NEW YORK — Imaginary Forces (http://www.imaginaryforces.com) created the show open for Saturday Night Live’s 40th Anniversary Special, which aired on Sunday, February 15th. The 2:25 open takes slices in time from the live sketch comedy show’s star-studded tenure, weaving in timeless characters and sketches in a graphic horizontal timeline of the show’s history. The studio also crafted a series of promos for the special announcing the show’s celebrity lineup that aired during NBC’s broadcast of Super Bowl XLIX.
Directors Jeremy Cox and Alan Williams led the Imaginary Forces team, whose goal was to bring a fresh perspective to the title sequence, while still maintaining enough of the standard elements to remain authentic to longtime fans. They chose to emphasize the wide variety of footage that the show has produced over the years, while also highlighting the reciprocal NYC influence. Editor Nate Buchik worked closely with the team to refine the cut to incorporate the vast list of guest stars for the special while maintaining a fluid graphic theme throughout.
Maggie Tsao, Jeremy Cox and Juan Monasterio served as designers on the project. Toros Kose, Andy Mastrocinque and Adam Tanner were 2D animators and Kacie Barton acted as producer.