The art of creating a James Bond title sequence

Daniel Kleinman has been the creative mind behind almost every 007 title sequence since the 90s. He discusses his work on Daniel Craig’s final foray in No Time to Die and how he finds the delicate balance between reinvention and homage

The visual language of James Bond’s world is instantly recognisable, be it the fast cars, sharp suits or vodka martinis (shaken not stirred, of course). The film franchise’s distinctive title sequences are no exception, with each one being treated less like a list of credits and more as a mini movie in its own right. This has been the case ever since Maurice Binder’s work on the 1962 Dr No film, which was the first to include the signature gun barrel sequence shot from the point of view of 007’s assumed assassin.

“[Maurice] invented this whole genre, this whole look that effectively is the shorthand for the spy mystery world. It’s been copied so much that it feels now a bit hackneyed but he invented that, it didn’t exist,” says Daniel Kleinman, the director behind every Bond title sequence (bar Quantum of Solace) since Binder passed away in the early 1990s.

Top: Still from the latest James Bond film, No Time to Die. Above: Still from Casino Royale