ever released. Even the writer (Gore Vidal) said that.

But it’s strange because I had the same reaction to it that a lot of people did, a lot of critics did. I saw Mark Od did his review of it recently, and I had exactly the same reaction: this is complete rubbish,

But there’s so much in it that is extraordinary. The sets are amazing, the costumes and the cast that they assembled, these amazing actors—Malcolm McDowell, John Gielgud, Helen Mirren, Peter O’ Toole. Surely they could not have known on set that that final film is what they were aiming for. They must have been working on something better than that. There must be a much more interesting film.

That’s what Tom found. I do think he found a much better film in there. I think some of the problems are kind of baked into it because I don’t think the director really was very good, but when when he started editing it for the quality of the performances, and for telling the story that was in the script, suddenly it becomes a proper film.

It’s still a transgressive movie. I mean, the original one was too, but for all the wrong reasons. This is for the right reasons. It’s a story of the utter excess and corruption of complete power. If you have complete power, power corrupts absolutely. It’s the story of that. So it is still transgressive, but I think in a much more powerful and interesting way now than it was before. It was just a stupid porn movie with some people in Roman costumes that would occasionally say things to get in the way of the next porn scenes. It was ridiculous.

I know lots of films that have been recut or have had director’s cuts, or extra bits added, or have gone through a few stages of their development, but I’ve never known a film where there’s a second release of it without using a single frame from the original film. I mean, that’s unbelievable. Not a single frame.

Tom knows that he hasn’t used any of the original because the only material that was unavailable to him was the original cut negative. So all the little pieces that were cut together as the cut negative of the original. The 96 hours of raw footage was there in the lock up in Burbank.

There’s nothing from that original cut in his version.”

Transitioning from Drawing and Painting to Film 

“I always loved films.

I loved films—old science fiction films and horror films going into art school. And then when I was in art school, although I was on a drawing and painting and design course, I ended up going to the media department and taking the 16 millimeter camera out and making films there.

As soon as I got out of art school and had the opportunity to get a few friends together and make a short films I did. And we got it into festivals. So I was always keen to try and get into film somehow, but on my own terms. I didn’t really want to be a director for hire and go up through the ranks, or to take on [film] jobs for job’s sake. I just wanted to try and make interesting films.

I was lucky I had a day job doing comics and other things that paid my way, so I didn’t need to make money out.

[With drawing and painting] I can just think of something and do it. Whereas with a film, it’s still expensive to make a feature. Film is a bit beyond me. I can’t fund a feature film, but I can think of a story that could be an epic 200 million film, but I can make it as a comic and start tomorrow without asking anybody’s permission.”

Artistic Advice From Dave McKean 

“Wow, I don’t really know what that space is.

There are companies that do that and specialize in that. I think if there are title sequences that you’ve seen that are credited, if you know the companies that make those, [you should build your portfolio with] the work that you do in art school, or in your own time, and aim it to them somehow. Make sure they get to see it. Note the people, the animators, the producers who are doing that, and try and get it in front of them somehow. Not quite sure how, but most of these companies are listed and you should pursue them.

Unfortunately, to get started, you have to be relentless and determined and make a nuisance of yourself until somebody notices what you do. A great way of doing it is just to make your own work.

I think the only advice I can give anybody in the era of AI and everything else is focus on your own work. And even when you’re working professionally, even when you get busy and you have a schedule and you have deadlines, it’s really important to prioritize your own work. Because, in the end, that’s the only work that will represent you as an individual and how you see the world. And it’ll be the work that you will look back on and value the most, and it will also be the work that hopefully will find your unique place out in the world and in the marketplace.

Prioritize your own stuff.”