Cinema Verite
2011 • HBO Films
Main Titles and Montage Sequence
Directed by Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini
Cinema Verite opens with a confessional moment from Pat Loud (Diane Lane), drawn directly from the vérité-style storytelling at the heart of the film. We were asked to create a title sequence that could emerge organically from that opening scene—without breaking the rhythm or emotional tone.
To bridge the gap, we “froze” a frame of Pat and pulled back to reveal the image playing on a Steenbeck editing table. The camera continues to move, revealing hands splicing film—a visual nod to the constructed nature of documentary editing and the artifice behind so-called reality.
The sequence ends as the Steenbeck screen displays footage of the Santa Barbara coastline. The camera pushes in, and we transition seamlessly back into the narrative, rejoining the film with an unbroken visual thread.
The sequence pays tribute to analog editing while subtly commenting on the layered, editorial nature of “reality” itself.
Montage Sequence
While we were working on the main title sequence, the directors asked if we could create a montage to illustrate a pivotal moment in the film: Americans across the country tuning in to watch the Loud family’s real-life drama unfold in the landmark 1973 PBS series An American Family.
To bring this to life, we staged period-authentic scenes of families watching television in homes across America. We sourced vintage TV sets, props, and furniture, filming on both soundstages and in homes around Los Angeles and Northern California to capture a range of architectural styles and neighborhoods.
If you look closely, you’ll spot Jenny as one of the viewers—along with Gareth’s mother, brother, cousins, and friends, all of whom generously appeared in the shoot. The montage serves as a visual time capsule, capturing the quiet intimacy of television viewing in the early ’70s—and the cultural reach of the Loud family’s story. Our talented Director of Photography Philip Holahan helmed the shoots.
For much more information about the making-of this montage sequence, check out our making-of page here.