Everyone, whether they have memorized the name of every planet in the galaxy far, far away or they call him Nick Skywalker, knows what Star Wars‘ opening title looks like. The font and design of those two words are so iconic that any words written in the same style are instantly recognized as the “Star Wars font.” Well somebody was responsible for creating that, and it turns out a career spent working with letters and fonts paints a much more interesting life in Hollywood than we might imagine.

This behind-the-scenes look at the career and work of title designer Dan Perri comes from Academy Originals, “a documentary-style video series produced by The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences,” and while, as Star Wars fanatics, we might be fascinated by the shots of alternate title designs he presented to George Lucas shown here, his entire career and other works are just as compelling.

From his love for letters (as in A-B-C, not correspondence) as a twelve-year-old (which resulted in a successful sign making business as a teenager) to his “stalking” of Oscar-winning title designer Saul Bass, Perri was destined, it seems, to spend a life crafting the words that introduce us to the stories of the big screen.

This video offers lots of great, interesting insights into the actual process and rules of making title sequences, like how actors names have to be sized at 50% of the movie’s title, and how those sequences on average take two to three months to make. Like with any art form, it’s clear this isn’t a job just anyone can do; it’s an art form that requires a skilled artist at the helm.

One that even Nick Skywalker’s biggest fan can appreciate.

What is your favorite movie title sequence? Tell us in the comments below.

Images: Academy Originals