In 2024 the task of packaging big-budget programming remained both a high pressure assignment and a canvas for motion design innovation. These seven sequences all rose to the occasion while nudging the genre forward.

Possibly reflecting the times they were created for, these projects all nod toward the darker side of entertainment – even the two comedy programs (The Decameron and the Tom Brady roast) open with a sardonic tone.

We were honored to publish all of these projects in The Stash Permanent Collection during 2024. They are listed here in reverse chronological order by their issue of publication.
 
 
“SHOGUN” TITLES (Above)
Issue: Stash 167

Director Nadia Tzuo at Elastic in Santa Monica, CA: “We collaborated with the creatives from the show looking for a concept that captures the tone of ‘Shōgun’ while reflecting the philosophy behind the story. We landed on the idea of a walled garden that we thought perfectly illustrates Japan and its political climate in 1600.

“As the picture became clearer along with the development of the production, we made adjustments to ensure the visual language and the subtle undertone aligned with the show.”
 
 
 

“THE DECAMERON” TITLES
Issue: Stash 167

Katrina Crawford and Mark Bashore, co-directors at Plains Of Yonder, Seattle: “We were asked to capture the spirit and tone of the show, which they described as quirky and dark, and we all bonded over the un-hinged nature of illustrations found in illuminated manuscripts of the 14th century.

“There was no ask for it to be animated, or any other particular format. We submitted ideas that ran the gamut from CG-animated wax to rats in ancient mazes, but our favorite was the concept of hoards of lovable-but-nasty rats, animated in a simple, timeless ink style.”
 
 
 

“THE GREATEST ROAST OF ALL TIME: TOM BRADY” TITLES
Issue: Stash 167

Director Ronnie Koff at Imaginary Forces: “It’s only right that a legendary live event has a legendary show package. So when Netflix came to us to ask for a main title, we knew we had to deliver GOAT-worthy graphics.

“Spotlighting the star himself, we shot live-action footage of Tom Brady and composited him to appear as if he’s emerging from the flames of laughter. A flying football soars through Los Angeles and into Tom as we poke fun at the hits he won’t even see coming.”
 
 
 

“3 BODY PROBLEM” TITLES
Issue: Stash 165

Patrick Clair, CD at Antibody: “For ‘3 BODY PROBLEM’ we faced a rare example of true hard sci-fi being adapted for the screen. The show takes an unusual and realistic view of physics and relativity: at the heart of the show is a 400-year journey across the cosmos.

“The showrunners wanted a sequence that wrestled with reality of the magnitude of space, and the extraordinary complexity that exists at different scales of reality. There was a lot of time spitballing questions like: ‘Even though it’s impossible to see something smaller than a single proton, what would an atom look like?'”
 
 
 

“THE BEEKEEPER” TITLES
Issue: Stash 164

Aaron Becker, CD at Filmograph in Los Angeles: “The creative brief’s goal was to emphasize the importance of bees in human culture over the centuries leading up to the present, where the power of their symbolism has been adopted as a moniker by a shadow organization embedded among our most established government institutions.

“One thing became clear early on: we would need to root the sequence’s design in a grounded world of live action and traditional editing while exploring mixed media approaches for the necessary design elements that would help flesh out a stylized historical backdrop for the film.”
 
 
 

“MASTERS OF THE AIR” TITLES
Issue: Stash 164

Alan Williams, CD at Imaginary Forces in Los Angeles: “I met with the show EP Gary Goetzman (co-founder of production company Playtone with Tom Hanks) and he shared some incredible scenes from the show. He was clear that he wanted to stay out of the way during the pitch process, letting us follow our instincts on how this should look.

“Once we won the job, he played a vital role in how this ultimately turned out, but it was the creative permission from the start that gave me such respect for him. While I wanted the opening to be unique and ownable, I felt it should honor the previous two titles (Band of Brothers and The Pacific) by utilizing actual footage from the show celebrating and not distracting from the authenticity of these events.”
 
 
 

AMERICAN HORROR STORIES: “DAPHNE” TITLES
Issue: Stash 163

ECD Hazel Baird at Elastic in Los Angeles: “The primary creative challenge we faced revolved around defining the character’s appearance. Collaborating with UK designer J.T. Child, we carefully reviewed the script and then created a detailed reference deck for the client.

“It soon became evident the client desired an organic, non-mechanical look, which posed a significantly intricate task. I was determined to ensure that our creation was not just a soulless AI construct but something deeply connected to the episode.”
 
 
Watch all the Best of Stash 2024 Collections.