The color-pencil animated opening credit sequence for “Juno” has surfaced online thanks to its creator: Shadowplay Studio [1]. I learned about this from a Dec. 27 post [2] on /Film.
Ellen Page and Michael Cera for “Juno” on Sept. 8, 2007.
Photo credit: WireImage.com
Since “Juno” director Jason Reitman also directed “Thank You For Smoking,” you wouldn’t be surprised to find out that Shadowplay is also responsible for creating that film’s opening titles [4], too.
Diablo Cody (left) and Ellen Page for “Juno” on Nov. 5, 2007.
Photo credit: WireImage.com
There’s universal agreement (as much as there can be universal agreement) that “Juno” is one of the best films of the year and perhaps the best of the independents.
Jennifer Garner for “Juno” on Sept. 8, 2007.
Photo credit: WireImage.com
Ellen Page (left) in “Juno”.
Photo credit: IMDb
Reitman says the following about the sequence in a blog post from Aug. 2007:
They were created by Shadowplay Studio, which is the same team who did the badass opening titles for “Thank You For Smoking”.
I met them back in 2000 when we both had short films playing the festival circuit. Their short (“This Guy is Falling”) was a really impressive half live-action/half animation piece they did in college.
When they did “Thank You For Smoking,” the titles were rendered on a series of computers in one of their mother’s living rooms. Now they got a fancy place in an art-deco building on Wilshire.
The “Juno” opening titles are out of control. I don’t want to give away too much, but the whole process was really labor intensive.
The Shadowplayers would have parties in which friends and family would help construct the whole thing. I can’t wait for you all to see it and then I can explain how it was done.
My interview with “Juno” star Ellen Page and “Juno” screenwriter Diablo Cody can be found here [5]. The HollywoodChicago.com film review of “Juno” by Shane Hazen can be found here [6].
“Juno” screenwriter Diablo Cody.
Photo credit: WireImage.com
Ellen Page and Michael Cera in “Juno”.
Photo credit: IMDb
Jennifer Garner (left), Jason Bateman and Ellen Page in “Juno”.
Photo credit: IMDb
From left to right: J.K. Simmons, Ellen Page, Allison Janney and Jason Bateman for “Juno” on Nov. 5, 2007.
Photo credit: WireImage.com