An inside look at the making of Digital Kitchen‘s Smoke title sequence for Apple TV.
Many burn studies went into creating these object transformations. Several props were made in house and from the actual show.
Much went into the edit and post effects to create the look of microfiche readers, typographic distortions and forensics photography. 🔥
#motiondesign #experimentalart #fire #smoke #appletv #titlesequence #adobe #aftereffects #cinematography #shotonred #motiongraphics #art #bts #typography #videography #coolshots #artdirection #fyp
When an arson investigator begrudgingly teams up with a police detective, their race to stop two arsonists ignites a twisted game of secrets and suspicions.
Smoke, featuring main titles by Digital Kitchen, and an original main title theme by @thomyorke , now showing on @appletv
I had the pleasure of working alongside the practical effects team, crafting the overlays and handling animation and compositing on the digital side after the shoot.
CREDITS
Client: Apple TV
Main Title Concepted, Designed, and Produced by Digital Kitchen
Executive Creative Director: Mason Nicoll
Art Director & Cinematographer: Rachel Brickel
Art Director & Designer: Peter Pak
Motion Artist: Simon Chan
Designer: Ana Criado
Editor: Justin West
Lighting & Grip: Jose Ponce, Mike Flores
Senior Producer: Matthew Lynch
Managing Director: Ally Malloy
Music by: Thom Yorke
LIFE UPDATE📣: Got married in January! A traditional Khmer wedding with more outfit changes than a designer picking a font. I believe in working to live, not living to work, but sometimes I forget and every now and then I need a reminder to step away and actually enjoy life, especially the parts spent with the people I love. Because at the end of the day, it’s not the hours we work, but the moments we cherish that truly matter.
Created by @digitalkitchen
It’s always special getting to revisit this project—this time to refresh the collages for the Season 4 intro of Godfather of Harlem. I first worked on this main title about six years ago, and so much has changed since then, both in the world and in my own life. Coming back to it now feels a bit like catching up with an old friend.
@godfatherofharlem now streaming on @mgmplus .
#godfatherofharlem
Godfather of Harlem MT - Season 4 updates. Created by @digitalkitchen
Every season, I have the chance to update the main title to reflect the evolving story and new characters of Godfather of Harlem. It’s become a ritual of sorts—returning to this world, layering in what’s new while staying true to the spirit of what we built.
@godfatherofharlem Now streaming on @mgmplus .
#godfatherofharlem #titlesequence #maintitle #motiondesign #titledesign
Grief, loss, and a haunting connection to the past. A dreamscape-like ambiance where time loses its linearity, memories intertwine, and reality becomes fluid. Our new main title for Before—starring Billy Crystal—now streaming on Apple TV+.
I had the pleasure to co-art direct and do the compositing for this main title. Concept by John Van Unen.
Studio: Digital Kitchen
Executive Creative Director: Mason Nicoll
Creative Director: Andrew Julien
Art Directors: Rachel Brickel & Peter Pak
Motion Artist & Designer: John Van Unen
Editor: Justin West
Senior Producer: Jason Scott Rosen
Head of Experiences: Ally Malloy
Music by Jay Wadley
#thisisdk #before #apple #animation #design #maintitles #motiondesign
I’m excited to share my latest work for the Hotel Cocaine Main title.
My roles: Art direction, animation, compositing, and conform.
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Set at the epicenter of Miami’s cocaine scene in the late 1970s and early ‘80s, The Mutiny Hotel and club was a hotspot for politicians, drug dealers, and A-list celebrities, indulging in drugs, dancing, and debauchery.
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The main title begins with a film leader, evoking the feel of a documentary film about 1970s Miami. Using archival footage and retro typography, it transports viewers to a vibrant and bygone era. The sequence captures the essence of the American Dream—from Cuban exiles to high-life parties. But every pleasure has a price. As the title progresses, the footage warps, bubbles, and melts, foreshadowing the violence and reckoning to come, as if the actual main title’s “film” is being burned and damaged.
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Bringing this vivid, nostalgic, and evocative vision to life was an incredible experience, and I’m excited for everyone to see it!
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Our new main title for Hotel Cocaine, now showing on MGM+.
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Executive Creative Director: Mason Nicoll
Art Director: Peter Pak
Designer/Photographer: Rachel Brickel
Designer: Ana Criado Zahonero
Stock Researcher: Jodi Tripi
Editor: Mason Nicoll
Senior Producer: Matthew Lynch
Head of Experiences: Ally Malloy
Main Title Theme: Swizz Beatz
#thisisdk #hotelcocaine #mgmplus #design #maintitles #motiondesign #titlesequence #titledesign #70saesthetic #maintitledesign #maintitle #tvopen
Sugar - Main title VFX breakdowns! By @digitalkitchen for @appletv
Studio: Digital Kitchen
Executive Creative Director: Mason Nicoll
Art Directors: Peter Pak, Ben Hurand Designers & Animators: John Van Unen, Felix Soletic, Mike Cahill, Anissa Silva
Senior Producer: Matthew Lynch
Head of Experiences: Ally Malloy
Music: Street Fighter Mas by Kamasi Washington
#sugar #johnsugar #appletv #appletvplus #sugarmaintitle #maintitle #titlesequence #LAvibes #motiondesign #motiongraphics #colinfarrell #painterly #detective #noir #neonoir #detectiveshow #vfxbreakdown
Los Angeles seen through John Sugar’s eyes—a surrealist impression of the streets & neighborhoods that define the city. Like a dream, visuals morph and shift, day to night, blended with Old Hollywood nostalgia and neo-noir storytelling. Our new main title for Sugar, now streaming on Apple TV.
Studio: Digital Kitchen
Executive Creative Director: Mason Nicoll
Art Directors: Peter Pak, Ben Hurand
Designers & Animators: John Van Unen, Felix Soletic, Mike Cahill, Anissa Silva
Senior Producer: Matthew Lynch
Head of Experiences: Ally Malloy
Music: Street Fighter Mas by Kamasi Washington
#thisisdk #sugar #apple #animation #design #maintitles #motiondesign #digitalkitchen #titlesequence #titlesequencedesign #maintitle #intro #painterly #appletv #motiongraphics #motionlovers #motionmate #noir #titledesign #colinfarrell
The “animatic vs. final product” comparison for the Death and Other Detail main title sequence created by @digitalkitchen .
Creating a storyboard was incredibly useful in figuring out the timing, story moments, and visuals for the title sequence. It helped convey my vision more clearly to the team because previously the discussions were mostly abstract, focusing on themes and emotions without firm decisions being made. Initially, I started with rough pencil sketches without planning to animate them. However, I later decided to enhance the visuals with transitions and camera animations to make it easier to understand and be self-explanatory. Developing an animatic was crucial in refining the designs and clarifying the intentions. By organizing the sequence into a modular system, we were able to effectively distribute individual shots among the animators. Surprisingly, the final product closely resembled the original animatic.
#deathandotherdetails #hulu #digitalkitchen #maintitle #maintitledesign #titlesequence #motiongraphics #motiondesign #storyboard #animatic #animaticstoryboard #motionlovers #motionmate #artofthetitle #showintro #digitalart #motiongraphicscollective
