Amazing Kinetic Typography Videos
By Ilan Adler
Ever since I somehow stumbled on to this brilliant kinetic typography video in the early days of YouTube, I have been enamored with videos where the typography is animated. This clip features the awesome Citizen Cope song “Let the Drummer Kick” which combined with the clever animation in the clip makes it even more awesome and emotional. When I first discovered this clip it had about 100k views, and as of June 23rd 2014, it had over 6.6M views (admittedly a few hundred were probably just me…). Ever since this discovery I have always been looking out for the best most interesting videos in this genre, and in this post I have curated some for your enjoyment.
Pulp Fiction – Samuel L. Jackson Interrogation Scene – Typography
Pulp Fiction is a great movie, and more than enough words have been written about it. This kinetic typography short of Sam Jackson’s interrogation scene, is just perfectly well done and captures the essence of the movie and Quentin Tarantino’s vision. It’s another personal favorite of mine. “What ain’t no country I ever heard of!?!”
Old Spice Strikes Viral Gold Again – Smell Like a Man
This animation still keeps the mega-viral Old Spice The Man Your Man Can Smell Like video super cool, as it makes the famous one shot video still effective with just a bunch of moving text. Manly enough for you?
Old Spice Commercial – Smell like a man – Kinetic Typography from Fox In The Box on Vimeo.
From Paper to the Screen
This Vimeo gem explains typography and how it revolutionized the concept of opening titles for film (and now TV as well).
FROM PAPER TO SCREEN from Thibault de Fournas on Vimeo.
Full Attention – The Social Network
I loved David Fincher’s take on the story behind Facebook. This scene uses the moving typography to really illustrate what is going through Jesse Eisenberg’s portrayal of Mark Zuckerberg.
The Big Lebowski – Nobody Fucks with the Jesus
Really there’s nothing more that I can add to this.
The Big Lebowski Typography from Koos Dekker on Vimeo.
Why So Serious? The Dark Knight Animated Typography
I’m not sure if this one is on par design wise with the rest of the clips featured here, but I think that great scenes from great movies have an inherent advantage when it comes to making them into a kinetic typography clip. Thanks to the late Heath Ledger for a legendary performance.
Mad World
Like great movies, great songs also have a distinct advantage when made into moving text clips. Gary Jule’s Mad World is definitely one of them.
Catch Me if you Can
Technically I don’t know if this truly qualifies as a kinetic typography clip, but the text plays such an important part of these titles, and they wouldn’t be the same without it. Inspired by the late great Saul Bass, this title sequence is extremely well done.
Breaking Bad – I am the one who knocks
Walt is the Danger. Walt is the one who knocks. Walt is the nice old high school science teacher. Now put those in order. If you have no idea, then go out and watch all of Breaking Bad. Seriously. Do it. Now!
Stephen Fry – Language
Stephen Fry’s oral essay on language is brilliantly captured onto moving words.
Tony vs. Ralph – The Sopranos
This one is brilliant and captures a great scene between Tony and Ralph Cifaretto.
Reservoir Dogs – Mr. Pink
Another Tarantino movie, and an argument about why he’s Mr. Pink
The Social Network – Going Live
I don’t like to double dip, but this one also based on The Social Network was just too good to pass up.
Network – Mad as Hell
How can I leave out one of the greatest rants in the history of cinema? I couldn’t, especially when this was recently played at a St. Louis Blues playoff hockey game that I went to.
Have any other suggestions for great kinetic typography examples? Feel free to share them in the comments below!